Guthrie Ramsey is a performer and educator– and he makes a point to balance the two worlds, one influencing the other, in an endless flow of creative output. The musicologist, pianist, and composer now has four records released with his band MusiQology, the latest one entitled A Spiritual Vibe Vol. 1 having been released May 31st, 2020. He’s performed at the famous jazz club Blue Note in New York City, the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and many other renowned venues.
As a scholar he received his doctorate in Musicology from the University of Michigan and is now a widely published author with many critically acclaimed works to his name, created a documentary film entitled The Tests and Triumph of Bud Powell, and was a co-curator for a 2010 exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institute just to name of a few of his achievements. Other accolades include being a Thurgood Marshall Dissertation Fellow at Dartmouth College, a DuBois Institute Fellow at Harvard University, has held visiting professorships at Princeton University and Harvard University, and recently he is set to be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Amidst all the new milestones the good doctor has reached recently, he was kind enough to give us an interview about his recent happenings.
What was your feeling when you found out you were being inducted into The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and what does this mean for you?
I was speechless. I’ve been in this business for a long time and to get such an honor was surprising and gratifying. It’s something I never focused on, but when the news came you can’t help but think about how much work you’ve done over the years. And that makes you appreciate the recognition.
For those unfamiliar with your scholarly work can you share some of your work with our readers and where they can find them for reading?
I’d start with two books: Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop (2003) and The Amazing Bud Powell: Black Genius, Jazz History, and the Challenge of Modern Jazz (2013). There’s also a long essay titled African American Music, which was published on Kindle. It’s an overview of the history of African American Music. Other than that, people might check out my blog Musiqology.com, which has a lot of my public work written over the last decade. And there’s the museum catalogs to which I’ve contributed essays.
Can you share some of the things you’ve practiced over the course of your scholarly career that you feel have contributed to your current success?
I’ve been adamant to think about my creative output as related to my scholarship. That practice has given me the freedom to think about how they can inform one another. It also allows me to keep a steady stream of content flowing because I’m constantly moving between the two streams.
You have a new mixtape coming out that is very personal to you in nature. Tell us a little about the backstory for this project.
The new project is called A Spiritual Vibe, Vol. 1, and it dropped on May 31. It’s a collection of spiritual songs featuring contemporary-sounding interpretations and arrangements. It’s a very personal project because it maps my journey through cancer treatment and the Covid-19 global pandemic. The project is a reflection of the thinking that helped me get through those things.
How do you feel this one is similar and different from your other albums?
Besides it being a map of my journey to health, it represents a real stylistic departure from some of my earlier work. I’ve moved more into the digital sound world and it features much more singing than my previous CDs.
Dr. Ramsey has been an avid supporter of mine for many years and I am of him as well. I want to thank him again for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with me, and I hope to have him as a guest on the Occhi YouTube Channel in the near future to discuss all his recent happenings in depth. The success he is enjoying now is much deserved, and I’m looking forward to many more great accomplishments in the future. Be sure to check out his most recent release A Spiritual Vibe Vol. 1 as well as his other albums and his published literary works.
For more information, please visit
https://themusiqdept.bandcamp.com/album/a-spiritual-vibe-vol-1-2
https://twitter.com/DrGuyMusiQology
https://www.instagram.com/ramseymusic/
Credits:
Photo by Njr2 Photography
Album Cover Design by Mikel Washington
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