I can't just lecture to people - it has to be more communal. In class last Friday, Hester was wearing baggy corduroys, and a loose fitting turquoise shirt that stands out brightly against his dark skin. With him on stage, the recital hall seemed to shrink-not so much because of his stature, but because of his uncanny ability to make a roomful of people feel at ease. The conversation during one of Hester's classes is not limited to music. Hester emphasizes the social context in which African-American music developed, but also talks of eastern mysticism, of mathematics, or of modern art.
Nothing is off-limits or irrelevant.
As part of an effort to beef up its jazz program, last year the music department sent out a call for a new full-time professor. Out of about 100 candidates for the post, the music faculty unanimously chose Hester. The choice was clear. For Hester, the move west is somewhat of a homecoming. In the '70s and early '80s, he lived in San Francisco.