Chris Washburne is trombonist and leader of the Latin Jazz band "See You on the Other Side. (SYOTOS)"
In 1992, Washburne underwent life-threatening surgery to treat nerve cancer. Doctors told Washburne that if he survived the procedure, he would not play the trombone again.
Washburne and SYOTOS plays weekly at Smoke Jazz Club on the Upper West Side between 105th and 106th Streets. The club is close to his teaching job as associate professor and director of jazz performance at Columbia University. In 2008, Temple University Press published his book "Sounding Salsa," a look at the development of the genre.
Q1 (Chan): You are currently on hiatus from teaching. What are you plans in the interim?
A1: Washburne: Every five years Columbia professors are required to take a year away from teaching.
During this time I: will tour more with the band in different parts of the country, work on my manuscript for a book about Latin Jazz and try to get some extra days of rest than I'm used to having.
Q2) In a prior interview you spoke about the influence that Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri and Barry Rogers having had the greatest musical influence on you. Please elaborate on the specific qualities you admire in each of those musicians.
A2: Both Puente and Palmieri are founders of Latin Jazz--whose work that those of us perform this music have to deal with and try building upon.
Rogers was a Jewish-American guy who grew up in the Bronx. He was a mentor and role model for how a person who starts from outside the Latin Jazz culture can enter into it.
Rogers expanded the technical boundaries of what could be done on the trombone and showed it could be a lead instrument in the band. The sheer power and distinctive quality of his playing changed the set-up of groups.
Previously bands used 3 to 4 trumpeters and a trombonist. That practice traces all the way back to Puerto Rico and the many talented trumpet players on the island. When Palmieri and Rogers first played together, Palmieri heard new sonic possibilities and over time bands started to use more trombones.
Q3) Q: After 20+ years together as a band, what are the challenges you face in keeping the band together and continuing to grow musically?
A3: Inter-personally, I've never had a problem. There have been a few line-up changes over the years, but most of the players of the current group have been in the band for at least 17 of those 20+ years.
Musically the challenge is keeping things fresh. Mentally I try to leave my role as bandleader and put myself in an audience member's place. Then I ask two questions: are we repeating ourselves in our musical choices and is the music interesting?
What helps this process is the band now has about 350 songs in its repertoire to draw from.
Q4) What has the steady gig at Smoke Jazz Club meant for the band?
A4: There are few steady gigs in Jazz. Often times musicians might come together to play once every three months or so. Weekly performances at "Smoke" have allowed us to develop an identifiable group sound over time.
"Smoke" is our workshop; it provides us immediate audience feedback to what we're trying to do as a group.
Q5) In what ways would you like to further promote the band to the public?
A5: Being a part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood concert series for the last seven years is one way to bring the band's music out to people in different communities who: really can't afford to plunk down a substantial cover charge or have time to travel to Manhattan during the workweek to listen to music.
So, I'm on the lookout for outreach opportunities throughout the city.
Q6) What do you try to impart to your music students? How do the students you teach influence you?
A6: I try to introduce their ears to a variety of music they may not have heard before. I try to show them something about how performance, commerce and culture intersect.
In turn, the students keep me current with the musical tastes and trends of today.
Q7) How do you see the future of Latin Jazz for young players coming up in the United States?
A7: Musically, things are expanding. Latin Jazz is becoming less Afro-Cuban centered and being influenced by a variety of sources including the music of South America.
Professionally, when I first came to NY a player could find gigs almost every night.
Now opportunities to develop both individually and as a group are ever-shrinking. The next group of players will need to be creative in order to find ways to practice their craft and get their music out before the public.
Q8) Please describe the experience of working with Celia Cruz.
A8: I had the chance to work with her for 20 years.
Even toward the end of her life, her ability to engage audiences never wavered. Following several performances, when her voice tired and wasn't quite as good, she still made a kinetic connection with people that I saw and felt from my place on the bandstand.
That impression of her sticks in my mind.
Q9) Did the health crisis you faced all those years ago continue to effect you either technically or in musical outlook to this day?
A9: I have no feeling on one side of my face, so I remain technically affected. Physically, I have to play to trombone in a lopsided way.
Mentally, the name of the band "See You on the Other Side" is a reminder of what happened. I'm privileged to remain able to perform and do what I love.
Q10) Do you have a set list for the upcoming Carnegie Hall neighborhood concert in Flushing, Queens?
A10: Much of the concert will be the band's original music, with a few Latin jazz standards thrown in. The specific songs we play however, depends on the nature of the crowd whether it is: younger, older, excitable or laid back.
Since the band plays so often together, a decision of what to play is made on the fly. This helps maintain spontaneity of performance.
At 2 p.m. this Saturday, Chris Washburne and SYOTOS will perform at the Flushing Branch of the Queens Library. Address: 41 - 17 Main Street.
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