Biff Smith draws a parallel between the moves he makes on the piano during improvised jazz jams and the moves he makes in the classroom when he’s teaching high school English at Robert Louis Stevenson.
“In a way, improvisation defines the way I teach. As long as you have all the fundamentals down, you can improvise on the changes,” he says. “To be able to improvise on a tune, you have to know the harmony cold. What actually comes out spur-of-the-moment is unpredictable, something brand new.”
In other words, the lesson plan does not call for him to spontaneously summon students to act out dry 18th century poems, nor does a jam session demand a drum or bass solo.
It just happens.
As the founder of the local jazz outfit Along Came Betty – featuring Brian Stock (trumpet), Paul Tarantino (sax), Heath Proskin (bass) and Patrick Tregenza (drums) – Smith’s compositions hover around a hard-bop influence, which naturally yields them a lot of wiggle room for endless improvisation opportunities. On 2012’s The Secret Parts of Fortune, “Fanny Fangboner’s Fortuitous Flight of Fancy” boasts a classic groove foundation and a smooth-sailing trumpet as the guiding light. Later on the record, the harmonic “Buying Clothes for My Imaginary Friend” is a mash-up of attributes taken from all the best artists of the 50s and 60s: from Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to Coltrane and Mingus.
After more than five decades performing – he’s taught privately, conducted the Jazz Lab and Big Bands at Monterey Peninsula College and performed four times at the Monterey Jazz Festival – composing and spontaneity have become second nature for Smith. On Tuesday at the Museum of Monterey, Along Came Betty will be on hand, appropriately, for Arts in Progress’ “Improvising a Life: A Jazz Odyssey.”
The quintet will perform Smith’s original compositions, field questions and discuss jazz spontaneity. Smith will also tell the story of how he got involved with jazz and how he’s managed to stay involved.
“A day job,” Smith says jokingly is what keeps you in the jazz scene. “Preferably a day job that you love. In my case, I’m lucky enough to have two very passionate pursuits that complement each other.”
Education and music are so central to his life that he doesn’t take summer off, like some teachers. He heads to Boston where he teaches a summer performance program at Berklee School of Music.
Biff Smith performs 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm) Tuesday, April 22, at the Museum of Monterey auditorium, 5 Customs House Plaza, Monterey. $5. 624-6111. www.artshabitat.org
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