[bright music] - "Shaped By Sound" is made possible through support from Come Hear NC, a program of the North Carolina Arts Council within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

- Shaped by Sound.

[lively music] [clapperboard snaps] - 13 North Carolina artists, their songs, their stories, this stage.

[record crackling] [ethereal jazz music] [ethereal jazz music continues] ♪ Stayed away for far too long ♪ ♪ Far from reach yet holding on ♪ ♪ What we felt can right this wrong ♪ ♪ Love will help you write this song ♪ ♪ All of them wish for better days ♪ ♪ Casting shadows on our way ♪ ♪ Dark and dance will fade away ♪ ♪ Hang on, just hang on ♪ ♪ Better days ♪ ♪ We didn't plan it out ♪ ♪ But now we in a better space.

♪ ♪ Mama said, don't forget to pray for heaven's sake ♪ ♪ So my people kept the faith in letting the record play ♪ ♪ Check the record books ♪ ♪ How we always elevate the new heights ♪ ♪ It's all speculation, truth/lies ♪ ♪ Meditate or lose minds ♪ ♪ And I ain't trying to lose mine ♪ ♪ 'Cause we got too much to live for ♪ ♪ Find out just what we here for ♪ ♪ Please hang on.

♪ ♪ It's sweet and hard to touch ♪ ♪ Mending and we'll find enough ♪ ♪ Answer something always tough ♪ ♪ Hang on ♪ ♪ Please hang on ♪ ♪ How I feel about it ♪ ♪ Don't really mean a thing ♪ ♪ Take a look around ♪ ♪ What does it all mean ♪ ♪ Hanging in the balance ♪ ♪ All I need is one chance ♪ ♪ Sitting in the silence ♪ ♪ ask my love for guidance ♪ ♪ We can talk about it ♪ ♪ But that don't mean a thing ♪ ♪ Singing up and loud ♪ ♪ Just wanna be seen ♪ ♪ Hanging in the balance ♪ ♪ All I need is one ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ ♪ The first and the last ♪ ♪ Stop the work that we can't stop ♪ ♪ The pain in the stash box ♪ ♪ Life on display with a backdrop ♪ ♪ How it all tied together ♪ ♪ You can ask God a past life ♪ ♪ Showing me a sign when I don't act right ♪ ♪ That's like pitch up on my shoulder ♪ ♪ Got my back tight ♪ ♪ But I don't need a reason to pack light ♪ ♪ I'm going places ♪ ♪ You might notice changes ♪ ♪ On and on, we hanging ♪ ♪ Hanging on ♪ ♪ Hanging on ♪ [soft jazz scat music] ♪ We're hanging on ♪ [soft jazz scat music] [plaintive trumpet music] [joyous trumpet music] [soft jazz scat music] - Al Strong from Durham, North Carolina, right?

- Originally from Washington DC, but I've been in Durham since the late '90s, yeah.

- So I feel like you're a Durhamite, yeah, I mean, yeah.

- Definitely.

If Durham will have me, then yeah, totally.

- I think that they have.

Yeah.

[Al laughing] I think they've welcomed you in with, you know, wide open arms there.

- I'm grateful.

Yep.

- [James] There's such a rich history of music in Durham.

- Yes.

- What was it like to be a young man and sort of participate in that history?

- Yeah.

Coming down this way was great, because we still had Brother Yusef in the area.

- Right, yeah.

- He was leading jam sessions for- - He had a show on PBS.

- Mm-hm, yeah.

Exactly.

- Cool, yeah.

- Which I learned about recently when we did his tribute a few years ago.

- Yeah.

- And then tremendous vocalists like Eve Cornelius, they were performing together.

Chip Crawford, who was, at the time, I think they were married, and he's a fantastic pianist.

Actually, we're like birthday twins.

We have the same birthday.

Tremendous musicians like Brian Miller and saxophonists were playing in these various spots.

So at the time, Durham maybe only had about two or three places where you can hear music.

- Yeah.

- And especially jazz.

So we had like Jamaica Jamaica, right?

- Mm-hm.

- What is now North Hills, there was Cappers.

it was a jazz club.

- Yeah.

- Kind of a supper club there.

- Yeah.

- And then, in Durham, we had kind of a juke joint place called Talk of the Town.

- Oh, okay.

- Yeah.

That kind of like the crowd that is now at Blue Note Grill, - Yep.

- You know, built that kind of community even back then, you know, so.

- Yeah.

- Man, I was just really grateful to at least have, like, the experience of art.

I'm finally in college.

I'm on my own.

I get to chase the music at my pace.

You know, so much of this is about immerse yourself into anything, whether it's learning a new language or foreign language - Yeah.

- Or anything.

And so music is just definitely no different than that.

And especially jazz, if you will.

- [James] Right.

- Yeah, and I think that this became a bit of an incubator for me.

And I'm grateful for that.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

What makes sort of this Durham scene unique?

Like what is it?

What's special about it?

I feel like you're such a huge part of it.

- Well, I think that the obvious things are that there a number of universities in the area.

That's maybe different than some other places where there may only be one university with a music program or what have you, but, here, we're fortunate.

And so we have that, and we have all of these great music students coming out.

And then their creativity is, you know, you know, really high level.

And so they're writing music they are modeling after, you know, I guess the generations that came before them, such as myself.

- Yeah.

- Where, you know, we're actively writing music and we want people to hear it.

And we're kind of using our gigs as a testing ground for the music and the vibes that we create.

I think it just, you know, it's this perpetual will that we're fortunate [bright jazz trumpet music] to have here.

♪ You say it's simple ♪ ♪ But I know it ain't ♪ ♪ We painted truth ♪ ♪ But it dries in his dream ♪ ♪ Every kiss feels like a question mark ♪ ♪ And hide from this pride ♪ ♪ Maybe one of us cried ♪ ♪ But I'm still alive ♪ ♪ Looking for pieces ♪ ♪ That we'll never find ♪ ♪ Love is complicated ♪ ♪ It don't read the signs ♪ ♪ It pierces the heart ♪ ♪ and it blurs the lines ♪ ♪ We fight the peace, we break up the truce ♪ ♪ It gives us swings ♪ ♪ And we try anew ♪ ♪ So love, love is complicated ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Love is complicated ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na, ta ♪ ♪ You say forever ♪ ♪ But you change your tone ♪ ♪ We're both together ♪ ♪ Yet still alone ♪ ♪ You say every truth we tell ♪ ♪ Is capped in skies ♪ ♪ So every promise feels like compromise ♪ ♪ Oh no, no, no ♪ ♪ But maybe baby that's the beauty in the pain ♪ ♪ We keep on dancing in the rain ♪ ♪ If it were easy we'd let it go ♪ ♪ It's okay if that makes you grow ♪ ♪ Oh, na, na, na ♪ [jazz scat music] ♪ Oh, no, no ♪ [jazz scat music] [jazz trumpet music] ♪ Love is complicated ♪ [wailing jazz trumpet music] [wailing jazz trumpet music continues] - Obviously within jazz, a large part of it is experimentation, improvisation.

What is it like for you to go into a room and with some other folks, other players and jump off the cliff with them?

- Yeah.

Oh man.

You know, so much of this music, the music that we play, it's commonly referred to as jazz.

But I think it's a lot deeper than that.

And it's been kind of popping up on my algorithm lately.

I don't know if AI is reading my mind, but the more I think about the music that we play being referred to as jazz, the more I get a little uncomfortable.

- Okay.

- Because it's a marketing thing.

- Yeah.

- You know, I think it's, in one instance, it's okay because this is how we're being marketed and people can recognize what it is and, you know, kind of have an idea of what to expect before they come.

You know, we're dealing in a lot of trust on stage.

So that means, like, I don't always need to count off a song.

And a lot of great players did this, especially like the legendary Roy Hargrove who I got to see quite a bit live.

You can play one or two notes, and the band knows where your time is.

They notice where, you know, it is like a cue for the song.

So I can go ♪ Do, do, do, do, do, do, do ♪ And then the band knows where I am.

- [James] Right.

- That's part of the conversation I think they were talking about.

- Yeah.

- And so, even with that, we take that a step further.

Oftentimes, we do these things where we're trying to like kind of create an atmosphere collectively.

So I may start, drums may start with a cymbal roll.

Any instrument can begin, and we just all kind of coalesce on this, you know, train ride that's about to happen.

- Yeah, what's it like?

There must be so much trust there between you all.

- Yeah.

- What's that like - Yes.

- To just be in this moment where you're floating together.

There's something so like, you know, atmospheric, esoteric about it all and then all of sudden you, boom, you're together.

- Yeah.

- You get it and you trust each other.

- Yes.

I would say there's no feeling like that.

- Yeah.

- Having that kind of trust in the people who you're on stage with.

I trust that if I play a certain harmonic sound that someone in the band will compliment that sound.

And then vice versa.

If the drummer begins to hear time, you know, like a pulse in a certain spot, and he begins to play that pulse, then his trust has to be that he's not gonna be left out to dry, right?

- Right.

- The band is gonna shift towards what he's doing.

- [James] Yeah.

- And yeah, it's almost like that, you know, you know, they like fall back and I catch you.

- The trust fall?

Yeah.

- A trust fall, is that what it's called?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Yeah, so it's kind of happening like all the time.

- It's just a bunch of trust falls over and over and over again.

- Yeah.

- [Al] Exactly.

[bright improvisational jazz music] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] [bright improvisational jazz music continues] - I want to sort of leave us with a question that we like to ask everyone that comes on the show.

And we wanted to sort of think about how music affects us as people, how it affects us as communities.

And so we try and ask, you know, everyone, you know, like, "How are you shaped by sound?"

- You know, I thought about this, the song "Seven," you know, or "Say What You Want," that's now, "Say What You Want."

And when I originally began composing that song, you know, many people may not know this, but I'm like half Korean and half Black, for, you know, most of my life, I only really studied like European classical music and quote, unquote jazz or Black music, - Right.

- You know, from spirituals and everything.

And only as of recently, meaning like the past five years, I, you know, began to kind of check out Korean music.

What I began to hear are elements of what we commonly refer to as the blues, right, Which I think is in a way like the foundation for all Black music, all American music.

- Yeah.

- Is the blues, like twanging, the bending of notes to, you know, the sliding between notes and all of those things.

And so I began to actually listen to other types of traditional music and found the same thing.

And it's just something that, whether it's rock and roll, whether it's electronic music, whatever it is, I'm always, you know, looking for the sound of the blues in that style of music.

It's what speaks to me.

- Yeah.

- That's one aspect.

And I think I touched on some things earlier when I spoke to Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan.

You know, one of the things that happens for a lot of music students, and I think people in general is that like when you're listening to your favorite artist, if you hear them on other records and you begin to, like, notice without reading anything, like, "Oh, that's Clifford Brown.

Oh, that's such and such."

Like, that's the kind of level of intentional listening that we want to be on as far as listening to the sound.

- Yeah.

- And yeah, that's what inspires me.

- It's almost like hearing an artist's signature on something and then finding a way to kind of create your own.

It's so cool to think about how music and musical identities come from intentional listening.

- Mm-hm, totally.

- And how deep that can go.

- Mm-hm.

- That's really great.

Al thank you again.

We really appreciate it.

- Thank you, James.

- It's been great.

- Yeah.

- Thank you.

- My pleasure.

♪ If you want to go ♪ ♪ God will tell me why ♪ ♪ I told you tons of times ♪ ♪ I'm only here for you ♪ ♪ But you're acting new ♪ ♪ What I'm supposed to do ♪ ♪ Your love is overdue ♪ ♪ I can't get over you ♪ ♪ Your love is overdue ♪ ♪ I can't get over you ♪ ♪ Monday got me thinking about it one way ♪ ♪ I had you looking like a runway ♪ ♪ Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday was her day ♪ ♪ Friday, try my way ♪ ♪ Saturday, you are the only thing that mattered ♪ ♪ Sunday, Sunday it was the one day ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ ♪ Might have had to let you leave ♪ ♪ Might have to change a record ♪ ♪ If that's the case ♪ ♪ Baby girl need some space ♪ ♪ Just don't forget all the ways I have loved you ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ I'm giving you everything ♪ ♪ And I just end up empty ♪ ♪ Yeah, you was by my side ♪ ♪ But you was supposed to walk it out with me ♪ ♪ Back in the past things were so simple ♪ ♪ Especially when I had just ♪ ♪ Sprawled out in your dimples ♪ ♪ All that nonsense ♪ ♪ You miss me, you miss me, you miss me ♪ ♪ Baby, do you miss me ♪ ♪ Baby, do you miss me ♪ ♪ Well, start acting like a grownup ♪ ♪ Tell me what you want ♪ ♪ Right, right, right here in front of you ♪ ♪ Tell me what you need ♪ ♪ Bet, bet, bet that I could be there ♪ ♪ Tell it to me sugar ♪ ♪ I, I, I, I could be your future ♪ ♪ Tell me what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Tell me what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ [upbeat improvisational trumpet music] ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Ugh, gonna make me wait ♪ ♪ I need love ♪ ♪ Are you gonna make me wait ♪ ♪ Are you gonna make me wait ♪ ♪ I need love ♪ ♪ Are you gonna make me wait ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ ♪ Say what you want, what you want, what you want ♪ [upbeat improvisational jazz music] - [James] Thanks for joining us on "Shaped by Sound."

If you'd like to hear more of our discussion from today, you can find it over on our website, pbsnc.org/ShapedbySound, or you can find it on the PBS app.

[upbeat jazz trumpet music] ♪ - [Announcer] "Shaped by Sound" is made possible through support from Come Hear NC, a program of the North Carolina Arts Council within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

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