February 29, 2024 • 31 mins
Join us on a soulful journey with the multi-talented Rick DellaRatta a jazz artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, life coach, and spiritual thought healer, Rick's unique blend of music and mindfulness is reshaping how we view the healing power of sound.
Born from the ashes of 9/11, his transformative 'Jazz for Peace' project is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the universal language of music.
Do you believe music can heal? Listen as Rick recounts a life-changing concert in a remote part of India, where three unexpected jazz enthusiasts found their way to his performance. Their shared passion for music fostered a profound connection that inspired Rick to create in even more meaningful ways.
Rick’s compelling personal story highlights the extraordinary potential of intuition and music’s ability to unite us across cultures and geographies.
Lastly, we delve into Rick's philanthropic journey, notably his significant work addressing literacy in Pakistan. Through his boundless creativity and compassionate spirit, Rick has been able to spark positive change and bring communities together. Hear about his various projects and initiatives and learn how you can become a part of this incredible journey.
And as a cherry on top, let your soul be energized as Rick concludes with a stirring piano improvisation.
To learn more about Rick https://jazzforpeace.org/ and https://www.rickdellaratta.com/
We hope you found the episode to be enlightening and insightful. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also helps you grow spiritually and connect with your inner self.
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to like, subscribe, and write a review. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us and helps us to improve the quality of our content and reach a wider audience.
We believe that by sharing knowledge and insights about spirituality, we can help to inspire positive change and personal growth. So, if you find our podcast to be meaningful and informative, we encourage you to share it with your friends and family.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone, welcome to another Spiritual
Spotlight series.
Today I am joined by RickDelarada.
He is a world renowned jazzartist, philanthropist,
entrepreneur, life coach and aspiritual thought healer.
Rick, thank you so much forcoming on the Spiritual
Spotlight series.
I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So, rick, your journey in creating jazz for
peace started on the rooftop,less than a quarter mile from
Ground Zero, during thehorrifying events of 9-11.
Can you share how that pivotalmoment shaped your understanding
of the role music can play inboth healing the individual and
collective traumas?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, you know, I had always noticed.
It was something I noticed and Ikind of kept it inside me and I
wasn't sure if it was onlysomething that world
globetrotting musicians knew, oryou know if every but how many
people, if everyone knew it andthey weren't really, you know,
doing anything about it.
But when I saw those events, Istarted to realize that, you
(01:01):
know, this was a unique way forme to play a role in, you know,
in a reverse kind of way, in ahealing way instead of a, you
know, instead of a detrimentalway.
Instead of being part of theproblem, I could really be part
of the solution, due to myknowledge.
That and that I'd seen at firsthand, and I'd seen it with my
own music and playing music ofother people, saw how it broke
(01:25):
through every barrier thatdivides us.
Music and arts and culturebreak through and unite us.
And, you know, just one thingled to another, starting with a
poem called Jazz for Peace thatI wrote on that rooftop.
Just kind of the words justkind of came out, as I was, you
know, experiencing theseunprecedented, this
unprecedented day.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, no, have you?
Were you always like, from thetime you were a child until
adulthood, always a musician?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You know a lot of people have asked me that I did
have one other job in my lifeand it was as a paper boy.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was delivering the papers and I was kind of
ambitious about it.
You know, I was a little kidand I was maybe 13 years old
right around the bike and Iwould, you know, fold the paper,
ride with no hands on thehandlebars, fold the paper,
crack it, whip it to the door.
So it was yeah, exactly thatwas me like the gunslinger with
the paper.
But one thing led to anotherand I really had to just drop
(02:25):
out of the paper routes.
After you know, I think thefirst thing that happened was my
homeroom teacher.
His sons had wanted to start aband to play the high school
dances and all that, and so hewanted me to play in that kiddie
band you know for the dances atthe schools.
And then there was a grownupband that wanted me to play with
them.
They're going to sneak me inand out of the bars and the
(02:46):
clubs you know, to play in theirband for like more like for
private parties.
It could be ways, it could beclubs, whatever.
And then, on top of that, mymother, who was the church
organist, all of a sudden Ineeded, you know, I needed to
relieve her as a church organist.
She just wanted me to take overfor her.
I'm sure it was for my owngrowth, you know again
specifically.
And then by that time I wasjust overwhelmed with the paper
(03:08):
route, so that was too much.
Yeah, that was my last, thatwas my last job so far.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
You know when you're saying paper boy, all I have is
that movie movie better off deadcoming to mind.
Why want my two dollars?
Like the paper boy looking forhis money, like I want my two
dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, that's a great scene because we did use to.
I used to have to go andcollect from people in strange
places and get a little.
You know they get a little bitriled up that I was there, but
you know I was like well, yourwife told me that you were here,
you know?
What do you want?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
me to do in three months.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You're a month and a half late with the paper.
You know you got to pay yourbills.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So you've been described as a life coach in a
spiritual thought healer, inaddition to being an
accomplished jazz artist.
How do you blend your musicalgifts with spiritual coaching
and how do you use these twofacets of your life to synergize
?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, you know, it really started when I started
doing the benefit concert serieswith Jazz for Peace to help
outstanding causes, and Irealized that, you know, all
outstanding causes were in needof the same things and you know,
one of them was to grow theirdonor base, Another was to
rejuvenate the people that theyhad, Another was to get sponsors
(04:27):
and new and prestigioussupporters and publicity and
awareness race funds, all ofthat stuff.
And then I noticed that you know, a lot of these things just
transfer to individuals.
You know we are kind of anempowerment tree ourselves that
needs healing and needs growingand needs nurturing, and so, you
(04:47):
know, you're kind oftransferring it from, you know,
an organization as a whole toindividuals as a whole and you
kind of just see thesecorrelations and then you find
that you're able to spotsomething or say something in
someone that makes a difference.
And it's exciting for bothpeople.
I mean, it's exciting for themjust to, you know, get some, get
some relief, you know, in termsof an issue they're having.
(05:09):
And then it's really excitingfor me to say, wow, did I really
make a difference, you know?
And so it's a surprise for meas well.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Well, I mean the thing is is that in for myself,
as being someone who isspiritual and also a healer,
music plays such a valuable rolein healing?
Even if you're, you don't evenhave to be spiritual, the power
of music can really like.
I feel like it's a universallanguage and I'm sure you've
seen that with a lot of yourclients how it's just, it's
uplifting, it's positive, ithelps to take you out of a rut.
(05:40):
Have you seen that with?
So I'm sure I mean you've had aton of concerts with a lot of
people that have watched you ormaybe been coached by you.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Absolutely Well.
You know what it is.
It's.
It's it's.
It is, like you said, auniversal language.
It's spoken everywhere.
Even when you get intospecifics like, let's say, the
art form of jazz, there's noplace I can go to, no country I
can go to where there won't beeither someone who speaks that
language in terms of a musicianor a listener who has developed
(06:12):
an ability to an appreciationfor it.
You can sense them in theaudience, you can feel their
energy.
I remember once I was in thesouth of India and I was playing
for people who I knew had neverheard jazz before in their
lives.
Really remote place in thesouth of India where I was the
(06:34):
strangest thing because I'mplaying for all these people and
the music is going through.
I'm almost watching the musicpass through the people.
It's passing through in a waythat's being appreciated at a
certain level of enjoyment andenjoyed like that.
Then there's this one littlespot in the concert hall where
(06:57):
it's just going thug.
It's just like being immersedand swallowed and, how would you
say, consumed.
I'm noticing it in the concerthall and I'm like who are those
three people sitting in thatconcert hall?
(07:18):
I realized that the music keptgoing and it was completely
being devoured by these threepeople.
I was like I've got to meetthese people, they can't be from
here.
They said somehow we found eachother and I said you guys,
where are you guys?
What's up?
Because something's up here.
I know and we've heard aboutyour concert and flew in from
(07:39):
another part of India, theirjazz enthusiasts, and they had
flown from another part of Indiato this remote part and
attended my concert just to cometo the concert.
I could sense them.
I could feel them in theaudience because they were
hearing it from a whole otherlevel.
Not that one was better thanthe other.
(07:59):
I mean, there was an honestyand a beauty to the other people
hearing it for the first time.
But the other people were.
It was going in through them.
I mean, they were in notes thatI could tell.
They knew what I was doing,they knew where it was coming
from through their intellectualappreciation for it that they
(08:20):
already had brought to the event.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I think that's such a beautiful thing, and also you,
as you're a world-renowned jazzartist the fact that you were
able to sense their energy andto sense them out in this event
and then to take time out toactually meet with them and talk
with them.
I don't know a lot of artiststhat would do that and I think
that's amazing, that you're ableto intuitively connect with
(08:44):
them and then talk to them abouttheir experience and you were
able to see that power of yourmusic just through them.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Well, absolutely.
But it's also a rare thingwhere you'll have a whole bunch
of people at one level and threepeople at a whole other level.
It's just such a Like hello,yeah, because that won't happen,
let's say, here in New York, orsomething like that.
I mean, there'll be people atdifferent area, but the sound
will, it'll go through and itdoes its own little thing.
(09:15):
It's only meandering, similarto what they call that the
energy, the jet stream, like itwas like a jet stream, yeah,
yeah, like a jeff stream, but inthis situation, because of
those, you know, it was just thecraziest, yeah.
So I was like, I was almostlike I got.
Who the heck is that?
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I mean, this just sounds like a really cool
experience, like for you and forthem, as that just sounds
amazing.
So, with over 850 concerts todate, each much carry a unique
energy and a message.
I know we just talked aboutthis one, but is there maybe a
particular concert that standsout as a defining or
transformative moment in yourjourney?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, you know there's so many.
I know it's a lot.
I mean you could make a wholepodcast out of each one of them
because, like I told you, thatwas just one part of this
experience in India.
But I mean, you know there'snine different trips to Africa.
All that have been completelydifferent.
There've been, you know, southAmerica, you know Canada.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Brazil, Mexico, everywhere.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So there's so many different things, but you know,
I noticed that something mighthave changed in my life, maybe
when I actually read the poem,Because before that I was, you
know, Rick Della, Rod of theJazz Artists, just like all my
friends still are.
You know, all of all of myfriends in music, they're still
them, I'm.
You know, I have this otherelement now Right right.
(10:37):
What happened was I'd writtenthe poem and then the country
was closed down.
And then, right when it opened,I just opened, just in time for
me to get to a jazz festivalwhere I was headlining and there
was going to be 8,500 peoplethere.
And when I read that poem and Ijust read the poem, but that
was something started to changeat that time because people were
(10:59):
so moved by the words and Ididn't know if anything, you
know again, I didn't know it,but it was the change.
A change had started becausepeople were associating me with
words that I wrote from an eventthat I experienced, you know,
and offering a solution throughthose words.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, absolutely Like you're offering them peace,
like that to me, just for goingthrough 9-11, you know that was
such a traumatic event for ourentire nation and then for you
too, like you said you wrotethis poem and then to come out
for this concert, I wouldimagine like all of the energy
was just kind of like heavy butthen lifting as you're reading
(11:40):
that poem.
I just find that fascinating.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Well, it was.
You know, it was probably most.
For most people it was theirfirst event since the country
was locked down.
So yeah, it was an emotionalexperience for all of them.
But I just noticed that I waslike in the back of my mind.
I sense it's possible that mylife could be changing from this
moment, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I love that you were keyed into that though, like you
were kind of like intuitivelyconnected to look like I know I
have a bigger mission here, Ihave a bigger purpose here, you
know, and for people that are ona spiritual journey, like it's
like that inner like did youhave that like inner nagging?
Like not nagging, but likeinner, maybe inner chair leader,
(12:22):
just kind of like all right,look, you need to be doing a
little bit more.
You've got a bigger missionhere.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Well, you know what it would be was just one thing
would lead to another.
So I mean, I'm sitting herewith this poem and I'm like
there's something kind ofsignificant about the fact that
I just witnessed this event andI have something to show for it.
You know everyone else isrunning around trying to give
blood or whatever they're doing,and you know all the news and
the blah, blah, blah.
But I have, I have something toshow for this that's always
(12:52):
going to exist.
You know the words to this poemand so I didn't know, but I had
a feeling like, hmm, sometimeswhen you do something
significant, there's somethingthat follows it, and then, who
knows, something could followthat follow that.
You could be off and running ona journey, who knows, depending
on what?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
you're right.
I mean, the thing is, is thatonce you're like, I feel like
the universe will support you,once you're in, like you said,
you're following the path, andthen it's almost like, okay,
here's the next thing, here'sthe next thing, and it, and that
energy opened up and you were,you took aligned action, which
some people don't.
You took aligned action and youcontinue to move forward, which
(13:31):
is amazing, you know, becausesome people get stuck in.
Well, I have this thought, butI'm not going to do it, but you
did it.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
I agree with you with that, you know.
I think, see, as a musician andan improviser, this is another
thing.
Another reason why I'm anadvocate for the arts and
culture is because if you'reinvolved in something like,
let's say, jazz, where you'reimprovising and you're going to
make something up or something,or you're going, to do something
spontaneous.
you have to open up a channel toallow that to come through.
(13:58):
And what you're talking aboutthere is what a lot of people do
.
They block the energy fromcoming.
They block it themselves.
They just don't have theintuition to say, hey, wait a
minute, let me just open andallow, rather than close and try
(14:18):
to control the situation.
I mean, there are much greaterthings out there than us little
people, so we might as well keepthe door open and allow that.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Yes, and I think it's really hard for some people to
do that.
Like you're used to being achannel, like you said, you
improvise, you're a musician,you're used to kind of
channeling that energy.
But for other people they getstuck in it and they also get
used to being comfortable withuncomfortable, because I think
people get stuck in fear, theyget stuck in the wall.
(14:51):
I don't know what that is, sonot for me.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, and also that fear can cause you to think,
which shuts the channel.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, everything shuts the channel, guys.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, I mean.
Well, you know, when peoplepractice meditation they
actually are.
They tell you do not, you haveto just let things flow, you
have to allow.
I guess the word of it is allow, allow.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
And what I like to do is I like to say I'm going to
surrender to the universe andwhen I do find myself maybe,
maybe you know shifting into alittle bit of I don't know about
this, what I will do is I willcall, I will, as I will call, in
my team and also just give meone divine, align action to take
.
I'm feeling a little.
Give me one and then I'm goingto trust it, I'm going to follow
(15:43):
it, you know.
But I like with the meditationtoo, because you're right, Like
I'm somebody who's like, I'lltext my friend.
Am I meditating correctly?
Am I doing this right?
How long am I supposed to bedoing this?
Why am I?
I don't know.
It's hard.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
It is, it is, it's tricky, it's tricky.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
It's tricky.
So let me ask you this.
So jazz for peace has beeninvolved in numerous
philanthropic activities,including teaching mothers to
read to save off terroristrecruitment in Pakistan.
Can you elaborate on how theseinitiatives align with your
broader mission of peacebuilding through music?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well, and that's a good one that you brought up,
because that was just anotherone of these amazing kind of
miracle things that I neverthought would actually happen
and the way it evolved anddeveloped was so amazing.
I didn't even know myself ofthe massive amount of illiteracy
that was going on in thatcountry, and I was actually
tipped off by a Walmart workerin Seattle out of the blue, who
(16:45):
just called me on the phone andsaid I have been following this
thing going on with you inPakistan, that they're sponsors
and this and that.
And we were at a standstillwhere I was telling the people
look, we have a model, butyou've got to complete the steps
.
You can't go to this step untilthis step is complete.
And this guy completed the stepbecause he was so knowledgeable
(17:07):
about the problem, because hewas fixated on his belief, that
is, that kids need to learn howto read, and that it was a big,
big problem them having limitedoptions in life and all that.
So, like I said, it was just Iwas allowing, I was allowing, I
was definitely allowing, but Iwasn't betting the ranch on
(17:29):
anything.
You know what I mean.
I'm not going to allow this,but, yeah, I'm not going to bet
the ranch on this coming through, but if it goes through, that's
fine.
And this guy just kind of put it, he became the final piece of
the puzzle that confirmed theevent.
But what I wanted to say aboutthat is what I found that we're
(17:49):
able to do a jazz for peace iswe're able to take a baton that
was brought this far by all ofthe other people before us,
whether it was Gandhi or MartinLuther King or John Lennon or
all of these great people thatplayed a part, a role in peace.
And now we're taking the batonand we're saying listen, we can
redefine peace now through allof these good works.
(18:13):
We're now using the arts andculture to help the world's most
outstanding causes and bringthem to the forefront, and we're
generating peace in that way,by not only helping that cause,
but now that cause is able tohelp all the people that they
serve, and so we're touching allof these people in a positive
way.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
That just sounds so beautiful.
I mean, really, it just soundsso amazing.
So let me ask you this, as amultifaceted personality how
does your entrepreneurial spiritcontribute to musical journey
and the outreach for jazz forpeace, and how do these
different roles nourish yoursoul?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Well, a lot of people just don't realize it, and I
didn't until I just kind of gotin.
You know, sometimes you don'tfind out things you can't find
out from the.
What is it?
The where the train takes off.
You know what I mean From the.
Yeah, that little you know whenyou're waiting for the train.
There's only so much you know.
(19:08):
But the journey teaches you alot.
So from that journey I wasrealizing wow, I'm getting rich
here from the achievement of ityou know from from the people,
from being able to make adifference and being able to
help people and being able toplay such an important role in
their eyes in their success.
So it was gaining me, you know.
(19:31):
So all of that is, it's allcomplimentary to your existence
in the arts, because arts ingeneral is a gift to the world.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You know you're, you're doing something with your
art to make a positivedifference and this really
Super-sizes it absolutely, andand I love the fact that you
brought up like it's a journey,not the destination, and you've
taken time to actually enjoy thejourney and to be able to look
back like, oh yeah, I did this.
This is amazing, you know is.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So, yeah, the journey is so important and Musicians
will find it out when they'restudying because, uh, you know,
there's like these um thingswhere you would see a great jazz
pianist, you'd watch a video ofhim, and someone is telling him
, show me this, show me that.
And he said, and he would sayto them I'm thinking
specifically about jazz pianistnamed Bill Evans, but there's a
video where his brother was aprofessor and he wanted to
(20:22):
interview him and he said youknow what?
It's the journey of discoveryyourself at the piano, not the
actual Copying of the otherperson's voicings, but
discovering them yourself.
You know, and that's true, it'sthe discover, it's the journey
of the discovery and thenknowing when you're discovering
(20:43):
something that unique to you,things that you know, nobody I
mean, I think everyone has theability to do something that
nobody else could do but them.
That's one thing.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So, before I ask you the final question if anyone is
interested in either Learningmore about jazz for peace or
learning about all of the thingsthat you do, what is the best
place for someone to reach you?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
well, a great thing to do is, um, you know, watch
this, for example, watch thispodcast I don't know a lot of
other podcasts or a lot of otherones and you know, try to learn
a bit of a little bit aboutabout us.
Our website is jazz forpeaceorg, so you can always go
there.
And then there's a website.
There's another wordpress sitethat has a lot of archived
(21:28):
information and that's calledjazzer peace dot wordpresscom.
And if you go there and evenadd a forward slash about to get
to a specific page, you can seeall this stuff We've been
talking about with all theseevents, and you can see the
actual People said who weperform for organizations and
see in their own words andvideos and all kinds of archival
(21:49):
stuff.
So that's great.
And then just send us an emailat info at jazz for peaceorg,
and you know that's a great wayto get started, especially if
you have a little knowledgebehind you.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
That is perfect, so our listeners would love to hear
you play something for us today, do you mind?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Sure, I think that'd be great.
Now, what I'm gonna do isactually what we were talking
about, because I'm gonna makesomething up Completely unique
for your show.
Yeah, I call it free J A and itcomes from a concert I did in
Haiti where they said welcomejazz for peace, and they spelled
the J as s and that.
(22:25):
Yeah, that led me to understandthat it's actually a Creole
word.
We've been spelling it wrong,but that it's their word and
it's called jss.
So I took that off and I havefree J a, which is short for
free jazz.
But it's also a little thingwe're doing to Stand for freedom
of speech and some of theserights that are in jeopardy now,
and so I'm gonna make that up.
(22:47):
It's a free improvisation andI'm gonna put a little something
familiar in front of it, andthis is a song that has a
spiritual connotation.
It was written by the BeachBoys, but when they interviewed
them after it, remarked aspiritual change in their lives,
so it's a little bit that it'scalled.
God only knows.
It could start at that.
I'm going after that.
(23:07):
I'm gonna go into somethingI've never played before.
I don't know what it is, we'llfind out, we'll both find out
together, and then that's gonnafinish with the words of that
poem that we've been talkingabout the whole Time, the jazz
for peace poem.
And again.
I'm gonna improvise completelyspontaneously underneath that.
Perfect, thank you.
This thing I have to check.
Yell, turn this off and then Ican start.
(23:28):
I'm Not always you, but long asthere are stars.
(23:53):
You never need.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I'll make you so sure about it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
God only knows what I'd be Without you.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
If you should ever leave me.
All I've said, oh one, believeme.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The world could show nothing to me.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
So what would living to me?
God only knows what I'd bewithout you.
God only knows what I'd bewithout you.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I hear jazz for peace coming through the trees and in
my heart it fills me like acelebration.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I see the light and I want to follow, inspired by the
(27:07):
past contributions of thosethat came before.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
We lay the groundwork for us to build on this
universal language.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
It's a gift for all mankind.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
When we speak it, people are enlightened by the
creativity and artistry itstands for peace and love and
humanity and intelligence thatleads to reaching potential we
(28:15):
have in our soul so we can raiseour total conscience and see
that the gift of giving is ourgreatest privilege.
(28:41):
I hear jazz for peace.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Thank you so much for playing that beautiful piece.
That was really amazing, Thankyou.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Great, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
And I just want to say again thank you for coming
on the Spiritual Spotlightseries.
You are amazing.
And again, thank you forsharing your gift with us.
I really, and our listenerswill truly appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
And you have a great day.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Thank you.
Hello everyone, welcome to another Spiritual
Spotlight series.
Today I am joined by RickDelarada.
He is a world renowned jazzartist, philanthropist,
entrepreneur, life coach and aspiritual thought healer.
Rick, thank you so much forcoming on the Spiritual
Spotlight series.
I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So, rick, your journey in creating jazz for
peace started on the rooftop,less than a quarter mile from
Ground Zero, during thehorrifying events of 9-11.
Can you share how that pivotalmoment shaped your understanding
of the role music can play inboth healing the individual and
collective traumas?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, you know, I had always noticed.
It was something I noticed and Ikind of kept it inside me and I
wasn't sure if it was onlysomething that world
globetrotting musicians knew, oryou know if every but how many
people, if everyone knew it andthey weren't really, you know,
doing anything about it.
But when I saw those events, Istarted to realize that, you
(01:01):
know, this was a unique way forme to play a role in, you know,
in a reverse kind of way, in ahealing way instead of a, you
know, instead of a detrimentalway.
Instead of being part of theproblem, I could really be part
of the solution, due to myknowledge.
That and that I'd seen at firsthand, and I'd seen it with my
own music and playing music ofother people, saw how it broke
(01:25):
through every barrier thatdivides us.
Music and arts and culturebreak through and unite us.
And, you know, just one thingled to another, starting with a
poem called Jazz for Peace thatI wrote on that rooftop.
Just kind of the words justkind of came out, as I was, you
know, experiencing theseunprecedented, this
unprecedented day.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, no, have you?
Were you always like, from thetime you were a child until
adulthood, always a musician?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You know a lot of people have asked me that I did
have one other job in my lifeand it was as a paper boy.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was delivering the papers and I was kind of
ambitious about it.
You know, I was a little kidand I was maybe 13 years old
right around the bike and Iwould, you know, fold the paper,
ride with no hands on thehandlebars, fold the paper,
crack it, whip it to the door.
So it was yeah, exactly thatwas me like the gunslinger with
the paper.
But one thing led to anotherand I really had to just drop
(02:25):
out of the paper routes.
After you know, I think thefirst thing that happened was my
homeroom teacher.
His sons had wanted to start aband to play the high school
dances and all that, and so hewanted me to play in that kiddie
band you know for the dances atthe schools.
And then there was a grownupband that wanted me to play with
them.
They're going to sneak me inand out of the bars and the
(02:46):
clubs you know, to play in theirband for like more like for
private parties.
It could be ways, it could beclubs, whatever.
And then, on top of that, mymother, who was the church
organist, all of a sudden Ineeded, you know, I needed to
relieve her as a church organist.
She just wanted me to take overfor her.
I'm sure it was for my owngrowth, you know again
specifically.
And then by that time I wasjust overwhelmed with the paper
(03:08):
route, so that was too much.
Yeah, that was my last, thatwas my last job so far.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
You know when you're saying paper boy, all I have is
that movie movie better off deadcoming to mind.
Why want my two dollars?
Like the paper boy looking forhis money, like I want my two
dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, that's a great scene because we did use to.
I used to have to go andcollect from people in strange
places and get a little.
You know they get a little bitriled up that I was there, but
you know I was like well, yourwife told me that you were here,
you know?
What do you want?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
me to do in three months.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You're a month and a half late with the paper.
You know you got to pay yourbills.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So you've been described as a life coach in a
spiritual thought healer, inaddition to being an
accomplished jazz artist.
How do you blend your musicalgifts with spiritual coaching
and how do you use these twofacets of your life to synergize
?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, you know, it really started when I started
doing the benefit concert serieswith Jazz for Peace to help
outstanding causes, and Irealized that, you know, all
outstanding causes were in needof the same things and you know,
one of them was to grow theirdonor base, Another was to
rejuvenate the people that theyhad, Another was to get sponsors
(04:27):
and new and prestigioussupporters and publicity and
awareness race funds, all ofthat stuff.
And then I noticed that you know, a lot of these things just
transfer to individuals.
You know we are kind of anempowerment tree ourselves that
needs healing and needs growingand needs nurturing, and so, you
(04:47):
know, you're kind oftransferring it from, you know,
an organization as a whole toindividuals as a whole and you
kind of just see thesecorrelations and then you find
that you're able to spotsomething or say something in
someone that makes a difference.
And it's exciting for bothpeople.
I mean, it's exciting for themjust to, you know, get some, get
some relief, you know, in termsof an issue they're having.
(05:09):
And then it's really excitingfor me to say, wow, did I really
make a difference, you know?
And so it's a surprise for meas well.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Well, I mean the thing is is that in for myself,
as being someone who isspiritual and also a healer,
music plays such a valuable rolein healing?
Even if you're, you don't evenhave to be spiritual, the power
of music can really like.
I feel like it's a universallanguage and I'm sure you've
seen that with a lot of yourclients how it's just, it's
uplifting, it's positive, ithelps to take you out of a rut.
(05:40):
Have you seen that with?
So I'm sure I mean you've had aton of concerts with a lot of
people that have watched you ormaybe been coached by you.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Absolutely Well.
You know what it is.
It's.
It's it's.
It is, like you said, auniversal language.
It's spoken everywhere.
Even when you get intospecifics like, let's say, the
art form of jazz, there's noplace I can go to, no country I
can go to where there won't beeither someone who speaks that
language in terms of a musicianor a listener who has developed
(06:12):
an ability to an appreciationfor it.
You can sense them in theaudience, you can feel their
energy.
I remember once I was in thesouth of India and I was playing
for people who I knew had neverheard jazz before in their
lives.
Really remote place in thesouth of India where I was the
(06:34):
strangest thing because I'mplaying for all these people and
the music is going through.
I'm almost watching the musicpass through the people.
It's passing through in a waythat's being appreciated at a
certain level of enjoyment andenjoyed like that.
Then there's this one littlespot in the concert hall where
(06:57):
it's just going thug.
It's just like being immersedand swallowed and, how would you
say, consumed.
I'm noticing it in the concerthall and I'm like who are those
three people sitting in thatconcert hall?
(07:18):
I realized that the music keptgoing and it was completely
being devoured by these threepeople.
I was like I've got to meetthese people, they can't be from
here.
They said somehow we found eachother and I said you guys,
where are you guys?
What's up?
Because something's up here.
I know and we've heard aboutyour concert and flew in from
(07:39):
another part of India, theirjazz enthusiasts, and they had
flown from another part of Indiato this remote part and
attended my concert just to cometo the concert.
I could sense them.
I could feel them in theaudience because they were
hearing it from a whole otherlevel.
Not that one was better thanthe other.
(07:59):
I mean, there was an honestyand a beauty to the other people
hearing it for the first time.
But the other people were.
It was going in through them.
I mean, they were in notes thatI could tell.
They knew what I was doing,they knew where it was coming
from through their intellectualappreciation for it that they
(08:20):
already had brought to the event.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I think that's such a beautiful thing, and also you,
as you're a world-renowned jazzartist the fact that you were
able to sense their energy andto sense them out in this event
and then to take time out toactually meet with them and talk
with them.
I don't know a lot of artiststhat would do that and I think
that's amazing, that you're ableto intuitively connect with
(08:44):
them and then talk to them abouttheir experience and you were
able to see that power of yourmusic just through them.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Well, absolutely.
But it's also a rare thingwhere you'll have a whole bunch
of people at one level and threepeople at a whole other level.
It's just such a Like hello,yeah, because that won't happen,
let's say, here in New York, orsomething like that.
I mean, there'll be people atdifferent area, but the sound
will, it'll go through and itdoes its own little thing.
(09:15):
It's only meandering, similarto what they call that the
energy, the jet stream, like itwas like a jet stream, yeah,
yeah, like a jeff stream, but inthis situation, because of
those, you know, it was just thecraziest, yeah.
So I was like, I was almostlike I got.
Who the heck is that?
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I mean, this just sounds like a really cool
experience, like for you and forthem, as that just sounds
amazing.
So, with over 850 concerts todate, each much carry a unique
energy and a message.
I know we just talked aboutthis one, but is there maybe a
particular concert that standsout as a defining or
transformative moment in yourjourney?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, you know there's so many.
I know it's a lot.
I mean you could make a wholepodcast out of each one of them
because, like I told you, thatwas just one part of this
experience in India.
But I mean, you know there'snine different trips to Africa.
All that have been completelydifferent.
There've been, you know, southAmerica, you know Canada.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Brazil, Mexico, everywhere.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So there's so many different things, but you know,
I noticed that something mighthave changed in my life, maybe
when I actually read the poem,Because before that I was, you
know, Rick Della, Rod of theJazz Artists, just like all my
friends still are.
You know, all of all of myfriends in music, they're still
them, I'm.
You know, I have this otherelement now Right right.
(10:37):
What happened was I'd writtenthe poem and then the country
was closed down.
And then, right when it opened,I just opened, just in time for
me to get to a jazz festivalwhere I was headlining and there
was going to be 8,500 peoplethere.
And when I read that poem and Ijust read the poem, but that
was something started to changeat that time because people were
(10:59):
so moved by the words and Ididn't know if anything, you
know again, I didn't know it,but it was the change.
A change had started becausepeople were associating me with
words that I wrote from an eventthat I experienced, you know,
and offering a solution throughthose words.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, absolutely Like you're offering them peace,
like that to me, just for goingthrough 9-11, you know that was
such a traumatic event for ourentire nation and then for you
too, like you said you wrotethis poem and then to come out
for this concert, I wouldimagine like all of the energy
was just kind of like heavy butthen lifting as you're reading
(11:40):
that poem.
I just find that fascinating.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Well, it was.
You know, it was probably most.
For most people it was theirfirst event since the country
was locked down.
So yeah, it was an emotionalexperience for all of them.
But I just noticed that I waslike in the back of my mind.
I sense it's possible that mylife could be changing from this
moment, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I love that you were keyed into that though, like you
were kind of like intuitivelyconnected to look like I know I
have a bigger mission here, Ihave a bigger purpose here, you
know, and for people that are ona spiritual journey, like it's
like that inner like did youhave that like inner nagging?
Like not nagging, but likeinner, maybe inner chair leader,
(12:22):
just kind of like all right,look, you need to be doing a
little bit more.
You've got a bigger missionhere.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Well, you know what it would be was just one thing
would lead to another.
So I mean, I'm sitting herewith this poem and I'm like
there's something kind ofsignificant about the fact that
I just witnessed this event andI have something to show for it.
You know everyone else isrunning around trying to give
blood or whatever they're doing,and you know all the news and
the blah, blah, blah.
But I have, I have something toshow for this that's always
(12:52):
going to exist.
You know the words to this poemand so I didn't know, but I had
a feeling like, hmm, sometimeswhen you do something
significant, there's somethingthat follows it, and then, who
knows, something could followthat follow that.
You could be off and running ona journey, who knows, depending
on what?
Speaker 1 (13:08):
you're right.
I mean, the thing is, is thatonce you're like, I feel like
the universe will support you,once you're in, like you said,
you're following the path, andthen it's almost like, okay,
here's the next thing, here'sthe next thing, and it, and that
energy opened up and you were,you took aligned action, which
some people don't.
You took aligned action and youcontinue to move forward, which
(13:31):
is amazing, you know, becausesome people get stuck in.
Well, I have this thought, butI'm not going to do it, but you
did it.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
I agree with you with that, you know.
I think, see, as a musician andan improviser, this is another
thing.
Another reason why I'm anadvocate for the arts and
culture is because if you'reinvolved in something like,
let's say, jazz, where you'reimprovising and you're going to
make something up or something,or you're going, to do something
spontaneous.
you have to open up a channel toallow that to come through.
(13:58):
And what you're talking aboutthere is what a lot of people do
.
They block the energy fromcoming.
They block it themselves.
They just don't have theintuition to say, hey, wait a
minute, let me just open andallow, rather than close and try
(14:18):
to control the situation.
I mean, there are much greaterthings out there than us little
people, so we might as well keepthe door open and allow that.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Yes, and I think it's really hard for some people to
do that.
Like you're used to being achannel, like you said, you
improvise, you're a musician,you're used to kind of
channeling that energy.
But for other people they getstuck in it and they also get
used to being comfortable withuncomfortable, because I think
people get stuck in fear, theyget stuck in the wall.
(14:51):
I don't know what that is, sonot for me.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yeah, and also that fear can cause you to think,
which shuts the channel.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, everything shuts the channel, guys.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, I mean.
Well, you know, when peoplepractice meditation they
actually are.
They tell you do not, you haveto just let things flow, you
have to allow.
I guess the word of it is allow, allow.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
And what I like to do is I like to say I'm going to
surrender to the universe andwhen I do find myself maybe,
maybe you know shifting into alittle bit of I don't know about
this, what I will do is I willcall, I will, as I will call, in
my team and also just give meone divine, align action to take
.
I'm feeling a little.
Give me one and then I'm goingto trust it, I'm going to follow
(15:43):
it, you know.
But I like with the meditationtoo, because you're right, Like
I'm somebody who's like, I'lltext my friend.
Am I meditating correctly?
Am I doing this right?
How long am I supposed to bedoing this?
Why am I?
I don't know.
It's hard.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
It is, it is, it's tricky, it's tricky.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
It's tricky.
So let me ask you this.
So jazz for peace has beeninvolved in numerous
philanthropic activities,including teaching mothers to
read to save off terroristrecruitment in Pakistan.
Can you elaborate on how theseinitiatives align with your
broader mission of peacebuilding through music?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well, and that's a good one that you brought up,
because that was just anotherone of these amazing kind of
miracle things that I neverthought would actually happen
and the way it evolved anddeveloped was so amazing.
I didn't even know myself ofthe massive amount of illiteracy
that was going on in thatcountry, and I was actually
tipped off by a Walmart workerin Seattle out of the blue, who
(16:45):
just called me on the phone andsaid I have been following this
thing going on with you inPakistan, that they're sponsors
and this and that.
And we were at a standstillwhere I was telling the people
look, we have a model, butyou've got to complete the steps
.
You can't go to this step untilthis step is complete.
And this guy completed the stepbecause he was so knowledgeable
(17:07):
about the problem, because hewas fixated on his belief, that
is, that kids need to learn howto read, and that it was a big,
big problem them having limitedoptions in life and all that.
So, like I said, it was just Iwas allowing, I was allowing, I
was definitely allowing, but Iwasn't betting the ranch on
(17:29):
anything.
You know what I mean.
I'm not going to allow this,but, yeah, I'm not going to bet
the ranch on this coming through, but if it goes through, that's
fine.
And this guy just kind of put it, he became the final piece of
the puzzle that confirmed theevent.
But what I wanted to say aboutthat is what I found that we're
(17:49):
able to do a jazz for peace iswe're able to take a baton that
was brought this far by all ofthe other people before us,
whether it was Gandhi or MartinLuther King or John Lennon or
all of these great people thatplayed a part, a role in peace.
And now we're taking the batonand we're saying listen, we can
redefine peace now through allof these good works.
(18:13):
We're now using the arts andculture to help the world's most
outstanding causes and bringthem to the forefront, and we're
generating peace in that way,by not only helping that cause,
but now that cause is able tohelp all the people that they
serve, and so we're touching allof these people in a positive
way.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
That just sounds so beautiful.
I mean, really, it just soundsso amazing.
So let me ask you this, as amultifaceted personality how
does your entrepreneurial spiritcontribute to musical journey
and the outreach for jazz forpeace, and how do these
different roles nourish yoursoul?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Well, a lot of people just don't realize it, and I
didn't until I just kind of gotin.
You know, sometimes you don'tfind out things you can't find
out from the.
What is it?
The where the train takes off.
You know what I mean From the.
Yeah, that little you know whenyou're waiting for the train.
There's only so much you know.
(19:08):
But the journey teaches you alot.
So from that journey I wasrealizing wow, I'm getting rich
here from the achievement of ityou know from from the people,
from being able to make adifference and being able to
help people and being able toplay such an important role in
their eyes in their success.
So it was gaining me, you know.
(19:31):
So all of that is, it's allcomplimentary to your existence
in the arts, because arts ingeneral is a gift to the world.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You know you're, you're doing something with your
art to make a positivedifference and this really
Super-sizes it absolutely, andand I love the fact that you
brought up like it's a journey,not the destination, and you've
taken time to actually enjoy thejourney and to be able to look
back like, oh yeah, I did this.
This is amazing, you know is.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So, yeah, the journey is so important and Musicians
will find it out when they'restudying because, uh, you know,
there's like these um thingswhere you would see a great jazz
pianist, you'd watch a video ofhim, and someone is telling him
, show me this, show me that.
And he said, and he would sayto them I'm thinking
specifically about jazz pianistnamed Bill Evans, but there's a
video where his brother was aprofessor and he wanted to
(20:22):
interview him and he said youknow what?
It's the journey of discoveryyourself at the piano, not the
actual Copying of the otherperson's voicings, but
discovering them yourself.
You know, and that's true, it'sthe discover, it's the journey
of the discovery and thenknowing when you're discovering
(20:43):
something that unique to you,things that you know, nobody I
mean, I think everyone has theability to do something that
nobody else could do but them.
That's one thing.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
So, before I ask you the final question if anyone is
interested in either Learningmore about jazz for peace or
learning about all of the thingsthat you do, what is the best
place for someone to reach you?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
well, a great thing to do is, um, you know, watch
this, for example, watch thispodcast I don't know a lot of
other podcasts or a lot of otherones and you know, try to learn
a bit of a little bit aboutabout us.
Our website is jazz forpeaceorg, so you can always go
there.
And then there's a website.
There's another wordpress sitethat has a lot of archived
(21:28):
information and that's calledjazzer peace dot wordpresscom.
And if you go there and evenadd a forward slash about to get
to a specific page, you can seeall this stuff We've been
talking about with all theseevents, and you can see the
actual People said who weperform for organizations and
see in their own words andvideos and all kinds of archival
(21:49):
stuff.
So that's great.
And then just send us an emailat info at jazz for peaceorg,
and you know that's a great wayto get started, especially if
you have a little knowledgebehind you.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
That is perfect, so our listeners would love to hear
you play something for us today, do you mind?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Sure, I think that'd be great.
Now, what I'm gonna do isactually what we were talking
about, because I'm gonna makesomething up Completely unique
for your show.
Yeah, I call it free J A and itcomes from a concert I did in
Haiti where they said welcomejazz for peace, and they spelled
the J as s and that.
(22:25):
Yeah, that led me to understandthat it's actually a Creole
word.
We've been spelling it wrong,but that it's their word and
it's called jss.
So I took that off and I havefree J a, which is short for
free jazz.
But it's also a little thingwe're doing to Stand for freedom
of speech and some of theserights that are in jeopardy now,
and so I'm gonna make that up.
(22:47):
It's a free improvisation andI'm gonna put a little something
familiar in front of it, andthis is a song that has a
spiritual connotation.
It was written by the BeachBoys, but when they interviewed
them after it, remarked aspiritual change in their lives,
so it's a little bit that it'scalled.
God only knows.
It could start at that.
I'm going after that.
(23:07):
I'm gonna go into somethingI've never played before.
I don't know what it is, we'llfind out, we'll both find out
together, and then that's gonnafinish with the words of that
poem that we've been talkingabout the whole Time, the jazz
for peace poem.
And again.
I'm gonna improvise completelyspontaneously underneath that.
Perfect, thank you.
This thing I have to check.
Yell, turn this off and then Ican start.
(23:28):
I'm Not always you, but long asthere are stars.
(23:53):
You never need.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I'll make you so sure about it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
God only knows what I'd be Without you.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
If you should ever leave me.
All I've said, oh one, believeme.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
The world could show nothing to me.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
So what would living to me?
God only knows what I'd bewithout you.
God only knows what I'd bewithout you.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I hear jazz for peace coming through the trees and in
my heart it fills me like acelebration.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I see the light and I want to follow, inspired by the
(27:07):
past contributions of thosethat came before.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
We lay the groundwork for us to build on this
universal language.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
It's a gift for all mankind.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
When we speak it, people are enlightened by the
creativity and artistry itstands for peace and love and
humanity and intelligence thatleads to reaching potential we
(28:15):
have in our soul so we can raiseour total conscience and see
that the gift of giving is ourgreatest privilege.
(28:41):
I hear jazz for peace.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Thank you so much for playing that beautiful piece.
That was really amazing, Thankyou.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Great, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
And I just want to say again thank you for coming
on the Spiritual Spotlightseries.
You are amazing.
And again, thank you forsharing your gift with us.
I really, and our listenerswill truly appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
And you have a great day.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Thank you.
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