In conversation with clifton anderson....

By Tomas Peña
Talent, dedication, formal training, and the opportunity to perform with—and learn from—one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived: all are factors in helping make Clifton Anderson one of today's top trombonists. Of course, Clifton is best-known for his work with Sonny Rollins, but he's also shared the stage with Slide Hampton, Abdullah Ibrahim, Clifford Jordan, Barry Harris, Dionne Warwick, James 'Jabbo' Ware, Muhal Richard Abrams, Wyclef Jean, Stevie Wonder … the list goes on.

Clifton produced his debut CD as a leader—Landmarks, on the Milestone label—in 1997. His performance and compositions received critical acclaim, and contributed to his growing following among jazz fans and trombone aficionados, worldwide. Since the release of Landmarks, Clifton has led his own groups, here in the U.S. and abroad.

Now, with the release of his new CD—Decade, on the Doxy/EmArcy imprint—Anderson has created an outstanding showcase for his skills as a player, composer, bandleader, and producer. The album is aimed, states Anderson, at 'encapsulating ten years of development, my perceptions and insights as a trombonist, producer, and writer.' The album is dedicated to the memory of his mother, the late Gloria Anderson.

No doubt you have been asked this question numerous times, but for the sake of our readers, what’s it like being the nephew of Sonny Rollins?

Well, for a musician it's the best place to be. Of course, there's a mixed bag to it. But first and foremost, it is probably the best experience a musician could have, because of the vast experience and wealth of information that Sonny carries with him, and who he is. It’s not just about playing with Sonny every night … it’s also being around him and absorbing the vast amount of information that he has to offer. People often ask, 'Does Sonny show you this or that?' But we've never had that kind of relationship. He shows me things on stage when he plays, but never anything specifically. It’s a matter of observation and being open to what he has to offer. And he has a whole lot to offer! There is never a dull moment with him; every night is different. Sonny has always been referred to as a spontaneous improviser, and it’s really true. It’s just his personality. His approach to music is really about where his head is at a particular time.

I find it interesting that he refers to himself as a 'work in progress.'

In that regard he's an unusual artist to be around, because there aren't many artists who really, genuinely operate in that way. Mind you, I am not trying to put anyone down. I'm just saying Sonny is a unique item in that regard. He comes from a period when there were many giants who operated that way, so this is a situation that is not easily duplicated. He is one of the last artists of his generation that is playing the way he plays.

How is he doing health-wise?

He’s good.

How old is he now?

He’s 78 years old. We just got back from a tour in Zurich, Switzerland, and he still carries the show. I mean, we all get to play and do our thing, but Sonny carries the show. To get back to your original question, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience to be working with him, and to be his nephew. On a more personal level, if you ever get the opportunity to meet or know him, he is really one of the most humane, loving people that you will probably ever meet in your life. He is very quiet and to himself, but he is very caring and very generous. I can’t say enough about him. As an uncle, he has always been very supportive of me, and he has not given me an easy road. When I first started working with him, I would hear through the grapevine that the only reason I was playing Sonny was because I am his nephew. But a lot of people don’t know that he fired me [from his band], and it wasn’t all roses working with him.

He didn’t favor you?.

He didn’t make my road any different from anybody else’s. I was subject to the same scrutiny as any other musician. So it's been a great experience, and I wouldn’t trade if for anything.

In addition to being a member of Sonny’s band you are his producer. In fact, you produced Sonny, Please and more recently, Road Shows, Vol. 1.
I think that my being a producer made it a more comfortable experience for Sonny than usual, even though it’s never comfortable! [Laughs] I think we were able to make it a better situation, and it helped with the results. When we recorded Sonny, Please, we had a group that had been playing together for about a year straight. We had just come off a Japanese tour, so everyone was pretty hot, and there was a lot of good chemistry between us. I was fortunate to be able to produce Sonny, Please, and have [engineer] Rich Corcello with me, who's been recording Sonny for about thirty years. It was like a family reunion. We also worked on Road Shows, Volume 1, and were able to find some really good material. I'm sure that there are other performances that we haven’t listened to that are outstanding, as well. Also, we are recording every night, so there will be a lot of great things to come.

Let’s talk about your formative years. Your father led the church choir and played the organ. Your mother, Gloria Anderson, who recently passed away, sang and played the piano. Please accept my condolences on the recent passing of your mother.

Thank you very much.

Did she get to hear your new recording before she passed?

I showed her the [cover] artwork. At the time she was in the hospital, but she did get to hear it, and she gave it her seal of approval.
Getting back to your family, you have another uncle who is an accomplished violinist. I think it is safe to say that music is in your genes.

Oh yeah, like it or not! [Laughs]

You've been quoted as saying 'Everything I do musically is a representation of my life, and my life is really closely associated with my family. I have very strong relationships obviously with my uncle, and with my mother; they've been the two essential relationships. In every note I play, there's something of my mother in there and something of Sonny.' And then there's the story that I read in just about every interview you have ever done, where your mother took you to see the film The Music Man, and how much you loved the parade scene with the seventy-six trombones. Shortly thereafter, Sonny bought you a trombone, but at the time you didn’t really take it seriously.

I knew I was musically inclined, but my mother had a lot of reservations about me becoming a professional musician, or having a career in music. She saw the struggles that Sonny went through, and she knows how hard the music business is, so she wasn’t too thrilled about me becoming a musician. She would have preferred that I follow in my other uncle’s footsteps, who is a doctor. I like biology and those kinds of things, but the music was just pulling me.

I read an interview in the African-American Review, where you talk about the negative stereotypes that plague jazz musicians. It’s no secret that Sonny, Charlie Parker, Miles and Coltrane had issues back then. But times have changed.

Well, I think it’s this whole mystique with jazz music, which was kind of successful in promoting the music during the '50s and '60s. Unfortunately, it’s a perception that still lingers.

At first, you didn’t take the trombone seriously, but there were a number of factors that turned you around: your peers in the Bronx Borough Wide concert band, and the music of trombonist J.J. Jackson.

I was one of those kids who was always the best musician of the bunch, so in junior high school they recommended that I audition for Bronx Borough Wide. When I got there, there were other kids who could play like me, and in a way it was a little more inspiring. There was a guy name Thomas Brown who was running the Bronx Borough Wide program at that time, who happened to be a trombone player. He whipped us into shape. And then there were a lot of young guys and ladies who were in the orchestra, a few of whom went on to become highly respected musicians.

Do you remember their names?

Drummer Steve Jordan went on to make a lot of great records with jazz and rock musicians. He's also a producer. In fact, he just produced the music for the film Cadillac Records. He's done a lot of great things, and is highly respected in the business. There was a bass trombonist named Mallion Walker who is no longer with us. It’s hard for me to remember all of their names.

Did you get turned-on to the music of J.J. Johnson at that time?

Yeah, it was in that period, before I got into high school. It kind of turned me around, because his sound was so unique. After I heard J.J., my curiosity was piqued, and I tried to figure out how to get that sound out of the instrument.
http://jazz.com/features-and-interviews/2009/1/24/in-conversation-with-clifton-anderson