It was a full room for Tyson Naylor's Jazz Festival workshop at Tom Lee Music on Wednesday, where he wowed the crowd with a medley of pieces from the artists that inspire him, as well as his own compositions and improvisations. Canadian pianist, keyboardist and composer, Naylor is Berlin-based and has performed internationally in very diverse musical settings, and he’s equally at home in free jazz, soul, indie rock, and chamber ensembles. We had a chance to get to know him better through a conversation during his workshop at Tom Lee Music during The 2024 Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Tell us about your experience/history with the Vancouver Jazz Festival.
I’ve been attending for as long as I can remember. When I was little, my father would bring me to everything - particularly the more experimental shows but also Latin and African stuff. He would book off work and attend as many shows as humanly possible. The festival had a massive impact on my musical development, as in the 80s and 90s there wasn’t as much going on year-round as there currently is, and without it, I wouldn’t have been exposed to any of the European improvisers that later became large influences for me.

Tell us about the workshop you hosted.
I talked about some artists who have influenced me and played some excerpts of their music, and some of my pieces/improvisations.

What has been your journey into Jazz music and what inspired you to pursue this genre?
I was exposed from a very young age to all sorts of music, especially Jazz and Blues. When I did occasionally encounter pianos I was always drawn to them. My mother rescued an old Baldwin upright piano from a school where an official “piano trashing day” had been slated. It had chipped keys and needed a lot of work but she had it repaired and I used it for years. I started lessons at age eight and my teacher, Thomas Lisicar, thankfully focused a lot on ear training right off the bat. He would also get me to freely improvise scores as he read stories. We got started with blues pretty early on. I think there are a lot of people out there who might still play instruments if they had initial teachers like him! I later studied with Vancouver Jazz pianists George McFetridge, Kathy Kidd, Linton Garner, Alan Matheson and Sharon Minemoto.

How would you describe the Vancouver Jazz Scene?
Aside from a visit in 2019, I’ve been away for eight years, so I’m not sure I’m qualified to comment on the current state of the city’s music scenes, but I would say that the Jazz scene in Vancouver has historically been small, but tightly-knit and very robust. My memory of it is that it really springs to life during the festival each June, though there seems to be a lot more going on these days year-round than there used to be. Because it’s a smaller city, you often find the same musicians stepping between scenes or playing wildly different styles, which I really appreciate.

Which artists have inspired you most over your career?
I could comfortably say Thelonious Monk, Misha Mengelberg, Wayne Horvitz, Haavard Wiik, Chuck Leavell and Garth Hudson. Also, Tony Wilson and Peggy Lee!

How is Berlin’s music scene different from Vancouver’s?
Berlin is obviously much larger than Vancouver, with a population of over four million. There are countless venues for experimental music, straight-ahead Jazz, and every manner of sub-genre. Lots of good music and lots of bad music! Music that some might find too experimental in Vancouver might be considered almost mainstream in Berlin, though at times the quest to find a new voice seems more like finding the most niche, esoteric thing possible. For example, I once attended a concert where someone played the end of a patch cable pianissimo for 45 minutes. Berlin is sort of a laboratory city - you don’t make any money playing local gigs, but there are plenty of places to play to get projects off the ground.

Tell us about your experience with the Warsaw Improvisers Orchestra.
Oh, I was in Warsaw once with a night off and Ray Dickaty (leader of the WIO and English ex-pat) invited me to sit in with them at a club called Chmura (cloud). I don’t remember what the music sounded like, but I remember it feeling magical. I hope to spend more time in Warsaw as I’ve always enjoyed my time there. There’s an incredible Warsaw-based guitarist named Raphael Roginski who I’ve been following since hearing him play in Vancouver with a band called Shofar.

What are the differences in composing for a film vs. your own album?
With film, the music needs to serve the film, the scene, and the mood above all else and needs to fit the director’s vision. If it stands on its own without the film, great! But that’s definitely of secondary importance. In a way, composing for film is liberating, because of the inherent criteria and limitations. It can be easier to create within those sorts of external criteria than when things are wide open. I’m not always successful in imposing my own limitations, so it can be helpful to have external ones.

Are there any rituals/routines that help you prepare for a performance? Nothing too out of the ordinary. I try to get some exercise, eat healthy and not drink too much coffee.

Who would be your dream collaborator?
 Dan Gaucher and Colin Cowan - Tiny Pyramids tonight (Wed) at Tyrant Studios! Also, Kenton Loewen and Tommy Babin are on Friday at Frankie’s! I’m ever grateful for all of the talented humans I’ve played with over the years in Vancouver and to have the chance to reunite with them this week.

Since we are a music instrument store, we must ask – do you have your eye on an instrument that is currently on your wish list?
Steinway D!

What is next for you?
Tiny Pyramids plays the music of Sun Ra, tonight (Wed) at Tyrant Studios at 9:30 pm. Thursday, I’m part of a quintet of improvisers playing at 5 pm at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. The other musicians are Amalia Umeda (Poland), Eirik Hegdal (Norway), David Stackenäs (Sweden) and Kenton Loewen (Canada).
Then on Friday, I’m leading a piano trio with Kenton Loewen and Tommy Babin for an 11 pm set at Frankie’s After Dark. I’ll also be playing the following week at Fabrique St. George and 2nd Floor Gastown, and am really looking forward to a five-day island tour with Tony Wilson’s Longhand Quartet from July 24-28, before heading back to Berlin.

Learn more about the 2024 Vancouver International Jazz Festival and click here for more information on the Tom Lee Music workshops. Find out more about Tyson Naylor and his upcoming tour dates by visiting his website.