EricEric Nemeyer’sNemeyer’s WWW.JAZZINSIDEMAGAZINE.COM August-September 2019 INTERVIEWSINTERVIEWS Billy Billy CobhamCobham 75th Birthday Celebration Blue Note, September 10--1515 BusterBuster WilliamsWilliams Dizzy's Club, September 26--28 HaroldHarold Comprehensive DankoDanko DirectoryDirectory of NY ClubS, ConcertS TheThe LanguageLanguage ofof MusicMusic To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 December 2015 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 1 COVER-2-JI-15-12.pub Wednesday, December 09, 2015 15:43 page 1 MagentaYellowBlacCyank ORDER THIS 200+ Page Book + CD - Only $19.95 Call 215-887-8880 To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 August-September 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 1 Eric Nemeyer’s Jazz Inside Magazine ISSN: 2150-3419 (print) • ISSN 2150-3427 (online) August-September 2019 – Volume 10, Number 5 Cover Photo and photo at right of Harold Danko By Ken Weiss Publisher: Eric Nemeyer Editor: Wendi Li Marketing Director: Cheryl Powers Advertising Sales & Marketing: Eric Nemeyer Circulation: Susan Brodsky Photo Editor: Joe Patitucci Layout and Design: Gail Gentry Contributors: Eric Nemeyer, Ken Weiss, Joe Patitucci. 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CONTENTS 20 Harold Danko — The Language Of INTERVIEWSINTERVIEWS 32 Billy Cobham — Recording The Semi- CLUBS, CONCERTS, EVENTS Music, by Ken Weiss 28 Buster Williams — First Big Break: nal Album: Spectrum 13 Calendar of Events Working With Heroes Sonny Stitt & 18 Clubs & Venue Listings Gene Ammons Visit these websites: JazzStandard.com Jazz.org JJBabbitt.com PAY ONLY FOR RESULTS MaxwellDrums.com LIKE US PUBLICITY! www.facebook.com/ JazzInsideMedia Get Hundreds Of Media Placements — ONLINE — Major Network Media & FOLLOW US Authority Sites & OFFLINE — Distribution To 1000’s of Print & Broadcast www.twitter.com/ JazzInsideMag Networks To Promote Your Music, Products & Performances In As Little As 24 Hours To Generate Traffic, Sales & Expanded Media Coverage! WATCH US www.PressToRelease.com | MusicPressReleaseDistribution.com | 215-887-8880 www.youtube.com/ JazzInsideMedia 2 August-September 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 To Advertise CALL: 215-887-8880 August-September 2019 Jazz Inside Magazine www.JazzInsideMagazine.com 3 me said they couldn’t do it but Nils Winther, from SteepleChase, got back and said he loved INTERVIEWINTERVIEW the music but wanted to record Rich Perry first. He had heard Rich Perry on a Ron McClure record. So, we did Rich Perry’s first record To Start Again with the quartet we had been co- leading. The next recording for Steeplechase Harold Danko was mine, Next Age, which had all my originals. The Language of Music The relationship has continued. Nils calls every once in a while and nobody else does. [Laughs] By Ken Weiss Spisske Vlachy, in the Spis area. They lived in JI: How much are you sacrificing in recognition Smock, Pennsylvania, before moving to Masury, in the States by recording for a foreign label? Harold Danko [b. June 13, 1947, Sharon, PA] Ohio, where I grew up. My parents spoke Eng- has built a long and distinguished career as an lish and Slovak, that’s my heritage. There was HD: Nils does have his distribution channels adaptive and creative pianist, both as a leader supposedly a famous Gypsy violinist that Hun- and the record gets out there, it just doesn’t seem and a sideman, a prolific composer, and as a garians have told me about named Pista Dankó. to get a lot of reviews. I got so tired of going valuable educator, the bulk of which includes 19 around to record companies, and that’s why I got years at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, JI: Any chance that you’re related to Rick more interested in teaching. The number of dol- New York, where he recently stepped down from. Danko [The Band]? lars from teaching numerous lessons adds up, so He continues to record and perform. After grad- I was much more loyal to my students than I was uating from Youngstown State University, he HD: No. I did meet him once and his heritage is to a one-time club owner who was gonna pay me spent time in an army band stationed in Staten more southern Slavic, so there’s not much whatever. By teaching, I found I was talking Island that allowed him to build connections in chance we’re related. about music, rather than talking about business, the New York jazz scene. He soon was playing and then I would get paid at the end of that hour. with the Woody Herman band and later leaders JI: Since 1993, you’ve remained with one rec- That felt better than waiting around till four in such as Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, the Thad Jones/ ord label, SteepleChase, and recorded 24 albums the morning to get paid. Recording is more like Mel Lewis bands, and Gerry Mulligan. He also for them. That shows perhaps unparalleled loyal- a documentation at this point. I feel like my worked with singers Chris Connor, Anita O’Day ty on both sides. What makes your association adult life has been documented. In my darkest and Liza Minnelli. While many may think of with this Danish label work for you? moments, I say, ‘Steeplechase has documented Danko as a traditionalist, he has maintained an my decline.’ [Laughs] I think with most bigger interest in free improvisation and exploration HD: [Laughs] I didn’t know the count. I had a record companies, if you get your shot and it inside the piano as modalities to further his per- time when I wasn’t recording as a leader. It was- doesn’t do anything, you’re done. Nils asks me sonal musical statements. This interview took n’t a dry spell; I was busy with everything else. I every year or so to do a project or asks me what place in Elkins Park, PA while Danko was in the had recorded for Sunnyside. François Zalacain I have. He hit on the idea of recording with area to visit family on May 3, 2019. was a good friend of mine, still is, I did his first somebody like Kirk, who I hadn’t encountered, record with Rufus Reid. So, I was associated which was a great idea. with Sunnyside for some time, did a few rec- JI: It’s interesting that up until this year’s re- lease with cornetist Kirk Knuffke [Play Date, “I was much more loyal to my students than SteepleChase], you had only recorded with nine musicians on the previous 23 SteepleChase rec- I was to a one-time club owner who was ords. Would you discuss maintaining a small set of artists to record with versus utilizing new groupings? gonna pay me whatever. By teaching, I HD: [Laughs] I hadn’t done the math. Those are found I was talking about music, rather the guys that agreed to rehearse and made time for me. I’d love to record with Billy Hart, but than talking about business, and then I could I grab Billy Hart for two afternoons? Mi- chael Formanek, Scott Colley and Jay Anderson, would get paid at the end of that hour. for example, those guys I know, and they might make a rehearsal if I asked them to. It’s really That felt better than waiting around till four the guys who were interested and available. I would like to play with a whole lot of people, if that were possible. Also, in the last 20 years, in in the morning to get paid. Recording is Rochester, I was very off the New York scene, so it wasn’t like I was in contact with a lot of the more like a documentation at this point.” New York players. Plus, the artistry of these guys is so high. I feel that I sound good with Jazz Inside Magazine: What is your heritage? ords, but Sunnyside was going into a different these guys, even if I haven’t played with them Where does Danko originate from? direction.