“Jazz” It’s Not Complicated. You Just Think It Is

by Cynthia Gladman, Performance Director of the Wayne Henderson Group

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

My earliest memory of jazz is listening to Sarah Vaughn, Gloria Lynne, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey while completing my Saturday morning chores as an adolescent. I am a music lover with an appreciation for just about every type of music. That does not make me an authority by a longshot. However, it has helped me to develop a true appreciation for jazz.

When anyone tells me that they don’t really like jazz, I ask them if they like music in general, and then I ask what type of music they do like. The answer I usually get is ‘yes.’ They like music, but the genre of music that most often ends up being their favorite is whatever they were exposed to through their friends and acquaintances, or just through their own personal experiences. Jazz has many shades and genres and this music is played and interpreted in unique and distinctive ways by different artists. I believe people should commit to listening to all types of jazz (at least once) before deciding what they like best. The music should strike a ‘feel good’ chord within them.

“Great jazz is defined by the qualities of good improvisation, melody and swing. “Pulse” or the beat and drive produced by the rhythm section (bass, drums & piano) is what defines my personal love of jazz.” ~ Cynthia Gladman 

I’ve always had an affinity for the drums and for great drummers. Some of my favorites include Maurice White and Sonny Emory of Earth, Wind & Fire, Billy Kilson, Lee Pearson and Buddy Rich. I guess it’s just a natural extension of my love of rhythm and percussion.

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One day, some time in early 2018, I was chatting on social media with a fellow jazz lover. After a pretty lengthy discussion, we agreed to meet at a jazz club on the upper west side of NYC called “Smoke.” I arrived and waited for a tap on the shoulder. I sat down at the bar as the band began to play. As I glanced over to the bandstand, I noticed the person I was there to meet was waving at me. It was Wayne Henderson seated behind the drums…playing!

I said to myself “This cannot be a coincidence!” We’re both from lower Westchester County (within 10 minutes of each other), we both have a passion for drums and we both love jazz. Great minds think alike! One year later, we were turning our passion into promise.

In the latter part of 2019, New Rochelle resident, drummer and bandleader Wayne Henderson decided to rent the theater at the New Rochelle Library to play jazz the way he feels it should be played and interpreted. By doing so he created an opportunity for residents of lower Westchester to have more affordable access to great jazz played by the same musicians seen in NYC venues.

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When New Rochelle became ground zero for covid 19 and all the music venues closed down, we halted the concerts for about 7 months and resumed the concert series in August, 2020. Even though we didn’t have any funding, we were able to help professional, full-time musicians* get paid through donations that we collected at the door. Eventually, we were able to receive some partial sponsorship. We suggested a $20.00 donation to cover the cost of renting the theater and paying the musicians. Some of the musicians were traveling from as far as Delaware, Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, therefore, we wanted to make sure they were compensated.

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Wayne and I continued to stay true to our promise to each other, to the musicians and the jazz listening audience. Our goals included:

1 – To prove that jazz is not just for the jazz purist. If the artist plays with passion, excitment and energy then jazz will appeal to the young and old alike and thus help the genre continue to attract new fans.

2 – To provide a local open venue that jazz lovers could go to when all the NYC venues were still in covid lockdown.

3 – Providing a way during the lockdown, for musicians to perform and make a modest profit. Many of the musicians who perform with Wayne Henderson are full time, professional musicians who have no other means of income.

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Fast forward three years and Wayne Henderson and friends are still here at the Ossie Davis Theater in the New Rochelle Public Library once a month swinging! We can’t offer food or drinks but you will get a great 2 hour jazz performance for a small donation (donations are appreciated, but we do not turn anyone away), in a comfortable theater. Each Wayne Henderson ensemble, quintet, sextet, etc. includes top notch musicians  – all of whom have long resumes.

Join the Wayne Henderson Sextet for the next show on Saturday August 20th from 12:00pm till 1:45pm. This will be our 17th performance!