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Diego Rivera
Connections
by: Evan Taylor | Oct. 2019

Echoing the sounds of his elders,

Diego Rivera presents Connections. It is

attributed to the relationships between

musicians young and old that aspire to make

their mark in the jazz legacy. This Posi-Tone

recorded tenor-saxophonist, well-versed as an

artist, arranger, and jazz educator, combines

his multiple skillsets in this captivating

album. Joining Rivera are two of New York’s

finest and critically acclaimed jazz-musicians, Joe Magnarelli (trumpet) and Michael Dease

(trombone), adding flare to heavy hitting horn arrangements such as “Passion Dance” & “Shade

of The Cedar Tree”. Rivera takes the lead on “Naima,” expressing his reverence for the great

John Coltrane. This well orchestrated arrangement interlocks with the groove oriented motion in

the rhythm section, propelling each member of the band to bring new energy to this revered

standard.
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In a short review of the album with Rivera my eyes were widened to his purpose

for the reach and influence of his album. I was intrigued by his answers. He has a dedicated goal

pay dues to his heroes while uplifting his elders, colleagues, and students. This attitude

exemplifies the assets of a true leader.

Evan Taylor: “How long have you been working with Posi-Tone?”

Diego Rivera: “This is my first record.”

E. “Posi-Tone is truly developing their own sonic footprint. Did you find yourself trying to fit

into their label with your writing, or did it happen organically?”

D: “They wanted me to do what I do, I didn’t really write because I wanted to fit the Posi-Tone

sound, I think that they brought me on because they like they way that I sound, not necessarily

because they think I could write in their style. Also, having a knowledge of the type of label you

are writing for and what kind of records they make, It’s not like “I cant write this, I cant write

that” It’s more like, alright, well, this is what I do!”

E: “So they reached out to you then?”

D: “Sort of, I was introduced by Michael Dease to them, and we talked for a number of years

about possibly doing something. There was a lot of back-and-forth, and then finally the
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opportunity came to do a record. I came there, put together a band, got the tunes together, went

into the studio and did it. I came back about 2 months later and did another record which is

sitting in the can for right now. About 3 months later I came back again and did an all-star date.

They’ve been around for a while and are now celebrating their 25th anniversary so I did a record

dedicated to that. I’ve now already done 3 records with them. That’s one of the things that was

attractive to me, they’re really excited about just making music. There are lots of labels that are a

lot longer in their process— and I didn’t want to do that. I want to make records, and a lot of

them, and yearly.”

E: “I was thankful to see you were able to pull in some Michigan State University students and

faculty for this one.”

D: “Yeah, it worked out along with the concept of the record, you know, Connections from

different points in my life. I had some former students, had some current newly-graduated

students, current students, and had some folks I was meeting for the first time professionally, as

well as people I have worked with for a long time.”

E: “Anyone who knows you knows that you are an incredible educator and some have spoken

about this album co-insiding with your work in academia; to be perhaps an example or an

educational tool for your students.”

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D: long pause— chuckles… “Well, I don’t know, I mean, I hope not. I hope…— You know, I

read a post online recently, someone said, “do you think teachers should make records as

examples for their students?” I don’t know if I agree with that. I’m a passionate educator but

that’s not why I make records. I make records to contribute to the legacy of recording, I want to

be a part of that tradition. I teach for other reasons. I teach so students can learn their way into

that tradition. It’s useful as a resource so that students can hear what you sound like but it’s not

an educational calling-card or an educational press-kit. We make music to contribute to

document the art form. If I want students to find education in recordings I make them check out

Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker… Theres too

much content out there to insert myself as that sort of thing. That’s not why I make records. It’s a

part of my persona to be an educator as well as making records, but I’m not making records as an

educator, I’m making records as a jazz-musician.”

I explained my position on hearing his transformation of standards based onworking with

my colleagues who were all in Jazz Octet at Michigan State with Professor Rivera. I found

myself comparing this album to some of the standards he had arranged in the Octet setting there.

E:”That’s very humble, considering the quality of the album as well as its reach. It’s great to hear

your take on some of these standards and hearing your ability to transform the arrangements of

tracks like Passion Dance and Naima.”

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D: “Thank you! Naima wasn’t necessarily an arrangement. It was more of a portrait. That’s

basically how I felt the very first time I heard Naima. Even though the song is slow, serene,

beautiful, very melodic, I still feel that which is why I didn’t change the melody. The

undercurrent, all of the harmonic movement, the changes, the activity, that’s how I felt hearing

it. The melody is John Coltrane, the arrangement is the reaction to Trane’s playing, my

excitement in all of the motion.”

E: “Tell me a little bit about Seiko Time.”

D: chuckles.. “It was pretty simple. Mike (Michael Dease) wrote the tune maybe about twenty

minutes before we played it. He got inspired right after they gave us our Seiko watches, and he

came up with a bassline, melody, lyrics. We came up and played it for the Seiko camp for the

executives and they loved it. It feels that way too, you get the happy feel-good vibe. It was

written moments before we played it and it turned out to be such a great tune.”

E: “Tell me about Shade of the Cedar Tree, what made you decide to include that on the album?”

D: “Christian McBride represents some of the first crew of musicians that I saw as people who

worked so far and separate. I identified with his music more than I identify with Dexter. We are

closer in age, he was a real role-model for me. All of the Young Lions really, represent what jazz

was to me when I was coming up. All of those records you know, Gettin To It, Tenors of Our

Time, all that sort of stuff. Thats what drew me in. I just thought it was so cool right from the
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album all of those guys had such respect and reverence for the elders. I remember hearing Roy

Hargrove always talking about the elders. Christian McBride always talks about the elders, he

would always talk about Ray Brown. James Carter actually had an album called Conversing With

The Elders. Branford Marsalis had a record with Milt Hinton. I always thought it was so cool

that cats on the cutting edge had such strong ties and reverence for the older generation, and

that’s what Shade of The Cedar Tree always brings me back to. It’s a great tune. Hopefully one

day it’s thought of in the same vein as other Cedar tunes like Bolivia.”

Rivera was adamant that his album made a statement with artistic impact that held true to

the traditions of the Jazz legacy. We hear this again with the standard Love (Your Spell Is

Everywhere), famously recorded by Curtis Fuller, Kenny Burrell, Sammy Davis Jr.. The rhythm

section effortlessly keeps the medium tempo fine and mellow. Rivera’s solo is classic, with

running 16th-note lines in bebop fashion, followed by an outstanding solo from Michael Dease

who contends masterfully.

E: “From what I’ve gathered, this whole album was about just.. creating a time-stamp that payed

homage to your elders while holding true to some of the things you find most important in jazz.”

D: “I think you said it best, it’s a time stamp. That’s where I am— or, thats where I was at that

particular point in time. I find important to contribute to that, for the art-form. To have a

catalogue of your moments. There’s such a long history of documentation of the art, I want to be

a part of that and contribute to that.”

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———————————————————————————————————————

Connections: Connections, Ties That Bind, Passion Dance, Seiko Time, Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere), Nueva

York, Mother’s Nature, Naima, O Moderno, Shade of The Cedar Tree, Changing Directions

Personnel: Michael Dease - trombone, Luther Allison - piano, Endea Owens - bass, Jason Tiemann - drums, Joe,

Magnarelli - trumpet Markus Howell - alto sax 8, 10, Lauren Sevian - baritone sax 8, 10 Behn Gillece - vibraphone

6, 9, Jocelyn Gould - guitar 4, 11