One Time @ Bandcamp With... Idris Ackamoor

 

Jazz is in the midst of a beautiful renaissance, earlier this week I was talking to a guy working at my new favorite Seattle record shop (shouts out to Spin Cycle - highly recommended) and he mentioned that they were in the process of putting together a modern Jazz section, and that’s how serious these new sounds deserve to be taken. From LA to NYC, London to Melbourne, and many places in between there is a flame being ignited and a phenomenal modern take on this social music sprawling into our ears.

Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids are contributing to this reemergence as elder statesmen that fit right in with their younger counterparts. After a college sponsored trip through Africa and a couple releases in the 70s that saw small distribution and minimal success they parted ways for other artistic endeavors. Idris Ackamoor continued to create via dance and other collaborative musical endeavors always delivering inspired and adventurous music.

Since 2016 the collective has recorded and released three albums with London based Strut Records which have channeled that trip to Africa as well as a lifetime of searching ceaselessly for ways to spread positively and enlightenment via music. The sounds found across We Be All Africans, An Angel Fell and now Shaman! are moving, invigorated and excited. Never bound by any prescribed notions of what’s allowed, you will be transfixed by the grooves, shook by the message and compelled to listen again.

Having never been familiar with the groups work of the past, the album artwork caught my eye in a promo email from Strut. As I eagerly awaited the release of Shaman!, I traveled back and caught up on what I’d been missing and when Shaman! dropped I was hooked. I shot off a message to Idris via Bandcamp and he graciously responded with answers to some questions. 

What is your first memory of music?

I remember playing music when I was 7 years old. At that time I was not attracted to music as much as doing what both of my parents wanted me to do by making sure their children were involved in cultural activities mostly musical. Before I even knew what jazz was or what any other kind of music was I was taking music lessons that my parents had enrolled me in. I began taking violin lessons, but did not particularly like violin so I changed to trumpet. Also not feeling the trumpet I switched to clarinet and piano. I stuck with piano for a few years up until I entered 8th grade.  One of my first memories was the embarrassment of going to a neighborhood band concert that I had practiced with on my trumpet and forgetting the trumpet! So I had to play the triangle. I was probably eight years old.

I've read that basketball was your first interest, was it a hard choice to shift your focus?

It was not hard at all to shift my focus from basketball to music.  Although I enjoyed immensely my time playing basketball as a teenager I was involved in music from the early age of seven years old.  Basketball was fun, something I could do with my peers and friends, and a extracurricular activity in high school and the first year of college.  I don’t think I ever was under any idea that basketball would be a career choice.  In fact the physicality of playing ball actually accented and helped me when I returned to music after my high school years on the court.  Since the band played for all of the home basketball games I was excused from participating in the band particularly since basketball also took up a lot of school time making homework a challenge during the season.

What was the experience like in Africa? Have you gone back throughout your career?

My experience in Africa was life changing and foundational to who I am even today!  At the early age of 21 years old I traveled the world living both in Europe and Africa for close to a year. Most young developing musicians could not even dream of taking a year off and traveling and living around the world.  I was one of the first musicians of my generation to actually live, study and traveled throughout Africa including Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.  And I did all of this “on my own plans” that I designed and executed with the assistance of the two other founding members of The Pyramids.  This year abroad was officially sanctioned by Antioch College, the institution I was attending.  The culmination of the journey was a senior thesis I was required to write and demonstrate to my professors featuring an audio/visual presentation with photo journalism, music recorded in the field and journal writing.  While in Africa I studied, played and performed with traditional African musicians, collected and learned to play many African instruments, investigated and collected African costumes and ceremonies, and traveled extensively.

Do you create music with tap dancing choreography in mind?

I have composed music with tap dancing choreography in mind which can be found on several of my CD’s and albums including the composition "New Born Dance" from Centurion (2000) by the Idris Ackamoor Ensemble, and "Reincarnation" from Otherworldly (2012) by The Pyramids.  My specialty is tap dancing and playing the saxophone simultaneously and I do so to traditional jazz standards as well as create unique compositions for this when I tap dance.

How did the relationship with Strut come about?

The relationship with Strut came about once I reunited The Pyramids and began to tour Europe in 2010.  Strut was interested in recording the band and sent a representative from the company to hear us at one of our pre - tour rehearsals in Berlin.  The representative was very impressed which led to an offer to record the band in 2011.  However, Strut wanted to create a collaboration with the band to record with several young European DJs in the recording studio with no preconceived ideas and/or compositions more like extended improvised sessions.  Although this kind of collaboration would probably be more welcomed now, at the time I was more interested in recording the new music I was composing for the reincarnation of the band.  We tried to work out some kind of compromise but in the end the DJ’s were rather adamant about the recording approach and communication subsequently broke down.  This was unfortunate as well as it created a financial challenge.  But I was also adamant that I wanted to get this new Pyramids music and my compositions recorded and in line with my DIY mentality (since the Pyramids were DIY before the name became popular) I chose to record and produce the first record by the band since 1976.  My organization, Idris Ackamoor and Cultural Odyssey, produced the new recording Otherworldly while The Pyramids was on tour during summer 2011 and we recorded it at the renown Faust Studio in Sheer, Germany.  Faust had recorded many of the Krautrock albums by German musicians.  When I returned to San Francisco myself and the percussionist the famous Kenneth Nash mixed and mastered the recording.  I manufactured and printed 300 copies to ready for the upcoming Fall 2011 European tour.  We sold the Cds at our shows while on tour. At one of our final shows in Munich at the club Rote Some, the owner, Peter Upstart, loved the CD and signed us to his label Disko B producing the album, Otherworldly, as well as an incredible array of vinyl reissues from our three 70s albums, as well as a CD box set of the same albums.  It was not until 2016 that the band reconnected with Strut after we once again self-produced the second album entitled We Be All Africans that we collaborated with the Philophon label and recording studio in Berlin.  After the recording I flew to London, met Quinton Scott, Strut label executive, who loved the album.  This began a very fruitful relationship that continues the culmination of a trilogy of albums including, We Be All Africans, An Angel Fell, and the present, Shaman!.

What's the creative process look like with the newer albums? Is it a completely collaborative process or is it your concepts brought to the group and built upon?

I have been the principal composer for the band since its inception.  I consider myself not only an instrumentalist but equally a composer.  I have also been inspired by the way Duke Ellington composed specifically for the members of his orchestra.  I equally look at the strengths and uniqueness of my band members to compose music tailor made for who is in the band at any given time.  It goes without saying that my compositional process has embedded within it an improvisational element as well as a collaborative ethic that welcomes input and collaboration.  However, the music is all generally scored and composed prior to presenting the music to the band.

Do you guys go into the studio to jam and see where ideas lead or do you only enter into the studio once things are fully flushed out?

I never take my band to jam!  I am not in a financial position to take these kinds of liberties so it is incredibly rehearsed and planned before we step into the studio.  I have learned that one of the best ways to record is after a strenuous and comprehensive tour which really prepares the band to record.  However, that is not to say that spontaneous music does not happen in the studio…it does!  It is just not the basis of the sessions.  For Shaman!, all of 90% of the music was already scored, “road tested," and ready!

What role did Malcolm Catto play in the creation of Shaman? Was that a new relationship or have you guys had a friendship/creative relationship for some time?

Malcolm was the recording and mixing engineer on both Shaman! and An Angel Fell.  He has an incredible ear and great talent both musically as a drummer as well as technically.  He has one of the last few “ANALOGUE RECORDING STUDIOS” in London.  We developed a bond of trust between each other as time in the studio progressed.  Starting off a little rocky, but then evolving very quickly with mutual respect and collaboration.  I am always the main engine in the production of my musical destiny and always require to have the last word.  However, collaboration is a 2 - way street and a great leader needs to equally be a great follower and know a good idea no matter from where it comes.  Malcolm had lots of great ideas that added incredibly to the process!

How long was Shaman in the making? When was it finished? Aside from not being able to tour what has it been like to release an album in the midst of COVID?

I have been composing the music for Shaman! for close to two years.  The band recorded Shaman following an extensive Fall 2019 European tour which took us to the Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Holland, Scotland, London, Paris, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and several other countries.  We recorded Shaman from November 1 - 8, 2019.  In fact, I have never experienced the success of an album release like I have for Shaman! even while sheltering in place!  I have learned incredible ways that the band as well as my organization, Cultural Odyssey, continues to be relevant and reach both local, regional, national and international audiences during this pandemic and challenging time.  Presently Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids is experiencing an amazing success story on a global scale the likes which we have never experienced before!!  The band is basking in the glory and unmitigated celebration of rave reviews regarding the release of Shaman!.  In barely over one weeks time there have been over 40 rave reviews regarding the album commenting on the relevance of the record during this time of the pandemic with many compositions directly and indirectly commenting on subject matter like Black Lives Matter, Covid 19, police shootings and mass shootings, etc.  My plans are to do a virtual Album release event online in the fall.  I received an Individual Art Commission grant from the San Francisco Art Commission to support the event.  My agent is working on an International world tour starting in June 2021.

You have "Soliloquy for Michael Brown" on An Angel Fell, you've been witness to this fight your whole life. Does anything about the current rise in protests give you hope for change? What is your vision for a solution?

I, like many of us, are grappling with the historic and atrocious consequences of racism!  As a musical messenger my soul is shouting out for reconciliation so that we all can truly live in peace and harmony.  My soul stays in the musical cosmic sphere to do what I believe the Creator and my ancestors have bestowed upon me:  the power to utilize music to heal, uplift, and create positive change not only in my life but in the lives of so many worldwide!  My present consciousness revolves around the spirit of “breath”.  To breathe in harmony and unity slowly, consistently and in a relaxed manner to instill a dedication and optimal proliferation of my musical destiny.  I have incredible hope for change and world healing!

Today there are vibrant jazz scenes popping up and getting attention that hasn't been seen in a long time. As an elder statesman of this social music, does it excite you that the youth are paying attention and creating it? Have you had the opportunity to interact musically or in conversation with any of the new cats emerging and expanding the sounds?

I have been touring constantly for a decade and in that amount of time I have shared stages with many established and up and coming musicians and bands.  During summer of 2019 my band played at the “We Out Here” festival presented by my friend Giles Peterson and his staff.  Many of the young bands coming out of the active London jazz scene played the festival and I was very happy and impressed to be among this youthful energy!  It helps me stay young too!