In the eyes of trumpeter Marquis Hill, the jazz masters of the past are also connected to the jazz of the present and future.
"Miles [Davis] and the greats. That's what they had in mind. They were forward thinking," Hill said. "But also, it's a continuum. It's a big continuum. We're all connected."
Hill explored this continuum in the KNKX Studios in 2019 with his band, Blacktet, which includes saxophonist Braxton Cook, pianist Joel Ross, bassist Jeremiah Hunt, and drummer Jonathan Pinson.
Hill's music is a celebration of the distinct black creative forces in gospel, jazz, soul, blues, rock, and hip-hop through the traditional jazz quintet format. But, the tradition he's most drawn to is education in the classrooms and onstage, where this music has been passed down over more than a century.
"I got my undergraduate and music education. I got my master's degree in jazz pedagogy, how to teach. Teaching and education has always been important to me. The greatest performers were also the greatest educators, and it's the history of this music is about passing the knowledge down," he said.
Hill got his early jazz education in the schools and clubs of Chicago, and he moved to New York City in 2014. Being in a big city, especially the Big Apple, helps him continue his musical education.
"Just being around the electric energy of the city elevates your playing," he said. "Imagine being able to go out and hear greats every single night of the week. You have access to so much music in the city."
Another benefit of city life for Hill is being close to people. Jazz is a specifically human art form with a legacy of speaking to the human condition in America and beyond. Playing jazz, Hill said, is a way to share how it feels to be alive, from great struggles to great joy.
"This music for humans is music for the people, and it's our jobs to educate and elevate the people through our art and expose them to the things that are happening in the world today," Hill said.
Hill borrows from the Count Basie strategy of skipping solos to focus on the melody. Hill explained that his style is anchored in the jazz tradition, but comes from the minds of modern artists. He and his bandmates grew up with hip-hop and rock, soul and funk, and they understand that it all started in jazz and blues.
When I'm writing the music, I'm also writing for these musicians specifically," Hill said. "They have that knowledge of the history, but also they have their foot in the future as well."
Hill keeps the jazz flowing. He's just released his 16th album, (Beautifulism) Sweet Surrender, and his Blacktet will play one of the longest running jazz festivals in the world in Newport, Rhode Island in August.
"I give thanks to all my mentors, they ingrained in me the importance of studying the music, studying the history of the music, but also creating your own voice and searching for your own identity," he said.
Songs heard in this episode:
- "To Be Free"
- "Stellar"
