Jazz & Blues Affinity

Introduction

“I’m not Herbie Hancock on piano, and I never will be Herbie Hancock,” says Springfield, Missouri, keyboardist Arthur Duncan. “I have to be Arthur Duncan.”

His mother started teaching him piano and organ when he was five. Today he leads one of Springfield’s busiest jazz groups with bassist Ernie Bedell and drummer Richard Allen, friends who grew up a few blocks from his house. In this conversation, Arthur reflects on learning from the greats without imitating them, and on the years it took to find a sound of his own.

Discussion Points

• Arthur urges young musicians to “learn every style you can get,” from gospel and blues to Stevie Wonder, because it makes you well-rounded. A wide range of influences is where a personal sound begins.
• He has never stopped studying. He learned from his mother, practiced four to five hours a day at Drury, and learned from Springfield elders like Dallas Bartley and BeBop Brown. He still learns from younger players. But learning someone’s style, he insists, is not the same as trying to be them.
• Asked about imposter syndrome, Arthur answers with gratitude instead of comparison. He loves Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and George Duke “because they were excellent,” but he has never wanted to play like them note for note. His standard is excellence on his own terms: a well-rehearsed “quality sound.”
• He never plays a song the same way twice. He reworks chords, inversions, and arrangements until, in his words, “we make it ours.” It’s like cooking soup, he says: you have to add your own flavors.
• “I don’t look at no as no,” Arthur says. “I look at no as next opportunity.” That outlook turned a four-month Monday-night trial into a four-year residency. It also shapes his advice to young artists: not everyone becomes famous, but you can be the best that you can be.

Recommended Listening

“Sun Goddess,” Ramsey Lewis & Earth, Wind & Fire (1974)
Listen on Apple Music, where the title track opens the album: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sun-goddess/323404732 appleapple

This is Arthur’s one essential recording, and a song he once worked hard to learn. He loves how the chords and groove settle in before Lewis takes the melody. Fittingly for this episode, it’s a story of reinvention. By 1974, Lewis felt his approach had run its course. He reunited with his former drummer, Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, and began experimenting with electric keyboards.

Further Listening & Reading

• Ramsey Lewis Trio, “The ‘In’ Crowd” (still in Arthur’s set list) and “Wade in the Water”
• Arthur’s gospel touchstones: Andraé Crouch, Richard Smallwood, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp
• Ernie Bedell’s Generation B Music and Melodies, a history of his musical family that also features BeBop Brown and Dallas Bartley, plus his oral history interview with Missouri State University Libraries: https://youtu.be/H6Aesb5Uv-M 
• Follow Arthur on Facebook for videos and upcoming dates, including an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute he’s planning for late January: https://facebook.com/arthur.duncan.90. And take his parting advice: support live music wherever you are.

Join Derek Zboran as he sits down with legendary blues harmonica player Bob Corritore to explore his lifelong passion for the blues.

Derek shares how his conversations with jazz and blues musicians revealed deeper questions about authenticity, voice, and creative lifestyles—questions that now form the foundation of Discovery. Whether you're a longtime listener of Jazz and Blues Affinity or new to Derek's work, this episode invites you to investigate ideas that help you live well, find your voice, and approach life's opportunities with confidence.

Join us for a conversation with jazz musician Billy Novick. He shares seasoned wisdom for creatives, discusses the art of performing traditional music, and makes us privy to tips for maintaining resilience in an arts-focused career.

Learn more about Billy Novick:
http://billynovick.com/

Learn more about Jazz and Blues Affinity:
https://jazzandbluesaffinity.com/

Is it possible to turn “the arts” into a space to conquer self-doubt and build confidence? What could that look like? Jazz musician and life coach Alicia Olatuja shares her thoughts in today's conversation with Derek Zboran.

Learn more about Alicia Olatuja:
https://www.aliciaolatuja.com/

Check out Jazz and Blues Affinity:
https://jazzandbluesaffinity.com/

Alfred Bellanti may be retired from his career, but he has not retired from life or connecting with others! He continues to explore the riches of life as a self-help author and musician. Here he shares seasoned insights about pursuing excellence as a creative-minded individual over the long-term.

Learn more about Alfred Bellanti:
https://www.bellantienterprises.com/

Check out Jazz and Blues Affinity:
https://jazzandbluesaffinity.com/

Guitarist and motivational speaker Eddie Weldon talks about pursuing a creative passion, avoiding costly mistakes as a musician, and achieving great things in the arts and beyond!

Check out his TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@eddieweldon?lang=en

Check out Hidden Revealed on Bandcamp:
https://hiddenrevealed.bandcamp.com/album/unseen

Join his community on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067650091480

Learn more about Jazz and Blues Affinity:
https://jazzandbluesaffinity.com/

Derek Zboran joins his friend PG Woods of Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings to discuss the various threads that form the rich tapestry of storytelling through music in the United States and beyond. The band he performs in as a bassist has the following motto: "We stole our Grandma’s record collection and learned ‘em all."

Check out PG Woods and Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings:
https://www.facebook.com/acejacksonandthejumpkings/

Check out Boards for Bros:
https://boards4bros.org/

Check out Jazz and Blues Affinity:
https://jazzandbluesaffinity.com/

What I've been doing during my podcasting sabbatical, and a preview of new directions for this show.

Our friend Ben Golder-Novick ("Ben the Sax Guy") returns to Jazz and Blues Affinity for a discussion about the challenges and promises of performing live music. Find Ben and check out his music at the following links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/benthesaxguy13
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benthesaxguy/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/07LEfydmt5RZpSuNyQcluc