Jazz giant Randy Weston sat down on the night of Feb. 18 at Tishman Auditorium with an ensemble of his peers as part of the New School Jazz Artist-in-Residence program. This event was the latest installment in his residency where the legend Weston participates in a series of lectures exploring his music, the development of Jazz and its roots in Africa, as well as performing live. The remaining dates of Weston’s residency have yet to be set.
Senegalese master drummer Doudou N’Diaye Rose was originally scheduled to appear at the event, but his unexpected passing in August of 2015 changed the direction of the program heavily into an homage of his musical legacy.
After the screening of the French TV documentary in which N’Diaye Rose leads a large, multi-gendered percussion ensemble on the Senegalese Island of Goree, the panel reminisced over the master drummer. The spoke to the extent of his influence on African music, which included the development of 500 new rhythms and inventions of new drums.
As one of his most important artistic relationships, Weston along with N’Diaye Rose’s nephew Mar Gueye and his son, Mor Coumba Gueye, reminisced enthusiastically about the master drummer.
“The first time I met him, I sat front of him and he spoke to me in French and I didn’t understand nothing,” said Weston. “But I had so much respect for his mastery that I knew you don’t meet too many people with this power of music.”
For the remainder of the program, Weston lead an improvisational ensemble with the Gueyes along with traditional West African dancers and instrumentalists. The performances were interspersed with conversation on the universality of music and the ways in which it unites us in our roots as one united people.
Weston along with his panel were committed to the idea that music transcends race, class, and all distinctions of society; music is all of ours language collectively.
“Music is that mysterious, magical force, it is the creator’s gift to us and it takes us all around the world,” said Weston. “You can fly out to somewhere and speak none of the language, but when you arrive at the airport, the people can play a piece of music. Because [they know] music is human… it is all spiritual.”
In a time and environment where race relations are constantly at a tension, Weston’s performance served to bring everyone together in music for one night at Tishman Auditorium.