Article by Todd Matthews

When pianist George Cables studied music in the early-1960s, he didn't have to look too far for inspiration outside the classroom. Cables attended Mannes College in Manhattan when clubs like the Village Vanguard, the Five Spot, and Birdland were homes to some of the best musicians performing jazz. Those clubs offered Cables the first-hand experience he needed to pursue a career as a professional jazz musician.

"In those days, there weren't as many jazz institutions as there are today," says Cables, 60, during a phone interview from his home in Springfield Gardens, New York. "But you could go to places like the Five Spot or the Vanguard, and that was very valuable in those old days. I would go and see Monk at the Five Spot -- he was there for a few months at a time. Mingus was there with Eric Dolphy. Roland Kirk was there, too. And I remember seeing Coleman Hawkins there, as well."

"Sometimes, you find students who play all the right stuff, but somehow it just doesn't come across as authentic," says pianist George Cables. "It's not just about being in school, or expecting school just to give you these things. You've got to want these things. You're a partner with the music as a student." (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GEORGECABLES.COM)

It's a story worthy of envy -- particularly for today's jazz students who settle for recordings and compact discs to glean insight from such legends. It's also one reason why Cables -- who has performed and recorded with Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Williams, Bobby Hutcherson, and Dizzy Gillespie during a career that spans four decades -- will be in Seattle this month for a residency at Cornish College of the Arts that starts Sept. 21, and includes a performance with the Deardorf/Peterson Group at PONCHO Concert Hall on Sept. 23 at 8pm, and a free piano master class Sept. 24 at 3pm, which is open to the public. "I like to talk to students about the people I've seen and worked with," says Cables. "I think that's really important. I'm not one of those teachers with a formula for everybody. Basically, I go in as a performing musician who has spent his life playing on the road, in concerts, and in studios. I like to offer a bit of my experience."

Cables' professional jazz experience dates back to 1964, when he joined drummers Billy Cobham and Lenny White, and bassist Clint Houston to form The Jazz Samaritans, a group that performed regularly in New York City and drew the attention of some older jazz heavyweights: drummer Max Roach invited Cables to perform on the album Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic Records, 1971); Cables performed for a brief period with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers; and Cables toured the West Coast in 1969 with tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins.

He remained on the West Coast during the 1970s, splitting his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He performed on Woody Shaw's album Blackstone Legacy (Contemporary, 1970), Rollins's Next Album (Milestone, 1972), and several albums for vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, including Highway One (Columbia, 1978) and Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979). Cables also received an invitation from tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon to join his quartet, after Gordon had returned from living outside of the U.S.

Another notable relationship: Cables and saxophonist Art Pepper. It was Cables' closest musical friendship, and one he recalls fondly. "We got along really well," says Cables. "We were tight because our playing was compatible. Art felt very comfortable. He liked my down-home feel. When there was something bugging Art, I could talk to him. We could hang out and talk together. We had a good personal relationship." Cables appeared on a number of Pepper's albums, including Goin' Home (Original Jazz Classics, 1982), Pepper's last album before his death.

Cables has also recorded more than two-dozen albums as a leader, including the popular Cables Vision (Contemporary, 1979), By George (Contemporary, 1987), and Cables' Fables (Steeplechase, 1995).

Inviting Cables to Cornish was an easy decision, according to bassist Chuck Deardorf, who is a professor at the college, as well as the Music Department administrator. "For someone in George's position to come here, it's just gold," says Deardorf. "George can talk about how he started out in the business and share his observations about what it is that young people need to know if they're thinking about a career in jazz."

To be sure, Deardorf and Cables have known each other for more than 20 years. It's a friendship that dates back to Centrum's Port Townsend Jazz Festival, where the pair has performed. They have also gone out on the road together a number of times. And Cables was in Seattle last year to perform at Jazz Alley with the Deardorf/Peterson Group, which includes Deardorf, guitarist Dave Peterson, saxophonist Hans Teuber, and drummer John Bishop. "George has really been one of my favorite pianists and composers," says Deardorf, adding that Cables is a popular musician in the Pacific Northwest because of his long relationship with Centrum. "He's a really open person and musician. I know his teaching style. He will tell you the truth and do it in a way that is uplifting and affirming. George really knows how to get students of all ages excited."

This month's residency and performance is the second time Cables has visited Cornish. His last visit to the college was in 1995, and he was impressed by the school's curriculum. "I was happy with the faculty at that time," he recalls. "There was Julian Priester and Hadley Caliman. I thought that the music department had people who really knew the music."

Currently, Cables is keeping busy with his quartet -- The George Cables Project -- which includes saxophonist Gary Bartz, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and bassist Eric Revis. "It's a group that has experience and musical excitement, as well as youthful energy from Tain and Eric," he says. "The group can take you anywhere. There's a real chemistry among the four of us. It's really an exciting group."

Recently, Cables has also focused his energies toward solo performances. "I really enjoy that," he says. "It was nerve-wracking at first, and I was basically scared to do it. But as time went on, I developed confidence. When I'm playing with the quartet, I try to pull out one or two solo pieces. I really enjoy it."

Audiences should look for Cables to perform music from his latest album, Looking for the Light (Muse FX Records, 2003) during the concert Sept. 23 at PONCHO Concert Hall. He'll perform a trio set with Bishop and Deardorf, and another set with the Deardorf/Peterson Group. Students should look for Cables to share some of that experience and insight during his residency.

"Sometimes, you find students who play all the right stuff, but somehow it just doesn't come across as authentic," says Cables. "It's not just about being in school, or expecting school just to give you these things. You've got to want these things. You're a partner with the music as a student."

This article originally appeared in Earshot Jazz