Episode 25-Clarence Penn: Jazz Makes Me a Better Person
Release Date: 01/05/2025
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, from Sapporo, Japan, began her recording career early, releasing her first album when she was only 15 years old. Inspired by a saxophone-playing M&M doll, Erena developed an interest in music that led her to become a notable figure in contemporary jazz. Her journey inclu0des playing in big bands in Sapporo and preferring jazz over classical music. In this episode, Erena Terakubo exuberantly shares her early influences, including J Fusion and musicians like Charlie Parker and David Sanborn. She shares insights into her life in the United States, cultural...
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Taiwanese vibraphonist and percussionist Chien Chien Lu, along with Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native bassist Richie Goods, have crafted a sound that is both captivating and rhythmic. Their music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural influences including Taiwanese, American, and African-American traditions, especially within the jazz sub-culture. Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods are dedicated to expanding their musical repertoire, creating a unique connection that resonates deeply with listeners. In the fall of 2024, Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods visited Columbus, Ohio, where they met with...
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There's a not so polite saying about teaching music and music teachers that goes like this: If you can, play. If you can't, teach. That is what jazz legend Ellis Marsalis once said to a Detroit drummer who was considering becoming a music teacher. I'm talking about drummer, educator, producer and band leader Clarence Penn. Fortunately, Clarence did not take it to heart, eventually acquiring a master’s in music education from Rutgers University. It was also to the benefit of future musicians who became Clarence’s students. In this episode, Clarence Penn and I engage in deep reflection...
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World-renowned saxophonist and Blue Note recording artist Walter Smith III is the model music educator and practitioner. This enormously talented saxophonist pursued music education as a profession as far back as high school. In this episode, Walter’s storied career follows the path beginning with performing at McDonald’s at age 7, to an exciting area of study at one of today’s premier high schools, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, Texas to leadership roles at Berklee College of Music, reflecting on experiences at the Thelonious Monk Institute...
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In this episode, I spend time with Grammy Award-winning pianist and Berklee College of Music professor of Jazz Kris Davis on 'Strictly Jazz Sounds.' We do a deep dive into her latest project, Run the Gauntlet, dedicated to six influential women jazz pianists, which drops on September 27, 2024. A common thread is woven throughout the hour, mentoring. As a recipient of it herself, Kris Davis discusses the importance of fostering the next generation of jazz musicians. She also provides a detail description of her fascinating composition process. Kris Davis and I spend time discussing her label,...
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Award winning vibraphonist Yuhan Su is another Gary Burton/Chick Corea-inspired musician, lured away from classical to the art form where improvisation reigns, jazz. This Taiwanese-born, New York based artist, left her homeland pursuing a jazz education at Berklee College of music, a frequently told story. Yuhan Su draws on her strengths to survive the intense transitions as a single woman migrating to the US to learn a completely different style of music, knowing no one, new to the language and cultures. And she plays the vibraphone, not an easy instrument to lug around given she’s...
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Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is my guest on the 21st episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds. What attracted me to Wayne was his prolific traveling, extensive performances and recordings with his own band (11 recordings), the Mingus Big Band (3 recordings, one a Grammy Award winner), the Black Art Jazz Collective (4 recordings), and as sideman with trumpeter Tom Harrell (7 recordings, co-producing 4) plus works with other notable jazz musicians. He is now a Harlem resident in the neighborhood where Sonny Rollins grew up, Sugar Hill, but he was born and spent his childhood years in...
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Roni Eytan, a renowned Israeli-born, New York based jazz harmonica player, performs with a passion that differs from other harmonica artists. Perhaps it’s the region from which he derives-the Middle East and North Africa. His culture greatly influences his compositions and inspires his passions. Roni’s work is influenced by harmonica legend Toots Thielemans but only partially. The folk cultures that make up the regions and his spiritual influences mostly inspire his writing. Roni Eytan stopped by my studio to talk about his harmonica work and how he got interested in this...
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Alexandra (Alex) Ridout is a young jazz trumpeter from the UK, now residing in New York City. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, she lays out her journey as a musician, comparing the experiences and educational backgrounds between the UK and the US. Ridout recalls her time at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Manhattan School of Music, emphasizing her family's influence, especially her jazz musician parents. Highlighting her musical achievements, the conversation includes her participation and victory in the BBC Youth Competition, winning at 17 years old. She talks about her...
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In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Jocelyn Gould, a professional jazz guitarist who fills all the shoes it requires to drive a successful career. Jocelyn shares her journey from pretending to play a cardboard guitar at the age of four to winning a Juno Award for her first album, Elegant Traveler. She later discusses the challenges and triumphs of her career, including her education in the U.S. at Michigan State University, her experiences in New York's rough and tumble jazz scene, and her recent endeavors, including her podcast and latest album releases....
info_outlineThere's a not so polite saying about teaching music and music teachers that goes like this: If you can, play. If you can't, teach. That is what jazz legend Ellis Marsalis once said to a Detroit drummer who was considering becoming a music teacher. I'm talking about drummer, educator, producer and band leader Clarence Penn. Fortunately, Clarence did not take it to heart, eventually acquiring a master’s in music education from Rutgers University. It was also to the benefit of future musicians who became Clarence’s students.
In this episode, Clarence Penn and I engage in deep reflection on jazz and jazz music instruction. He started playing music with the drum set influenced by his drummer neighbor Ricky Hudson around eight years old. In 1986, while still in high school, he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy where Clarence focused on classical percussion aiming to be a timpanist, but later eventually committed to jazz in high school after meeting NEA Jazz Master, trumpeter, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Music Director, Wynton Marsalis. He started studying at the University of Miami in Florida in 1986 but transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University which is when he began working with the great Ellis Marsalis.
The conversation navigates his brief stint with trumpet, his preference for jazz over classical due to its broader voice and creativity and reflects on the evolving definition of jazz. The discussion also delves into his teaching philosophy, emphasizing individualized attention, deliberate practice, and the importance of being a well-rounded person.
What Ellis Marsalis said about teaching, he later retracted when Clarence told him he was pursuing a master’s at Rutgers in music education. He said, according to Clarence, “…that those who can play, teach,” thus giving Clarence his blessing.
Clarence Penn also talks about various influences and collaborations, his views on the business of being a musician, and his expressive performance style. He mentions his project with the 2025 Grammy nominated American Patchwork Quartet, its diverse cultural influences, and explains his latest album 'Behind the Voice', which pays homage to drummers who have significantly impacted music.
His resume more so lays out his career as a jazz musician than a teacher of percussion instruments, performing with Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Maria Schneider, Stanley Clark, Betty Carter, Christian Sands, Lakecia Benjamin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Kurt Elling, among many other highly accomplished musicians.
He concludes by discussing the importance of teaching as therapy and the rewarding relationships with students.
In this episode, we’ll listen to three tracks of music, thanks to Origin Records. Two will come from Clarence Penn’s latest project, Behind the Voice, released in 2024, more so a R&B/soul sound that has enormously brilliant drumming and keyboards by Clarence. The third track comes from his 2014 recording, Monk: The Lost Files, a highly acclaimed release that revisits some of the most memorable compositions by jazz legend Thelonious Monk.
You will hear the first song just prior to the conversation opening. 1. “Send One Your Love” (Steve Wonder)-Behind the Voice-3:15; Clarence Penn-drums, percussion, keyboards, vocoder; Aaron Marcellus-vocals; The second track will play at about 31 minutes into the program. 2. “Hackensack”: Monk: The Lost Files; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - Saxes; Donald Vega-Piano; Yasushi Nakamura - Acoustic & Electric Bass; Clarence Penn - Drums, producer-arranger. The third song will close the conversation. 3. “You Are” (Clarence Penn, Tyrone Corbett), Behind the Voice -3:52; Clarence Penn—drums, percussion, keyboards, vocoder; Chelsea Jackson-vocals; Yasushi Nakamura-bass
Thank you for listening. I know there are many podcasts for you to enjoy so it means a great deal to me that you are spending time with this conversation.