Jazz House Kids Continues Evolution

By Stephanie Jones I Apr. 26, 2022

Saxophonist and JHK alumnus Birsa Chatterjee observes his student ensemble the Jazz House Messengers as they perform “Autumn Leaves.”
(Photo: Richard Conde)

Jazz House Kids views music education as an interdisciplinary curriculum.

His left hand on the bass, Christian McBride spoke with playful conviction: “You’re out of your mind.” Norah Jones smiled. From her duo mate, she coaxed a reluctant solo out front as the two artists opened their set at the Ralph Pucci Gallery on West 18th Street. A moment later, blowing his charming self-effacement into oblivion, McBride delivered a brief and greasy solo before they dug into Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart.”

Jones and McBride hadn’t played together before that evening. But their February performance marked the sixth annual Jazz Set benefit that concert designer and arts patron Ralph Pucci has curated for the New Jersey-based education and performance organization Jazz House Kids. Before long, the artists’ distinct, recognizable expressions settled into a single gesture of spontaneity and joy. For JHK founder and President Melissa Walker, that’s the whole idea:

“Jazz says, ‘You don’t have to sound exactly like me. You can be Cannonball Adderley and you can be John Coltrane and we can be in the same piece of music.’” Jones and McBride, the latter serving as JHK artistic director, played selections from the singer and songwriter’s canon as well as “The Nearness Of You,” inviting current students and alumni to join them on “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and evening closer “Centerpiece.” Other student performances punctuated the hit, including “Autumn Leaves” and “Work Song” performed by saxophonist-composer and former Jazz House Kid Birsa Chatterjee’s ensemble.

Over the years, the Jazz Set has evolved to showcase three levels of student development, providing rising stars the opportunity to play with internationally acclaimed artists — who have included Diana Krall, Laurie Anderson, John Pizzarelli, Wynton Marsalis and Esperanza Spalding — and glean valuable insight from their bandstand conversations, such as Jones’ recommendation to treat restaurant gigs as paid practice. This method of mentoring alongside practical curriculum renders the Jazz House attractive to students pursuing careers as touring artists. But its mission has a broader reach: Empower the whole student, positioning each of them toward diverse career success.

“Jazz House is the perfect place for someone who is super serious about jazz,” said Walker, “but [it’s also] a fertile training ground for young people on and off the stage.” Citing former students who have assumed leadership roles in business, cyber tech, law, military service and finance, she credits an intentional model for interdisciplinary success that combines community building and risk-taking. “When you’re pulling from 40 different communities — in the summer, seeing kids nationally and internationally — you get that rich cultural aspect of this music. Kids gravitate to that.”

That sense of community, at once sprawling and intimate, is integral to the Jazz House philosophy that students feel confident enough to make themselves uncomfortable only when they feel meaningfully supported. Director of Cultural Programming, trumpet player-composer Ted Chubb views the organization’s unique curriculum delivery as integral for student engagement and empowerment.

“When the music is taught from a perspective of cultural expression,” he said, “students feel more ownership…and see themselves as a part of the legacy and future continuum of the music. This builds stronger and longer lasting relationships with their peers, teachers and mentors both on and off the bandstand which fuel their success.”

Jazz House instructors have included Mike Lee, Camille Thurman, Anthony Ware, Alexis Cuadrado and Abraham Burton, among other working artists; “luminaries” have comprised Sheila E., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Angélique Kidjo and the late George Duke. Because leadership and faculty consider exposure and deep listening elemental, curriculum repertoire is staggering in volume and sophistication. Students face new challenges every week. But community-centered programming creates a kind of low-impact discomfort for students, promoting healthy risk-taking and leadership skill development. For a generation transforming every corner of the workplace and normalizing the career pivot, that skillset proves crucial.

“These young people are poised for today,” said Walker. “They know how to manage their time, set their priorities, collaborate, approach what they’re doing with confidence, and they really can rise and improvise.”

During the set, Jones revealed how challenging her career became after the success of her debut record, when she stopped having fun. “Then I realized that’s not the end-game,” she said. “You wanna keep the thing that you started with, which is the love, that spark.”

Walker agrees. After nearly 20 years at the Jazz House helm, she’s witnessed the impact her organization’s curriculum has had on students who enter different fields and those who become working artists. “Change is really hard for the human species,” she said. “But you’re gonna be able to play through the changes. [Jones and McBride] are serious musicians. But at the heart, there’s joy. And that’s what we’re trying to instill in our young people.” DB