Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Crompton.
Hi Jeff, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a saxophonist and composer with one foot in jazz and one foot in what is often called “weird music” these days. The “weird music” label covers a lot of musical flavors – totally improvised music, free jazz, noise music, avant-garde classical music, etc.
I am obsessed with music, and this was true of my younger self as well. When I started playing saxophone and got interested in jazz as a kid, my sweet mom would bring home records that she thought I might be like. Some of these had unusual, avant-garde playing by musicians like Anthony Braxton and Albert Ayler. Their off-center music got under my skin right away, and I knew that this “fringe” music was what I wanted to pursue for myself.
The kind of music I compose and play will never be widely popular, but over the years, I have developed a small, loyal audience of listeners in Atlanta and the Southeast. I have a fairly large catalog of recordings and lead or play in several ensembles, including Relay Station, Anagrams, and my trio with two drummers (!), Stagner, Murray & Crompton.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I was a public school music teacher for many years, but my position was eliminated for budgetary reasons in 2010. I was miserable for about a year until I realized that I now had more time and energy to write music, form bands, and book gigs.
I had written and performed my original music through the years I was teaching, but having that rug pulled out from under me turned out to be a blessing. It forced me to focus on my music – to stay sane if nothing else. I loved teaching, but now consider losing that job to be one of the best things that has happened to me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
There is a healthy avant-garde music scene in Atlanta, with lots of talented players and improvisers. I think the fact that I’m a fairly good composer as well as a saxophonist sets me apart, at least a little bit.
I was the major composer for the Edgewood Saxophone Trio, which unfortunately no longer exists since our beloved baritone saxophonist Bill Nittler passed late last year. But the tenor player, Ben Davis and I put together a final album of recordings by the EST. We called it “Heard,” and we’re extremely proud of it – from the music to the design (by Colin Bragg) to the liner notes. It’s a worthy tribute to Bill’s memory.
And just before the pandemic, I wrote a short opera based on the last days of Buddy Bolden, who some consider to be the first jazz musician. When it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to stage a conventional performance due to quarantine conditions, we recorded it – separately, one part at a time – and edited into a video presentation for the web. The Edgewood Saxophone Trio is the “orchestra,” the cast is amazing, and video editor Blake Helton turned it into something really special.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m a lifelong Atlantan, but my wife (Spelman professor Karen Brakke) will be ready to move closer to her family when she retires in a couple of years. So we’ll be headed to Bellingham, Washington. That gives me two years to get things done in ATL. Among other projects, I hope to stage a production of “Buddy Bolden,” put out an album by my band Relay Station, and put together a concert with a large ensemble of 10 to 12 pieces.
After that, in the Pacific Northwest – who knows? I’ll see what lies ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jeffcrompton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffcromptonmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffcromptonmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAT3T6OCYHKCNJaoGt4j6Ow/playlists
- Other: https://jeffcrompton.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Steve Eberhard Colin Bragg Jeff Crompton
