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Scene(s)
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Jazz
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Role(s)
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Performing
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Informant Name
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Seneca Black
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Position
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Lead trumpet
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Institution
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Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
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Biographical Notes
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Seneca Black was born on April 15th, 1978 and began playing the trumpet at age nine. At age fourteen, he had met trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis, who introduced him to the music of Duke Ellington. After studying trumpet at New School of The Arts in Miami, Florida, Seneca attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with trumpet great Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Gil Evans Orchestra). At age twenty, Seneca joined Wynton Marsalis’s Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra as lead trumpeter, a position which he held for seven years. Seneca also has worked with Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Jon Faddis, Shirley Horn, Chucho Valdes, Joe Henderson, Dianne Reeves and Illinois Jacquet and has performed with such major orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Russian National Orchestra.
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Link
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http://www.senecablack.com
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Date
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2005
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Transcript
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Josh: Okay, my first question is what first interested you about playing
the trumpet?
Seneca: My older sister was a trumpet player.
Josh: So was it something that you felt obligated to do because of her, or
did you just become interested in it?
Seneca: I think because I always heard her practicing, unconsciously, and
consciously I felt something unique and special about it for me.
Josh: Who are your biggest musical influences? Do you have any influences
who are not trumpet players?
Seneca: Hmmm...That is kind of a broad question for me... I'm influenced by
all sorts of things from all different people and places... Musically, Louis
Armstrong is probably my biggest trumpet influence. Yet as funny as it may
seem I've been influenced by Axl Rose, Scott Weiland and Alanis Morisette just
to name a few from a somewhat different plane. Also the writer/scholar Joseph
Campbell has really influenced me probably more than any of them.
Josh: Joseph Campbell, I took a mythology class where we talked about him.
Seneca: Yeah his books have really inspired me, but back to sound...Trumpet-wise, obviously with say Louis, Clifford (Brown) or (Bud) Herseth it's their sound. I love and am inspired by the identity of each great player's sound. I love and am inspired by the identity of each great player's sound…The depth of it…With say Scott Weiland it's a freedom, and overall energy and spirit that gets to me, that transcends technique. That's hard and it really touches on deep things within a person. Completely personal things that know one can relate to.
Josh: Well, I understand what you're saying...here's an example for me, not to
put the subject on myself, but I listened to Miles Davis so much as a younger
kid, his sound is stuck with me, in my playing and musical voice.
Seneca: Right, absolutely! I didn't even mention him and he encapsulates that better than
anyone.
Josh: Sorry for the broad question.
Seneca: No prob.
Josh: Here's (hopefully) an easier one… What is the most positive effect music has had on you and why?
Seneca: It's given me an amazing way to express myself and ideas and that is
the ultimate goal for me, to give things to people to help them…You know good positive feelings.
Josh: I know exactly what you mean…I think Dizzy and Louis both did that amazingly, probably better than anyone.
Seneca: For sure, as I’ve already mentioned Louis Armstrong may be my biggest trumpet influence…And Dizzy is definitely up there also.
Josh: OK, moving on, so I have to ask you something about the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. What do you think made that group special?
Seneca: It had Wynton's direction, he had the main ideology for the personnel,
music, etc. and he's very determined to get what he seeks. When you have a
powerful idea chances are something special will happen.
Josh: What exactly was Wynton so motivated to achieve?
Seneca: To prove others wrong, and find his place in history.
Josh: Who was he trying to prove wrong? Did the criticism have to do with his choice of music, or interpretation of the music?
Seneca: Maybe on the surface his choice of both, yet I think that does much
deeper personal stuff, stuff from when he was younger, real young. It's only
an opinion and he would know better than I would, but that is my personal view.
Josh: How did Wynton and his playing influence you as both a musician and a
person?
Seneca: Early on it was different, and like I was saying before it had a
powerful identity behind it. As a person early on I wanted to play like him...I thought he was the most popular thing going on trumpet so naturally I gravitated toward it. I met him soon after so it got more intense.
Josh: How so? Did he push you to become better?
Seneca: Not ‘til I got in the band.
Josh: Oh right...You knew him before you actually joined the band... I
mean, you had made an impression on him, but didn't join him right away
Seneca: That's right.
Josh: Do you feel that jazz music is becoming stuck in a rut as far as new
directions being made? What do you do to try to stop this from happening?
Seneca: Hmmmm I don't have a strong opinion that it's stuck...Along those lines
though, I try to be true to what I feel and write music and play things
that people can relate to, which actually is very broad I believe.
Josh: Sorry, I wasn't saying it was.
Seneca: No I see what you're saying.
Josh: That's good.
Josh: I think being yourself is very important, having your own voice.
Seneca: Without a doubt.
Josh: Here's an interesting one...I want to know what your answer to this is… During your time as a musician, have you had to change in order to adapt to the music world?
Seneca: Hmmmm… good question. The truth is that I've changed since I've become
a professional… Personally I've grown in all sorts of ways…I've changed my outlook on life and music, due to all kinds of things happening, due to the nature of a lifetime. What I meant to say is yeah I've changed.
Josh: How has your perspective changed? Do you think you're more mature, focused on the music?
Seneca: I've changed for the better, I'm happier, definitely more mature. You can't help but be that in an evolving lifetime. I think I've always been focused just focused on different shit now.
Josh: Like what different shit?
Seneca: On my own ideas instead of say what Wynton wanted or what some other
bandleader wanted. I still work as a sideman yet I'm propelling the other
things out there.
Josh: What are you up to right now? Are you freelancing around New York?
Seneca: Yeah freelancing, and I just recorded a demo Friday, so you've
caught me at a real fertile time… My website will be up about [ten] days as well, so I'm very happy about that.
Josh: SenecaBlack.com?
Seneca: Exactly, not there yet, my webmaster is putting it together. Music, news, the whole nine.
Josh: Sweet, sounds informative. What do you cherish most about your career? Do you have any regrets?
Seneca: When I played with Carla Bley and Charlie Haden last summer, music
became as fun as it was when I was [fifteen]. Carla definitely opened my eyes up and that I will always cherish. Regrets? Hmmmm....Too early, I say. Everything so far has worked about absolutely in perfect time. There's been times when I may have preferred something to happen here or there... yet I believe in life everything works out a like a symphony or play. It’s hard to see though when were in the middle of everything.
Josh: Where do you think jazz is headed as of now? What do you think could
help the situation, if anything?
Seneca: Jazz will go wherever the artists take it, I think it'll be pretty much
the same though as it is today… There's all kinds of shit being played: traditional, avant-garde, popish, bop...In my opinion I like people creating so naturally I think that makes
it exciting.
Josh: Well, Thanks a lot Mr. Black…You are a class act!
Seneca: Hah, thanks Josh, anytime really…You can contact me whenever…I don't mind rappin’ about anything.
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Seneca Black |
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Researcher
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Josh Mizruchi
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Researcher Email
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joshmizr@umich.edu
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Reaction
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From this interview I learned that musical influences can stem from many groups other than classical or jazz musicians. For example, Seneca mentions rock musicians and Joseph Campbell. I also learned about his influences as a trumpeter, such legends as Adolph Herseth and Louis Armstrong. Their styles can clearly be heard in what Seneca plays. I also found some of the things he said about Wynton Marsalis to be interesting, about how Wynton felt that he had something to prove stemming from his childhood. When Seneca talked about his own growth as a musician, and beginning to have fun with music again when playing with Carla Bley and Charlie Haden, it reminded me that sometimes we as musicians and artists can forget that having fun while making music is very important as well. I found his views on jazz very informative, but I wish he could have gotten a bit more in-depth about the Lincoln Center experience looking back. This interview was fun. I may add that we talked for a few hours until about 1:30 AM, and he didn't seem to care, he actually seemed to be having a lot of fun. In terms of career, I learned from Seneca about the importance of being nice to people who ask you questions. A couple weeks ago I performed with one of the Michigan Jazz Ensembles at the Firefly club and afterwards a guy who was a comeback trumpet player asked me about trumpet equipment and breathing. I made an effort to not only answer all of his questions to the best of my ability, but I offered to give him my number if he ever wanted to ask me anything else about the trumpet. He told me that I would be wasting my time with him, but in general I think he appreciated my advice. Seneca set a good example by being tolerant of all of my questions as well as happy to help. Being nice can really pay off, I should do it more often.
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© Mark Clague, Ph.D. 2003–
Information on this site can be quoted for non-commercial use if proper credit is given to informant, interviewer, and the Living Music project of the University of Michigan.
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