THE REEMERGENCE OF MIKE GARI consummate jazz guitarist Mike Gari. Mike was a fix - by Dr. Steve Kinigstein ture on the New York jazz scene. He played with every - one from Jimmy Rowles to Stephane Grappelli. Somehow Mike had disappeared from the scene for several years. Now he was on the verge of a comeback. Chuck was really busy at the time. Fresh Sounds’ Dick Bank was producing the first CD that Chuck was put - ting out under his own name (it’s now finished and slat - ed for release later this year), so Chuck barely had time to breathe. His curiousity about Mike, however, was piqued. Val and I arranged a small dinner party at our place in Los Angeles during early December while Mike and his wife Maggie were visiting us from New York. A few weeks later I asked Chuck to share his impressions of that evening. He said, “I didn’t know what to expect. I was surprised. We played four or five tunes and I was blown away.” In a recent conversation with the legendary jazz guitarist and educator, Howard Morgen, I asked him to tell me what Mike was like when Mike was his student. The enthusiasm that Howard felt was apparent in his y h voice. He was eager to share his thoughts. He said, p a r g o “You know when you get that special student. I t o h P watched Mike grow up. He’s beyond brilliant, and I’m o t o F glad he’s finally going to get the wide recognition he o r e V deserves.” y s e t r The following interview took place on u o c o t January 9, 2008 when Mike was in Los Angeles to play o h P at Charlie O’s with the Chuck Berghofer Quartet. In October of 2007 my wife Valmere and I had SK: I just have a few thousand questions to ask you the great pleasure of accompanying our “Jazzparents” before you get bored and walk out, so I’ll talk quickly (please don’t ask for an explanation – it would require and begin right now. You started playing in 1960 when a whole separate article), Dr. George and Laura Tyler, you were eleven years old. At that time, most people to Sunnie Sutton’s Annual Rocky Mountain Jazz Party. your age were drawn to rock. When and how did you It was the second party of Sunnie’s that we attended, start playing jazz? and I was looking forward to hearing a load of great MG: I was a typical kid, but I was incredibly lucky that players cut loose before a knowledgeable and appre - the local guitar teacher was the very talented Howard ciative audience. I was not disappointed. Everybody Morgen, who is not only an amazing player, but a nat - was on top of their game. Sunnie had done it again. ural born teacher. Brilliance seemed to be the norm. Among the many extraordinary performers I had the good fortune to SK: That’s interesting, and we’re going to spend some hear, the player that hit me where I live was bassist, time on it; but before we do, let’s discuss what brought Chuck Berghofer. Not only were his lines great, and his you to jazz. solos stellar, but he was totally at one with the moment. MG: Well that’s where I was going. It was definitely Chuck seemed to communicate through ESP – he Howard, all the way. We went through all the Mel Bay seemed to know what anyone would do beats before books, and then he taught me how chords would move, they’d actually do it. This guy had my vote for MVP. He theory, etc. He illustrated those things by using stan - also was the perfect bassist to work with my friend, dards. Then we tried to improvise on those tunes. I I Page 104 Just Jazz Guitar May 2008 think the first one we did was “Lady Be Good.” That’s MG: Sure. Basically, trade in your Fender medium for what got me into it. a mandolin pick. It was sweep-picking as opposed to alternate strokes. You’d put your pinky on the pick - SK: And you weren’t attracted to rock at all? guard as an anchor, and the strokes crossing strings MG: Well, I felt jazz was more unique. One element of would move in the same direction. For example, move - the attraction to it for me was the fact that fewer peo - ment from the third string to the fourth would always ple were doing it. be on an upstroke, and to the second it would always be on a downstroke. Arpeggios came out smoother. Chuck SK: What was it like studying with such a remarkable felt it produced a more legato sound. More like horn musician as Howard Morgen? players such as Charlie Parker. It really worked. MG: It was great because it was loose, yet structured. Watching Chuck do it was amazing. Of course, I was at Howard is a schooled guy. He went to Queens College. an impressionable age, so I embraced it completely. I I was pretty studious, so we were able to get through tried to anyway, but I don’t think anyone ever mastered the basics quickly. And if I didn’t do something per - it except Chuck. fectly, it was a bad day. Howard didn’t come down on me. My pressure was internal. I always wanted to do well. I think it was harder on me than it was for him: he was teaching someone who was actually getting it. The one or two times when I couldn’t play those Mel Bay tunes I was mortified. (Laughs) SK: I know the feeling, probably more intimately than you do! Howard wasn’t your only teacher who was a major figure in jazz. You also studied with Chuck i r Wayne. a G e k MG: Again, that was due to Howard. Everything i M y comes back to Howard Morgen. We were doing a lot of s e t r u improvising. (It was pretty basic, back then.) Howard o c o t thought it was the right time for me to experience o h someone else’s point of view. I had expressed some P interest in Chuck, so Howard set it up. He actually Chuck Wayne playing for fans at made the call. He told Chuck that he had this kid who Lou Sosa’s Loft, 1965. was about fifteen or sixteen who was ready. That was SK: I could tell you without any reservation that I, for how I got there. one, didn’t when you showed it to me! Do you consid - er the picking technique to be Chuck’s major contribu - SK: Could you describe the differences between study - tion to your development as a jazz guitarist? ing with Howard and studying with Chuck? Was it a MG: Oh no. There was so much more. shock? Was the transition smooth? MG: It was very different. Howard was very systemat - SK: What, then, would you consider the major contri - ic and concentrated on teaching at that time. He always butions of both Howard and Chuck, if you could think had lesson plans. Everything was thought out in in those terms? advance. When you go to someone who might have MG: That’s hard. I’m sure I’m going to leave some - many other things competing for his attention, time thing out, so I’ll apologize beforehand. Howard was doesn’t necessarily let it happen that way. They’ll show just an all-around terrific guitar player and guide from you their style of picking, their chords, etc. They also the beginning, through theory, to how to voice things, show you the way they approach certain tunes. (You to how to improvise. Everything – the whole ball of usually ask them that; it’s not like they’re going to wax. Chuck’s attitude was, “Okay, so now you know automatically volunteer it.) One of the big things with all this. This is what we do when we get to a certain Chuck Wayne was picking technique. point when we’re performing.” Chuck was out there in SK: Could you describe that? the mainstream, playing and recording. So he gave me I Just Jazz Guitar May 2008 Page 105 a feel for how a player approaches tunes and, you tate towards piano players as such. It was just in the know, his pick and fingers, his unique voicings, and the mix. In the beginning it was only guitar players; then I benefit of his years of experience playing with really expanded. great people. Sometimes it felt like he was saying, “Get out and do it now, and here’s some of the wild ways we SK: Do you feel that piano players helped shape your go about it.” view of harmony? MG: What I wanted to do is try to expand on the typi - cal things a guitar player would do. Maybe do things a little differently, instead of being “Mr. Block Chords.” Although there is, I admit, something to be said for those. SK: Let’s talk about some of the people you’ve played with, starting with Daphne Hellman. What is it like being a guitarist accompanying a harp? MG: It was nice; she did a real blend of styles. Daphne played jazz on the harp, which isn’t easy. Every time there’s an accidental, you have to hit a pedal.