Music as a Healing Force: William Parker Interview

From Jazz Right Now:

On November 17, 2014, legendary bassist William Parker invited me to his apartment on the Lower East Side to talk about his musical philosophy. I had approached him about an interview after a gig he did in Brooklyn the previous month, introducing myself as a writer who focuses on “young and emerging artists.” He had responded with a wry grin that that still applied to him. Jokes aside, Mr. Parker is an artist who now, in his early sixties, still possesses a rare energy and a fresh curiosity with his creative process. Rising in the 1970s as a member of the Cecil Taylor Unit and other groundbreaking ensembles, Mr. Parker gained greater attention in the 1990s as one of the principle inspirations behind the vibrant Downtown scene. In the two and a half decades since, he has been an incredibly prolific recording artist and has been a profound influence on the next generation of artists.