Jazzing up the usual routine

Michele Marr

In 1994, Norm Freeman was on the road with Barbara Streisand, a

member of the band for her reunion concert tour. When the concert

played a local Orange County venue, the musicians stayed at the Four

Seasons at Fashion Island.

That’s when Freeman found St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal

Church in Corona del Mar.

“When I travel, I love to visit churches,” he said, recalling his

first visit to the church campus nearly 10 years ago. “That was long

before I could have imagined I would someday be living in Southern

California.”

Not only does Freeman now live in Southern California, he is now

also an Episcopal priest. In 1994, he entered the General Theological

Seminary, and during his studies received pastoral training at

Bellevue Hospital in New York City. He was ordained in 1997 and

became curate at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenwich, Conn.

In March 2000, he had a chance to move his family to Santa Barbara

where he is now Vicar of the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in

Isla Vista, Episcopal chaplain for the UC Santa Barbara and founder

of a ministry called Jazz in the Church.

The priest is a Grammy award-winning percussionist. He earned a

bachelor’s and a master’s in music from the Julliard School. He

played with the New York Philharmonic for almost two decades, working

under Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and Kurt Mazur. He performed in

the orchestras of the Broadway productions of “Grease” and “A Chorus

Line.”

He has played with Metallica, Paul McCartney, the Moody Blues,

Lionel Ritchie, Barry White and Rosemary Clooney. Has been timpanist

for the New York Pops since the orchestra was founded 20 years ago,

and he still returns to New York to play five concerts a year under

the direction of Skitch Henderson.

Next weekend, Freeman will visit St. Michael and All Angels in

Corona del Mar again, this time to play Jazz Vespers for the Soul,

the final concert in the church’s 2002-03 Friends of Music First

Sundays at Five Series.

“I fell in love with [this area] before I entered seminary, while

traveling with Barbara Streisand’s band and staying at the Four

Seasons, [but] I never could have imagined the journey that would

lead to my upcoming visit,” he said.

Along with Freeman, who will play the vibes, the service will

feature three other jazz artists, pianist Theo Sanders, bassist

Putter Smith and drummer Kendall Kay, all well known for their

talents and musically creative voices.

“[They] are among the busiest players on the jazz scene,” Freeman

said. “They can pick and choose what they want to do. They especially

enjoy playing for the community that gathers in churches for these

services.”

Vespers is one of two customary hours of prayer in the Church. Its

roots go back to the traditional evening prayers of ancient Israel.

Once called Lucernarium, in English “lamp-lighting time,” it begins

with a prayer of blessing at the rising of the evening star.

In the Western Church, the present form of the evening prayer

service includes a hymn and by two psalms, a New Testament canticle,

a short lesson, a short responsory, the Magnificat with antiphons,

and prayers.

“Jazz vespers is a synthesis of traditions. It blends the age-old

liturgy with the unique musical language we call jazz. It’s

spontaneous and collaborative. It gives voice to the human spirit

through a musical language that transcends the limits of speech,”

Freeman said.

The services attract multigenerational audiences, and many who

attend are not members of the church that hosts a service. People

often come with family and friends, and sometimes, they don’t expect

to enjoy it.

But people like it when they give it a chance, Freeman said.

“Heads bop, toes tap and bodies sway during the music,” he said.

Tim Getz, minister of music at St. Michael and All Angels in

Corona del Mar, says Episcopalians can be a very traditional about

their church music.

“[They are an] organ-and-choir loving bunch, but once you hear

jazz vespers, you’re converted,” he said. “And I like the little

jokes [Norm] slips in from time to time, like when he plays ‘Pennies

from Heaven’ during the offering.”

Freeman’s Jazz in the Church ministry and it’s Web site,

jazzministry.org, is meant to be a resource for others who might want

to introduce jazz vespers to their own church community, to help them

learn from Freeman’s experience and the experience of others.

“We try to give it all away,” he said. “Jazz vespers has a

freshness that is open to God’s spirit. For me, it’s been a wonderful

path to deepening my relationship with God. At its best, it’s

inspired.”