Bobby Avey - Authority Melts from Me (2014)

Reprinted below are the liner notes from the album:

"Authority Melts From Me is a suite for quintet, inspired by my respect for the Haitian people, who have persevered through a tragic history of colonialism, slavery, and foreign occupation. This suite focuses particularly on Haiti's slave revolt--the only successful slave rebellion in recorded history--which led to Haiti's declaration of independence from its colonial master, France, in 1804. On the eve of the slave insurrection in August 1791, leaders of the rebellion conducted a massive Vodou ceremony at Bois Caïman in the northern mountains of the island to declare their intent to take over the Northern part of Haiti (then Saint Domingue). As Haitian scholar Madison Smart Bell writes: In Haitian Vodou, there is understood to be a great crossroads between the world of the living and the other world inhabited by the spirits of the dead. Vodou practitioners believe that the souls of the dead do not depart. Instead, they go into a parallel universe invisible to the living, but quite nearby – and not impossible to reach. Traffic through this crossroads defines much of Vodousaint religious practice.

In addition to a Vodou priest, Vodou drummers facilitate opening the gateway between the two worlds.

I have selected music from two Vodou drumming ensembles: the drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin from Port au Prince, and the drummers from the community of Soukri, near the town of Gonaïves, whose ceremony I had the great honor of attending and documenting in January 2012. Since distinct Vodou traditions have been preserved in specific communities for hundreds of years, these ensembles have unique lexicons. Following a period of immersion, careful transcription, and analysis, I composed a suite of music utilizing rhythms and concepts found in these two drumming ensembles. The result is Authority Melts From Me.

The history of jazz has always been one of cultural variety and amalgamation of diverse traditions. I hope to be furthering that in a sensitive way by incorporating traditions of a county I respect. I hope to add something to the legacy of jazz that stays true to the aspirations of that music while incorporating a style that up until now has not been explored in this way. What I also hope is that this endeavor is creating further linkages in the relationships of the various branches of the African diasporic tradition.

Musicians taking part in the realization of Authority Melts From Me: Miguel Zenón – alto sax; Ben Monder – guitar; Thomson Kneeland – bass; Jordan Perlson – drums, and me on piano.

My visit to Haiti in January 2012 made painfully immediate the conditions under which Haitians struggle. Even prior to the earthquake, 55% of Haitian households survived on the equivalent of 44 U.S. cents a day. Only 35% of students are able to complete primary school and only 4% graduate from secondary school. More than one in twenty people are HIV-positive, and nearly 1 in 5 children die before their 6th birthday. Such statistics only begin to convey the reality for much of Haiti today. Almost three years after the earthquake, nearly 400,000 Haitians braved Hurricane Sandy under tents and tarps.

What is very important for Americans to understand is that America has played a dominant role in shaping the current state of Haiti. The U.S. invaded and occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934, training a brutal military force designed to suppress Haiti’s domestic population. The U.S. killed between 15,000 and 30,000 Haitians during its occupation and in building up the military, provided a force that has terrorized the country since. Haitian soldiers, serving elite interests, were essentially immune from the rule of law. They have also regularly overthrown governments, as Haiti has seen over 30 coups in its history.

America embraced the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier during most of his 14-year rule. Sociologist Alex Dupuy estimated that perhaps 50,000 people were killed during this reign of terror. America even more enthusiastically supported Duvalier’s son, Jean-Francois, who ruled for an additional 15 years. He kept taxes low and imposed starvation wages for workers, creating an inviting investment climate for U.S. companies.

In 1986, Jean-Francois was ousted. Following four years of turmoil that saw 11 different presidents and a populist movement in the face of military repression, Haiti held its first ever free and fair elections in 1990. One candidate, the populist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, won decisively with 67% of the vote with 80% of the electorate voting. He was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup seven months later.

In 2000, Aristide ran for president again, this time elected by over 90% of the vote. The second coup took longer to orchestrate but in 2004, the US kidnapped Aristide and flew him to South Africa.

The current international troop presence in Haiti, the arrival of which was orchestrated by the U.S. in the aftermath of the 2004 coup, has presided over eight years of human rights abuses. Two years ago, the U.S.-funded troops inadvertently yet carelessly introduced cholera to the country, which has killed 8,500 and infected nearly 700,000 as of this writing. Efforts are underway to demand accountability and reparations for this act of criminal negligence.

Despite the countless obstacles Haitians face, the short amount of time that I spent in Haiti made clear the resilience of the Haitian people is the country’s greatest asset. I hope my music will lead to greater understanding and awareness of Haiti among the American people and ultimately play some small role in inspiring thoughtful action to turn the tide of the relationship between the two countries."

Bobby Avey - piano
Miguel Zenón - alto saxophone
Ben Monder - guitar
Thomson Kneeland - double bass
Jordan Perlson - drums