Enlightening the self, nurturing the music, and letting the arrow fly with Kenji Lee

MUSIC PREVIEW INTERVIEW

Kenji Lee performing on April 15, 2022. Photo by Jeff Dunn.

Photo by Jeff Dunn.

Since relocating from Southern California to Southeast Michigan for school, multi-instrumentalist Kenji Lee has quickly become a mainstay in the local jazz and improvisational music scene, while also making a name for himself nationally

 

Whether leading a trio on sax, holding down the rhythm on double bass, curating an open jam, or teaching private lessons, Lee is immersed in performing, curating, and educating, connecting with audiences on tour throughout the Midwest and locally at the Blue Llama, Ziggy's, and the Detroit International Jazz Festival.

 

We caught up with the busy Ypsilanti musician by email to talk about his musical roots, the challenge of organizing inclusive performances, and the personal importance of Edgefest, which returns to Kerrytown Concert House for its 28th year, October 16-19, and where he's performing Saturday with his Fortune Teller Trio.

Q: Your bio mentions you were born in Tokyo and raised "immersed in music" in Southern California. What brought you to the U.S., and how did those early experiences shape your musical interests? Were your parents, or someone else close to you, also musicians?

A: I was born in Japan, but we moved to the States when I was pretty young. My mother is from a small fishing village south of Mount Fuji and my father is from Los Angeles. Neither of my parents are professional musicians, but they both valued music and played instruments in their youth. My father played piano and clarinet and my mother played shamisen. My father is a pretty serious jazz fan and played me jazz records by Coleman Hawkins, Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson— mostly straight-ahead stuff. He was also a regular at a club called Body and Soul in Tokyo through the '90s and got to hear and hang with a lot of great musicians that came through Tokyo. My mom is more interested in pop music and British Invasion bands. That was all in the air when I was growing up.

 

Q: When did you first take an interest in playing music yourself? Was there a particular teacher or mentor or influence who helped put you on the path?

A: I don't remember a time where I didn't really love playing and listening to music. When I was a kid, I would learn songs by ear that I heard on the radio and play them on the piano for my friends at school. I played clarinet and saxophone in my middle school band and spent all of my time in the band room—tremendously cool, I know.

 

Around that time, I met the late, great Roger Shew, an amazing L.A.-area jazz bass player and educator who directed my middle school and high school jazz bands. He showed me what the music was all about. He was warm, hilarious, witty, and a brilliant improviser. He really took me under his wing once he noticed that I was getting serious about the music. He was very intentional about showing me a wide array of music, from Ornette Coleman to Hank Mobley to Warne Marsh to Vijay Iyer. We would play duo together a couple times a week and he would teach me a new jazz standard every week. I eventually started going to his gigs and would sit in; he was always incredibly patient and encouraging. He was able to show me what a life in music could look like and how deeply enriching it can be.

 

Q: What drew you to the University of Michigan, and what was that transition like for you? It seems like you're fully immersed in the Ann Arbor improvisational scene. How soon did you become aware of what was happening here and get connected to places like Kerrytown and Canterbury House and the community around them?

A: I gravitated toward the University of Michigan because of the great faculty, welcoming community, and resources. U of M is home to what I think is one of the most open-minded improvised music programs in the U.S. I am grateful that I was encouraged to explore some facets of my artistry that I don't think I would have been exposed to in a lot of other collegiate music schools. 

 

Outside of U of M, I pretty immediately immersed myself in the scene in both Ann Arbor and Detroit. The improvised music scene in Ann Arbor and Detroit is really vibrant and, as a student, I was just excited to hear more great players and eventually make music with them.

Q: Your 2022 album with Fortune Teller Trio, Kyūdō, shows a lot of range—and sounds amazing—from the hard-driving to more atmospheric and "free," and then just some beautiful ballads. Can you talk about those sessions and what your goal was for the record?

A: Thanks for those words! The session was one full day. It was intended to be a trio date with myself on tenor saxophone, Andy Peck on bass and Jonathan Barahal Taylor on drums, engineered by our friend Morgan Brown. It wasn't until later in the day of the recording that Estar Cohen joined the group. We had been recording all morning and in a moment of telepathy, we all kind of said, "Well, you know who would sound great on this? Estar." I called her, and she happened to be down the street. She said she would come sing on the record if I helped her put some air in her car tires. Needless to say, I obliged!

 

Andy, Jon, Morgan, and Estar are wide open. They help me hear sound for what it is. My goal was to try and reflect that in a record. I wondered what comes out if we just play—some written material, some improvisation—and don't try to have a complete vision of what the end result looks like. What came out that day was free-jazz dirge, poignant ballads, noisy textural improvisations, bebop, and whatever else. If it was a different day, it could've been something very different. But, on that day, I think it captures our feelings, our interests, and our insecurities very well.

That's where the kyūdō idea comes into play: In Japanese archery, they say that you can practice something over and over, but if you are focusing on a target, you will not hit it. You have to free your mind of the target and trust that your practice will guide the arrow to where it needs to go.  

 

Q: Do you have any new recordings in the works, and if so, anything you'd like to share about them?

A: We have plans to record again this fall. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out my website for more details on performances, etc.

 

Q: In addition to composing, recording, and performing, you're active in curating and promoting performances around Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit. Why is this work important to you? Your website mentions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and building community as being a big part of it, and I'm curious to hear about how you feel about DEI, and that sense of community, in the local jazz/improv/out music scene today.

A: Someone's gotta do it!

 

No, really. I don't think it gets talked about enough how much of a challenge and risk it is to put on shows that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. To clarify, that means not only are the bands diverse, but the audience, too. That means the gig is not only affordable to attend, but the musicians are getting paid respectable fees. That means that every member of the audience, staff, and artist feel welcome regardless of their identity. Easier said than done if you ask me.  

 

I'm just trying to do my part the best that I can—it's a work in progress. I'm playing Edgefest this year, but I'm also working it, as I've done for the past couple of years. I'm picking up musicians from the airport, I'm backlining instruments, I'm helping with sound, I'm doing whatever needs to be done to make the music happen. Muhal Richard Abrams said "Creative musicians should not consider themselves entertainers. Their purpose is to enlighten—themselves first and then the audience." Words to live by for me.

 

Q: Edgefest is coming up this weekend, and you're officially listed with your group. Anything special planned for it? Any outside collaborations happening? Any favorite memories of fests over the years?

A: Edgefest is a dream gig for me. I wouldn't be playing the music that I play without this festival.  I've heard so much great music at the fest over the years: The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, the list goes on and on. This is my second time playing the festival with my band, and it's an honor. The audience and the other musicians are always so encouraging of our music. I just can't wait to hear all the amazing musicians and spend some time around some of my heroes. I really can't say enough how much I love this festival and the musicians performing.

 

Q: It seems worth noting that you also play more "conventional" gigs. How does staying versed in more traditionally accessible music inform your own compositions and more "challenging" performances? And vice versa?

A: I love music. That's it. It's all the same to me. I try to find my voice in all of the music I'm playing. I think that comes back to what my mentor Roger Shew instilled in me. He would encourage me to nurture the music. That's what I try to do. I try not to see it as anything different. If anything, I love that I get to play with many different people and personalities.

 


Eric Gallippo is an Ypsilanti-based freelance writer.


Edgefest 28 runs October 16-19 in Ann Arbor. Kenji Lee's Fortune Teller Trio plays Kerrytown Concert House as part of Edgefest on Saturday, Oct. 19. More info and tickets are available here.