With the
release of his new album Stereotype Threat under the bold, fresh artistic
identity FKAjazz (formerly known as…), NYC based saxophonist Samir Zarif lays
the dynamic groundwork for the possibilities of what jazz is for his generation
and provides a vision for what the cherished American art form can be moving
forward. With a freewheeling energy driven by the still simmering melting pot
of influences that drive his musical passion – traditional jazz, R&B and
hip-hop – the full length collection is the culmination of a multi-faceted
journey that transcends easy definitions. It’s always evolving with a sense of
grooving and improvisational wonder and discovery.
Stylistically,
Stereotype Threat is several worlds and hundreds of ultra-cool beats away from
the multi-talented composer/musician’s 2010 debut Starting Point, which was
released under his real name. That album featured musical snapshots he had been
workshopping on the bandstand with The Story, the progressive, free jazz band
with whom he had been touring. Performed with members of that group, the
collection mostly featured odd metered material, but the final song “Keep the
Faith” had an electronica vibe, a rock-flavored backbeat and Zarif on vocals.
He developed this side of his artistry further when he joined forces with
producer Brian Lindgren in 2011, and formed the electronic music production duo
Pax Humana – which released the full length albums A Matter of Heart (2012) and
A New Frontier (2014). His desire to expand to creative endeavors beyond jazz
also led to his being commissioned to score a collection of short films by
trans-media artist Donna Cameron, which were later presented and distributed by
The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
One of
FKAjazz’s contemporary inspirations is Grammy winning pianist and producer
Robert Glasper, a fellow Houston native who attended the High School for
Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) some years before the saxophonist. He and
Glasper are blazing similar paths while remaining distinctive in their
individuality and style.
“I’ve always
looked to him as an older brother, because while the music he makes is
different in a lot of ways from what I’m doing, in essence we’re coming from
the same place, creating music that draws from jazz but is more the culmination
of Black American music, a mix of old and new with a major hip-hop element.
Because I grew up listening to music like A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and
Jazzy Jeff, that music is as much a part of my life as jazz. The goal is to
take music beyond hip-hop, beyond jazz and create a whole new vibe from all of
these influences.”
This desire
to transcend easy genre boxes and categorizations inspired FKAjazz to create
the perfect album moniker Stereotype Threat, whose opening track of the same
name creates a unique generational crosscurrent by pairing the artist’s
powerful sax melody with the spoken words of longtime James Brown
bassist/vocalist Fred Thomas. “The phrase ‘Stereotype Threat’ literally means
the fear of being reduced to a negative stereotype,” Zarif says, “and that fear
can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if you don’t disrupt that way of
thinking. It was the perfect title because of my many influences. As I was
developing this sound, my worst fear was being labeled as ‘the next saxophonist
that plays like every other saxophonist.’ It was something I had to overcome
internally in order to finally understand how to be true to myself.”
“I’m always
veering left to some degree,” he adds, “and I wanted to make sure that the
tracking of the album was thoughtful and told a story from track to track even
in its diversity. I wanted to tell a story from start to finish, while at the
same time have each track encapsulate an aspect of my life. There’s the fear of
being stereotyped and the need to overcome that, the fear of being in love
again and the urgency to overcome that, the fear of not knowing my direction in
life, among other themes. The overall story comes from the discovery of who I
am, the journey of being able to take away all the layers of my experience and
get to the core of myself as an artist.”
While
providing a powerhouse platform for FKAjazz’s tenor sax, Stereotype Threat is
also a showcase for his skills as a composer, producer and mixer. After
creating the foundation of the tracks, he pieced together incredible
contributions from his high level cohorts in NYC’s jazz scene, including
guitarist Marcus Machado, electric bassist Lez Lemon, guitarist Julian Litwack,
drummer Justin Swiney and keyboardist Noah MacNeil. Also featured is the high
impact rap lyricism of JSWISS on “No Way To Go” and “Storytime Interlude.”
Highlights
include the “Hard Times” intro that leads into “Brighter Days,” a tandem
reflecting the importance of a measured optimism that understands that
obstacles are opportunities to grow and learn from; “Angel Cake,” which began
as a remake of D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” before FKAjazz flipped guitarist Marcus
Machado’s guitar riffs to create a whole new celestial treasure; and “Wander as
I Wonder,” whose title riffs on Langston Hughes’ autobiography “I Wonder as I
Wander” and which addresses the challenges of deep relationships – and the
importance of having a commitment that helps overcome them. The title of the
moody and deeply grooving “F.A.F.” came from an Instagram fan’s spirited, off color
declaration that the track was “Fly as F***.”
A musical
wunderkind from the get-go, Zarif was raised by a mother who was an
accomplished piano and vocal teacher and widow to an alto saxophonist that
played in the Duke Ellington Band in the 70s. His Philly born father spent his
formative years in Brooklyn as an accountant for both Malcolm X and the
original Nathan’s Hot Dogs in Coney Island. Zarif played violin in elementary
school, violin and sax in middle school, and was the principal saxophonist at
HSPVA and Willowridge High school. He later moved to New Orleans to study jazz
performance and composition at the University of New Orleans with trumpeter and
film composer Terence Blanchard. While in New Orleans, he performed with Jason
Marsalis, Aaron Neville, Nicholas Payton, and Jill Scott. After graduating from
UNO, he moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music as a grad
student of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Performance.
Immersing
himself into the NYC music scene, Zarif became a renowned recording and touring
saxophonist for many notable artists and bands, including the Grammy Nominated
Miguel Zenon's Identities Big Band, The Story, Soulful Symphony, Chrisette
Michele and Hans Glawischnig Jahira Trio. He has performed at world-renowned venues,
halls and festivals such as Carnegie Hall (NYC), Blue Note (NYC), North Sea
Jazz Fest (Rotterdam), Newport Jazz Fest (Newport, RI) , and Bimhuis
(Amsterdam).
Zarif’s
emergence as FKAjazz and his unique perspective on the distinctly American art
form has prompted him to reflect on the meaning of jazz, its development over
the last century, and its influence on other styles of music. “Before jazz,
there wasn’t such a thing as American music really,” he says. “There was
nothing that truly defined our culture as Americans as clear and true to its
spirit as jazz. It was the first complete melting pot of music that shaped who
we are as people, what we represent and the possibilities unique to our
country. Everything else that followed, from rock & roll to hip hop, are
the children and grandchildren of jazz music.”
~ Jonathan Widran
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