[Dixielandjazz] More on musical and surgical improvisation--from Australian surgeon/trumpeter John Roberts

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians & Jazzfans list; DJML

From: John Roberts, via Norman Vickers

 

Some readers on both lists, I hope, will recall the article sent out a few
days ago about improvisation in surgery and music.  John Roberts, an
Australian surgeon and trumpeter, sends this clarifying note.  Thanks to our
good friend Bill Haesler of Sydney for passing the information to Roberts.
Thanks, John for your insightful comments.  I pass along to both lists.

 

 


 

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From: tishomingo2 at bigpond.com
To: nvickers at cox.net
Subject: FW: Surgeons and jazz musicians can teach each other about
improvising!
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:37:37 +0000

Dear N Vickers,
 
A jazz friend, Bill Haesler, suggested that I forward these comments to you
(for what they are worth), and that I see your jazz website - which I intend
to do.
Sincerely, 
John Roberts (trumpet, etc.)
 

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From: tishomingo2 at bigpond.com
To: tishomingo2 at bigpond.com
Subject: FW: Surgeons and jazz musicians can teach each other about
improvising!
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:49:13 +0000


 

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From: tishomingo2 at bigpond.com
To: bhaesler at bigpond.net.au; dsdavestevens at gmail.com; tim.shaw at mh.org.au;
ollie.clark at optusnet.com.au; gleames10 at gmail.com; kenhill.hill at gmail.com;
jrnico at bigpond.com; ron.cook11 at bigpond.com
Subject: RE: Surgeons and jazz musicians can teach each other about
improvising!
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:35:23 +0000

Thanks for this Bill.
I had not really thought about this before, but yes, I can see the point. As
you may know, I spent the early years of training in surgery in both
Australia and UK, and doing exams in Sydney, Dunedin, London  and Edinburgh
towards FRACS, FRCS (Eng) and FRCS (Edin), but then did  research (PhD ANU)
and pathology (FRCPA). In surgery especially there are repeated manoeuvres,
like instrumental playing, (which are more precise), and in jazz there is
extempore playing, where the manoeuvres are unrehearsed, but must be quicker
than in surgery, and also combined with tone and co-ordinated breath or
finger inflections if on piano or strings. In my opinion, playing jazz is a
more demanding process than a surgical procedure, for these very reasons.
 
While one must learn anatomy and the operative procedure in surgery, and
have the ability to improvise according to knowledge and experience if the
operation is out of the ordinary, in playing jazz, one must do much more
improvising AT SPEED while doing things one might NEVER have done before -
therein lies the challenge.
 
It is my contention that most of the great jazz players, while having the
experience (practice) and knowledge (listening and practice), also had the
mind to create great phrases and melodies anew. To do all this, I believe
that these great players created, borrowed or "stole" a superior and more
extensive set of "cliches" (formulas). This can be heard in the playing of
all great players, from Louis, through Lester and Coleman to even Bob
Barnard.
 
I arrived at this conclusion after reading a turgid treatise on Django by
Benjamin Givan, a musicologist, who analysed at almost indecipherable
length, Django's playing, phrase by phrase over many tunes. He cites
Django's formulaic playing and reduces his use of "cliches" to 41 formulas.
 
Now, these formulas are largely dictated in part by the instrument and the
fingering thereof. On piano the 10 fingers can be used in only certain ways,
e.g., F1 and F5 can't cross; on guitar, Django had only full use of right F1
and F2; trumpet finds it difficult to play in keys that are too flat or too
sharp, hence use of trumpets in D, Eb, C in classical works - in jazz the Bb
trumpet is used, and transposes from concert.  The usual Bb clarinet also
has clarinets in A and Eb, because some keys are too difficult to play on Bb
instruments. And, of course the fingering  dictates the improvised line.
 
So, to be a great jazz player, my theory is: Listen a lot (70%), and
practise like hell (30%)! Do a Tom Baker and do it the "Amurrican way" -
practise alto and compress four years of practice into three months at 16
hours a day, and come out playing like a champion!
 
Yes, there is a similarity between doing surgery and playing jazz. While
surgery is a hard way to earn a crust, playing jazz is mentally more
demanding, more stimulating, more enjoyable, and somewhat (!?) less
monetarily rewarding. even if you are an expert.
(Sadly, I ain't).
 
Cheers, or alternatively, commiserations, 
 
John R 
 (PS I shall also send copies to a few mates).

 

 
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