How Jazz Artists and Educators Could Play a Role in Building the Communities of the Future.

By Marco Pignataro

Doubtless there are things in nature, which have not yet been seen. If an artist discovers them, he opens the way for his successors.
Paul Cezanne

When I recommended Danilo Perez to be the Keynote Speaker for this year’s IAJE Pre-conference activity “Envisioning the Future of Jazz”, I knew that it was probably going to be something very special, but I had no idea that it was going to be something as memorable and inspirational as it turned out to be. Yet, my recommendation was entirely made based on my previous encounter with Danilo few months before in Puerto Rico, and the wave of sheer joy, motivation and spirituality his presence had left all around. For years I had heard about his legendary visits at the Puerto Rico Conservatory, which had planted the seeds for the development of the Jazz and Caribbean music department that I now direct, while steering many local talented young musicians to seriously pursue a career in the study of jazz. It always amused me to hear about him being the first one on campus in the morning and the last to leave, after organizing impromptu rehearsals and jam sessions by literally dragging out students from their practice rooms to play. Not to mention the testimonials about him coming into the school in the early morning with a brand new arrangement tailor-written for the impromptu student band he had assembled himself the night before and played with until the morning hours. No pre-set schedules would work with Danilo, because he would invariably add lessons, rehearsals, motivational speeches, clinics and improvised jams while on campus. To these days, people are still talking about it and many young professionals name his visits as the definite turning point in their musical life. When I finally met Danilo during his last visit to the island for his concert in a local jazz festival, I finally understood what people talked about all along, and that there was even more about his legendary personality to be amazed by. Just like being engulfed by the stirring forces of a tornado that has moved toward your direction, I got suddenly entangled by his infectious energy and, just like when I was a college student, started losing precious sleeping hours by engaging in long and passionate conversations about music, jazz masters, art, life, spirituality and community, right after nighttime burning jam sessions in local clubs. Danilo’s matchless passionate love and involvement with music, without a trace of pretentious stardom attitude, seemed to be equally proportional to his drive to share and interrelate with anyone willing to participate in this joyful celebration of life and music. No ego, no agendas, just pure love for the music and its practitioner brothers and sisters. Needless to say, when Danilo left San Juan, I felt physically exhausted but with my spirit completely invigorated by so much motivation and passion and with my mind filled with thousands of new ideas regarding jazz and jazz pedagogy. My most compelling desire at the time: sharing this energy and newly acquired knowledge with my students. In a 3 day period, I had the fortune to share with one of todays’ great masters of jazz and experience, among many other things, the basic process of inspiration (and learning) by example: probably on the most important yet underplayed tools in today’s music programs.

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