A Young Jazz Prodigy Is Blazing His Own Musical Path Utilizing an Unexpected Instrument
Jul. 5, 2023
CONSISTING OF METAL bars that match the white and black keys of the piano, and played using two to four mallets, the once utilitarian vibraphone was co-opted from NBC studios in 1930 by master drummer Lionel Hampton for a recording session of the ballad “Memories of You” with Louis Armstrong. (The watery, vibrato-like quality of the opening notes heard on the recording comes from the rotation of small metal discs inside the instrument’s resonating tubes and its pedal, which sustains notes just like a piano pedal.)
Over time, the vibraphone found its way into the hands of a select number of forward-thinking jazz musicians, who each brought something new to the instrument — “a child of the electrical age” that has retained its ability to surprise and delight listeners.
One such musician is 28-year-old, Houston-based vibraphonist, composer, and bandleader Jalen Baker, who brings a unique myriad of musical influences to the instrument. Baker’s new album Be Still, which drops Friday, July 7, is his second as a bandleader, and like his 2022 debut This Is Me, This Is Us, the music blends a mature, compositional vision with the joy and freedom of improvisation.
Baker grew up playing drums, but while at HSPVA he heard a CD by vibraphonist Stefon Harris, and was inspired to move from his classical percussion studies to the vibraphone. “It was nice to be able to articulate harmony and melody as clearly as rhythm,” says Baker of the shift. With relatively few vibraphonists to refer to, Baker felt free to draw melodic, harmonic and interpretive inspiration from a diverse array of instrumentalists past and present, including pianists Herbie Hancock and Gerald Clayton, “Mercy, Mercy Me” saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, and Houston-born reeds master Walter Smith III.
Throughout Be Still, Baker takes on the role of a horn player, locking in tightly with bassist Gabriel Godoy and drummer Gavin Moolchan, and laying out to let pianist Paul Cornish come to the fore. (Cornish can be heard singing along with his solos ala Keith Jarrett.) “Paul is a literal genius,” says Baker. “It just makes more sense from an ensemble standpoint to allow him to put his imprint on the music harmonically.”
That said, throughout Be Still, Baker’s compositional vision is steering the ship. His contemporized arrangements of Joe Henderson’s “Jinrikisha” and Bobby Hutcherson’s “Herzog,” as well as the album’s coda, a slow-motion version of the standard, “Body and Soul,” complete with a cadenza for vibraphone, all bear Baker’s unique stamp. “A lot of jazz can be very head-chart oriented,” explains Baker, whose exposure to the music of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire compelled him to compose. “Maybe just a twelve-bar melody, and a lot of improvisation. But with Ambrose, it sounded like the written parts were the most important, and the improvisational was more transitional.” And that said, there’s plenty of burning solos on Be Still, including the opening “‘Twas,” where Baker and Cornish take turns sending the tune into the stratosphere with Godoy and Moolchan goading them to even further heights.
July is the final month of a two-year-long Young Artist Jazz Ensemble residency Baker’s trio has enjoyed with DACAMERA. During that time, Baker brought his unwieldy, yet gorgeous-sounding instrument for educational concert events at the Harris County Public Library, Houston public schools that currently have no arts programming, and juvenile detention centers. The vibraphone in combination with the music Baker writes and plays is often something completely new for these audiences. “I was fortunate that most of the schools I went to were performing arts schools,” says Baker, and praises DACAMERA’s efforts to bring culture into institutions stigmatized as “arts deserts.” “The world is a better place with more musicians and artists,” says Baker.
Before the end of this summer, Baker hopes to book a show in Houston to celebrate the new album. In September, Baker’s quartet heads to Florida for a month-long tour; and later this fall, he joins trumpeter and Be Still producer Jeremy Pelt for a US tour.
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Mayfield (photo by Julie Soefer)
BIG PLANS ARE on the drawing board for veteran interior and architectural designer Kelie Mayfield. She recently announced she will step up as sole owner and expand the services of Houston-based MaRS, the premier design firm she founded 13 years ago. Under Mayfield’s leadership, the company has challenged the status quo, becoming known for award-winning Houston and global luxury hotels, high-end multifamily and corporate offices.
The firm’s design has impacted the real estate sphere for decades, with high-profile projects including Brava and The Victor for Hines, The Four Leaf Towers renovation, The Laura and George Hotel for Midway, Remy on the Trails for McNair Interests, SWA Landscape rooftop terrace sky garden at Jones on Main, and offices for Bobby Tudor.
“Through the years, I have found that the true strength of any business lies in its ability to adapt, grow and embrace change. My passion for growth and innovation, coupled with the expanded needs of our clients, has inspired me to propel MaRS to the next level,” says Mayfield. “Design doesn’t have boundaries, and neither should we, which is why I am excited to add full-service architecture to our interior and procurement studio.”
Brava Houston; Photo by Eric Laignel
Building upon her team of designers, Mayfield has partnered with experienced architect Adam Parrish to offer clients holistic, synergistic and vertically integrated full-service architectural and interior design projects. With more than 35 years of combined experience, the duo has collaborated on numerous large-scale, mixed-use projects for Transwestern, Hines, Machete Group, and Howard Hughes. Mayfield is growing her group of architects, designers, procurement managers and material specialists, as well as adding base building experts, and industrial and graphic designers.
Mayfield, who describes herself as a “serial entrepreneur,” is continuously seeking new ways to expand the company’s offerings, which was originally a design firm. She then added graphic design in order to customize carpets, wallcoverings and fabrics. Following this, she started a procurement business to curate meticulously crafted vignettes.
After living on the East and West coasts, Mayfield studied interior design, art history and fine arts at Louisiana Tech University, and spent a year abroad studying architecture in France. Pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Houston is what led her to Houston.
At MaRS, Mayfield and Parrish aim to deliver innovative and timeless design focusing on placemaking while reflecting the vision and aspirations for clients and their diverse projects including residential mixed-use complexes, commercial buildings, public spaces and cultural institutions.
“Recently, we had the privilege of partnering with the world-renowned development team at Hines on Brava, a luxury residential tower in Houston’s downtown arts district,” said Mayfield. “The interiors of this magnificent structure pay homage to the vibrant performing arts scene, with walls designed to mimic movements of a ballerina and color palette of black, white, and blocks of vibrant hues reminiscent of the front page of a Sunday paper, paying tribute to the former site of the Houston Chronicle.”
Jones on Main
Four Leaf Towers
Mayfield (photo by Julie Soefer)
In her leisure time, Mayfield enjoys immersing herself in the world of makers, artisans and extraordinary objects. To uncover hidden gems, she frequents shops and attends trade fairs, casting her wide net to identify the most exceptional talents from around the globe. “My focus is connecting with aspiring ceramicists, furniture makers, textile artisans and other skilled craftsmen who bring a unique touch to their work,” said Mayfield. No surprise, this is for an upcoming new venture.
MaRS is currently engaged in two projects in Denver, a mixed-use project adjacent to world-renowned Bluebird Café in Nashville, and several ventures in Dallas.
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