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Improv Goes Both Ways With word/jazz Low Stars
Written by Dante Dominick   


word/jazz Low StarsFree jazz, free verse...free your mind.

You never know what to expect at a word/jazz Low Stars performance, an improvisational interplay between free jazz and spoken word. Not even the performers do. An element of uncertainty is an understatement, as poets and musicians take a swim in the deep end with no floaties.

“The vibe we’re trying to get at is where the musicians and the poets are improvising back and forth, having an internal conversation, more so than the band being a back up foundation for the poet. It’s collaborative at a deeper level than that,” says bassist Harold McMillan, who started the word/jazz project in 2000.

Back then the performances regularly welcomed poets to take a turn at the mic, but in recent years the core group solidified around a select few Austin spoken word standouts like Ivanho, Thom the World Poet, Chandra Washington, and Ricardo Acevedo. With performances at least monthly, sometimes three times a month, it is a guarantee no two performances are ever alike. The ensemble hopes to catch the jive of spontaneous, groove-based composition—as long as they’re aware, it’s not all about them.

“If a poet falls into our groove and riffs for a while, that poet should have the ability to listen to what’s going on musically, and know when to step back and let the guitar player, or the saxophone player, bassist, drummer, or whoever, speak back to them.”

Thom the World Poet, who has been active in the project for five years, feeds off the energy. “The element of surprise is the great gift. The fact that you’re out of your comfort zone, and it always stretches boundaries. It gets rid of any idea of certainty.”

The musicians and poets agree the challenge presents an element of danger. There is no sheet music, no words, no plan, not even a starting point really. The musicians, literally, just look at each other and start playing. Yet, an audience is expecting something to cohesively follow. “It’s about a risk-taking process,” McMillan explains. “When you risk, and you succeed, you get some reward. This ensemble thing that just happened organically, it provides a kind of emotional release and satisfaction.”

Audiences are not only entertained, but tend to pick up on the artistic energy of barriers being removed, of language being invented. “Being part of an immediate process of co-creation is not like sitting and watching TV,” Thom offers.

“It’s a sight-specific, temporary art installation,” McMillan adds.

And only the performers can change the channel. You just have to wait and see.

Harold McMillan is the founder and director of DiverseArts Production Group , an Austin non-profit that creates and promotes multicultural and multidisciplinary arts and culture programs.
 
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