Juilliard in Aiken panel highlights how music, art feed off each other

Juilliard in Aiken performed its Jazz Fest Tuesday evening at Second Baptist Church of Aiken. As a special treat, those who came out early got to hear a panel discussion on jazz and art.

The panel consisted of Morris Museum of Art Director Kevin Grogan, who moderated; Augusta State University Art Department Chair Alan MacTaggart; Juilliard musician Miles Okazaki; musician Jesse Colin Young, former leader of rock band The Youngbloods; and musician Alan Cooke, former general manager and on-air personality of WACG-FM in Augusta.

Together, along with slides of paintings, the panelists examined the ways that jazz and modern art fed each other through the development of the musical form.

"As a painter myself, a work like this not only illustrates how painters are influenced by music but also illustrates fragmentation, which you find a lot in improvised music. If you want to do something different you've got to break the rules, and jazz breaks the rules," said MacTaggart, considering a slide of Picasso's 1921 cubist painting "Three Musicians."

"A lot of musicians love Picasso because of his sense of gesture and improvisation. As far as breaking rules, there's a lot of freedom, but it's still within a structure you have to stick to, which is what I'm seeing here," Okazaki said.

Said Young, "I think that's part of what every musician tries to do - learn the structure and then break it open. We learn by studying the greats."

The panel also examined music-themed paintings from throughout the 20th century, including "Blues 1929" by Harlem Renaissance artist Archibald Motley Jr. and a portion of a 1934 mural by Aaron Douglas.

On the Douglas mural, Okazaki said, "It's interesting to look at this subject, because, to me, it looks like a ritual dance. We're in a church, where we often hear ritual music; and, if you look at the origins of music, it all went back to all kinds of rituals, jazz included. Jazz developed from New Orleans funerals."

"Music for me is worship," Young said. "It's what happens when the beauty of the world captures you and you have to transmit it in sound."

The Jazz Fest performance following the discussion featured the Juilliard Jazz Artist Diploma Ensemble, with Okazaki on guitar, John Chin on piano, Patrick Cornelius on saxophone, Luca Santaniello on drums and Jason Stewart on bass. The program included the ensemble's interpretations of such standards as "Night and Day," "You Stepped Out of a Dream" and "The Way You Look Tonight," among others.

Juilliard in Aiken's performance schedule continues with Kidz Bop concerts at 9 and 11 a.m. today at the Etherredge Center, a Midday Music Concert at noon today at First Presbyterian Church and a Trustees Featured Performer Series performance and reception today at 8 p.m. at the Aiken County Historical Museum.

The series concludes with a Final Showcase Concert at 8 p.m. Friday at the Etherredge Center.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.