SPREADING THE GOSPEL OF JAZZ

Jazz in Saudi Arabia With the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz… and The State Department
Looking for connections, for shared humanity, for similarities, has always been a sidebar benefit of my work experience traveling the globe with my partners in The Manhattan Transfer. We have been all over the world, physically embodying the state of harmony ; four people who are quite different in upbringing, gender, priorities, and personality. Yet, whenever we stepped on a stage, we were working towards the same end - the creation of a fifth thing. Because of that, it felt as if we were unofficial ambassadors of harmony - a microcosm of how the world could be if we all respected each other’s differences and tried to “blend.”
So when I got a call from the Herbie Hancock Jazz Institute (The Thelonious Monk Institute changed its name to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA in 2019. ) to join Herbie and an elite group of students from the Institute on a cultural exchange /educational mission to Saudi Arabia, I immediately said yes.This tradition of music diplomacy dates to the mid-1950s, when the U.S. Department of State invited jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and Sarah Vaughan to play in countries where few people had seen concerts starring American musicians. Everything about the trip was appealing: connecting with Saudi artists , especially the women, whose lives have changed so dramatically in the last few years. A duo with Herbie, ( can you say “bucket list?” ) providing a positive image of Americans in a time when we are often perceived as corrupt, ignorant, arrogant, vulgar and/or bloodthirsty…. And most importantly the chance to proudly present our beautiful contribution to world culture to a brand new audience. Jazz is the music of freedom and of democracy, which is why I think it’s always been so appealing to other cultures where freedoms have been taken away or diminished.
Where I’ll start writing about this once in a lifetime experience, is to first mention that my first real epiphany about jazz was sparked by hearing Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage.” For the first time, I saw pictures in the music and understood the impressionistic, painterly power of the music. Painting with sound. I was hooked. And it all made sense when Herbie told me how much he loves Ravel. So this expedition was a personal full circle moment, not just work.
Here are some things that struck me as a first time traveler to this kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy and a country where the legal system is based on Sharia law…. very different than most of our upbringings here in the States.
I was quite aware of the negative stereotypes of Arabs that have existed , especially since 9/11, so that was initially lurking at the back of my mind, as well as the current troubles in the Middle East. I did not know what to expect but I wanted to stay open .The genuine hospitality and warmth of the people in every walk of life was immediately apparent. In every hotel lobby, office, lounge you are at once offered a small cup of Arabic coffee, ceremoniously poured from an ornate pot. The coffee is deep yellow: under-roasted and infused with green cardamom and saffron. Then comes an offering of dates, the fruit of the desert ( there are more than 300 varieties in Saudi Arabia alone !) …and if you’re lucky, next is chocolate ! The Saudi society is a nocturnal one with a great tolerance for caffeine. There is no alcohol permitted in the country and so people hang in cafes and hookah establishments deep into the night. Every single person I encountered , regardless of occupation or station of society, was present, positive, extremely courteous and genuinely curious. This hospitality appeared to me to be a sacred duty and honor . And yet, it was completely natural, on a level never before experienced, even in Japan or Switzerland. It also felt extremely safe due to the general level of respect from the men and the fact that it’s considered extremely impolite to stare at or ogle women.
My first day was spent as a participant in a Women In The Arts roundtable discussion, with an eager and diverse group of Saudi women artists. This event was sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The moderator of the panel was a Saudi singer/songwriter named Nourah Alammary who also sang with us onstage for the big concert at the King Fahid Cultural Center.( of course we bonded over our love of Ella ) I saw firsthand the changing dynamics of gender in the arts and music scene. Participating in our round table were an all female psychedelic rock band called Seera ( “story” in Arabic ) blending middle eastern melodies and hard rock, quite a few female DJs, Farah Khodor, a Saudi/Lebanese guitarist inspired by Pink Floyd and psychedelic electronics, Noor Faisal, a multi- instrumentalist and musicologist who is a violinist for the Saudi National Orchestra , a couple of architects and a woman who is the president of Music Managers Forum. Among topics discussed were personal empowerment through music, lessons learned , navigating networking without going insane, managing personal and professional lives , and a whole lot of support was given and received.
Herbie seems to love the role of musical ambassador, and I can’t think of anyone else who would be better suited. He’s genuinely curious about other cultures, an articulate speaker, not to mention he was one of the architects of the post bop period in jazz, where he infused elements of classical music, rock, electronica, and funk into jazz. He seemed to be well known to the Saudi musical and artistic community. As far as joining him on stage in the intimacy of the duo setting, I found him to be an intense listener and a lover of space - in the larger group settings, he played with authority and vigor, always teaching by example. The group of student instrumentalists from UCLA were an absolute pleasure to work with and alto player Alden gave a first rate presentation on the history of jazz at our masterclass. These young people are getting a one of a kind practical education as part of their jazz institute program. The Jazz Institute staff were also incredible to work with, especially Michelle Day the VP of Operations, whose attention to detail and personal touch made everything easy. It looks like we’ll be going to Abu Dhabi next.
Although he and I had met on several occasions, one of the great pleasures of this trip was to share a car with Herbie and hear stories about his early days in NYC, ( rats on the Upper West Side !) his beginnings with Donald Byrd , his movement towards harmonies inspired by Bill Evans and Ravel , “Watermelon Man,” buying sports cars with record advances, ( Herbie was the first person to buy a Cobra on the east coast ) the idea of an overture as the first piece one plays at the beginning of a concert, and the idea of evolution of a musical piece from the way it was initially recorded.
Our concert in Riyadh at the stunning King Fahid Cultural Center was a combination of some of Herbies’ most well known and beloved music : “Cantaloup Island “, “Chameleon" and “Watermelon Man," a bit of Wayne Shorter in “Footprints,” my contribution of Stevie Wonder’s “I Can’t Help It” and a hefty portion of vocalese, Nourah Alammary’s reading of “A Tisket A Tasket,” a duo of “My Funny Valentine” with me and Herbie, and a rousing finale of “Cottontail.” The challenge was to construct an engaging program for an audience that was not familiar with jazz and I think that mission was accomplished if the audience reaction was any indication. I was told by the CEO of the Saudi Music Commission, Mr. Paul Pacifico, that I was the first person to sing vocalese in the country. Imagine that! It felt so gratifying to carry on that proud tradition of my mentor Jon Hendricks, of Eddie Jefferson, of King Pleasure.. …and of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross,The Manhattan Transfer, The New York Voices, The Royal Bopsters, Kurt Elling and all other keepers of the sacred vocalese flame.
On our last day, we were treated with a curated visit to one of the UNESCO Heritage sites Dir’aiyah, which was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the Emirate of Dir’aiyah under the first Saudi dynasty. It was there that we were privy to a grand plan of development spearheaded by the Crown Prince, who is only 39 yrs old and is a dedicated environmentalist. Saudi Vision 2030 is a government program which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, ( To lessen their dependence on oil revenue) socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. A slap up lunch followed with our whole group including embassy peeps and all of the Jazz Institute personnel ….and to my great delight, local truffles were in season . Who knew?
To be able to share my passion for this art form with an audience hungry for connection and experience was a thrill beyond words. There was nothing like the music we performed and shared (although there is improvisation certainly ) in the traditional music. Given the contrasting global perceptions of America , this trip offered me and my colleagues a chance to challenge stereotypes and provide an alternative narrative through art. From my perspective, the Saudi audience was significantly moved by the music we presented - perhaps it was something that resonated on a deeper level with their aesthetic sensibilities-the familiar coming back to them in an unfamiliar form? Jazz is our treasured gift to the world, built block by painful block by the Afro- American experience in America and expanded by people of all colors, genders and races. I was proud to represent my country in this way and to represent my involvement with WBGO here in NY /NJ, a listener supported public radio station dedicated to this art form.
In the end , I’d have to say that this extraordinary journey proved to me the truth of this simple equation : curiosity leads to compassion leads to understanding leads to peace.
Janis Siegel/ Co-host of Singer's Unlimited
NY, NY
January 20, 2025
