Mysterious Traveler 3 Concert Series
featuring Jake Kelberman
Jake Kelberman is a young guitarist, composer, and educator based in Philadelphia. He is a graduate of the Jazz Studies program at Temple University's Boyer College of Music, where he studied under musicians including Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Greg Kettinger, Bruce Barth and Ben Schacter. Kelberman has toured throughout the United States and Europe, and has performed at venues around the world such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center in New York, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he was a finalist in the "Keep and Eye" Jazz Competition in both 2013 and 2014. He has performed with noted artists such as Jim Snidero, Walt Weiskopf, Arturo Stable, Deana Martin, Joe Bwarie, Gordon Webster, and Michael Gamble. Jake resides in Philadelphia and maintains a busy performance schedule....
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Mysterious Traveler 3 Concert Series
featuring Jake Kelberman
Jake Kelberman is a young guitarist, composer, and educator based in Philadelphia. He is a graduate of the Jazz Studies program at Temple University's Boyer College of Music, where he studied under musicians including Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Greg Kettinger, Bruce Barth and Ben Schacter. Kelberman has toured throughout the United States and Europe, and has performed at venues around the world such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center in New York, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he was a finalist in the "Keep and Eye" Jazz Competition in both 2013 and 2014. He has performed with noted artists such as Jim Snidero, Walt Weiskopf, Arturo Stable, Deana Martin, Joe Bwarie, Gordon Webster, and Michael Gamble. Jake resides in Philadelphia and maintains a busy performance schedule.
PJP spoke with Jake Kelberman, about his music, approach and the new project that he will reveal in the Mysterious Traveler Concert Series.
PJP: Can you briefly describe your musical direction
Jake Kelberman: I try to develop my work by studying music that has come before me, and using what I learn in the process to create informed music that is relevant today. Much of the music I compose is improvised and influenced by my jazz background, but I draw inspiration from a wide variety of musical genres and artistic mediums. I hope to create music that is meaningful and resonates with people, no matter the direction that takes me in.
PJP: What and whom are pivotal musical influences on your creative approach?
Jake Kelberman: Musicians from many different eras have been big influences on me. I've been been heavily inspired by the work of musicians including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Ambrose Akinmusire, Bob Dylan, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and countless others.I've also been influenced as an artist by the work of authors including Camus, Sartre, Hemingway, Kerouac, and visual artists such as Cezanne, Van Gogh, Soutine, and Monet. The approach, impact, and aesthetic achieved by these artists and others outside of music has been a great source of inspiration to me. All in all, I find that I am influenced by artists of all disciplines that create meaningful work, which is both informed by the past, and redeveloped for the present.
PJP: What are you going to present at the Mysterious Traveler Concert Series?
Jake Kelberman: I will present a series of compositions inspired by the environmental photography of Edward Burtynsky, who's work explores nature that has been transformed through industry.
PJP: Why is this theme/concept so important? Can you explain your process and the steps that led to this performance?
Jake Kelberman: I believe that environmental protection is one of the most pressing matters of our time, and that building social awareness of our impact on the planet is of the utmost importance. Burtynsky's photography seeks to connect our daily lives with their cumulative environmental consequences by documenting the, "disconnected landscapes that provide us with the materials we need to live, build, and do everything we do". After reviewing Burtynsky's catalogue of work, I chose pieces which highlight a range of environmental issues to serve as inspiration for my compositions. Burtynsky has described his images as, "reflecting pools of our times." I hope that my compositions amplify the emotional intensity of Burtynsky's photographs and help people to make a personal connection with their contribution to humanity's growing ecological footprint.
PJP: How do you manage the task of creating and encouraging fresh, new, forwarding moving musical ideas while simultaneously exploring, celebrating and documenting the past?
Jake Kelberman: I attempt to bridge the past and future by studying the work of artists not only on a technical level, but also by attempting to trace their growth and development over time. This process can help me to see how artists engaged with their environment, how their work influenced others, and what other artists learned from them, thus helping me to gain context on my own creative process and output. I feel that the best way we can pay tribute to those who came before us is to demonstrate what we have learned from their work, and re-imagine their ideas in a way that will contribute to the evolution of our music.
PJP: When listening to your music what advice would you give the audience to assist with greater understanding and enjoyment?
Jake Kelberman: I place great value on honest listening and communication in music, and I like for audiences to approach a concert in the same way. As an improviser, I am constantly trying to find new ways to approach music, and without reacting with a predetermined agenda. I hope that an audience would pay attention to the quality ofthe listening and communication between us, and be willing to follow the journey with an open mind. I believe that an audience has much to contribute when they engage the music as active listeners and participants.
PJP: Why Jazz? When you could be doing anything else, Why this music?
Jake Kelberman: I think that jazz is a really effective and powerful form of expression. It’s a great way to connect with other people, connect with yourself, and I keep finding more to learn from it every day.
Mysterious Travelers 3: Internal Investigations - a collaboration between The Free Library of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Jazz Project. Back by overwhelming popular demand! FREE concerts every fourth Monday night from September 2016 through May 2017 audiences will hear from veteran, as well as up-and-coming musicians who are shaping the future sounds of Philadelphia with a sharp ear to the legacies of our past. This season will directly celebrate the massive and amazing collections of the Free Library by granting our performers access to explore them as a source of inspiration for the creation of new musical works and arrangements.
Mysterious Traveler 3 - Internal Investigations Concert Series is produced by Philadelphia Jazz Project in collaboration with The Free Library of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Jazz Project is a sponsored project of the Culture Trust | Greater Philadelphia, with funding provided by The Wyncote Foundation.
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