Isaiah Petrie’s introduction to playing jazz and the vibraphone came about as a pragmatic need for another credit during his senior year of high school. The decision would prove to be a game-changer, expanding his musical horizons in ways he didn’t anticipate.
“It just went from there,” Petrie says.
Growing up in a musical family deeply rooted in the church, Petrie’s musical education began by playing the drum set alongside his kin in a sacred space. Petrie then dove deep into classical percussion throughout high school, falling in love with playing marimba, a musical instrument that consists of wooden bars that are struck with mallets. He enrolled at Kansas State with plans to study classical music.
“I had a shifting point my sophomore year,” Petrie says. “I was kind of tired of classical music. What I was composing and improvising on marimba was more along the lines of the kind of stuff I’m playing today.”
The following year, Petrie transferred to UMKC’s Conservatory to home in on jazz. Now, the vibraphonist, who will graduate this spring, is preparing for his academic journey’s finale with an upcoming senior performance. But Petrie is doing more than just orchestrating a final recital. He is hard at work refining his musical voice, intentionally pushing boundaries and etching a name for himself as one of the most promising emerging artists in KC’s jazz scene.
“I’m trying to figure out how to meld a classical understanding of storytelling through composition with jazz improvisation and also tying in my church background,” Petrie says. “I want the emotional underpinning of what’s happening to guide me melodically, to be of service, open and present to the music.”
Petrie’s musical exploration isn’t a solo endeavor. He collaborates with peers who inspire him and also finds inspiration in the city’s wide-ranging musical landscape. He can frequently be found performing around KC with other musicians.
“If you look in the right spaces, there’s a really diverse array of music happening,” Petrie says. “It’s really cool to be musically fed by so many different types of music being made all in the same city.”
The rich artistic environment is one of the reasons Petrie plans to stay rooted in KC post-graduation while still venturing beyond in an effort to make a name for himself. “I’m ready to play more, play in different cities and build a network,” Petrie says.
This month, Petrie can be found performing at Westport Coffeehouse’s black box theater on February 7 and Vine Street Brewing Co. on February 23.
In March, he’ll be playing at The Ship in the West Bottoms, with a performance that’s set to showcase his ever-evolving musical identity, presenting contemporary compositions and stellar improvising. This musical exploration won’t be a solo endeavor. Petrie will be collaborating with peers who inspire him, such as pianist Eddie Moore, multi-instrumentalist Ryan J. Lee, bassist DeAndre Manning and drummer Jaylen Ward.
GO: Isaiah Petrie Quartet, March 21 at 9 pm, The Ship, 1221 Union Ave., KCMO. $10 at the door. Doors open 8 pm.
