I had the pleasure of seeing Emma Franz’ film “Intangible Asset No. 82″ a couple of days ago at the Randwick Ritz. It’s a documentary about Sydney-based jazz drummer Simon Barker and his interest in a Korean Shaman/musical practitioner called Kim Seok-Chul. www.intangibleasset82.com. I’ve been interested in the relationship of music to spirituality for a couple of years now, so I was curious to see what Franz and Barker would present. Jazz drumming is a fairly rigid practice as far as art forms go, so breaking out and following an intangible impulse needs some courage. Courage which I think Simon Barker displays throughout the film, starting with agreeing to be its subject.

The theatre was packed to the rafters with jazz musicians and arts community bods; a great sight on a wet Monday night. There was a Q&A after the film which was handled candidly by Franz and Barker. I did notice a small hestitation around the subject of spirituality, almost an embarrassment to say anything out loud that might seem kooky. This subject was avoided almost completely in the audience’s questions, and even in her answers Franz seemed a bit coy, choosing her words carefully. I can understand this shyness, especially in an Australian context.

Jazz doesn’t automatically suggest spirituality the way another musical genre – such as Gregorian chanting – might. Of course there’s the improvisational side of jazz, which is about freedom in ways that other genres aren’t. However for me at least, spirituality isn’t just associated with free-form, but rather as an expression coming through the structure. Some players seem to have a certain sound that touches my heart, and it wouldn’t matter if they were playing a melody as straight as it was written; they would still have that effect. For me it’s Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Bill Evans and most recently Phil Slater’s contribution on Jonathan Zwartz’s The Sea. Were/are these players spiritually in tune? Or just very relaxed? Are we guided spiritually if we are truly relaxed while we create?

In the film “Intangible Asset No. 82″ a Shaman describes the importance of the breath; co-ordinating the body’s actions with the instrument (in this case a drum), the breath and the heartbeat. Relaxation was also valued by the Shamans, a state I have often heard performers of all kinds desiring in their work. Concentration on the breath is an ancient practice used in meditation, and I have found this to be a valuable practice for myself as a centering device in performing and creating – not to mention general wellbeing. If you’re interested in exploring this further, I recommend Kenny Werner’s book/CD “Effortless Mastery”. Werner is a jazz pianist but the book is accessible to all musicians whether their instrument is on the inside or the outside.

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