Garrison Fewell In-Depth

Most all of us listen to music. It exists outside of us yet replenishes our soul. “Outside Music, Inside Voices”, a new intriguing book written by jazz guitarist and composer, Garrison Fewell, gives us lay people easy access to how free jazz artists think about spirituality in their music. But that’s not all…this book is a life lesson on how to exist in the moment. Don’t we all want to know how to be free enough to live like this?You do not have to be a musician to read and enjoy this book. You do not have to listen to improvisational music. You do not have to know any of the musical artists the author, Garrison Fewell, interviews.

Fewell sheds light on why all of us qualify to read his dialogues with these phenomenal musicians, “Everybody who lives and breathes is spiritual. You have your body. You have your spirit. Put the two together, you have a human.”

If you seek spiritual insights, are fascinated by the creative process, or delight in how artistic movements influence our culture, “Outside Voices, Inside Music” will grip you. You will stretch your knowledge in the easy chair of in-depth conversations and find out how these collective musical artists transform a performance into one of transcendence.

In “Outside Music, Inside Voices,” the interviewer/author steps back from his role as musician, and explores the subject with 25 improvisational musicians from all over the world: “How do you define spirituality and what role does it play in your life and music?” Intimate photography portraits of the musicians taken by Garrison’s long time friend and professional photographer, Luciano Rosetti, accompany the book as well.

Fewell’s insights into spirituality and music are illuminating. He has thoroughly researched his subject with a professorial integrity yet he writes with an open, spontaneous freedom, capturing the imagination and intellect.

Strangely enough, back in 1977, when Garrison played his guitar recital at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I sat in the audience as a reporter for a newspaper called the “World Tribune” to pen an article on how his life was influenced by the Buddhist philosophy and how he overcame obstacles as a musician by using this spiritual practice.

Now, 37 years later, I am still interested in how this talented, articulate, teacher of guitar and music theory, performing jazz musician and recording artist, arranger and composer, lives his life.

I asked Garrison Fewell,” What was your spiritual journey in writing this book?” I had the opportunity to dialogue with him in similar fashion as he used when interviewing the great musicians. Garrison said to me, “My own spiritual journey taught me this: the development of your life as a human being is the expression of your music, so if you expect to move others with the music you play, it really comes down to the inner development as a human being, not the technical.”

This man is a shining example of developing his inner self as he fights the battle of cancer while still actively pursuing his roles as professor of guitar at Berklee School of Music, author, performing jazz artist, father and husband. Nothing seems to deter Garrison’s hopeful spirit in imparting his knowledge and wisdom to his students, audiences who listen to his music, and now all his new fans that read his book.

He began writing “Outside Music, Inside Voices” in January 2012 after encouraging a renowned photographer friend, in Italy, Luciano Rossetti, to publish a photo book on jazz musicians. Garrison said, “I asked Luciano how come you never did a book with all the photos you took? So then I asked myself, why don’t I write a book?”

As author of 4 books on Jazz Music theory, Garrison decided to explore “free music” the form of jazz he is now playing. His roots began in the blues and he didn’t even know how to play jazz when he first attended Berklee College. When graduating Berklee, he considered himself a straight ahead jazz musician but in 2003 he switched his style to creative improvised music. Garrison writes in the Introduction of his book explaining this form of jazz, “Improvisation is a way of life that involves all the senses and requires a total surrender to the moment. In French I often use the expression “J’apprecie l’instant du moment” to describe being in the moment – literally an instant within a moment.”

Asking himself what the title and theme would be in writing this piece, Garrison said he was inspired by the literal translation of what creative improvised music meant. “This music is also called outside music because it goes against what’s normally listened to in the music world. It’s not commercial music; it has been called free jazz, avante guard jazz. It’s outside the mainstream.” Then at the other side of his idea are the ‘inside voices’ of the musicians who play this form. It was time to give them a platform to speak about their musical knowledge and philosophy on spirituality.

Garrison decided that evening in Italy, to write his book. Playing on the words ‘outside and inside’, he came up with “Outside Music, Inside Voices.” He also recruited Luciano Rossitte to take the pictures of the artists for his book.

His first interview was with a dear friend whom Garrison had played with over the years, John Tchai. Tchai came to New York in the 1960’s from Denmark looking to join the jazz scene in the United States. He ended up on John Coltrane’s album, “Ascension” as an alto sax player.

Coltrane was just beginning to experiment with this new form of free jazz and a Revolutionary Movement stirred in the hearts of musicians who wanted to liberate themselves from the customary rules of playing jazz. Fewell highlights this time in jazz’s history and parallels what was happening in this movement of “free music” to what was going on politically and socially in the United Sates at the time. “These musicians in the 60’s struggled to lay the foundation for this music which is part of societal, political and social changes with an upheaval that was happening through the Civil Rights, Human Rights movements.”

Unfortunately John Tchai died of a stroke, October 7th 2012, 10 months after Garrison interviewed him. Four months later, Garrison was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancers with metastasis to his liver. He needed immediate surgery. He remembers making a determination, “When I awoke in the hospital after surgery, I was alone with my thoughts. I started chemotherapy treatment for six months and determined to complete the dialogues during that time.”

After taking a break from playing his guitar, because the chemo rendered him so weak, he said, “I didn’t play music for several months, but when I started again; it was amazing to feel the tremendous healing power of creative improvised music.”

Although this book does not focus on Garrison’s fight with his illness, his work is a testament, a legacy to the music that nabbed his heart after being a successful recording artist in the straight ahead jazz scene. He believes and applies the concept that creative improvised music is a healing power and fortunately has experienced the miraculous results in his life.

Displaying an unwavering determination to finish his book despite his chemo treatments, Garrison began his dialogues by either meeting the musician in person, talking with the artist on the phone or lastly, communicating through email. “My thoughts were to have dialogues and really participate with each musician; I would listen but also respond so we could both respond to each other through our experience.”

After interviewing over 20 musicians Garrison understood one fact. Even if a musician purported not to have a spiritual practice or belief system, somehow the essence of the artist flowing out of their music had a spiritual quality to it. A Dutch musician said very bluntly to Garrison, “I’m not into spirituality.” But this author noticed that the same musician loved playing music for children and children loved his music; therefore the spiritual element was there.

Writing a book on spirituality seems to have been this man’s destiny as I reviewed his own pilgrimage into a life long interest of personal development. At the age of 18 Garrison made a world tour of Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries the “silk road” crossed. He tells a mystical story of how he went inside the foot of a huge Buddha that was actually a temple. He wound his way up the Buddha’s body until he delivered himself out of the Buddha’s shoulder. “I had a deja vu experience.” Garrison reveals, his demeanor now radiating awe like that young man who stood peering out at the reverent scene. “Although it was summer and very hot, I felt cold …freezing. I saw snow everywhere. I was dressed in a robe. I knew, and had observed that the pictures of people on the walls had had their eyes cut out by the Muslims, but I saw the pictures with all the people’s eyes painted in. Then, it was sunshine again and my deja vu was over.”

Two years later, in the early 70’s, Garrison became a Buddhist. He daily chants Nam Myo-Ho Renge Kyo which means: devotion to the mystical laws of the universe through cause and effect through sound. “Garrison tells in his book, how he uses this practice to enhance his spirit for being a teacher, musician, a human being. “I chant Nam Myo-Ho Renge Kyo to harmonize my life with the cosmic life force inherent in my own life, all living beings and the universe. I chant to bring forth wisdom and compassion, to listen deeply and respond to the musicians I’m playing with, and to connect with the audience in a mutual effort to transform the moment into a positive experience for everyone.”

Fewell, guitarist, author, educator, and composer has had and continues to have an outstanding career. He has taught at Berklee College of Music for 37 years and also in over 50 European conservatories, in addition to being a clinician for the International Association of Jazz Educators. Performing all over the world with his own band and releasing 15 recordings over his career, this artist operates on the philosophy of “right mindfulness”. “You live everyday not dependent upon what happened yesterday. In every moment there is eternity – what’s happening now.”

This statement above reminded Garrison of a joke that’s called “The Buddhist Hamburger.” Again, his face lights up with the aura of a Master Yogi imparting his wisdom upon us mortals. Garrison continues, “The joke goes like this. A guy walks into a restaurant after seeing a sign that says hamburgers are two dollars today but free tomorrow. He doesn’t eat the hamburger that day because he wants to get the free one tomorrow. When he goes back to the restaurant and asks for the free hamburger, the owner says, ‘That will be $2.00.’ The guy is taken aback because it was supposed to be free so he says, ‘Your sign yesterday advertised that the hamburger was free tomorrow.’ The owner smiled and said, ‘today is tomorrow so that will be $2.00.’” The Buddha smile rests on Garrison’s face as he says, “Today is tomorrow. The future…it’s this moment.”

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