21. Joe Lovano
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21. Joe Lovano o other jazz musician Bailey, Bill Hardman, the from Cleveland has great tenor player Joe N ever achieved the Alexander, and Jim Hall." world-wide acclaim that Because of his family, Tony saxophonist Joe Lovano got decided to remain in in the 1990s and early 2000s. Cleveland. But he was so He was voted "Jazz Artist respected that he often shared of the Year" by DownBeat bandstands with such artists magazine critics and readers as Stan Getz and Flip Phillips in 1995, 1996 and 2001. He when they came to Cleveland. was named "International Drummer Lawrence Artist of the Year" by Jazz "Jacktown" Jackson, who Report magazine in 1995. frequently played with the DownBeat called Cleveland elder Lovano, said, "He native Lovano "the very wasn't as advanced (as Joe epitome of the ' 90s became). He didn't have the professional jazzman." same command of his DownBeat 's Larry instrument, but Tony was a Blumenfeld wrote, "The sheer hell of a saxophone player!" breadth and ambition of When Joey, as he was Lovano's artistic endeavors called, was about 10, his reflect a consistent level of father began giving his son achievement. Lovano raises serious lessons and he began the level of the game and of listening to his father' s those around him." Joe Lovano records , particularl y The DownBeat article saxophonists Sonny Stitt, said Lovano "knows his history, not just the history of John Coltrane and Lester Young, and trumpeter Miles the music, but the value of his personal history." Davis. When Joe was II, his father bought him a King That personal history began in Cleveland where Super 20 tenor saxophone. Within a year, his father Lovano was almost literally born to be a jazz musician. began taking his son with him to rehearsals and gigs. As When he was born December 29, 1952 in Cleveland, his the boy was listening, "I was starting to learn the music father, Tony "Big T" Lovano was already a highly they were playing." Lovano said, "All the guys in my regarded local jazz tenor saxophonist. dad's generation (in Cleveland) were my "There are pictures ofme as a baby," teachers." recalled Joe, "with an alto when I was One of those "guys" was Willie about six months old." Fellow Smith, the Cleveland saxophonist who Cleveland saxophonist Ernie Krivda had arranged for the Lionel Hampton said, "I think he wanted to be a jazz Orchestra. Smith recalled young Joey musician before he wanted, like most "used to come over all the time. He kids, to be a cowboy or a fIreman. It always wanted to play because he saw was always his dream." what his father was doing. Naturally, he With music fIlling his home, Lovano wanted to be a musician." began playing the alto sax when he was "I grew up knowing about the only fIve or six years old. His father Cleveland scene from my dad," said was always his musical idol. "My dad," Lovano. Writer Howard Mandel quoted said Lovano, ''was a real passionate Lovano saying, "I was really lucky. My musician. He also was a barber, had a dad was a great player, had fun with family, and he taught me about the music and just loved to play. I learned whole way of life in music." from him that jazz expression is vast. Lovano told me, "My dad grew up in He never told me, 'This is good and the bebop era. He played at jam sessions A family photo of baby Joe that's bad.' He let me explore it all and with John Coltrane in Cleveland and with Lovano with his mother, he taught me about each instrument. (Clevelanders) Tadd Dameron, Benny Josephine, and a saxophone That taught me how to play. He taught ., Joe Lovano 203 me to check out At the Smiling Dog Saloon piano players and Before he graduated from Euclid High School, drummers and bass Lovano was playing at the Smiling Dog Saloon on West players and 25th Street, a club that presented many national jazz trumpeters. He'd artists. Krivda, who often played there with Lovano, say, 'If you're said, "It was an incredible experience, an opportunity to going to play with play opposite the major names in the music." them, you have to Lovano told me, "I remember hearing a lot of great know what's bands there. I had a chance to play opposite a number of happening. You're great groups at the Smiling Dog. Ernie Krivda and Bill going to play with de Arango and Skip Hadden played as the house trio and drummers; you I used to sit in with them. (Vibraphonist) Ron Busch have to know how played in a number of different bands there with Ernie to fit in your ideas and Ron Kozak, another saxophonist from Cleveland. with their rhythms. ' And I was a teenager and just coming on at that point in "This really the early '70s. I had a chance to play there a lot." opened me up," said It was at the Smiling Dog that Lovano said he got his Lovano. "From an first big break. He and Willie Smith were sitting in with early age, I used to Jack McDuff's group. "I was playing baritone Judi Silvano listen to records saxophone in an ensemble with four saxophones and Tony "Big T" Lovano from the inside of Willie was playing lead alto. About two .weeks after we what was played a couple of nights with Jack at the Smiling Dog, happening, and not just on the basis of what the soloist he called us to join his band and go on tour." was playing. That was great," he said, "and I think it was really generous of him." Berklee, Woody and New York As a result of his father's enormous influence, After high school, Lovano wentto the Berklee College Lovano gained a very broad view of what jazz music of Music in Boston. He joined Woody Herman's should and should not be. His father was never content orchestra in 1976 and made five albums with Herman. to keep on playing the same old songs with the same old In the late 1970s, Lovano got a chance to sit in with groups. Years later, Lovano, "the most straight-ahead the Bill Evans Trio, a group he had originally met at the jazz man on the scene today," as DownBeat called him, Smiling Dog. "That was an unbelievable experience," was constantly experimenting with new groups, new said Lovano. "I just brought my hom down there. Mark sounds, and new forms of musical expression. Johnson was playing bass. It was a Sunday night and 1 just approached Bill and asked him if! could sit in. And Early playing in Cleveland he was great. It was incredible! He said, 'Yeah, let me By the time Lovano was 13 (in 1966), his father often start the set and I'll bring you up.' let him sit in and play during the last set of gigs. When "I remember! played 'Body and Soul' and 'Stella By Joe was 14, Tony took him to jam sessions at places like Starlight' with them and an arrangement of a tune he Hank Geer's Euclid Shore Club on Lakeshore Boulevard. recorded on the Interplay album which featured Jim This was where he first met such leading Cleveland jazz Hall, Freddie Hubbard and Philly Joe Jones, 'You and musicians as Bill Gidney, Paul Bunion, Hank Geer, Bill the Night And the Music.' 1 had heard them earlier in de Arango, Ace Carter, Tony Haynes, Emil Boyd, Chink the week. They were playing this one arrangement from Stevenson, Eddie Baccus and "Jacktown" (Lawrence the record and I knew the part. When they asked me Jackson) who later told me, "Dad really put it on his son. what I wanted to play, 1 called that tune and played his If it weren't for Tony, 'Big T,' there would be no Joey." arrangement on it. I was really proud that 1 could play When Joe was a student at Euclid High School, his something that they were playing." father took him to Public Hall in downtown Cleveland to hear pianist Dave Brubeck in a concert that also With Thad Jones and Mel Lewis featured Gerry Mulligan." According to Lovano, it was After he moved to New York, Lovano joined the Thad that concert that convinced him that he wanted to follow Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra that was playing one night a in his father's footsteps and become a jazz musician. week at the Village Vanguard. "I joined the band in Despite his interest in jazz, Lovano later admitted 1980," said Lovano, "and played with the band every that while he was still in high school, he was playing all Monday night that I was in town and not on tour from kinds of music including rock 'n roll and Motown. 1980 until about '91. Mel died in 1988 and 1 stayed on 204 Cleveland Jazz History the band for about three accompanying myselfon years after he passed." solo sax with gongs." Lovano later said, The liner notes of that "The music of Thad album said prophetically, Jones and Mel Lewis "Joe Lovano is ready to was a development from step up and out." the Ellington-Basie As he was beginning school, a complete to "step out," Lovano evolution in modem never forgot his jazz band writing. And the roots in Cleveland. In thing about this music March of 1986, he came that was so strong," he home and had a party at said, "was that it was the Beachwood Studio performance all the way.