We’re back, after a busy summer, with the second edition of ‘Dancing about…’, a monthly blog by our Programmes Coordinator Kenyah Johnson featuring interviews with many of those who participate in NYJO. The intention of this blog is to be solely based on their gigs outside of NYJO, as Kenyah discovers and explores their original music, how they choose to express themselves when not in Woolwich Works and find out who and what they truly want as emerging musicians. Read the first edition here, and the second one here.
The title of this blog is based on the quote by Thelonious Monk, ‘Writing about music is like dancing about architecture’, which I guess is quite ironic as that’s what this blog is trying to do. I feel there are hardly any right words that encapsulate what music is, on both an individual and communal level; but I still believe there’s value in trying to peg down and formulate a word or a thought or a sentence to be able to share that intrinsic feeling.
Every month the title of the blog changes to reflect the venue at which the person I’ve interviewed has performed at,. For this latest edition I had the opportunity to sit down with Olivia Murphy, who has been leading the Under 18s Ensemble for over the last year, has recently been announced as one of our Resident MDs, and leads her own Orchestra, the Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra (OMJO).
When interviewing Olivia, her orchestra was in the process of recording their debut album, so this was a slight sneak peek of the process, Olivia’s inspiration and the importance of improvisation.
K: I understand your orchestra’s debut gig was recorded live and then released as an EP, how is the process comparing to recording your debut album now?
O: I recorded my debut jazz orchestra EP live at Symphony Hall in Birmingham in 2022. It was a really fun experience but quite stressful; it was our first performance together and we only had an hour to set up / sound check / set up mics & cameras! With recording a studio album, there was obviously still lots of stress, but it generally all felt more organised and prepared. The orchestra (now in our 3rd year of performing) feels a lot stronger and unified as an ensemble, and I was able to organise the day exactly how I liked, so I was able to feel more in control. Most importantly, we were able to get a few takes of every track and so the finished album should be much more refined sonically & musically.
K: For your gig at The Vortex, talk me through your set list and why those particular songs were chosen?
O: The set list for the gig at The Vortex was the album track list (so am not going to reveal that just yet!). It was a great opportunity to play the pieces in that order and get a feel for how they sound together. The music was all original compositions (and one arrangement) that I had completed over the last couple of years and so it was a great opportunity to really develop and finalise the pieces with the improvisational elements and hear them live.
K: You mentioned at your gig that you love to play live, have you found a way to translate that to the recording studio?
O: I think it really helped having those two shows just a few days before recording. The post-gig buzz & live energy still felt really fresh in everyone’s minds, which I think was captured in the recording. We also didn’t overdub improvised solos or generally do any more than two takes of an improvised section, and so each solo still has that feeling of rawness and originality which I really like.
K: What is your inspiration when it comes to composing and how much of the process is collaborative?
O: I take inspiration from a variety of things – musical influences, my emotions, myths, my own experiences, nature. The most important thing for me though is crafting a story and creating a sonic world which sounds completely individual to me. My composition over the last year or so has focused on fusing improvisation (outside of just solos) within the context of through-composed music. All of my orchestra members are therefore chosen because of their creative voice & how I primarily admire them as improvisers/composers. It’s exciting writing moments of band improvisation as I trust the musicians to add their own creativity and freedom to the composed structures.
K: What is the common thread you’ve found being in both the London and Birmingham music scenes?
O: There are many similarities and differences between both scenes, and I’m very happy and proud to have been part of both. I love that there is a variety of people within both scenes; playing music and learning with people from different backgrounds / outlooks on life is essential to widening your pool of influence & developing you as a musician, but also as a human being. I also think booking a diverse range of people is an important responsibility and should be a priority, particularly when working in large ensemble jazz. I feel lucky to know and work with a wide variety of incredible artists, and that is because of being part of two cities which have such thriving, diverse scenes.
K: How important is improvisation within your composing/arranging?
O: As said a couple questions back, I’ve been really trying to fuse improvisation in more interesting structural ways across my compositions. I’m much less interested in having a solo for the sake of a solo, rather finding ways for improvisation to become an essential part of the composition. Whether this is through melodic ideas, conducted soundscapes, backings or more open free sections, I feel adding these elements of openness gives the composition a more exciting feeling & a rawness. I feel it also allows the musicians to think outside of the ink on the page & add creatively to the moment in a way I as a composer may never have thought of.
K: What do you feel yourself and the orchestra have set out to achieve with this album?
O: I hope the album gives listeners a fresh idea about what big band music can sound and look like. I’m excited to share the stories that influenced the compositions & share the brilliant work of the different members in the orchestra.
K: What kind of story are you hoping to tell with this new body of music?
O: There’ll be more of this I’ll be able to share in the run up to the release of the album, but across the ten tracks, there are many common threads & the tracks are all linked. I hope people can have emotional connections with the album, become wrapped up in the stories being told, or simply be inspired.
Stay tuned for more editions of ‘Dancing about…’ with Kenyah, and for news on Olivia’s debut album. All updates will be featured in NYJO’s monthly newsletter: sign up below.