This Scene Is Special
To truly understand the essence of the Northampton Jazz Workshop and Jam Session you must listen to what the Green Street Trio members have to say about it. Paul, George, and Jon all have careers related to music, but the jazz workshop strives for something more. These three musicians have formed the trio out of their shared love for jazz and its community. Every Tuesday evening they offer 4-5 hours of their time to play with a guest artist and other musicians in the community because they wish to keep the tradition of jazz alive in the Pioneer Valley—a tradition sometimes profitable in urban communities, but muchless so in semi-rural western Massachusetts. In these interviews, each member shares something unique about what the jazz community means to them. We hope that you watch these clips to better understand that which makes the Northampton Jazz Workshop so special.
Interview with Paul Arslanian
Paul Arslanian, the Green Street Trio pianist, is one of the creators of the Northampton Jazz Workshop (NJW). NJW is the product of a need that Paul and late bassist Dave Shapiro found to “have a regular gig and pass on what they [know]” and “get younger people to feel what [they] feel about the music.” As individuals who have documented this scene for the last three months we suggest that Dave Shapiro’s hope to keep the tradition and legacy of jazz alive in the Pioneer Valley certainly continues in his wake.
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Interview with George Kaye
George Kaye, the Green Street Trio bassist, describes the jazz workshop as a “unique phenomenon” and notes that without the community members “we [the trio] would not exist”.
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Interview with Jonathan Fisher
Jonathan Fisher, the Green Street Trio drummer, describes the workshop as a family that is “celebrating music, togetherness, and positivity.”
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