Reach to teach

>> Montrealer Andy Williams aims to
educate with his debut jazz compilation

LESSONS IN SESSIONS: Andy Williams

by ERIN MACLEOD

If you stop by Little Burgundy’s Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre at around 4 p.m. on a weekday, you’ll find scores of kids. Sometimes they might be playing games, reading books, working on crafts or preparing for a play, but they will always be finishing their homework.

Known in Montreal and internationally for his vast knowledge of jazz, Andy Williams used to work as the educational coordinator for Tyndale’s After School Program—a program that has been in existence for over 77 years. Bridging the gap between his musical and educational selves, Williams has put together a benefit compilation for Tyndale entitled Variations in Time: A Jazz Perspective. It’s a compilation that serves to teach listeners about jazz as well as help kids learn. Sitting down in the sun, Williams shared his passion and his reasons for the project.

Mirror: How did the project start?

Andy Williams: I’ve always dreamt about doing a jazz album, and people like Billy Bang and Rainer Wiens, from Follow Follow, they said, “Just do it,” and offered me tracks. I thought that it couldn’t be that easy, because you have to go through production rights and whatnot, and I just took a chance. But as soon as I told [artists] that it was going to Tyndale St-Georges, they didn’t hesitate. These are people that really know me well, that I’ve been in touch with for the last 15 years or so.

M: And the connection to Tyndale?

AW: Although I’m black, I’ve never really been involved in the black community. I grew up in Darbyshire, England and there were probably five black families that I knew at the time. Even when I lived in Jamaica, I didn’t have proper exposure to a black community because I was in a boarding school, so there were some things that were lacking. Once I got into Little Burgundy, I realized that it reminded me of my family, my grandmother, things that I missed about West Indian culture. I always wanted to be a part of it.

Being the educational coordinator for two years there molded me in a certain way. It really made me think about my culture, and I have this special feeling inside for the kids. I wanted to give back and see if I could actually start something up. My whole thing was to raise some money for Tyndale St-Georges, so they can use it for their educational program. That’s what it was all about—me taking something that I love and spreading it. If I can get some contributions from people, I will be very happy. I took something that is my passion, and I have a reason behind it.

M: There’s quite a range of tracks on the record.

AW: I honestly wanted to do something different than what is out there in the mainstream, or even the avant-garde scene. You don’t really find compilations that cover so many different genres. In some ways, I’m linking it to my work on my jazz archive, going through the diaspora of jazz—late modern jazz, modern jazz, avant-garde jazz, jazzoetry. I have been interviewing people for the last 14 years. There is a connection because I am always trying to challenge myself, learning different flavours of jazz. If you listen to me DJing, there is always going to be a jazz influence within the music I am playing. It’s in me. It’s always been there.

CD launch with guest
Clifton Joseph at Club Lambi
on Thursday, May 1, 8 p.m., $10