“Dominicans love jazz, they just don’t know it [yet]”, says founding member of 8th Note Jazz Band, Marvin Marie.
It followed naturally that when he formed his band they embraced the mission of exposing jazz music, in all of its forms, to a relatively new audience. Marie and co-founder, vocalist Tiffany Mayne came together originally with the ambitious vision of opening the first jazz club on the island. They had already chosen a name for the club -The 8th Note- referring to a musical note of the same name, although there were no tangible signs that their dream would yet come to fruition.
On the performing front, the duo had played together at the Evergreen Hotel with band Shades of Grey when they realized that they had a common love of the classics and desired to explore a more purist approach to their music. Due to a sequence of events the two realized that the name which they originally intended for their dream club was actually a natural fit for their burgeoning act.
For Marvin, stepping out on his own to make music came naturally as he began his informal musical education from the age of 1 ½ years old, with his mother. By age 5 he was performing on stage and started teaching music at the tender age of 14 years old. Simultaneously, he had the distinction of playing for two of the leading bands on the island-Music Lovers as well as the legendary Swinging Stars band. Although he counts a total of 28 instruments in his repertoire, including the bagpipes- which is notorious for its limited range-his instrument of choice for the band is the saxophone.
Tiffany readily credits her upbringing with her maternal grandparents, as well as the influence of her paternal grandfather Mr. Heskeith Casimir, as the catalyst for her extensive musical interest and knowledge. Her band members have dubbed her their “Jazz Encyclopedia”. According to Mayne, it was a normal occurrence for her to hear and sing along to greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday at a very young age. “I just knew that singing was fun for me…” she remarks.
She took the love of the “old school” with her in her act, although she admits that performing has been a skill she has had to hone. She has grown in stage presence so much in fact, that she now possesses the veterans’ ability to “read” an audience and engage them accordingly. “You have to know your audience” she announces with conviction. Perhaps the confidence she exudes on stage results at least in part from the “great chemistry” that the band members obviously enjoy with each other.
When, during the interview, pianist Trevor Christian recounts that he got into music “…because my grandmother decided that my last name is Christian, and that I should play an instrument”, the rest of the crew laugh in a knowing way. She started him off with a small keyboard and the rest, as they say, is history. Trevor, being heavily involved in the church musically, is the one who they agree will most likely forget his notes. But the aspiring music producer takes it all in stride as he seems confident in his family’s legacy and appears to be free of the need to prove anything to anyone.
Speaking of family legacy, the band’s roster is rounded out by the musical siblings Mikael and Marxian Smith. Both young men, who play the drums and the guitar respectively, became students of music long before their seventh birthday. Although tellingly fresh-faced, they both hold the distinction of having ten plus years of experience playing their instruments of choice. Despite being the youngest members of the band, it is obvious that they fit right in with the group dynamic of extensive musical study, respect for the classics and passion for innovation.
After all, passion and innovation must be part of your outlook in order to hold the bold dream of bringing the broad spectrum of jazz music to the local audience. All the members agree that one of the things which they love about jazz is the ability for one piece to be interpreted in many different ways according to the artist performing the song. The ability to make it your own is what is awe-inspiring about the genre. Although they fully appreciate the classics and give a substantial nod to the established greats in their ensemble, Marie points out that they also love taking contemporary pieces and “changing the feel of the music”. One such song is “Grenade” by hit-maker Bruno Mars.
The synthesis has been an evolutionary, experimental journey resulting in an entirely different song, Tiffany proudly adds. She goes on to list Adele as one of the artists who inspire her. Again, she cites the appeal as a “vintage feel” to the British songstress’ sound owing in part to the timbre of the artist’s vocals. Such musings seem to be normal for this young group of musicians, who clearly take their craft very seriously. As a result, they take chances with their music without abandoning the core essence of the inspiration behind it.
The process of choosing the performance roster is an organic one, relying on Mayne’s vast mental library of songs as well as how they feel about a proposed piece to make a decision. The result is passion that comes seeping through the notes and riffs in an amalgamation of the old and new. When speaking with the group, it becomes clear that Marie is the custodian of the band’s vision; it is his baby.
He takes the lead when asked what is in the future for 8th Note Jazz Band, saying that even though they had a rough start, with most people not being open to jazz or even knowing what the 8th note is, they are now enjoying a “massive response” to their performances. Inquiries and compliments about their style have led them to decide that they will compile their first recorded cd.
Additionally, they are already planning a follow-up to their video “Night into Day”, available on YouTube, which has garnered a very positive response to the quality of videography displayed. Marie and his band mates have their eye on the international scene and are looking to take on management to take them to the next level. They also reveal that expanding the sound of the band with added instruments is directly within sight, although admittedly they expect it to be a process.
In the meantime, expect more original music, an expanded repertoire of covers, more opportunities to see the band perform live. Mayne and Marie agree that dreaming big and maintaining musical integrity are the underlying values which fuel this group- that- and of course, the drive to bring you more and more of what you never knew you loved!
Very talented young people!!
yeah, i luuuv jazzzz.
I welcome this band since we need to expand the repertoire of musical entertainment on the island. Not all of us are attracted to the contemporary bouyon music. Best wishes for the growth and development of the band.