"It comes from African-American spiritual music, the hymns they sang while they were working," Bradford Leali said. A Grammy-winning saxophonist and international performer, Leali is assistant professor of jazz studies at Texas Tech. He will be part of an ensemble playing in the 10:40 a.
m. worship Sunday at First Christian Church's second annual Jazz Worship Sunday. Other performers will be Arlington "Ollie" Jones, pianist; Alan Shinn, Tech's associate director for undergraduate studies, on drums; and Tech student Joy Harris on bass.
The Rev. Kim Clowe, music director at First Christian Church, has done some research on churches doing jazz worship. "Clay Jenkins, who did the trumpet last year, is from Lubbock," Clowe said.
"He is head of jazz trumpet studies at Eastman School of Music in western New York. His mother is a member of the church here." Not only did Jenkins agree to do so, he also invited his friend Reggie Thomas, a jazz pianist, to come.
They had done some albums together. Leali attended that first concert. He, too, was interested in developing a jazz worship series.
"He's a really lovely person," Clowe said. "We signed him up for this year, and he knew Arlington Jones, who has a heart for jazz and worship," Clowe said. Jones is a Tech and Southwest Texas State graduate, where he studied with James Polk, legendary music director for the late Ray Charles.
He is a professor at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster. Jones has several Christian albums released including "Move the Heart." "I have come to understand that God causes people to be encouraged, uplifted, happy, reflective, healed, blessed or whatever they need when they listen to his music," Jones said in a written statement.
"Yet, there's the worldly form associated with it too, but that wasn't how it began," he said. "Jazz was born of the religious experience. Some very famous jazz musicians have done church music.
'Come Sunday' by Duke Ellington is in the Methodist hymnal. "We did a piece here by Dave Brubeck, 'La Fiesta de la Posada,' that has multicultural, almost operatic things in it. It was delightful.
" Jazz is an African-American invention, Leali noted. "All music is derived from vocals; that's how it developed into blues first and then to jazz," he said. Although its spiritual roots are inescapable, "it used to be jazz was looked down on by the church," Leali added.
"Jazz is complete freedom. What you are doing is composing on the spot." Jazz appeals to young and old, Clowe added.
"When kids get involved in instrumental programs at school, one of the things they like is playing in a jazz ensemble. I've always been intrigued by that, but I can't do it. It is its own art form.
" Training the ear is critical to the process, Leali noted. Today there are books and more books on how to do jazz. "Louis Armstrong was able to hear all this, and he had no books," Leali said.
"We have all this material, but all they had was their ear. They created it on the spot.
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