In
the Kitchen with Wendell Logan
Wendell
Logan, Conservatory professor of African American music was recently
honored by a scholarship for outstanding jazz studies set up in
his name by two of Logans former students, Leon Doresy, 81
and James McBride, 79. The Oberlin Jazz Ensembles tribute
concert for Wendell Logan, held Friday, Nov. 10, was a smash hit,
as OJE concerts unfailingly attract audiences from the Oberlin community
and beyond. The concert featured such distinguished alumni musicians
as saxophonist (and best-selling author) McBride, trumpet player
Michael Mossman, bassist Dorsey, pianist George Caldwell and many
others. Arts editor Julie Johnson stopped by the office of professor
Logan to ask a few questions about the concert and his phenomenal
career at Oberlin.
Julie
Johnson: Just out of curiosity, your tribute concert was booked
as a surprise concert, so what exactly was the surprise?
Wendell
Logan: First of all, there were students who came back here to participate
in that concert. The reason they came back here was they were setting
up a scholarship in my name at the conservatory. The surprise was
that I thought there were four or five students coming back but
there were many more than four or five, so that part of it was a
surprise. About 40 to 50 alumni came back to perform.
JJ:
Thats great. How was it to be on stage with students past
and present; was it a success?
WL:
All of our concerts are successes. If they are not we dont
play
The concert started at 8 p.m. and we played for about
an hour and it went until about midnight, so people wouldnt
have stayed if it wasnt a success.
JJ:
How long have you been teaching?
WL:
Ive been teaching at Oberlin since 1973.
JJ:
Was the African American music department an established department
when you came?
WL:
It was not an established department. There was nothing here.
JJ:
You were instrumental in creating the department?
WL:
I was very much a part of creating it.
JJ:
Was that a difficult struggle to get the department going or was
it easy?
WL:
Very difficult.
JJ:
How long has it taken for people to support the program?
WL:
Im not so sure that everybody supports it now, but we do have
a department.
JJ:
And is there a lot of student involvement in the department?
WL:
Weve got about 40-something majors. A lot of kids take our
courses. They are oversubscribed, so I would say theres a
lot of interest.
JJ:
How do you think the Conservatory has changed since you first came
here?
WL:
There are a lot of new people here. That much is for sure. There
are programs here that were not here before, jazz studies being
one. In terms of its primary focus, the primary focus is still European
classical music. That is what the Conservatory was initially set
up for and that is what it continues to do. The courses that were
offered in terms of jazz studies that were on-the-book jazz courses
were started in 1973.
JJ:
What has been the most meaningful part of developing the program
and teaching at Oberlin?
WL:
I talked about developing the department, and the meaningful part
of that is seeing students come here and graduate and go out and
make a living [in music].
JJ:
Was the scholarship a surprise, too?
WL:
I was informed by the administration that there were some students
coming who were interested in setting up a scholarship in my name.
I was informed in September that that was in the works.
JJ:
Thats quite an honor. Thanks for your time.
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