Live and Local - Paul Austerlitz and the Jazz Doctors

So…jazz.

Yeah. Different thing than you’re used to from your humble narrator, I know. But bear with me; we will get through it together, I promise.

When I was a kid, my grandfather was my best friend. He ran his own business (foam rubber manufacturing, gaskets and the like) in the late 70s, and when I was 10 or so, used to ride with him in his station wagon, and we’d listen to the old swing bands, and Sinatra, Tony Bennett…all of those guys.

A Sinatra tune would come on the 8 track, and he’d take a beat, then say “1946, Nelson Riddle orchestra, recorded in NY”… he did it almost involuntarily; it came out of him like exhaling.

I guess I was impressed at his recall (though, of course, I had no idea if he was right or not), but what impressed me more than that was that this music mattered so much to him that he even bothered to know all of that. He could tell you who the guitarist was on a recording of “fly me to the moon”. And often, he’d tell you a little anecdote about how in one recording session, this guitarist wasn’t there and Sinatra stopped everything and had him put on a private plane from wherever he was so he could play on this track.

He also told me other stories, like how Frank used to travel with Sammy Davis Jr., and sometimes they’d show up at a hotel or casino where they were playing, and the hotel wouldn’t let Sammy check in because he was black…at which point frank would say either Sammy got a room next to his, or he was cancelling the show.

That seemed like the obvious thing to do to my 10 year old self, but I had no idea how risky and selfless that was for Sinatra, nor did I understand the hate behind the problem of sammy’s room. But it was my grandfathers subtle way of teaching me these things, even just raising the curtain…while showing me how much the music mattered.

Fast forward, I’m 22 years old. My grandfather has since passed, and I’m quite convinced that I know everything. A DJ friend of mine used to get me tickets to concerts now and then, and I called him one day to see what he had.

“Hmm… I don’t know. I have sonny rollins playing at the Blue Note in new York, you want that”

“the fuck is Sonny rollins…?”

“he plays Jazz, genius, open your mind for god’s sake. Take the train in, get some dinner and see it. Or don’t, I don’t give a shit. Just let me know and I’ll leave the tickets at the desk.”

So, I did. took the train into grand central from Milford, went to the Carnegie diner and got a corned beef sandwich the size of your head, then I went down to the Blue Note to see this guy.

You know, for the hell of it.

Those of you familiar with Mr. Rollins probably know where this is going. It’s probably the first time I have ever experienced genius, live and in person. I had no idea what I was hearing, but gradually, it sucked me in and I have never been the same. I can still hear the opening riff of “St Thomas” ringing in my ears as he played it to this day. Every time I hear that intro, I smile.

I went home, dazed, and stopped in to see my mother and jazz and blues loving audiophile stepdad…

“hey, so I went into the city last week, saw a guy called Sonny rollins? You know who he is? Is there anything else like that? I think I want to know more”

“oh… really? Yes, I know sonny rollins… come with me”

What ensued was a boot camp like indoctrination into jazz that eventually dovetailed with my youthful brainwashing about Sinatra and the swingos… I have never been the same.

Fast forward again. I’m old, living in Gettysburg after having made a right hash of my life trajectory, only to land in the greatest place I’ve ever lived, among an incredible music scene and more live music than one knows what to do with. And in the midst of this, Paul Austerlitz shows up one night, and I get that feeling again.

Other people talk about jazz like it’s a jigsaw puzzle…they can see how you like it, but man, I’m not really sure…it just loses me. To me it’s like a big Cuban cigar with a single malt. Not something that happens every day…but, if it’s your thing, when it happens… man.

I saw him at ploughmans first, about a month ago. He had a four piece, and I was entranced. Calls his group the Jazz Doctors, which reminded me of Ken Kyser and his college of musical knowledge (shut up; does not make me a dork). It was an amazing night, and Paul’s brilliance reminded me of how much I’d missed this. Sitting with a bunch of people who are infinitely more accomplished musicians than me, but mostly in the country/bluegrass scale…it was fun seeing them appreciating and eventually even jamming on what they were hearing, while telling me they really had no idea what was going on.

That’s jazz…it’s like visual arts in some ways. You don’t have to understand it to let it in and to love it.

Dr Paul showed up again on thanksgiving eve, this time backed just his brilliant pianist, Ben Kennedy, and I was loving the fact that he did Duke Ellington (“Mood Indigo”, and then “Take the A Train”), which was an incredible treat. Then, in his second set, he kicked into “St Thomas”, and that moment of discovery and wonder came right back. Made my entire month, and it’s still ringing in my head.

Paul himself is so accomplished musically and academically, it’s silly for an unwashed heathen like myself to even articulate… so I’ll remain superficial and dumb, as is my wont, but still try to convey who we’re dealing with here. He has the coolest patina’ed tenor sax I’ve ever been that close to, and plays equally brilliantly on a clarinet. Additionally, he plays something called the bass clarinet…which I wasn’t familiar with, but turns out it’s a very Dr. Suessian horn that I can’t wait to see and hear him play. He has an extensive background in Jazz and world music, and along with knowing the jazz standards like the back of his hand, he also composes some amazing Caribbean-tinged arrangements that brought Dizzy Gillespie to my mind when he was gracious enough to share some with me.

That’s the other thing… this tremendously accomplished and talented man, is nothing but friendly and gracious and giving of his time to and unschooled nerd like myself.

Paul taught here in Gettysburg College for many years, in music and Africana studies as an ethnomusicologist specializing in Dominican merengue. He has since retired, living in NYC. Happily, he seems inclined to tip on by to G’burg and give us a set still. If you’re a jazz person, finding him is a no brainer, and pull up whatever recordings you can find out on media…but even if you’re a country person, or bluegrass, or (jesus wept) into Creed or some such, sit yourself down and catch the Doctors when they turn up again. Maybe that switch will flip for you, and you’ll never be the same.