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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1981)
Paa« 4 Portland Obaarvar March I . 1 «1 ENTERTAINMENT HAPPENINGS Grassroots News N .W .- In recent interviews, we dealt with traditional jazz artists Max Roach, Dexter Gordan, Sonny Stitt and others. These artists laid the cornerstone fo r contemporary jazz musicians to create the 1980s jazz sounds fo r the younger generation to enjoy this musical discipline. Harvey M ason is among th is g e n e ra tio n ’ s risin g pre cussio nist. H arvey gave Grassroot News reporter Lamta Duke, the following interview. Mason: I began playing in childhood and my early influences were RAB. In grade school. I played classical snare drum and was introduced to jazz in my preteens. From that I interjected myself into all types o f music and played for ENTERTAINMENT Note: As one who w ill be able to take over where the older precussionists left o ff, Harvey is tops on my list. Among the musicians o f today, he has the background because he treats music as an art form so H arvey’ s sound gets The Jefferson Performing Arts Center PRESENTS NIKOLAIS DANCE THEATRE 1981 3 PERFORMANCES! ] various orchestras. Duke: Do you have a fo rm a l musical education? M ason: In a way. I went to the L ou isville C onservatory o f M usic and earned a B .A .in musical education. I ’ ve taken as much form al education in Funk'N'The Mason Jar An Exclusive Interview with HARVEY Mason By Lam ia Duke music as a studio musician can fit into their schedule. Then there are the bits and pieces that you pick up from other greats in the business like M ax Roach. Boh James and Buddy Rich. You learn as you go and as you play. The beat always stays w ith you as you fo llo w your profession which leads you to always w ork and im prove. When I reach my lim it in one fo rm o f music there’ s always another that needs improving. T hat’ s the mode I ’ m in right now. Duke: Could you define contemporary jazz and what message do you con vey in your music? Mason: As opposed to trad ition al jazz, the sounds that are coming out today are rhythm ically inspired as compared to the harm onically inspired sounds which is the base for all music. Certainly today's music by any stand ard is less complex than that o f some o f the great music that was coming out in the 50s and 60s. As far as a message per se, I don’t have one in my music. I just want people to enjoy my music. Duke: A rtists in Am erica are classified so that they could be marketed, vet as a jazz drummer you have made the play list in both pop, jazz and soul. H ow do you explain your conversion? Mason: That is something I work for because 1 am involved in lots o f d if ferent types o f music. And I'm not really happy playing just one type o f music. T o keep my interest aroused, I have to play everything th a t’ s out there. But being Black, you’ re always associated with jazz and rhythm and blues so it was a lot easier for me to start in those areas as opposed to the problems I might have to encounter if I wanted to play country or classical. Duke: D id you enjoy working on the film production o f the Wiz? Mason: Oh quite a bit. See, I basically do a lot o f studio work to pay the rent since “ rent isn ’ t heaven se nt.” A n ytim e the o ffe r come up to do anything out o f the studio, I do it. I found working for the Wiz has left me a much better musicians because o f all the professionals that were involved in the production, like Quincy Jones. I enjoy doing movies and since that time I worked on a few more. 1 enjoy working on other people records and jingles. A ll this put together really makes me happy. Duke: H ow do you classify yourself? Mason: As a musician for all seasons. To produce and create music for all moods. T hat’ s the way my albums are. On one side, you want to rock out and the other side you can mellow out. So everybody can relate to my music at any time in their lives. Duke: Why is it that in today’s music, the theme and lyrics are always on the emotional and never on the social, even now that yo u r audience is living a very serious life? Mason: I think that there are artists that are cut there who do address those needs and issues. The music in general helps people forget and many use music as a balance in this unbalanced world. The artists that put what’s hap pening in their music are kept at a low level and away from the audience. They are in fact, kept down by the people who control the industry, business people. Duke: Is that bad? M ason: T ha t’ s very bad. By doing that, they control the music by con tro llin g w hat’ s out there because they control the outlets. I get by because I control my music. And when I play for someone else, well that case is moot. PR O G RAM A Friday, March 13, 8:15 p.m. PROGRAM B Saturday, March 14, 8:15 p m. PROG RAM AB: Sunday Matinee, March 15, 2:15 p.m. All at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center 5210 N. Kerby Avenue, Portland, OR 97217 TICKETS: A t the door or by mail order w ith a self-addressed, stamp ed enveloped to NIKOLAIS TICKETS at the above address. Also at Frederick Et Nelson, Stevens Et Sons and Meier Et Frank, dow ntow n Portland, Salem and Eugene. $6 General Adm ission, $4.50 Senior Citizens and Students (High School and College need I D.) H ARVEY M ASO N more and more complex as he may never reach his lim it in his own music because all his time and creativity is used to highlight other artists. I hope, as tim e goes by, that Harvey w ill fin d or make the tim e to develop Harvey Mason so that jazz can develop into the 1980s. Like M t. St. ”’TH€ WIZ* IZ A W OW !" 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