Cécile McLorin Salvan
Notes From The Road (Reflection)
I always sleep on the bus in the mornings. That’s my favorite part of traveling by Bus, which unfortunately I can’t do with my band because a sleeper bus is too big for four people. When I’m not sleeping on the bus I like to draw. I’ve been drawing a lot recently. I remember last year at this time I was on the other bus, which they call “The Young Bus” (laughs). There were a lot less cracker-barrel stops and less time for quiet.
The gig in Atlanta was really cool because there was a lot of family at the show, more so than any other city that we’ve visited on this tour. A lot of the families and close friends were sitting on the sides of the stage so you felt this warmth and love coming from a different direction. I have to walk on and off the stage during the show and it was really nice to walk-through this group of friends and family before going out to sing again.
Walter Blanding’s mother Audrey Shakir sang with us and she was amazing. It was great to hear her for the first time especially from 1 foot away. A lot of the musicians told me that I had to hear her sing and she did not disappoint. After the concert I asked her if I could have her information so we could talk.
I’m always really happy when I see a singer on the road because I don’t see many. I don’t hang with that many singers in New York either, there are a couple that I know and love, but because I spend so much time on the road I don’t get to see other singers much. It’s really nice to be around someone who uses the same instrument as you.
After the show we had to rush to the hotel to pack up and get on the bus back to New York. I was trying to pack as slowly as I could to spend as much time with my mom as possible before heading back home, but we had to keep it moving. On the way back to New York Wynton joined us on the bus while Victor, Vincent and Ted had to fly out to different gigs.
On the way back we talked about Harmony and he gave me this really interesting exercise to do that he’d gotten from his teacher Mary Anthony Cox and then we got into a bigger discussion about harmony. Barry Harris has classes in New York and he has a certain approach to harmony that is almost like its own school of thought. Sherman Irby comes from that school and Wynton comes from a different one. James Chirillo was giving really good insights as well in the whole time.
That conversation trailed off into one about American politics, civil rights and history. It got pretty deep on the old bus coming back. After Wynton and Sherman dozed off James and I talked about a French teacher and composer, Nadia Boulanger.
Next comes New York.
(PART II)
I want to compare this tour to last year’s Big Band Holidays tour but I have the memory of a goldfish. Last year I was extremely nervous, this year I was still nervous but not nearly as much. It was my first time on the road with this band. It was such an honor, and the songs were pretty fresh in my mind and I just didn’t want to mess anything up. It gave the whole experience this really exciting feel.
On the first tour we stopped through Miami, which was great because that’s my hometown. I mean, the band got up and applauded me on the show. They gave me a standing ovation I had all of these beautiful friends and family that came to the gig who were really loud. I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way on a single concert again.
This tour struck a far more somber tone. We started out in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Green Bay, all really places I’d never been. After that we stayed in Arkansas for two days before going to visit Clark Terry for his birthday. That was the first major event of tour but not the only one. I’ve actually cried twice on this tour.
First I cried with Clark Terry at his birthday party. That was beautiful. He started crying after a while and everyone on the bandstand was looking at him with so much admiration and respect, it was just insane to be there with him and his wife. Then when we got back to New York we had this party for Genevieve, who has been working with Mr. Marsalis for over 20 years and she is retiring this year. They all played a song for her and her husband was crying so this was the tour of heartfelt moments.
It’s great to see musicians show love through their music, you know? I never do that. I’ve never really put on a concert or sang for someone I loved and had that be the way I’m expressing my deep appreciation for them. I’ll spend time with them and talk to them but when you introduce music it changes the whole feeling. We could have just visited Clark and said hi and bye but everyone was playing his music and it elevated the whole situation.. It doesn’t matter how much of a goldfish I am, but it was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever had in music – deep – and I’ll never forget it.