Matt Olson\u2019s fifth jazz record, \u201cOpen Spaces,\u201d is also Adib Young\u2019s first.<\/p>\n
Olson, professor of saxophone and Furman\u2019s director of jazz studies, hadn\u2019t invited a student to play for one of his professional projects before. But Young \u201922 is an \u201cextraordinary\u201d musician, Olson said, a once-in-a-lifetime caliber of student.<\/p>\n
The new record, which will be released Jan. 21, has songs by both Olson and Young and also includes compositions and performances by some of Olson\u2019s colleagues from the Greenville Jazz Collective.<\/p>\n
Olson\u2019s last record included songs written by current and former students, so inviting Young to collaborate as both a composer and a performer seemed like a natural evolution.<\/p>\n
Olson received a three-year Furman Standard grant to record and produce \u201cOpen Spaces.\u201d Young vividly remembers showing up for a lesson and Olson telling him, with a big smile, that he\u2019d had a grant application approved \u2013 and that Young would be heavily involved in the upcoming project.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was absolutely thrilled,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n
Olson wrote three of the pieces for the record and Young wrote two. The others were written by members of the Jazz Collective.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have different composers, you have different voices,\u201d Olson said.<\/p>\n
And that goes for his student\u2019s voice, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s influenced by me, I think, but still comes through his lens,\u201d Olson said.<\/p>\n
The influence runs deep. Young, who grew up in Easley, South Carolina, began taking lessons with Olson as a freshman in high school. He considers Olson a trusted mentor and a key reason he came to Furman.<\/p>\n
Jazz is particularly well-suited to The Furman Advantage ideals of collaboration and connection between faculty and students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis idea of high-impact experiences and close relationships with faculty is so natural for us,\u201d Olson said. \u201cThe apprenticeship model is really how we learn the music to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Think jam sessions more than lectures.<\/p>\n
Working on \u201cOpen Spaces\u201d gave Young the chance to experience the process as both a composer and a performer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re used to hearing our music through midi files,\u201d he said. \u201cYou never know exactly how it\u2019s going to sound until you hear it with live musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since improvisation is key, jazz rehearsals aren\u2019t about everybody getting the music \u201cright.\u201d Instead, the musicians learn a melody and chord progressions and then start to play with them to communicate the composer\u2019s mood.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes the process a lot easier when the composers are in the same room with you,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n
The five musicians rehearsed a handful of times and played a single gig at Greenville\u2019s Chicora Alley a few weeks before the recording session.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fun to play the whole set \u2026 and feel what it\u2019s like to play it through and play it live,\u201d Olson said. \u201cIt\u2019s different than rehearsing and it\u2019s different than recording.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young\u2019s songs for the album are opposites: One taps into an introspective, spiritual vibe while the other is \u201cchaotic.\u201d He\u2019s excited to bring his ideas to a larger audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s any greater honor as a musician than to do that,\u201d Young said. \u201cI hope that the audience is moved and inspired by the pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen Spaces\u201d is being released by OA2, part of the Seattle-based OriginArts label. CDs are already on sale, and the recording will go live on major streaming services Jan. 21, its official release date.<\/p>\n
All the musicians who participated also will be on campus Jan. 25 to play in Olson\u2019s annual faculty recital, which will feature songs from the new record. The performance will be at 8 p.m. in Daniel Recital Hall.<\/p>\n
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