DCist has long celebrated the fact that our city is home to an energetic music scene. Its jazz scene, in particular, has bloomed over the past decade with the rise of excellent venues and an explosion of fine young talent. The next step for local jazzers is to go beyond performance by documenting this thriving community in a more permanent, recorded format. Local vocalist Andréa Wood will do just that, becoming the latest artist adding to the District’s discography as she celebrates the release of her album, Dhyana.
A D.C. native, Wood’s first steps in music came when her mother began teaching her piano at the age of 5. She participated in choirs and musicals in school, but it was not until Wood began studying at the famed Duke Ellington School of the Arts that she caught the jazz bug. As with so many other young musicians that came up in this city, saxophonist and educator Davey Yarborough became a mentor. He not only taught her, but also gave Wood her first opportunities to perform in a jazz setting. From there, Wood began exploring on her own and fell under the influence of greats like Shirley Horn and Betty Carter, while also developing a passion for Brazilian music. She also cites instrumentalists like Wayne Shorter and the soulful sounds of Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Marvin Gaye as sources of inspiration.
Wood left the area to study music at Michigan State, which included a dive into reggae music and culture during a study abroad in Kingston, Jamaica. Upon graduating, she spent four months working with a trio of musicians in Toulouse, France. Since returning to the area, she has been gigging steadily, both under her own name and with Afrikan Rhapsody, a band led by the former Femi Kuti drummer Tosin Aribisala. Wood will once again be leaving D.C. for the bright lights of New York, where she will pursue her graduate degree at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.
In the mean time, Wood felt it appropriate to record an album that would reflect this moment in her artistic development. Very much a portrait of the artist as a young lady, Dhyana has a youthful and engaging quality about it. The album reflects Wood’s wide ranging tastes and boasts high quality musicianship from a skilled cast of local players. Wood’s voice has a crystalline quality to it and her singing is light and agile, allowing her melodies to float above varied moods and rhythmic feels.
Wood will be performing at two CD release events in coming weeks. The first takes place on Thursday at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge and the second will be at Twins Jazz on May 11. Her band will feature the Jolley Twins, pianist Noble and drummer Nate, along side saxophonist Elijah Balbed and bassist Blake Meister. Wood took time out of her release preparations to answer a few questions from DCist.
What did you want to achieve with this recording? Where there any particular inspirations behind it?
This record was really a chance for me to make my musical mark and put my own voice out there. I had just recently graduated from school where I was always doing musical assignments and learning tunes for a particular purpose and whatnot. That was all great, but leaving school was really a freeing moment for me when I felt like I could spread my wings, pull from my bag of tools that I had now accumulated, and try the things that may not have been necessarily encouraged.
Then I went to France, where this feeling was enhanced even more. I was so fortunate to be able to play with a band over there for four months. All the rules flew out the window. We taught each other and were able to experiment a lot, and no matter what we did, the people there absolutely loved it! That was such an amazing feeling.
So basically, I was, and still am, feeling really great musically and wanted to document and share with everyone where I am at at this time — what I’m drawn to, how I am choosing to express myself, what I am trying to say. Each tune, arrangement and lyric tells a different part of the story.
Who are the musicians featured on this recording, and how did you go about choosing them?
Well, there are a lot of people on this album! But the core musicians are the guys — and girl — that I play with regularly here in D.C. There are two main rhythm sections: Nate and Noble Jolley, and Blake Meister, and then Amy Bormet, Terence Arnett and Justin Parrot. They are all brilliant musicians and wonderful people. I absolutely adore them all.
Other features on the album include Elijah Balbed, who is a beautiful person and amazing young musician — way ahead of his years. We’ve been friends for a while now, and it was essential to include him in this project. I saw Victor Provost play the steel pan shortly after I returned from France and was immediately inspired. I kept hearing the mellow tones of the steel pan over a Brazilian rhythm in my head and knew that I had to figure out an arrangement that would feature this cool instrument. I had also just met Tosin Aribisala and was blown away by his playing and rhythmic creativity. I remember he took a whole solo of hand clapping and it was killin’! So, my wheels started turning and the result was an arrangement of the Brazilian samba, “Pra Que Discutir com Madame.” John Lee is also featured on the album. He is a genius guitarist who I met in the last year and feel so fortunate to get to play with.
How did you go about selecting material for the album?
The tune selection process happened really naturally. I consider this album to be a catalog of where I am at, personally and musically. Actually, the title of the album, Dhyana, ties into this and could even be considered the theme. Dhyana is a Sanskrit term for reflection and meditation and that is what I was going for with this collection of material. I chose tunes that I was naturally drawn to at the time, whether for the melody, the lyric, or the chords. I think that this natural tendency can say a lot about a person as it is. Then I arranged all of the tunes which made them become even more a part of, or a reflection of me.
There is an original composition of mine of the album as well, “For the Meantime”. This was actually the first real piece that I wrote and fully completed. I finished it a few years ago, but had never recorded it. It’s funny, this tune actually took me about a year to complete, after revisiting it a few times. But then I wrote a new tune the other day in one sitting! I guess that’s how composing is. It’s different every time and some things may just flow out of you, while others may be a more difficult to get out — you may have to dig deeper. Neither way is right or wrong, but since I spent such a long time with this song, it holds a very special place with me. I was actually really nervous to bring it to the band to play because I felt so exposed. But they did an amazing job with it and it came to life in a way that I had never imagined. That was a really incredible experience.
What do you think this album offers the listener?
Well, really, I would just hope that I can do what I love hear in other musicians, which is to offer the listener a glimpse into my soul and who I am as a person and a musician. Jazz is such a great art form, but is often under-appreciated. I think that as a vocalist, I have an advantage because vocal jazz tends to be a bit more accessible to people who may not be into jazz otherwise. I take that very seriously and see it as a responsibility that I have to help show people how great this music is. Hopefully I can reach someone who may not think that they like jazz with my music and help them to enjoy, or at least appreciate, this great craft. And for those who already like jazz, I hope that this album puts a smile on their face and moves them in some way.
What are your thoughts on the local jazz scene? How do you think your album adds to it?
I think the local jazz scene in D.C. is fabulous! It is smaller than, say, New York, but it is tight-knit and very vibrant. Everyone here knows each other and is there for each other. I think that is awesome. We are a family.
The jazz community here is also very hard-working and driven. My album is just another example of the musicians within the community getting together and working to create something in their best ability that will represent us in our best light. Nate and Noble Jolley just released their debut album this year as well. They also used local musicians, and it is amazing. I truly believe that the musicians here have very genuine intentions and want to do what is best for the music, which is the ultimate goal. I love that humility.
Video by Ed Stansbury
