Saturday, July 24, 2021

Mazz Swift (b. 1975): Outstanding, versatile, and innovative musician, composer, arranger, singer, ensemble leader, conductor, producer, activist, and teacher

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AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE

 



EDITOR:  KOFI NATAMBU

 



SUMMER, 2021

 

 

 

VOLUME TEN   NUMBER TWO

 
MARVIN GAYE

Featuring the Musics and Aesthetic Visions of:

JUNIUS PAUL
(July 10-16)

JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
(July 17-23)

MAZZ SWIFT
(July 24-30)

WARREN WOLF
(July 31-August 6)

VICTOR GOULD
(August 7-13)

DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN
(August 14-20)

JESSE MONTGOMERY
(August 21-27

CHANDA DANCY
(August 28-September 3)

KAMASI WASHINGTON
(September 4-10)

FLORENCE PRICE
(September 11-17)

SEAN JONES
(September 18-24)

ALFA MIST
(September 25-October 1)  


https://www.silkroad.org/artists-mazz-swift



MAZZ SWIFT
Violin, Voice, Composer


Mazz Swift is a composer, conductor, singer, bandleader, educator, and Juilliard-trained violinist. As violinist and singer, she has performed on many of the world’s greatest stages including Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Müpa Budapest, and David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center in New York City. As composer, Swift’s works include commissions by The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, and the Blaffer Foundation. 
 
As an educator, Swift has performed and taught workshops in free improvisation and "conduction" (conducted improvisation) on six continents and is a performing member and teaching artist with the acclaimed Silkroad Ensemble. She is also a Carnegie Hall teaching artist, where she writes and records lullabies with incarcerated mothers and mothers-to-be at Rikers Island, and coaches the inmates at Sing Sing Penitentiary on string studies and composition.

Improvisation is a throughline in Swift’s practice across genres and instrumental configurations, and as such, can be found in most of her works. She is a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, continually creating orchestral compositions that involve Conduction, and solo works that are centered around protest and freedom songs, spirituals, and the Ghanaian concept of ‘Sankofa’: looking back to learn how to move forward. In February 2020, Swift was named a United States Artist Fellow.
 

Mazz Swift

 
Mazz Swift: Violin and Vocals

Mazz Swift, a native New Yorker, began play­ing the vio­lin at age 6, studying with Elis­a­beth Small, Shirley Givens and Tim­o­thy Baker. She grad­u­ated from the High School of the Per­form­ing Arts, dur­ing which time she made her solo pub­lic per­for­mance debut on the stage of New York’s Alice Tully Hall, per­form­ing along­side mem­bers of the New York Phil­har­monic Orches­tra. She later attended The Juil­liard School of Music, study­ing under Stephen Clapp, but left in the mid­dle of her 3rd year in order to pur­sue a more organic approach to music making.

Mazz’s diverse musi­cal inter­ests have led her in many direc­tions; from clas­si­cal to rock to tra­di­tional folk music from around the world (spe­cial­iz­ing in Irish music) to hip hop and most recently jazz (free and composed). Con­se­quently, she has recorded and per­formed with a wide vari­ety of artists includ­ing Whitney Houston, Perry Far­rell, Dee Snider, James “Blood” Ulmer, Vernon Reid and DJ Logic (The Yohimbe Broth­ers), William Parker, Butch Mor­ris, many artists from the Black Rock Coali­tion, Kanye West, Com­mon and Jay-Z.

Mazz’s current projects include solo performances under the name of MazzMuse and writing music for and playing in the string trio Hear in Now. She also spends much of her time in Budapest, making music with some of Hungary’s finest musicians in two projects: Budapest Bar and Fire + Fire (Gypsy Meets Black). She sits on the artistic board of Con Vivo (the Jersey City-based Chamber Music Society) and is also a proud performing member for that same organization. For more information on her whereabouts and goings on, please follow Mazz at www.MazzMuzik.com

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/mazz-swift-violinist 

Mazz Swift, Violinist

2005_08_mazzswift.jpgMazz Swift has been playing the violin since age 7. She is the electric violinist and singer for the Irish-folk-rock band Trigger, and one half of the world-music fusion duo Brazz Tree.

The basics:
Age, occupation, where are you from, where do you live now?
I'm 30, violinist and singer. I'm from Queens, born and raised. (Born in Long Island City and moved to Hollis.) I live in Jersey City now. It's still hard for me to spit it out.

A few for you:
How would you describe Trigger's sound?
Definitely Irish-folk-influenced fun party music.

How did Trigger come to be?
This is the third or fourth configuration since I've been in it. There was just a guitarist and a singer when I joined. First it was a band called Raglan Road -- this is Dave's gig, he's been doing this for like 8 yeas -- then Alternatrad showed up, and that was the group I joined, maybe three years ago. Sue Windelkin, the singer, Dave Barkow on the drums, Daryl Conlan on guitar and siging, Ed Kollar on guitar, and Matt Mancuso, an amazing, amazing fiddle player. Then he got a gig with Lord of the Dance, so I came in to fill in for him.

Who are your musical inspirations?
Classical music is my first love. A lot of the Romantic composers. And then Itzhak Perlman was the first guy who made me think, "I want to be a violinist." I went to Julliard and dropped out. Socially it was very awkward and competitive. Just not my scene. But I also discovered jazz violin at that time. I didn't know there was such a thing, all the way up until Julliard, and I heard Stephan Propelli the first time. He was an inspiration. John Luponte is another. Playing Irish music, Tony DiMarco is here in New York now. Kevin Burke. Patrick Street.

Does the drum-guitar-fiddle combo ever get you comparisons to Dave Matthews Band?
I get it all the time, but I think it's more because I'm black! The sound, especially since I started playing the electric violin, I think probably reminds people of them. I kind of resent that because I don't feel like he's a good violinist at all, and I will go on the record saying this. Partially, I think he's not allowed to do very much n the band -- he's not the star. But also, I don't think he would know what to do with it if he had more freedom. I think he's terrible. I feel offended by comparisons. And the band is so great. I love the band.

What are you doing playing in Queens? Isn't the music scene somewhere between Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan?
They pay us in Queens! This is a living for us. And that's how it started out -- we'd been musicians, we liked playing together, and it sounded good. We should make it a band! And it's been a bit of trying to balance it out between paying gigs and trying to get ourselves out there.

Where's Trigger a few years from now?
I think we have a lot of short-term goals and no long-term goals. We want to get around the country doing a college circuit.

Do you and Dave Barstow fight over who gets to sing lead vocals?
Hell no. We only fight because he wants to make me sing more.

What are some of the best new bands out there?
I don't know. I don't listen to the radio. I get turned on to it by friends. There's a great new band called The Citizens, who I played with for about a minute but it was too crazy for me – I couldn't do all these gigs and rehearsals so I had to quit. There's another band I was playing with around that same time called Solar Face, which I ended up quitting too. I haven't counted how many bands I've played in.

What's on your iPod?
I just got into the Brian Jonestown Massacre because I saw that movie Dig. And a lot of Irish fiddle.

Who's the best Irish fiddle player?
My favorites are Tony DiMarco, Kevin Burke. I've been listening to Liz Carroll a lot lately. I like her playing with John Doyle, the guitarist.

What's your take on downloadable music? Will it be the death of album sales?
I have this strange faith that it won't be, but I don't know why. Maybe.

Must a band "sell out" to commercials and soundtracks to get heard?
Definitely do a commercial. You'll make money. I didn't really think so, and then in Dig they were talking about how the Dandy Warhols did a cellphone commercial overseas and just blew up from that. Soundtracks I think are a little cooler than car commercials, but as far as money? Commercials, commercials, commercials.

Why don't more rock bands use violinists?
Violinists are always trying to be classical musicians. I discovered that they didn't have to be when I was 19 or 20. I really didn't know the violin was for anything else.

I'm also in a band called Brazz Tree. This is a project I write music for and sing--and I've got a partner, Brad Hammonds on guitar. It's all of my influences, a lot of middle eastern-sounding stuff, classical, a little bit of jazz, rock, and Celtic-influenced stuff.

How do you divide your energy and creativity for so many different bands, and so many different styles of music?
It's hard. I don't spend enough time writing music. Brazz Tree has a new CD – we just finished it, it's being pressed now. So the past six months, we've really not written anything new. Jut working on getting that together and out there, playing the music from the CD. That was why I quit all these bands I mentioned. I'm making OK money, and some of these things I'm just doing, rehearsing but not making anything, and that's fine – but I'm exhausted. So I had to quit 'em all, and go broke but be happier. But then this gig came up and I got to play with Kanye West. But I think there might be a few more of those. That's exciting.

Best gig you've played?
The best have been here, with Trigger at Maggie Mae's on Queens Boulevard. And with Brazz Tree at Rockwood Music Hall, on Allen Street, just off of Houston. The coolest, tiny little place. It's a listening room—people actually listen to you there. The vibe is always really great -- people are really into it.

I did a gig for MoveOn.org where Perry Farrell sang and Moby was there, a bunch of stars. That was really fun, playing "Idiot Rules" with Perry Farrell. All this stuff I listened to fifty times a day for years.

Who do you wish you could collaborate with?
There's a guy named Simon Jeffes. I heard this tune at the end of Napoleon Dynamite. He's a really cool pianist composer, and I think it'd be really cool to play with him.

What would you be doing if not playing music?
I'd be dead.

Favorite bar or restaurant in New York?
The Churrascaria Plataforma, on 49th Street between 8th and 9th. Meat! Meat galore. I love meat. Meat is good.

Best celebrity encounter on the streets of New York?
I was playing at this bar called the Falls in SoHo, and Russell Crowe came by, the day before he got arrested for bashing some hotel employee. My friend stared at him the whole time until he got up and left. When he beat that guy, I thought it was all that rage from being stared at by fans.

What's life like for an ex-New Yorker in Jersey?
It's a hell of a lot cheaper. It's really beautiful -- it actually reminds me of Park Slope, where I'd lived: it's tree-lined and brownstones and lots of baby carriages and lesbians. It is beautiful, I feel like it's always sunny over there. The downer? You can't get sushi after 8 in the evening. Everything closes. Sundays, forget it! You can't get anything on Sundays. I'm so used to being able to get what I want, when I want.

What advice do you have for Mayor Bloomberg?
Get a life? I have to say I'm not a politics person. All the guys up there bullshit, and their concerns are not my concerns.

Samples of Mazz's music are available at BrazzTree.com and TriggerNYC.com. Or you can come see her perform twice a month at the Listening Room at Café Vivaldi, or weekly at Maggie Mae's.


https://medium.com/@likeitsmusic/004-mazz-swift-you-have-to-do-it-like-you-have-to-do-it-all-the-time-cc4e766fa9a7

004 Mazz Swift: “You have to do it, like you have to do it all the time. That’s the only way your thing is gonna take off.”

Photo by Nisha Sondhe

Transcript:

[INTRO] You’re listening to Play It Like Its Music. Exploring the lives and craft of the people who play. Today we feature Mazz Swift. She’s one-of-a-kind: plays, sings writes and performs with total fire. I’m proud to call her friend. She’s been a member of Burnt Sugar, Brazz Tree, she’s got her own band called MazzMuse and she also plays in a string trio called Hear In Now. Let’s jump in.

MazzMuse: The Band
A REVIEW

Anyone who has seen Burnt Sugar’s David Bowie retrospectives were blown away by Mazz Swift’s mind blowing reworking of ‘Heroes’.  Julliard-trained, Mazz is a multi-tiered threat:  Badass singer, violinist (acoustic and electric), songwriter and arranger.  With rock, soul, prog-rock and classical and pop in her bones, Mazz scored a breakthrough performance on the Today show in 2012.

As a follow up, she envisioned an album that would take her talents to the next level.  She assembled an extraordinary band that complimented her musical vision and rather than wait for the majors to come to her, Mazz launched a Kickstarter campaign to finance the project independently.  Vernon Reid – who as guest conductor for Burnt Sugar during the Bowie and Steely Dan retrospectives, got to see  amazing Mazz’s skills firsthand – came aboard the project as a producer.


MazzMuse: The Band is a tour de force showcase for Mazz’s vocal, composing and violin skills.  Whether totally shredding on the violin (‘Molten’) or taking your breath away with a sublime cover of Annie Lennox’s ‘Cold’, MazzMuse signals the arrival of the next great voice in the Alternative Black Music scene – or any scene, for that matter.  It’s a joy from start to finish.

Major props to Vernon Reid for his in your face, immediate production that really puts Mazz’s talents upfront and in full fruition, giving birth to a new genre: Prog-soul.  Here is a late contender for one of the best albums of 2014.

MazzMuse:The Band is out now via Bandcamp:  www.MazzMuse.bandcamp.com.  There will also be a CD launch party at Black Bear in Williamsburg on Friday, December 19th.

You can also go to www.mazzmusic.com for more info.
Reviewed by Earl Douglas, Jr., Dec 2014
 
 

Biography

Mazz Swift, a native New Yorker, began playing the violin at age 6, studying with Elisabeth Small, Shirley Givens and Timothy Baker. She graduated from the High School of the Performing Arts, during which time she made her solo public performance debut on the stage of New York’s Alice Tully Hall, performing alongside members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. She later attended The Juilliard School of Music, studying under Stephen Clapp, but left in the middle of her 3rd year in order to pursue a more organic approach to music making.

Mazz’s diverse musical interests have led her in many directions; from classical to rock to traditional folk music from around the world (specializing in Irish music) to hip hop and most recently jazz (free and composed). Consequently, she has recorded and performed with a wide variety of artists including Whitney Houston, Perry Farrell, Dee Snider, James “Blood” Ulmer, Vernon Reid and DJ Logic (The Yohimbe Brothers), William Parker, Butch Morris, many artists from the Black Rock Coalition, Kanye West, Common and Jay-Z.

Mazz’s current projects include solo performances under the name of MazzMuse and writing music for and playing in the string trio Hear in Now. She also spends much of her time in Budapest, making music with some of Hungary’s finest musicians in two projects: Budapest Bar and Fire + Fire (Gypsy Meets Black). She sits on the artistic board of Con Vivo (the Jersey City-based Chamber Music Society) and is also a proud performing member for that same organization.

Version 1, edited by  
villainforhire on 27 December 2017, 10:50am.  View version history  
 

DEDICATED TO FORESTS, INNER AND OUTER

Mazz Swift.jpeg

Interview: Mazz Swift

We met Mazz at the concert of one of our favourite bands from NYC - Hazmat Modine. She was performing with them as a special guest and a collaborator. We fell in love with the magical sound of the violin in her hands, Mazz's rich voice and strength of her presence on stage. After talking to her and listening to her other music projects we were extremely happy to be able to invite Mazz to enter the Forest. Here’s what came out of this encounter in the woods. 

Mazz, how did you begin making music? 

I was raised in a musical family. Everyone in my family does something - we all sang, we had a piano in the house, so we all played to a greater or lesser degree. I have three sisters and we all studied music. My father and mom both listened to a lot of music, especially classical music and jazz, bebop. There is actually a funny story about how I got into music. I was about four years old, one day my mom has put on some music and I liked it. I asked her: “What is that?” And she said: “That’s a violin. A violinist plays a violin.”  And I said: “Oh, I’m a violinist!” And I went around telling everyone that I’m a violinist until I was about six years old and my parents finally got me a violin, so I began studying. But I’ve always been exposed to music. I always wanted to do it. 

How do you create, how is your music born? 

My creative process is kind of scattered because of the fact that my interests are really scattered. I like a lot of different kinds of music. Things that feature the violin, things that don’t traditionally feature the violin. My solo project came after splitting with a band I’ve been playing with for a while. I got myself a looper, I found a way to play music and accompany myself. That was a really great jumping off point. I found out things about myself creatively. It’s been a kind of “go to” thing for me. As a composer, I’m one of those people that work well with a deadline. I usually have ideas and record them, write things down. And at some point I go through that stuff and start flashing it out. I also really believe in improvisation as a tool, for learning about oneself as well as coming up with new ideas. A lot of my music comes from initially improvisation, which I then go back to and edit. I have stuff for solo violin that way, for string quartet, violin and clarinet, and so on.

How is it that improvisation is a way to learn about oneself? 

Well, a lot of the times when we try to control our reactions.... Or actually I’d say it the other way around - when we let go of control, and just play, or just speak, or just write, like a stream of concience writing, we can really surprise ourselves. It’s a good life lesson in accepting what comes out of you, and reacting to that. That can be a meditation of some sort. It’s really powerful. Ultimately you learn how to befriend yourself, and be ok with whatever is coming out of you, whatever you are thinking, in order to grow, to feel you have something to offer. Improvisation is really important that way. 
It’s also really interesting to improvise with other people, to find yourself in situations that are maybe uncomfortable. It’s a lot like having a conversation. Improvisation in groups can sound like a lot of people talking and nobody listening. And it’s really interesting to see how do you react to situations like that. Do you step out of the way? Do you find your little place inside of it? Do you try somehow to direct it? If you stand back and look at what your reactions are you can learn a lot about yourself and other people too. And learn to accept things that you wouldn’t necessarily have accepted before that moment. 


How do you do that? How do you get over judgements?

I think it is a process of doing it over and over and over again. This is something I’m learning in meditation: letting the thoughts arise, not judging them as good or bad, let them be and let them go. That’s the same process in improvisation. You notice what you like, what you don’t like, and you let things go - we are in the next moment now. Being able to do that can really help things move along. 


What moves you to do the work you do?

I have a lot of energy. And a deep desire to express. To express things I cannot express in words, everything, all the different aspects of who I am. And probably to be understood and loved. Maybe there are people who don’t have that desire to express all of who they are. It’s probably just the way that I’m wired. I was lucky to have parents who saw my desire, my talent, and encouraged me to follow it, even when I was about to quit. Let alone my immediate surroundings, immediate culture. Support is important. 


You are a very versatile musician, you play in diverse music styles, different instruments, you also sing. How does it influence you to be so multidisciplinary?

My interests have been in all the different forms of music around the world that do play the violin, a lot of folk music, gipsy, irish music, Brazilian music, folk dance music, and rock and roll of course. I like stepping into different roles: singer, violinist, guitarist or horn player. Hazmat Modine is a good example of that. I’m lucky that I do have a lot of interests. It encourages me to keep expanding my horizons, to keep working. I feel like it’s an opportunity to express different aspects of my personality. I really like finding beauty in everything, in things I wouldn’t normally have exposed myself to. I consider myself lucky. Also, the more diverse you are the easier it is to make a living. 


Who inspires you?

I am inspired by people who do things really well. I’m addicted to the Olympics. I think it’s beautiful to see people excelling. I keep myself surrounded by people that I really respect. I feel like you can find inspiration in everything. It’s a lot harder to figure out a way to apply it to yourself, what you want to do with it. It’s easy to be inspired, it’s harder to transmute that energy into something that you do, that is also inspiring to someone else. That’s my hope, that I’m also inspiring other people. 


How do you find a way to transmute that?

I don’t think I yet codified a way. I do work well with deadlines. Or being in painful situations. Pain is a great kick in the pants. You have to get it out. And I’m a melancholy person. So as I get older I try to remember to practice my art so that I don’t hold on to the negativity. I’m inspired by many things but what really moves me forward is pain. Though the moments of joy are just as important. Life is really full. You can’t only focus on what’s horrible, or only on what’s great. Life is so full. It’s so important to keep that balance. In perspective and in my work. I would like to represent that life is full in my music.


What gives you energy and what takes it away?

Exercise is really important. Siting around is really detrimental to my mental health. I do martial arts. It’s important for me to have something outside of music that forces me to be in the moment, to move around, that challenges me mentally and emotionally, and also just allows learning something new. It’s imporant to be physical if you are a musician. To get into your body, cause we can really live stuck in our heads. Teaching also is really inspiring and gives me energy. I don’t have a method for teaching, which is frustrating at times but also goes together with my philosophy of improvisation. I do have a very clear intuition about how to teach and how people learn. I’ve enjoyed teaching violin lessons, also in groups, helping people to unlock their ability to improvise. People I meet inspire me every single day, they give me energy, and ideas. It makes me feel like I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing. 

What takes energy away... Being sedentary, as I mentioned before. Also, I’m a sensitive person, I’m attracted to other sensitive people, who are really great at what they do. But actually co-dependency with them is really a trap for me. Sometimes I put a lot of energy into trying to get to work things that just aren't workable. That drains me. Negativity from people takes my energy. I think its important to think what is negative and what is positive, what encourages growth and what doesn’t. If I’m not aware of those things I can go down the path of diminishing returns.


Where do you feel a wish to create comes from?

I feel like it’s part of the human condition. It’s already there. I don’t see how we could be where we are now without this desire. Life creates. I think that’s just how it is. We do have this superpower - this ability to create. We have the ability to create really crappy things and truly wonderous things. It’s the matter of what our intent is. A lot of things we have in the world that we created have come out of necessity or just as ideas to make money. We have this ability to create but how will we use it, for good or evil... And we have to decide what’s evil, and that’s where it gets difficult, ‘cause it’s different for everyone. I think it’s important to think about what is sustainable, what is a drain on our resources, on the planet, on the community and personal resources as well. We have this thing and we gotta  learn how to use it. 


What sustains you in times of storms?

True friendship. Having someone in your life that you can be yourself around, who can be a mirror to you, who would be honest with you, and who would listen, just listen. That’s pretty rare. That’s what gotten me through difficult periods of my life. Friendship and music. Also, when I was going for the black belt in hapkido, there were a lot of stressers in my life, but it was a great place to be focused, be in the body. I think it’s good to stay active, to be introspective and to have friends. There is no way to do this life alone and be happy. 


What would you most like to teach people you work with?

Improvisation and interaction. Especially for young people. Being in a space where they are allowed to be themselves completely. And also where they learn to be with others. They would get a lot out of that. That’s important. 


What would you most like to change? 

Intolerance. Sometimes it’s important just to tolerate. It doesn’t necessarily mean going along with, or  even agreeing with, but just tolerating ideas that are different from yours. That really bugs me. When it’s not even possible to communicate with another person if they are just not open. 


What’s important to have around you, in a place where you live?

Definitely space. Which is a challenge in New York City. I used to live in a very small apartment that was full of our stuff, and cats. That really drove me crazy. A couple of years ago I moved to another apartment in Brooklyn. And I have space, it’s important to be able to open my arms and not touch anything. 


Tell us a story from the life of a musician...

I did this great tour sponsored by the US state department, they do it every year. Our band got the grant, and we went to West Africa. It was a great experience. We performed in all kinds of situations - from great halls, to classroom, or ambassadors’ homes. There was also a teaching aspect - sharing what we do with local people of all ages. And the third aspect of it was that they paired us with local musicians. We were at five different countries. So in each country we had a couple of days just to sit with musicians from that town we were in and learn what they do, and they learned a little bit of what we do. And every night they came and performed at one of our shows. It was very energising! I would love to do that again.


How do you keep on growing?

It’s important to constantly be taking in new information, and also to take time to process this information, to see how I feel about it, how can I use it. I try to always stay open to learning. Learning  what life offers me to learn. But also practically, learning with composers, taking in different kinds of music, going out. I would also love to educate myself about other forms of art. I love ballet, painting, visual arts. There is inspiration there too. 


Your first associations.... 

Fairy-tale: Brothers Grimm, I like the sort of darkness and weirdness in their fairy-tales


Animal:  Tiger, and also a Mole - I think moles are fascinating. It’s this little creature that has got huge hands and a really long snout, and on the tip of it there’s the most sensitive organ, it can sense electrical currents in water to know where the food is, for example. And it’s so ugly, and I kind of love that too.
Saying or proverb: We never play the same thing once.

Season:  spring
Plant:  Tiger Lily. And Zee-Zee plant, it’s perfect for a travelling musician!
Movie: Run Lola Run, The GodFather, The Matrix
Smell: many but nothing in particular
Book: “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
Song: Steve Wonder "Songs In The Key of Life", Shostakovich 8th string quartet, Bartok 1st string quartet last movement
Sensation: being touched
Poem: ***
Painting: Dalí
Person: Nina Simone, she is my shero
Colour: at times red at times black
Object: my violin
Food: lasagna
Human quality: compassion
Place for travel: Budapest
Secret: would that be a secret if I told you? :)

Cover image cortesy: Mazz Swift

https://mazzmusic.com/sandbox/about/

About

Critically acclaimed as one of America’s most talented and versatile performers today, Violin/Vox/Freestyle Composition artist Mazz Swift has engaged audiences all over the world with the signature weaving of song, melody and improvisation that she calls MazzMuse.

Mazz combines elements of classical, folk, rock, jazz, free improvisational music and electronica to create a rich, unique and diverse musical experience. She is a singer, composer and Juilliard-trained violinist who plays electric and acoustic instruments and has, over the years, performed and recorded with a diverse accumulation of artists including Whitney Houston, Perry Farrell, Dee Snider, James “Blood” Ulmer, Vernon Reid, Valerie June, DJ Logic, William Parker, Butch Morris, Jason Lindner, Kanye West, and most recently as string mistress for D’Angelo’s “Vanguard Strings”.

On electric violin, acoustic violin, soulful singing and improvisation, Mazz brings music that speaks directly to your soul. Expect to be transported.

Other performance and career highlights include:

– appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Valerie June)

– tour of Africa (Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal) as cultural ambassador for the US Department of State (Matuto)

– travel to Suriname as a cultural ambassador for the US Department of State (The 13th Amendment?)

-featured violinist and singer in “Basetrack Live” national tour, culminating at a weeklong engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival.

– featured appearance in the popular anti-fracking documentary “Dear Governor Cuomo”, in concert alongside Natalie Merchant, Joan Osborne, Citizen Cope, Medeski Martin and Wood, Dan Zanes and many more

– Solo MazzMuse appearance at the National Action Network’s 20th Annual Keepers of the Dream Award Ceremony in 2011, where President Obama gave the keynote address.

– festivals in The United States, Canada, New Zealand, Western and Eastern Europe, and Russia (Valerie June, LaFrae Sci’s The 13th Amendment?, Burnt Sugar, Daughters of Nina, Tamar-kali, Budapest Bar)

– performances in all of the great halls and public arts spaces in NYC (Carnegie, Avery Fischer, Alice Tully, Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Center Atrium, Symphony Space, Live at the New York Public Library, BAM Next Wave Festival at the Harvey Theater, Joe’s Pub, Le Poisson Rouge) as well as other well established venues around the world, including The Royal Albert Hall (London), The Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), The Palace of Arts (MŰVÉSZETEK PALOTÁJA, or MUPA – Budapest), and Bimhuis (Amsterdam)

– assisted in conducting workshops and performance with inmates at Sing Sing (NY State Correctional Facility, a Maximum Security State Penitentiary) as a Teaching Artist for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections Program

https://mazzmusic.com/sandbox/projects/

Mazz Music Home Of MazzMuse

Projects

Solo MazzMuse

Where it all began…

In her music, Mazz employs a technique called live looping to create songs and compositions in the spur of the moment. Many of the MazzMuse Band songs you hear today come from her early experimentations with loopers and electronics, and she still does live looping in her performances, solo and band.

The  MazzMuse project came about during an interesting time: Mazz had just disbanded Brazz Tree and had also recently acquired a looping pedal. Looking for a way to make music on her own terms, she turned to the looper for creative fodder. During this time, she was deeply in love, in a committed relationship, but was also profoundly troubled.  She found herself writing songs that it took her years to understand the meaning of.

But the meaning was there and as Mazz began to perform these songs as a solo artist, they (the songs) began to demand more full expression. She felt the looper could only take her so far. The band was formed in 2012.

Solo MazzMuse singles “Molten” and “Melancholy Baby” are available for sale at the MazzMuse Store.

MazzMuse: The Band

The four-piece rock band that is known as MazzMuse… 

A Short Band Biography


MazzMuse, The Band was assembled in 2012 to realize in band format the music Mazz had been performing in her solo project “Solo MazzMuse”.

The Music:

The music, born of a queer, self described “recovering christian” woman, who as a person of color explored and expressed freely her love of classical and jazz music, while secretly nurturing a love of rock, metal, punk, pop and electronica, this music is a sonic contradiction – a cognitive dissonance that by the pure fact of its existence, compels a cathartic experience for its performers and audience alike.  It is the freedom of Rock and the depth of Soul, brought together with the precision of a classical sensibility.

A Wall of Sound That Breathes also known as Prog Soul.

The CD:

On December 15, 2014, The MazzMuse Band explodes on the scene with their eponymous debut CD, produced by rock legend Vernon Reid of Living Colour. 12 powerful tracks including songs of love, devotion, frustration, confusion and victory through self-empowerment; two blazing instrumentals; and two covers of songs written by a couple of Mazz’s sheroes: PJ Harvey and Annie Lennox.

The Band:
Mazz, on her 6-string electric violin and voice, belts out her music and is fortified by the people most call her band mates, but who she calls her allies:

Alex Nolan on electric guitar, Dan Paccione on electric bass and LaFrae Sci on drums – All mega-powerhouses as individuals and unstoppable as the MazzMuse Band.

MazzMuse Trio

The semi-acoustic trio comprised of Mazz Swift, Alex Nolan on electric and acoustic guitars and LaFrae Sci on percussion. Music from Solo MazzMuse and MazzMuse The Band, reimagined for a more intimate setting

https://www.artsforart.org/blog/grant-announcement-mid-atlantic-arts-foundation-supports-hear-in-now-in-2020 

Arts for Art is pleased to announce funding from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation to present Hear In Now, the trio of violinist Mazz Swift, cellist Tomeka Reid, and bassist Silvia Bolognesi, during our 2020 season.  This engagement of Hear In Now is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Announcement of Performance Date Forthcoming.
 
 

Hear in Now Biography
 
HEAR in NOW is a collaborative trio performing primarily original jazz-tinged avant-classical compositions. First brought together in the winter of 2009 by an Italian concert promoter for the WomaJazz festival in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy, the trio, feeling a great sense of musical chemistry, have since kept the momentum going. Residing in three separate locales, the women of Hear in Now bring together elements from their indivIdual regions for a unique sound experience by exploring free improvisation along with through-composed pieces.

HEAR in NOW is comprised of Mazz Swift (NYC) on violin/vocals, Silvia Bolognesi (SI, ITALY) on doublebass and Tomeka Reid (CHI) on cello. As individuals all three are active performers in the international music scene, having performed and/or recorded with William Parker, Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, Nicole Mitchell, Butch Morris, Vernon Reid, Burnt Sugar and Members of the Black Rock Coalition, Enrico Rava, Keiko Bondjeson and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

Mazz Swift Biography
 
Violin/Vox/Freestyle Composition artist Mazz Swift engages audiences worldwide with her signature weaving of improvisation and composition. In addition to full-time work as a performer, Swift is a composer and educator. Her works include commissions by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the University of Delaware, Neues Kabarett (through a Meet-the-Composer grant), The New Harmony Music Festival, and the Blaffer Foundation. Two of Ms. Swift’s compositions are featured on the Jersey City chamber music organization Con Vivo Music’s compilation, Modern Dances.

Mazz has performed and taught workshops in free improvisation and “Conduction” (conducted improvisation) on six continents and is a performing member and teaching artist with the acclaimed Silkroad Ensemble. She is also a Carnegie Hall teaching artist, where she coaches talented teens from every corner of NYC, writes and records lullabies with incarcerated mothers and mothers-to-be at Rikers Island, coaches the inmates at Sing Sing Penitentiary in string studies and composition, and leads professional development workshops on improvisation for symphony orchestra members and their students.

Ms. Swift is a Jerome Hill Fellow, currently working on several projects, all of which involve conduction (conducted improvisation) and are centered around protest, spirituals, and the Ghanaian concept of ‘Sankofa’: looking back to learn how to move forward.

Tomeka Reid Biography
 
Recently described as a “New Jazz Power Source” by the New York Times, cellist and composer Tomeka Reid emerged as one of the most original, versatile, and curious musicians in the Chicago’s bustling jazz and improvised music community over the last decade. Now based in New York, her distinctive melodic sensibility, usually braided to a strong sense of groove, has been featured in many distinguished ensembles over the years.Reid has been a key member of ensembles led by legendary reedists like Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell, as well as a younger generation of visionaries including flutist Nicole Mitchell, singer Dee Alexander, and drummer Mike Reed. She is also a co- leader of the adventurous string trio, Hear in Now, with violinist Mazz Swift and bassist Silvia Bolognesi. Reid released her debut recording as a bandleader in 2015, with the eponymous recording by the Tomeka Reid Quartet (Jason Roebke, Tomas Fujiwara and Mary Halvorson), a lively yet charged debut album that is a vibrant showcase not only for the cellist’s improvisational acumen, but also her knack for dynamic arrangements and her compositional ability.  Reid, grew up outside of Washington D.C., and her musical career kicked into gear after moving to Chicago in 2000 to attend DePaul University for graduate school. Her work with Nicole Mitchell and various Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians-related groups have proved influential to the young musician. By focusing on developing her craft primarily as a side person and working in countless improvisational contexts, Reid has achieved a stunning musical maturity. Reid is a 2016 recipient of a 3Arts award in music and received her doctorate in music from the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign in 2017. 

Silvia Bolognesi Biography


Silvia Bolognesi is a double bass player, composer and arranger. 

Graduated in double bass at the R.Franci Institute of Siena with Maestro Andrea Granai, perfecting with Maestro Alberto Bocini.She approached jazz studying at the Siena Jazz Accademy with Paolino dalla Porta, Furio di Castri and Ferruccio Spinetti. 

The most significant encounters in his musical training are those with William Parker,  Muhal Richard Abrams, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Roscoe Mitchell and Antony Braxton. 

Winner of the "Top Jazz 2010", by “Musica Jazz” as best new talent and in the same year winner of the "In Sound" trophy for double bass category. 

She leads several bands: Open Combo, Almond Tree, Xilo Ensemble, Ju-Ju Sounds, Fonterossa Open Orchestra, Young Shouts, Sly Family…
 
Since 2009 she is part of the international string trio Hear In Now with Tomeka Reid on cello and Mazz Swift on violin and vocals; with this trio they completed Roscoe Mitchell’s sextet in his Homage to John Coltrane in 2017.
 
She’s part of the "Art Ensemble of Chicago 50th Anniversary" special project.

In 2010 she founded her own label “Fonterossa Records”.

She teaches double bass and combo class at the Siena Jazz Academy and at “Associazione Mosaico” in Colle Val d'Elsa (Siena).

Since 2016 she is part of the "European exchange-Erasmus +" program for the Conservatory of Maastricht (Holland), Tbilisi (Georgia), Riga (Latvia), Birmingham (UK). 
 
She runs workshops on Improvisation and "Conduction" since 2008.
 
 
Artist Spotlight
February 22, 2021

Spotlight: Mazz Swift

Mazz Swift is a composer, conductor, singer, bandleader, educator, and Juilliard-trained violinist who has performed on many of the world's greatest stages. In addition to her appointments as a Carnegie Hall Teaching artist and Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, Mazz was most recently named a United States Artist Fellow. Here, we interview Mazz about her current projects, inspiration, work with Silkroad, and more!


How did you decide to become a musician? What drew you to your instrument?

Since I was a little kid, the sound of the violin has always been attractive to me. I think something about the soaring melodies of the Romantic period was what first caught my attention. As soon as I found out what a violin was, and that a violinist played the violin, I went around telling everyone I met that I was a violinist — forcing my parents to eventually get me a violin and some lessons! It was meant to be for sure!

When did you first work with Silkroad? What did you work on?

My first project with Silkroad was in the fall of 2018. The group was in its last year of a residency at The College of the Holy Cross and the collaboration was really meaningful for me. The group welcomed me in so openly and asked me to bring my own music to the table — which felt remarkable because I was brand spanking new and they were interested in knowing where I was coming from. We had a great time speaking on our philosophies behind music and healing and what we feel important in our own lives. It was such a warm group of people that were really working towards seeing each other as we are. A particular moment stood out when we did some free improvisation during a performance, leading into my piece written for Aiyana Jones (the 7-year-old who was killed by Detroit Police during a no-knock warrant raid on a home that turned out to be the wrong address for the person they were looking for) and her parents, for whom justice never came but for 5 years later in the form of a check from the city of Detroit (a shameful situation that I didn't want to forget and needed to highlight for people who had no idea that this had happened and happens all the time). The group took that story in and then poured themselves into the music, making it all the more meaningful for me and, I think (hope) for the students at the College. I stand in gratitude for that experience and the opportunity to connect with those extraordinary people.

What is your favorite memory while with Silkroad?

The above, and also workshopping, recording, and performing Osvaldo Golijov's Falling Out of Time. Two things about that tour really stand out: the first is a talk Osvaldo did, explaining where the piece came from that ended with the Ensemble playing excerpts from the piece. After soaking in the weight and beauty of the composers intent, and the story of the same name, written by David Grossman — and inspiration for this work — we were all so moved and in tears by the end of it. I don't know that I've ever felt so connected with a group of musicians. I remember looking to my left and seeing my insides reflected back at me in the tears in cellist Karen Ouzounian's eyes, and then looking to my right and seeing the same in violinist Johnny Gandelsman's eyes and really feeling like something special had just transpired. My second other favorite memory from that tour was recording live performances of the piece on the stage at the Barns at Wolf Trap. More magic — with the musicians, with the audience, and on that very special stage. There's such a rich vibe in that venue and on those grounds. It really felt like l was living the dream, you know?

 
What makes you excited or inspires you as an artist? What kind of projects do you love working on?

I'm a huge fan of and believer in free improvisation and have been — over the past 10 years or so — really delving into Conduction (a system of hand signals and gestures created by the great Butch Morris in order to facilitate improvisation by large groups of sound-makers) — applying it to my compositions and educational workshops. That's the stuff that makes me feel really alive and truly rooted in my own creativity. It's scary as hell to stand up in front of an orchestra, the audience to my back, with no game plan to lean on and create something out of the blue. But it is also really affirming to get to the other side of the in-the-moment creation. It serves as a rich wellspring for my written creations to come from.

What kind of projects have you been working on? What can we expect in the coming months/year?

I guess there are a few things brewing but I've got an ongoing project that I've been calling the "Sankofa Project". Sankofa is a Ghanaian word that literally translates to "go back and get it," and deals with the concept of looking backward to understand how to move forward. I am exploring that concept through re-imaginings of so-called "Slave Songs," as well as freedom songs and my own versions of what I'm calling "Modern-day Protest" Songs. I’ve also been really fascinated with the work of Butch Morris and was able to work with him on and off for about 10 years before he died. I’ve since adopted his system of Conduction (conducted improvisation) and work that into almost every project or composition of mine. I plan to do a large-scale Conduction project sometime in the near future — or as soon as the pandemic and/or vaccine availability will allow.

What are you listening to these days?Well, to be honest, I've been listening to a LOT of podcasts lately, haha! The Daily (from the New York Times) is a staple for me, as is Pod Save America, and Preet Bharara's Cafe Insider. Analysis of the news from the perspective of good journalism, people who have worked in the White House, and from a legal standpoint has really kept me sane over the past four years. But over the holiday season, I finally sat down and watched Beyonce's gorgeous epic music film Black Is King and became obsessed with the soundtrack (The Gift) — all of it loosely based on the story of the The Lion King and so full of pride (no pun intended!) and celebration of the many popular musics of Africa and Black America. Plus, inspirational lyrics kept me dancing! I shared it with my niece and I have to say, there's nothing really much sweeter than hearing an 8-year-old girl sing "Brown Skin Girl, your skin just like pearls, the best thing in the world! I'll never trade you for anybody else..." 🥰 Other things that I've been digging lately (by no means a comprehensive list!): Planetary Candidate (Michi Wiancko), Parts (Ohmme), and also Truth and Soul (Fishbone) have also found their way back into my recent playlist. This is just a snapshot of what I'm into these days. Ask me tomorrow and it will almost certainly be a different list!


What advice would you give to a young musician reading this?

Do things you are scared to do. Also, put as much effort into other parts of your life as you do your music: it can only inform your art more. Put down your instrument/practice and pick up a physical activity that makes you feel like a superhero: martial arts, dancing, fencing, yoga, running...whatever makes you feel good! We spend so much time in our heads and hands — not much time in our whole bodies. Keep the energy flowing through your whole body and it'll refresh your mind, spirit, creativity, etc... Also, I think it is of utmost importance to practice mindful meditation (you can start small — set a timer for 30 seconds and sit quietly — listening to your body and thoughts, while practicing non-judgment, no matter what comes to mind) every day. Lastly, as a musician, no matter what style or genre of music you play, it is invaluable to explore free improvisation. You learn so much about your strengths and weaknesses, the things you like, the habits you tend toward. There's so much to learn and when you figure out what it is that you have to offer that is unique to you, you'll find your undeniable voice, and likely stand out in a sea of people who often are trying to sound like someone else. Being rooted in “self” is a powerful and indispensable tool!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I'm super excited to announce that I'm part of the 2021 cohort of United States Artists along with a most amazing group of individuals, some of whom I've admired for years (Wadada Leo Smith! Kidd Jordan! My musical sister, the amazing Tomeka Reid!), and others I'm so excited to find out more about. After a truly soul-crushing year of unrelenting bad news, the loss of work (work that is so tied to my core Self, the lack of which left me feeling unmoored, like so many of my performing friends and family), so much death at the hands of an incompetent federal administration, and the continued murder of my Black brothers and sisters at the hands of those charged with protecting us — the demoralizing nature of it all highlighted by well-meaning folks coming forward to say how unaware they had been (though many of us have been screaming about it for decades)... the news came from United States Artists and made me feel like the work I've been doing to bring a little bit of light into the world is actually being felt. I can't express how grateful I am for that — I'm really looking forward to continuing to make music, for myself and with the amazing artists at Silkroad (with whom I've been cooking up some fun plans, virtual and in-person)! The future feels bright indeed. :)

Silkroad’s Artist Spotlight is a series designed to feature and celebrate the incredible talent of Silkroad’s artistic collective. Each month we will feature a new artist and share an interview about their current projects, inspiration, work with Silkroad, and more!


 
THE MUSIC OF MAZZ SWIFT: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH MAZZ SWIFT: