By Robert Irving III
 

If you have been following the last three editions of this column, then you are sufficiently apprised of our focus on Chicago artists. Last month we visited with one of our "Elder Statesmen", Oscar Brown Jr. This month we talked with Chicago born and bread bass player, Darryl Jones who broke the color barrier in the highest echelon of contemporary rock music by becoming a member of the world's number one rock group, The Rolling Stones. At the age of 19, Jones possibly broke the age barrier as a jazz bassist as he recorded and toured with the number one jazz musician of all times, the legendary Miles Davis. During the ensuing decades between these two career accomplishments, Darryl Jones covered more ground than a 747 as he recorded and performed with top names in jazz, blues, hip hop and rock including Joan Armatrading , Philip Bailey , Carmen Bradford, Randy Brecker, Buckshot LeFonque(Branford Marsailles), Eric Clapton, Charles Earland, Pee Wee Ellis, Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Madonna, Tania Maria, Mcm & The Hype Crew (vocals), Nicklebag, Lionel Richie, John Scofield, Sting, Andy Summers, Lenny White as well as the original soundtracks from the films, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Men in Black. As an actor he has appeared in three films, "Bring on the Night" with Sting, "The Father Clements Story" with Laurence Fishburne and Louis Gossett, Jr. and "Village Of The Damned" with Christopher Reeve. Darryl also composed the original soundtrack for the film, "Love Jones". Songs from this film are featured in a rare performance by Darryl Jones at this year's, Chicago-African Festival of the Arts. The excerpts from my August 8, 2000 interview with Darryl are as follows:

Baabe: It is said that success is not a destination but a journey. And so from that perspective, after having reached what many consider to be the pinnacle of achievement, how do you keep the journey filled with enthusiasm and new discovery?

DJ: I never wanted to be a Michael Jackson, I only wanted to play with the world's best artists. After having those dreams come true for me, in my mind, its time for some new dreams. I have a lot of interests, I read a lot. I'm very much interested in art and composition. I'm studying singing and I have a really good piano teacher. The more I do the more there is to do.

Baabe: What are some of your interests outside the realm of the arts?

DJ: Egyptology and Africa. The more I read about these subjects the more I realize that I have to make a conscious effort to make a connection. I've purchased African art from a friend named Jeremiah who is from Sierra Leone (West Africa). He told me that it is Black Americans, because of our political background, who will save Africa from being "re-colonized" in a different way. He say that it is imperative, that those who can afford it, to buy land in Africa and begin to build a connection in a physical, mental and spiritual way. I am more and more interested in this.

Baabe: What was your first impression of Africa when you first entered after passport control?

DJ: Well as an African American when we see the guy sweeping the airport, he is generally a man of color. The same is true in Africa, however, this is also true of the pilot, the owner of the hotel, and the President of the country. So, all of a sudden you see this flip and you are no longer the minority. This is something that is important for especially young blacks here to realize.

Baabe: We often fail to connect with Africans living here, so this makes it harder to connect with another continent.

DJ: It is ironic that there exists a rift between us and some Africans. Jeremiah (my friend) said that, historically, the day of atonement within Judaism had to do with the fact that, during biblical times they sold one of their own into slavery. Once a year they would acknowledge that this was a bad move and apologize for it. In Jeremiah's opinion (and this is the first time I've heard an African say this), until certain Africans realize that they were also, at least, complicit in the sale of our ancestors into slavery and admit that this was a mistake and apologize, then there will always be a rift. What is ironic about this is that some Africans view us (in a condescending way) as not being the original man; yet because of years of survival and repression we are some of the strongest and resistant people on the planet.

Baabe: Dr. Morris Tynes said , "the same fire that melts butter makes steel stronger and gold more pure."

DJ: It is ironic that we were brought here with the help of some of their descendants and now we are vilified (by them) for it. That's a problem and something that Africans need to look at. It is totally unconscionable to me that a Black man from any part of the Diaspora would act in a racist way to any other man of color. I'm not looking for an apology, but this is an interesting concept. John Henry Clark say that there are over 500 million black people living in Asia that we have to make a connection with. We need to become aware of each other and begin to care about each other on a global scale and change our ideas about the divisions between us.

Baabe: On the subject of divisions. What do you feel about the divisions between jazz purists and those whom, like yourself, started in jazz and have been on the cutting edge of new directions in electric music.

DJ: I'm just now on the cusp of defining who I am musically as I am now ready to do a solo recording. But, I'm reminded of two or three short encounters with Ornette Coleman. He said to me, after I had started working with Sting, "bravo on your move away from exclusivity within the jazz realm, because what that is going to allow you is a kind of financial independence which comes with not being labeled as only a jazz musician." Coming from Ornette, this was surprising. Nevertheless, having played mostly rock and roll for the past 7 years I am poised to make an entry back into the jazz world. But, I want to do something different, bringing some of the more assertive elements from the rock realm. Unless a musician is naturally and unusually gifted as John Coltrane was, you need to give people a little something visual to bridge the gap between "this" jazz musician standing on stage and the audience.

Baabe: What were your most impressionable music experiences as a listener and as a player?

DJ: I went to visit Miles at his (NY) apartment at 79th and 5th one day. He put on a recording of the tune, "Can It Be Done" by Weather Report which Carl Anderson sings on. Miles placed his hand on my shoulder and played three notes over three chords on his trumpet. The first note drew me in, in a way that caused me to bend over to get more in it. The second note took me off balance to the point that I almost fell. And the last note that he played rebalanced me. It is one of those things I will never forget. He was the master of tension and release. Sometimes you go into a club and their are these old musicians playing and there is nobody there. You know that their not getting paid any money, but they'll still play because of scenes like the one I'll tell you about: I was playing on stage with Charles Matthews, Terry Morrisette, Al Smith and Angela McDonald-Matthews, it was the group Wyndsong at a small club in Hyde Park called Valhalla. We were playing Charles' tune called "Sun City" which was up tempo but with a smooth atmospheric thing going on. I had my eyes closed and suddenly I had this feeling that there was some magic happening on stage. I opened my eyes and looked at the other players and they each had their eyes closed and it appeared that, for that momemt, even the lighting changed. It was a special moment. It is a moment like that which those old guys are remembering and its a moment like that they continue to search for night after night. I encourage my students to look for that magic every time they pick up their instrument, because it is there.