Paul Cornish Takes Residency at the 18th Street Arts Center
The Make Jazz Fellowship selected pianist and composer Paul Cornish as their 2021 artist in residence. Cornish performed his original works in a free concert streamed from the iconic World Stage in Los Angeles' Leimert Park on April 25, 2021.
Pianist Paul Cornish in his backyard on April 17, 2021 at his Jazz residency at 18th Street Arts Center and Studio in Santa Monica California. (Kevin Tidmore | The Corsair)
The Santa Monica based 18th Street Art Center is home to the annual Make Jazz Fellowship program, sponsored by the Herb Alpert Foundation. Accomplished jazz musicians and composers from all around the world apply for the fellowship. The recipient is chosen based on how closely their goals align with the arts center's mission statement "to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art-making," according to their website.
The winning artists are given a three-month residency at the centers' campus, rehearsal space to complete their original compositions, and a live performance opportunity for their original works. The 18th Street Art Center supports artists from around the globe and showcases their artwork to the world.
Founded as a nonprofit in 1988, the organization had previously been a studio space for feminist artists and activists whose mission was to use art to initiate conversations with the public about social and cultural issues. The group of women decided to expand their program, building a nonprofit that would provide a diverse artistic environment and a wide range of visual and musical art exhibits.
This year's Make Jazz Fellowship recipient is the musically-intuitive pianist and composer Cornish. Receiving this opportunity had been a goal of his for a very long time, stating, "I'm just grateful and humbled because I've also worked with some of the past 18th street fellowship artists since moving to LA."
Cornish studied at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in his native Houston, Texas, known for its celebrity alumni including Beyonce and Chandra Wilson. He received a full scholarship to the University of Southern California and also received a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied at the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
Cornish worked with high-profile artists like Kayne West, playing piano for his "Sunday Services," alongside his older brother, music director Philip Cornish. Paul Cornish said those experiences impacted him as an artist, stating "seeing [Kayne's] process was something that inspired me, to this day, to follow my conviction and dream big."
Pianist Paul Cornish at his piano on April 17, 2021 at his Jazz residency at 18th Street Arts Center and Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. (Kevin Tidmore | The Corsair)
Cornish created a new musical project called “Community Music.” His inspiration came from a quote by cultural critic Larry Neal that Cornish saw in The Black Arts Movement section of the International African American Museum in Washington D.C., stating “radically opposed to any concept of the artist that alienates him from his community.” This made Cornish think about the roles an artist can play in society to help create a community.
Cornish said this new project and performance is about bringing people together, stating, “I'm just hoping that everyone feels connected by the different ways we have had to try to figure out how to connect with each other.” He said concerts and music have a special effect on him, "I forget about the troubles in my life," said Cornish.
Performing with Cornish were Los Angeles musicians Aneesa Strings on bass, Malachi Whitson on drums, and Jon Hatamiya on trombone. The April 25 culmination of Cornish's fellowship coincided with Jazz Appreciation Month and resulted in a concert debuting his completed "Community Music" project.
