Back in 1993 Jamie Masefield debuted the first incarnation of the Jazz Mandolin Project. As befits its name, the Project has featured a rotating cast of individuals over the years, including Jon Fishman, Danton Boller, Ari Hoenig, Greg Gonzalez and Matt Shulman. The current incarnation of the group features JMP regulars Peter Apfelbaum, Scott Ritchie and Mark Guiliana. Starting with a performance this coming Friday, September 24, at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall, the quartet will return for a series of shows. Folliowing the NYC gig, JMP will then appear in Jamie’s hometown of Burlington, VT on Thursday September 30 at Club Metronome followed by gigs on Friday October 1st at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse and then the Weeks Gallery Stage at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, NY on October 2nd. in the following conversation Masefield talks about his return to the road after some time off, his plans to follow-up his “How Much Land Does a Man Need” project and the inspiration he took from a recent Fishman quote.
2010 has been quiet in terms of Jazz Mandolin Project performances. Where else have you placed your focus?
Ah yes, well I guess the quick answer to that would be “nest building.” I was on the road pretty much full time with JMP for about 13 years straight. Around 5 years ago I got the urge to settle down and try to buy a classic old fixer upper VT farmhouse, eat food out of my own garden and discover my significant other (all of which I’ve accomplished).
What led you to decide to return to the road for a series of shows?
There’s always the itch and desire to play. My agent and I decided that we would put together a string of dates once school was back in session and play NYC again which we are very excited about. I kept hearing more of the guys that I play with mentioning that they were either performing at or just drinking at The Rockwood Music Hall. I found this interesting since it’s really not a jazz joint. I liked that it was an intimate spot where a ton of different stuff was being performed. So of course I thought JMP should play there. We’ve been pulling some great old tunes out of the archive that haven’t been played in a while. I think people will be pleased.
Can you talk a bit about the current JMP quartet that will be touring over the coming weeks? There are plenty of familiar faces in this version of Jazz Mandolin Project, can you talk about what drew you to each of them and what they bring to bear?
This is a very exciting lineup for me. Bassist Scott Ritchie has been playing with me regularly since 2003. Not only is he a swingin bassist but he also has mad classical chops. I’ve had the great opportunity to have Peter Apfelbaum with me since 2007. Peter’s musicianship is amazing. He plays so many instruments it’s ridiculous! He’s played with so many cats over the years (Don Cherry, Trey, Dafnis Prieto, Charlie Hunter, Trilok Gurtu, John Zorn, heck, he gave Joshua Redman lessons as a kid!) Having him in the group makes it more like a mini orchestra. He plays keyboards, every woodwind instrument, and a host of percussion instruments he’s collected from around the world. Mark Guiliana completes the lineup. He first played with me 2004 but I haven’t had a chance to play with him for a number of years. Mark is a young rising star in the NYC jazz scene. He’s been touring internationally with a host of great musicians including bassist Avishai Cohen and Meshell Ndegeocello. I knew he was going to be an important player in the first 5 minutes we jammed in his basement in NJ. This will be a special treat to have him rejoin us for this fall run.
Looking back a bit to some of your more recent triumphs, the “How Much Land Does A Man Need” project has been quite successful from a critical standpoint. Do you have any other similar projects in the works?
I’m asked that question a lot. Creating “How Much Land does a Man Need” was a real soul searching process. It was a leap off the cliff into the unknown and I think that this is part of what makes it so unique and special. If I duplicated it with choosing a new piece of great literature to form a multi media performance around, I’m afraid that I would be duplicating myself and that there would be no way that it would be as fresh as the first project.
Earlier this year you performed with clarinet player Brad Terry. How did that come about and can you talk about the experience? In terms of material, what did you drawn from?
Playing with 72 year old Brad Terry for the first time was a rare moment. It’s uncommon to meet someone that you hook up with so instantaneously. Our performances are conversations, friendly chats that move along in a pleasing manner. It’s a very interactive experience where it’s kind of hard to say who’s soloing and who’s supporting. We basically throw ideas back and forth in the moment. I think what works so well with him is that it’s evident to the audience that we’re having a ball. Oh, and did I mention that he’s a virtuoso whistler? Now Andrew Bird is a great whistler but Brad is on a different planet. Really! Our repertoire is all jazz standards that we really stretch but we also are getting into free pieces which always raises the stakes. He’s played with Dizzy Gillespie, but for any guitar aficionados out there, he played alot with the late and masterful Lenny Breau.
Will there be more to come?
Yes. He’s currently on tour in Poland for a month but we’re looking forward to playing a few gigs in December in NH and ME. Keep an eye on the JMP website and facebook page.
It’s been a few years since Jazz Mandolin Project played in New York City, yet many of your band members are based in that region. Has the nature of your music made it a challenge to gets gigs in the city? Has there been another factor that kept you away or has it all been happenstance?
Partly happenstance. Part of that was due to my “nest building” and part has been due to just focusing on performing “How Much Land does a Man Need”? (which we have performed twice in NYC in the last four years). I wanted to try to put my music in a new setting other than the club circuit and to learn some new things (such as soundtracks and editing film and all the technology that goes along with them) but I also wanted some new experience such as attaching my music to a great story and doing something education-related that would throw us into settings more like performing arts centers, grade schools and colleges. So this is a big part of why we havent been out there getting to all those great towns to play club dates.
It’s been a while since you release a JMP studio album. Do you have plans in the works?
Yes, I do have plans in the works. I have a very unusual album about half done and I’m hoping to finish it this winter. It’s very different than the previous six that JMP has put out. It’s a concept album of sorts which I would put in a category I’m calling “minimalist electronica.” Every song within the group has been written around a specific sound source and that source material is also manipulated and examined in each song. Of course I’m keeping it a secret as to what this family of “sources” is until it’s released but it’s being done through a cool music program called Abelton Live which alot of musicians are using now that are experimenting with grooves, loops, djing, etc.
Have changes in the music business since you first started JMP in 1993 had much impact on you? If so, can you talk about your perceptions?
Yes, the biggest challenge here is to mention them without going on and on. I do think that I was fortunate to come along when there seemed to be a surge in interest in improvised instrumental music. At first it seemed like it was just here in Burlington, VT but as I was able to perform in more and more places in the country, it became apparent that it was a nationwide interest. It seems like these things swing like a pendulum and I’m not seeing that level of interest presently. I think things shifted which is certainly natural. But of course technology has changed our perceptions as well. The age of the album is over and now each individual tune fights for its own life on the internet. Another technological change is that we now can own far more music than we might even care about. Suddenly we have so much food that we maybe don’t eat with the same hunger or relish the different tastes of different delicacies…ah but now I’m pontificating!
You played with Jon Fishman earlier this year. Did you notice any stylistic differences on his side now that he returned to the stage with Phish?
I remember one quote from him this spring when he said, “I’m more into music now than at anytime in my whole life.” I thought that was amazing and very inspiring for me to think about. I think the guy is a very happy camper.
Have you ever contemplated a Bad Hat reunion {a group which featured Fishman, Trey Anastasio and Stacy Starkweather)?
Sure but so much has changed now. I do have a lot more Bad Hats I could wear if need be.
Okay, final JMP question. Beyond these dates what do you have in the works for 2010 and beyond?
Well, I guess I’m really fixed on finishing this recording which has been a new and fun creative process that I think will be pretty unique.
