Horace-Scope with Jaz Sawyer
Danny Brown, tenor saxophone; Joel Ryan, trumpet; Danny Grewen, trombone; Sam Grobe-Heintz, piano; Gilbert Fix, bass; Jaz Sawyer, drums

Monday, July 27, 7:30 pm
Campbell Recital Hall
Tickets: $20 general | $10 students

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Listen: Horace Silver – "Song for My Father"

Every jazz student knows Horace Silver as the composer of the ubiquitous bossa nova “Song for My Father,” a tune with an elegant simplicity that makes it ideal for beginning improvisers. But those who dig a little deeper into Silver’s extensive catalog will discover that he is one of the finest and most prolific jazz composers of any era. His tunes vary widely in style from hard-bop to bossa novas, modal ballads, bluesy funk, and beyond; what unifies them all is the consistently amazing quality. Drummer Jaz Sawyer and Horace-Scope celebrate Silver’s songbook as well as classics from the 1960s Blue Note Era that he helped define. Horace-Scope’s front line of saxophonist Danny Brown, trumpeter Joel Ryan, and trombonist Danny Grewen re-create Silver’s signature three-horn harmonies in all their swinging glory. The vitality, variety, and brilliance of the hard-bop era’s greatest musicians come alive in their spirited and loving tribute.

Photo Credit: Sara Johnson

Q&A with Jaz Sawyer

What is the first recording you remember hearing as a child?
Stevie Wonder & Buddy Rich.

Who is your favorite jazz musician under the age of 30?
Samora & Elena Pinderhuges.

What job would you have if you weren’t a jazz musician?
Good question.

What’s the strangest experience you’ve ever had on the bandstand?
Zealous fans in the audience.

What’s your favorite food?
Anything that is eatable, oh and cookies.

What’s the most exotic place you’ve traveled to as a musician?
Brazil.

What’s the last book you’ve read?
Russell Simmons Do You!

If you could play with any other musician, living or dead (with whom you have not played), who would it be and why?
Charlie Parker, because he was the truth.

What’s your favorite tune?
I like “Evidence” by Monk.

What’s your favorite thing about being a Stanford Jazz Workshop faculty member? 
Having the chance to work with the great students coming up and the faculty. It is truly a rewarding experience personally and professionally.

Who is your favorite Stanford Jazz Workshop faculty member? 
I would have to say Tootie of course.

What’s your favorite jazz venue?
Blue Note Jazz club in New York City.

Who is your greatest musical influence?
Art Blakey and Max Roach

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three recordings with you, what would they be?

1. Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers Live in Paris.
2. John Coltrane Love Supreme.
3. a thousand more too hard to choose from.

How much do you practice each week?
At least five hours if not playing, recording or rehearsing. Practice makes perfect or at least close to it!

What hobbies do you have?
Email & relaxing when I can.

If you could be any other type of artist other than a jazz musician, what would you be and why?
An actor trying to be a jazz musician.

When did you become interested in music, and what circumstances or events led to your becoming a professional musician?
I was always interested in music. I received a copy of an Art Blakey documentary when I was nine years old and that is when I decided to pursue my career in music.

If you were to describe your music as a color, what color would it be and why?
Tie-dye because the possibilities are endless and creative.