A senior tenor saxophone player with the Bellarmine Prep jazz band, Sidney Mbugua has a deep love for jazz. He’s also aware of the close connections of jazz and modern music.
The first song Mbugua played on the show as this month's KNKX School of Jazz guest DJ is pianist Ahmad Jamal’s “I Love Music.” He explained that he actually first heard the tune sampled in “The World Is Yours” by rapper Nas.
“A lot of hip-hop production uses these old jazz pieces, specifically piano," Mbugua shared.
Also in his playlist is “Tidal Wave” by saxophonist Ronnie Laws, which was sampled in the song “Who Got Da Props” by Black Moon.
“It would be really hard to separate the two,” Mbugua said, about the connection between jazz and hip-hop. “Especially when it comes down to rhythm.”
Largely, though, Mbugua’s guest DJ show featured classics from jazz legends like the Count Basie Orchestra, Charlie Parker and Bill Evans.
Mbugua also included trumpeter Bobby Shew on his show. He finds listening to other instruments to be a key factor in his own development on tenor saxophone.
Listening to the emotional ballads from sax greats Coleman Hawkins and Illinois Jacquet, it’s obvious that Mbugua is a romantic at heart and he confirmed it with a smile.
“I’m a hopeless romantic,” Mbugua said. “It’s the feel that I really want to focus on as a player because if I can feel it – I mean really feel it – that means the audience can feel it, too.”
You’ll feel the romance, the grooves, the emotional highs and lows through a fantastic and diverse hour of Mbugua’s favorite jazz. He hopes you’ll also learn about an artist or two you’d never heard before — like the bluesy sax of Don Wilkerson and the acid jazz grooves of T-Square.
Graduating from Bellarmine Prep next month, Mbugua will miss the connections he made with his fellow students.
“I made memories I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” he said.
Off to college in the fall, Mbugua is certain to make more great memories – with or without his saxophone.
What instrument do you play and why?
I play tenor saxophone. I love it not only because of its familiarity (I've done this for four years) but also because of the sound it makes. That warm tone that emits from it when I play is addictive, and it’d be a shame if I never got to hear it again.
What is your all-time favorite jazz piece?
My all-time favorite jazz piece is a battle between either "Three O'Clock in the Morning" by Dexter Gordon, or "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck.
Who is your jazz hero?
I’ve had a few heroes, but I’d say right now it’s Charlie Parker. His work ethic alone is something to awe at. He practiced for 15 hours a day for three to four years! That’s insane!
Why jazz?
Out of all music, in my opinion, jazz is the one that can convey the most amount of emotions, without any limitations. Your only limit is your skill. And even that can be changed.
