I remember first seeing Davey play at church. Eyes closed, and looking very frail, Davey played a raggedy old upright bass that survived 2 car wrecks, and 60 years of playing. He bought the bass at 15 years of age, when he switched from the tuba to the string bass.
I met Davey through a mutual friend. I pursued Davey, because I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn the theory, the material, the genre. I wanted to be a part of the Jazz brotherhood, and all that it meant. Davey was a professor of music composition from Auburn University back in his day, although you'd never know it to look at him. He was an elderly hippy if I ever saw one.
Davey's small apartment was a cluster of heady books, a hefty classical record collection, and upright basses in the corners and on the floor. An old piano near the window was litered with compositions by Bartok, and Stravinsky. The room reaked of cigarette smoke and old paper.
He told me, rather firmly, that he wanted nothing to do with me if I didn't put in hard work. Davey lost his temper quite easily. I smile now. Davey was just being Davey. He gave me a chart for "Come Rain or Come Shine" to learn. And I learned it that night. I was determined to show Davey that he had never met anyone who would work as hard, or as long, as I.
Every Monday and Wednesday I was at Davey's apartment at 3:00pm to play. I worked tirelessly on a new tune every week. And listened to hundreds of albums that Davey would introduce me to. Everyone from Goodman, and Miles, to Eric Dolphy, and Roland Hannah.
Each one of our playing "sessions" began and ended the same way. We'd start by playing a blues tune. Then progress onto difficult material that that I was then learning. Tunes like Donna Lee, Giant Steps, Falling Grace, Nardis. And then we'd finish by listening to an entire classical composition on his Hi Fi record player, while he reclined, closed his eyes, and smoked his Winstons. And then he would send me along with homework. A new tune to learn, classical music to study, and a different jazz album to listen to.
We played gigs together. And he was the first bassist in my first trio. Davey showed up to each gig with a cap and sunglasses on, looking like Dizzy Gillespe. And he always swung on that old bass of his. I gradually became a different kind of player over the 2 years that I studied with Davey. My taste began to change. My standards got higher as I saturated myself with the music of Bill Evans. I developed enough confidence to feel comfortable calling myself a humble jazz musician. I quit playing all other music, but the standards.
The impact that Davey had on my life was notable. And even though he is gone now. Davey will always be swinging. Swinging hard. Somewhere. This song is for Davey, since it is among the first tunes I the trio played.
I met Davey through a mutual friend. I pursued Davey, because I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn the theory, the material, the genre. I wanted to be a part of the Jazz brotherhood, and all that it meant. Davey was a professor of music composition from Auburn University back in his day, although you'd never know it to look at him. He was an elderly hippy if I ever saw one.
Davey's small apartment was a cluster of heady books, a hefty classical record collection, and upright basses in the corners and on the floor. An old piano near the window was litered with compositions by Bartok, and Stravinsky. The room reaked of cigarette smoke and old paper.
He told me, rather firmly, that he wanted nothing to do with me if I didn't put in hard work. Davey lost his temper quite easily. I smile now. Davey was just being Davey. He gave me a chart for "Come Rain or Come Shine" to learn. And I learned it that night. I was determined to show Davey that he had never met anyone who would work as hard, or as long, as I.
Every Monday and Wednesday I was at Davey's apartment at 3:00pm to play. I worked tirelessly on a new tune every week. And listened to hundreds of albums that Davey would introduce me to. Everyone from Goodman, and Miles, to Eric Dolphy, and Roland Hannah.
Each one of our playing "sessions" began and ended the same way. We'd start by playing a blues tune. Then progress onto difficult material that that I was then learning. Tunes like Donna Lee, Giant Steps, Falling Grace, Nardis. And then we'd finish by listening to an entire classical composition on his Hi Fi record player, while he reclined, closed his eyes, and smoked his Winstons. And then he would send me along with homework. A new tune to learn, classical music to study, and a different jazz album to listen to.
We played gigs together. And he was the first bassist in my first trio. Davey showed up to each gig with a cap and sunglasses on, looking like Dizzy Gillespe. And he always swung on that old bass of his. I gradually became a different kind of player over the 2 years that I studied with Davey. My taste began to change. My standards got higher as I saturated myself with the music of Bill Evans. I developed enough confidence to feel comfortable calling myself a humble jazz musician. I quit playing all other music, but the standards.
The impact that Davey had on my life was notable. And even though he is gone now. Davey will always be swinging. Swinging hard. Somewhere. This song is for Davey, since it is among the first tunes I the trio played.
Labels: bass, come rain or come shine, destin, destin florida, electric piano, jazz, santa rosa beach, seagrove, sean dietrich trio, seaside, upright bass
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