Jamie Baum Artist Interview

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1) Receiving the Guggenheim Fellowship award in Composition in 2014 (among several other awards)

2) Putting out 7 recordings of my music, all on Independent record labels (all extremely well received both nationally and internationally)

3) Receiving a 5-star review in DownBeat Jazz Magazine for my most recent release, “What Times Are These” (very infrequently given)

4) Touring in Europe several times, India 3 times and Nepal 4 times

5) Being a US State Department Jazz Ambassador

Attending New England Conservatory for my undergraduate degree. Going there at the beginning of my career, studying with many iconic teachers (including George Russell, Jaki Byard, Tom McKinley, Robert Stallman, etc.) and meeting and playing with the students there (some of whom I still play with and are great friends) was very transformative

Performing in India and Nepal with many great musicians

Living in NYC, being surrounded by a very high level of musicians and being pushed and inspired all of the time

Connecting with other musicians and the audience

I have 7 CD out as a leader (and over 50 as a sidewoman).

-What Times Are These (Sunnyside)

-Bridges (Sunnyside)

-In This Life (Sunnyside)

-Solace (Sunnyside)

-Moving Forward, Standing Still (Omnitone)

-Sight Unheard (GM Recordings)

-Undercurrents (Konnex)

I have 2 CDs out with cooperative bands:

-Inch By Inch w/Yard Byard:The Jaki Byard Project (GM Recordings)

-Intersect w/Sharp Five (Consensus)

-Props for Pops w/Great Circle (JA Records)

Fairly busy. In addition to my teaching at Manhattan School of Music and some students I have from the New School University, I have performances in January in NYC and California. In April, I will be a featured guest artist at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Before that I’ll be on tour with Monika Herzig’s band in NY, Indiana, Luisiana and then later I’ll go to Europe.

The Jamie Baum Quartet

Jamie Baum - flutes, compositions

Leo Genovese - piano (worked with Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding)

Matt Penman - bass (worked with SF Jazz Collective, Joshua Redman)

Rob Garcia - drums (worked with Wynton Marsalis, Joseph Jarman, David Byrne)

Tour Dates:

1Jan 22 - clinic, Department of Music, Cal Poly Humboldt

2Jan 22 - Redwood Jazz Alliance, Arcata  - Tickets & Info: https://www.redwoodjazzalliance.org

3Jan 23 - Kuumbwa, Santa Cruz  - Tickets & Info: https://www.kuumbwajazz.org

4Jan 24 - SFJazz, San Fransisco  - Tickets & Info:https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/24-25/jamie-baum/

5Jan 25 - Private House Concert, SLO

6Jan 26 - Bach Dynamite and Dancing, Half Moon Bay  - Tickets & Info: https://bachddsoc.org

For inquiries/interviews: lynnjam@earthlink.net

I’ve toured the west coast a few times with my larger group, The Jamie Baum Septet+ performing at festivals and venues including the Redwood Jazz Alliance, Monterey Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, Angel City Jazz Festival and Kuumbwa. I’ve also played a few times in LA, San Diego and the surrounding area. I've been wanting to perform at SFJazz and Bach Dancing and Dynamite for several years since I’d heard great things about those venues, but the timing was never right. A year ago I met Jeanette Wong who invited me to perform at SFJazz, however she was more interested in having me come with a quartet. Before I'd formed my Septet+ I would often tour and perform in the quartet setting, something I loved to do and have been doing more frequently recently, so it seems to be perfect timing. In addition to being very excited to perform at these wonderful venues, I’m excited to play with the musicians I’m bringing, and to perform within the intimacy of a quartet where there is such a palpable connection…an almost tangible interaction -  both between the musicians and the audience.

They have been pretty much the same for a long time:

Professionally - to keep learning, improving and growing as a musician, composer, flutist, educator. To practice, compose, tour and record as much as possible. To meet and play with new musicians in new settings. To (someday, finally) write a few instruction books that have been on my mind for some time (improvisation, composition), etc.

Personally - to try to spend as much time as possible with friends and loved ones and to be “present” when I am with them. To maintain somewhat of a good exercise routine!

Great art and artists of any genre

Traveling and learning about other cultures

Playing at a consistently high level despite both the unexpected challenges “life throws at you,” and the inconsistency of the “music business” - particularly as a soloist and free-lance musician.

Navigating the ”music business,” balancing the time needed to devote to it, and to not become too distracted by it.

Maintaining a “balanced life” and practicing/composing as much as I’d like

Staying positive despite “life’s challenges,” the state of the music business, politics and the “state of the world"

Jaki Byard

Tom McKinnley

Charlie Banacos

Richie Beirach

Rich DeRosa

Keith Underwood, Hubert Laws, Gary Schocker

Persistence, focus, how to practice, compose, improvise, be musical, trust my instincts. work hard

watching cooking shows (favorite is Chef’s Table on Netflix)

listening and watching youtube videos of Zakir Hussain (recently)

going to the health club and sitting in the sauna

eating out

Practice as much as possible

Study and play with the best musicians possible

Find your own voice and be proactive

Listen to the music you want to play and/or the players you want to play like