Jazz Guitar Today Spotlight: Alicyn Yaffee
From Northern California to New York City, Alicyn Yaffee has been building a career as a guitarist and vocalist of note.
I caught up with Alicyn before her clinic for the Seattle Jazz Guitar Society.
JB: You grew up near Clearlake, California. What inspired you to play jazz guitar?
AY: In the small town of Kelseyville, I started out being into blues guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King. I saw a jazz band and auditioned without knowing much about jazz beyond Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. My first guitar teacher introduced me to a lot of great music and set me on this path to learning more about jazz. From there, I got really into Pat Metheny after getting The Road to You live from him. I was obsessed with that album and had never heard such beautiful music in my life! Also, “This Masquerade” from George Benson’s Breezin’ made me really want to sing and play at the same time.
JB: After graduating from Cal State Sacramento, you moved to New York. What did you appreciate about studying with Dave Stryker and trombonist Conrad Herwig during that era of your development?
AY: Dave Stryker was a really great teacher who would slow a lot of things down for me, with proper fingerings, and show me important lines and tunes. All of his students sound great; his method really gets students sounding great. Conrad is an incredible trombonist who co-runs the Mingus Big Band. So, we got to study that music for a whole semester, which was really cool.
JB: To you, in shaping your sound and approach, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why?
AY: Mark Whitfield’s 7th Ave. Stroll was a life-changing album for me. I transcribed a solo off of it, and it really taught me about swing and the true spirit of this music. He has such an incredible sound and really makes the instrument sing. I studied with him for a couple of years and would go to all of his gigs and sit in. He taught me so much about how the music should feel and to always keep the spirit and groove no matter the tempo.
Pat Martino All Sides now
I love how versatile this album is. It really resonates with the different genres I like. Pat plays with such incredible virtuosity but to me, his playing always speaks and touches my soul. He has a beautiful version of “Both Sides Now” with Cassandra Wilson, where he really reimagines the tune. He does such a great job of playing perfectly alongside guitarists like Kevin Eubanks, Tuck Andress, Charlie Hunter, and even Joe Satriani! I’m trying to get this wide range of tunes and playing on my next album.
Bobby Broom The Way I Play
I absolutely love Bobby Brooms playing. His phrasing and incredible way of making it feel like nothing is missing in a trio setting, all with an incredible sound. The way he plays excites me and inspires me a lot. He plays streams of fast lines, making the phrases like a horn player would. Swinging, full of interesting articulation and excitement! I’ve transcribed a couple of solos off of this album and really try to bring that spirit and sound into my playing.
JB: What do you find most rewarding and challenging about recording Someone Else, and later The Liquid?
AY: Someone Else was produced by a great bassist who has played in Santana’s band for a few decades, named Benny Rietveld. He had really great ideas for the music. There were moments I had to trust where he wanted to take certain songs, but overall, I love what he came up with. The Liquid was my own project with no producer or anyone really helping me out with production. It was when I was playing a lot with a rhythm section consisting of Brandon Lewis on drums, Renee Cruz on bass, Davis Whitfield on piano and Stacy Dillard on saxophone. They were really incredible to play with. I’m currently working on my third album with a mix of organ trio and quartet which I’m very excited about too!
JB: Do you ever sing without playing guitar, rather than fronting a band as a singer-guitarist?
AY: I used to be in vocal jazz at CSU Sacramento. When I was there, for the first couple of years, I was more focused on voice than guitar and loved just singing. Lately I rarely do it, but it’s very freeing to just be able to sing when I do.
JB: Tell us about working for singer/guitarist David Crosby and being an opening act for slide guitarist David Lindley.
AY: When I worked for David Crosby, I was his personal assistant, actually. “Croz” was an incredible performer and writer. It was an incredible experience hearing him with Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis, and Michael League for 6 weeks on the road. They had incredible arrangements of his tunes and arranged their own new originals with him. The writing was super gorgeous. He did a solo version of “Laughing” that would bring me to tears every night.
My band I formed in college got the honor of opening for David Lindley. We were pretty inexperienced, but it was a great project for us, developing our own compositions and performing them. It was an honor to open for him, he was an incredible solo performer.
JB: What do you appreciate most about the Benedetto guitar that you use?
AY: I play Pat Martino’s model. I absolutely love it! It came with 15s, a split pack that Martino would use. I love the warmth of the sound and how easy it is to play, even with such thick strings.
JB: New York is home to many good guitarists. You’ve been there for several years. What’s the best advice you’d give another younger guitarist to build a career in music?
AY: I’ve been in New York for over 12 years. It really “kicked my butt” in so many ways. My advice would be: learn as many tunes as you can, make sure you are always playing with feel and groove, and making everyone around you sound as great as possible! Be in the music with every ounce of you, all the time! Show up to the gig early and always treat those around you with love and respect.
