Angelica Sanchez: Different Ways of Listening

Angelica Sanchez: Different Ways of Listening

by Troy Collins

Pianist and composer Angelica Sanchez was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1972. From 1990 to 1994 she studied piano and composition at Arizona State University, moving to New York in ‘94, where she eventually earned a master’s degree in Arranging from William Paterson University. Since moving to the East Coast, Sanchez has collaborated with such notable artists as Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Motian, Richard Davis, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Nicole Mitchell, Rob Mazurek, Tim Berne, Mario Pavone, and Ben Monder, amongst many others.

She made her solo debut in 2003 with Mirror Me (Omnitone), featuring saxophonist Tony Malaby, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tom Rainey. Sanchez currently leads numerous groups, the most recent being her Trio which features Formanek and Billy Hart. Her most ambitious project to date is Nighttime Creatures, a nonet recording issued by Pyroclastic Records in 2023 and chosen as one of the best recordings of the year by Downbeat Magazine.

Her music has been recognized in national and international publications including Jazz Times, The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune, amongst others. She was also the 2008 recipient of a French/American Chamber Music America grant, the 2011, 2024 Rockefeller Brothers Pocantico artist residency, and the 2022 Civitella Fellowship, Italy.

Sanchez is currently on faculty at Bard College. I interviewed her in the fall of 2024, shortly after the release of the trio recording, Live at Jazzdor (Maya), with Barry Guy and Ramón López.

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Troy Collins: Some early biographical information might be of interest to readers unfamiliar with your background. How did you get your start playing music?

Angelica Sanchez: At around nine years old I started playing the clarinet. I played the clarinet only because I wasn’t allowed to play the trumpet because back then trumpets were for boys only. In any case, I wasn’t such a great clarinet player so I became interested in the piano. My father had an amazing record collection which included The Modern jazz Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Carlos Jobim, George Shearing, Tito Puente, Stan Getz, Benny Goodman, and Willie Bobo. One day he gave me a record that was too wild for him. It was Miles Smiles, by Miles Davis. This was before jazz was on the radio in Phoenix. I devoured Miles Smiles and it became my mission to get my hands on every Herbie record I could. I used to play along with that record. A little later, the Marion McPartland show became syndicated and all of a sudden, I had access to lots of different piano players. This was of course before the internet. My father allowed me to buy two records every month so I would just listen to two records every month until I would learn them.

TC: I’ve always bought records in pairs and/or sets myself. Every conversation I have about pivotal, life changing record purchases always has to be answered with a caveat that I almost always buy more than one album at a time, and rarely in the same genre or style. Can you remember any of those pairs of records and how they might have influenced your tastes as you became more exposed to the music?

AS: I remember the first pair my father bought for me. I randomly picked, Oscar Peterson plays Duke Ellington and a Yellow Jackets record called, Samurai Samba. Each record led me to different musicians. Through Oscar Peterson I found Elllington, Monk, Tatum, and lots of others. Fusion was all the rage. I eventually found Bitches Brew. So much music ...

TC: What did you think of the difference between traditional acoustic jazz and more “modern” electric sounds at the time? And more importantly, as someone who has since worked in both settings, how do you deal with the differences between the two?

AS: For me it’s about people. Of course there’s a huge difference between acoustic and electric, but it’s about the people I make that music with that makes it significant for me. A person’s sound will come through in either setting. The history of music that uses electric sounds is one that is expansive but most of the acoustic music I’m drawn to also has the same aspects. It’s very difficult to talk about unless you’re talking about specific people.

TC: Thinking of specific people in this electro-acoustic context, what about Rob Mazurek? You’ve played with him in both acoustic and electric settings – do you feel there are differences in each, or is your approach the same because the personalities involved are the same?

AS: Rob is special. I think we could all sit around in a circle and play rocks and it would be deep. A beautiful creative spirit he is. I have always preferred to play acoustically if only for the fact that the dynamic range is wider. I love playing soft. The soft burn is intoxicating. I have a Moog Little Phatty that I love also. I wrote a piece for Moog and piano to highlight the expansive sound of that combination. I still have much to explore.

TC: Rob's career arc has involved a lot of travel and relocation. Similarly, you moved from Arizona to New York in 1994 and have been on the East Coast ever since. What initially brought you to the Big Apple?

AS: Initially, a friend called and said an apartment in the East Village was available. I had been dying to get out of Phoenix for many years. That apartment in the East Village was Richie Perry’s old place.

I think I was 19 or 20 and I knew I had to go east to play with people. At the time I was together with Tony Malaby and we drove a U-Haul truck with all our stuff across the country. Most of that stuff ended up on the sidewalk in the village.

TC: As a composer, do you write parts with specific players in mind, or do you embrace a more egalitarian approach, where the tunes are open to interpretation by different groups of players? And regarding such interpretations, how do the personal and/or stylistic dynamics of individual band members shape the inner workings of those groups?

AS: I write for specific players. I am attracted to a person’s sound and their unique language. It adds another layer to the way I organize sound within a band. I also choose people I can trust completely. I trust that they can take the notes I’ve written on the page and make them fly. I have started to write to orchestra more these days. It would be a dream to write for a specific orchestra/conductor.

TC: Is there a specific orchestra or conductor you have in mind, as a dream-team, say?

AS: I think I would like to work with an orchestra that doesn’t use a conductor. I know there are a few out there. The type of hyper listening that would be required intrigues me.

TC: The jazz bands of a previous era featured long-term personnel for extended tours, but that has largely changed today, for various reasons, both aesthetic and economic. What advantages and challenges do you personally find in maintaining so many different groups?

AS: It’s one of the reasons I choose people I can trust. They need to be patient when it comes to letting the evolve and grow. I don’t have the luxury of month-long tours. A band needs time to internalize the music and without extended tours this can take years. The nonet record that was released in 2023 took 5 years to make. I have deep gratitude to all the players who stuck it out and continue to stick it out with me.

TC: Was any of the material from the nonet record ever performed live, in concert, or was it purely a studio creation?

AS: Yes, I actually recorded a live concert at Firehouse 12 in Connecticut. I never released it though. We also had several concerts before we recorded Nighttime Creatures. I’m also currently working on a new suite for the Nonet, but I’m not sure when it will be ready. A labor of love for sure.

TC: Although your compositions and improvising are quite adventurous, you seem to prefer a more structured approach; most of your writing is melodic, whereas quite a few of your contemporaries tend to compose far more abstruse themes. How do you balance the disparity between freedom and form, both in your writing and improvising?

AS: I can’t tell you if my music is good or bad but I can promise you that it’s honest. I have been inspired by lots of musicians from Muhal Richard Abrahms to Messiaen, but I write things that I hear and I spend lots of time and energy to improve my skills as a composer and a player. I love working with set forms and also trying to create new ways of organizing. This is often guided by who I am writing for.

TC: Considering your ability to navigate multiple styles in an array of different ensembles, are there any aspects of the jazz tradition that you currently find inspiring and/or any established practices you find creatively constraining?

AS: I don’t find music to be constraining. There are different ways of listening and this is constantly expanding and changing. The jazz tradition is rich and deep but I have found that ideas and feel having to do with rhythm is something that I love and continue to be inspired by.

TC: In reference to performing, how do you feel about studio recording compared to live performance and how does that affect your playing in each situation?

AS: Recording in the studio is a very different experience and trying to recreate a live performance in the studio is not an approach that has worked for me. The studio allows me to slow things down and fine tune some of the details that may not have the space to flourish in a live performance. I don’t set rules or make too many decisions on a live performance. I like to leave some things up to chance. I’m actually recording a live performance in the spring in the hopes of sharing this experience.

TC: What are you planning on recording live in the spring?

AS: Currently, I have scheduled two days at The Jazz Gallery to record my most recent trio with Billy Hart and Michael Formanek. We had a studio recording, but I also want to capture what we do live because it’s very different.

TC: Along a similar line, what are your thoughts on the state of the recording industry at large, especially regarding archival copies (CDs, vinyl) versus more ephemeral formats (downloads, streaming)?

AS: I love my LPs. There is much lost in the streaming world and not just loss of income for artists. The idea that an artist can use the order of the tunes and the space in between those tunes as an addition to the arch of compositions, is lost in streaming. Not to mention that streaming listeners don’t have access to artist information. People don’t seem to want to take the time to listen attentively. That is, to just sit and listening while doing nothing else.

TC: In conclusion, what projects do you have planned for the immediate future?

AS: Currently, I have a quartet with Adam O’Farill, John Hebert, and Chad Taylor coming up. This group is playing many of the graphic scores that I worked on last summer at the Civitella retreat. I also have a great trio with Chad Taylor and Brandon Ross. We will be recording next spring. I am also planning a second nonet record in 2025.

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