There are many definitions of jazz. Among them are the words ‘animated’ and ‘enthusiasm.’ Certainly, the lady who is known to her fans as the “Queen of Hang,” would fit those two definitions very well.
Sheila E. Anderson came to WBGO 88.3 FM like she has to so many other things in her life. She jumped in head first with joy and a sense of community as a volunteer for the station. That started her down a path of jazz discovery and on-air experiences that should be the envy of anyone who has ever thought about securing a gig that they love. When I asked Sheila if this was the path that she imagined her life would take, she said, “Yes and No. I never knew what I wanted to be. Everyone in my neighborhood was a teacher, lawyer or doctor. I wanted to be a psychologist until I took biology.” Then she said, “I knew... that’s ain’t gonna happen!” I laughed, because phrasing was hilarious! She explained, “I just wanted to hang out and get paid.” From that moment on I knew my chatting with the jazz maven would be more ‘event’ than interview.
Her journey to “hanging out and getting paid” has taken swirls and dips that would make your head spin. For Ms. Anderson, a native of Buffalo, New York, that journey has been one that she would say was filled with taking chances. She discovered how to navigate many of the pitfalls that so many in the Big Apple have been unable to avoid. The experiences that she garnered at age 16 by becoming the New York State Youth President of the NAACP and later, the only Black person to have been president of the Book Binder’s Guild, was early ‘on the job training.’
Even if Sheila didn’t realize it at the time, growing up in a family of high achievers who stressed education and opportunity was a great start. Through her parents and three siblings, Sheila learned that staying busy and focused, planted seeds. Volunteering was also a viable tool for networking in both the business and social arenas. She started volunteering at WBGO (http://wbgo.org/) in 1987. Prior to that, Sheila had begun a career in the publishing industry. Juggling a full schedule of working and volunteering, her life was knitted into many areas of the community. Interestingly, her experiences in the world of publishing were not easy ones. There weren’t many people of color in publishing during her days working for Random House, and Grove Press among others. With Sheila’s force of personality and laughter she not only got through those days, but planted more seeds that would harvest success later on as a writer.
Sheila determined that she needed more than just a love of jazz. She needed the back stories, and to learn what artists had to say about their music and craft. The normal rotation of songs and artists was just not enough. Even with a full schedule of working and volunteering, she needed to get out to the venues that housed and celebrated jazz. There were also great dinner parties that Sheila would throw where the conversations were rich and flowing with stimulating anecdotes. “People should see the fun conversations we were having at my dinner parties,” she thought. Combining her love of music with the knowledge that she was gaining regarding the art form, she sought to maximize her time by making the rounds at jazz clubs where she might interview musicians between sets. She would often start out at Bradley’s (http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/19/arts/quietly-sorrowfully-a-jazz-club-dies.html), and then end the evening on Monday nights at St. Nick’s Pub (http://www.stnicksjazzpub.net/). That’s how the nickname “Queen of Hang” came to be. Those days although filled with music, were exhausting but they allowed Ms. Anderson to completely immerse herself in jazz. For nine years “The Queen” also worked on a staple of programming for WBGO. The program, “Sunday Morning Harmony” tested her musical formatting chops as well. The only two instruments to be incorporated in the show had to be piano and guitar. While that combination often works beautifully together, finding enough music for artistic programming was a challenging task.
The late night “hang” time gave her the necessary information that prepped her for her show “Late Night Jazz,” that airs Saturday nights from 9:00PM until 1:00AM (http://wbgo.org/ontheair/). Sheila admits in the early days, jazz musicians and fans would call in and give her some not too subtle criticisms. They would explain that she was playing back to back ballads. One female listener explained that after partying all night, she wanted to keep the groove going. She wanted to know why the music was not poppin’. The song rotation just wasn’t hitting the spot. The diversity that encompasses jazz was missing. While she was perfecting her format, listeners would also call back and give her “props” when she deserved them. The “Queen of Hang” worked on her tonality, delivery and musical flow so that her audience could remain in the mood and flow that they tuned in to hear.
Ms. Anderson has held the lessons from her father; a lawyer, and her mother; an educator, as golden rules .The jazz woman remembers her mother always telling her “Don’t let me catch you saying you don’t know how to do something. Just say yes and then learn it.” Sheila has done that at every level. In another moment of serendipity and opportunity, just as she was about to lose a temporary job in publishing, her employer told her that a friend of his might want to publish a “quotable book” and that she should try and come up with a book proposal. It took asking for help, research and tenacity, but she was able to write the proposal, and score her first book advance. That’s the brass ring that most writers would die for! Sheila pinned her first book “The Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac.” (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Quotable-Musician/Sheila-Anderson/e/9781581156676/?itm=1). There are over 1,000 quotes from musicians in a wide range of musical genres.
As jazz artists know, it’s not easy finding the work or venues that offer quality jazz. With the recording industry rapidly changing, trying to get your music heard and make a living doing it can stifle ones creativity. Sheila also knows that for a woman of color in the big city, you had better learn to explore all of your talents if you want to survive. As she told me, “It takes a lot of work for a colored girl to make it in the city.” Truer words could not have been spoken. Nevertheless, Sheila has realized that by engaging in a little self reflection from time to time, you might just unearth more than survival skills. You might discover new treasures that can help you thrive! Her second book, “How to Grow as a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed” would be a terrific addition to any musician’s information library (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-to-Grow-as-Musician/Sheila-E-Anderson/e/9781581154160/?itm=1).
Whether it’s her work on her jazz show on WBGO ,her Time Warner Cable show “The Art of Jazz,” or her work on the 3 books that she has authored, Sheila has done the hard work of keeping jazz and the spirit of the artist alive. She has learned to engineer her own shows. There have been times where she would sleep in the studio overnight in order to accomplish her goals for her shows. There have been and continue to be very long days. When those great serendipitous moments arise, she has learned to accept them and know that the hard work and reflection still needs to be done.
Finally, I asked “The Queen of Hang,” for lessons learned. She told me something that a friend told her. “If you can’t do long term planning, the short term goal might work better for you.” This very real renaissance jazz woman says, “Don’t be afraid to ask, to put yourself out there and to face rejection.” In jazz, that perspective may be tougher to handle, but it might just be the right chord to strike.
For more info on Sheila, please log into www.wbgo.org/ontheair/hosts/sanderson.php.
Comments