Joe McBride

July 5, 2009

Joe McBride
Brings Smooth Jazz With a Twist to Idlewild Music Fest

By Rick Coates 7/6/09
 
Jazz Pianist Joe McBride and Idlewild both have something in common, they
are “Lookin’ For A Change.” Their paths cross this weekend as McBride is
one of the headlining acts at the Seventh Annual Idlewild Music Fest.
Located near Baldwin, in its heyday Idlewild was the first major resort
community for African-Americans, established in 1912. From the late ’20s
to the early ’60s it was a “must perform” destination for black musicians
and entertainers and was affectionately known as the “Black Eden.”
Many legends got their start or were regulars at Idlewild; stars such as
Jackie Wilson, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bill Cosby, BB King, Cab
Calloway, T-Bone Walker, Della Reese, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin
and the Four Tops are among the many alums of Idlewild.
The Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s allowed for African American
musicians to perform at the same clubs and venues as white entertainers.
This contributed to the demise of Idlewild from its legendary status to
near ghost town existence by the ‘90s. But several citizens of the
community and others whose families had vacationed there believed in the
revitalization of Idlewild and started to work to bring the community
back.

PROMOTING TOURISM
The community, located in Lake County, is a federally designated
Enterprise Zone and community leaders have been actively working to
attract business and promote tourism. Their efforts have been paying off
and the annual Idlewild Music Festival is at the heart of it all.
While Idlewild may never fully return to its legendary status of the past,
its tranquil setting and historical vibes offer hope for their future.
Certainly, Williams Island, home to the Idlewild Music Festival, is one of
the most spectacular settings in Michigan for a music festival.
For Joe McBride, this will be his first visit to Idlewild and he is
excited to perform in the land of legends.
“I am just starting to learn about Idlewild and its importance to music in
America,” said McBride. “I think with all of the opportunities afforded to
us today we sometimes forget that those who came before us were not as
lucky, but it sounds like Idlewild is a very special place and I look
forward to this opportunity.”
 McBride, who lost his sight as a teenager, is a world-renowned smooth
jazz pianist who started playing the piano at the age of four and studied
music and two famed institutions, Webster University in St. Louis and
University of North Texas in Denton, Texas (Norah Jones, Don Henley and
Roy Orbison are among a few of their alums). He burst onto the scene in
1986, and as he puts it, “at the right time.”
“I was fortunate to be a part of the smooth jazz movement in its heyday of
1986 to 2006. Guys like Kenny G and Bob James (Traverse City resident)
help to popularize the scene,” said McBride. “I was able to release seven
CDs and tour the world during that period.”

DIFFERENT NOW
So does McBride think the smooth jazz movement is over with?
“No, but it is different now. Jazz and music in general has been in
trouble for awhile. The events of 9/11, the economy and other factors have
changed the music scene in general,” said McBride. “Smooth jazz has always
had a small audience in the overall picture of the music business,
something like less than five percent. There is still a fan base, but you
have to do something different to attract new audiences.”
That is exactly what McBride is doing with the forthcoming release of his
new CD, “Lookin’ For A Change.”
“If you hang around this business long enough you have to reinvent
yourself,” said McBride. “That is exactly what I am doing with this new
project. I have take a collection of pop tunes from the recent past,
stripped them all down recorded them in a straight-up organic jazz sound.
I am hoping to reach out to a younger audience with this project.”
McBride took hit songs from such artists as Coldplay, John Mayer, Gnarls
Barkley, Seal and reinterpreted them all via straight-ahead jazz
arrangements. While the project was reinvigorating, fun and educational,
for McBride at times it wasn’t easy.
 “Some songs lent themselves to this approach, other songs such as Corrine
Bailey Rae’s ‘Like A Star’ posed real challenges,” said McBride. “I had to
set the song aside for a year and think about it before I finally figured
out how to do it.”
McBride, who has always liked to look forward, found revisiting the past
both educational and rewarding.
“As the project came together, the process became very educational – for
me as much as anyone else who heard some of the early tracks,” said
McBride. “I had forgotten some of the jazz roots of my youth, the
straight-ahead stuff that I had learned back in high school and college –
the Miles and the Coltrane and the Charlie Parker. So this project kind of
took me back a little bit too. I had to really do my homework on some of
the theory in this music.”
 
The Idlewild Music Festival takes place July 10-11 and will feature nine
musical acts, food and drink. Tickets $10 in advance or $15 at the gate
per day with kids under 12 free. For info, visit historicidlewild.com or
call 231-745-8001. Joe McBride will perform tracks with his
Cleveland-based trio; samples of his work may be heard at
myspace.com/joemcbridejazz.