Dave Tofani
talks to paulie
13/2/2020
I first got in touch with Dave Tofani around 3 years ago. The man behind one of my favourite pieces of music namely the solo clarinet on the Extended Soft Cell - 'Say Hello Wave Goodbye Single'. Dave did reply but somehow the trail cooled but I would always send a message, a reminder if you like. When I got a happy New Year Message from Dave in January I seized the opportunity and finally got to talk to him in New York shortly afterward. What follows is a near complete transcript of the conversation we had with a few touches/details added before publication. - Best pp

Hi Dave, I’m so tempted to get straight into music but can I ask you about your New York? Artists and their relationships with cities is a fascination for me. Is it Love, Tolerance, ...Can New York still surprise Dave Tofani?
New York for me was great! I went there for the first time when I was 17 to audition for the Juilliard School and was accepted. Then I moved there when I was 18 to live and attend the school. I was very fortunate to have had three roommates who were very talented and serious musicians. All four of us were immersed in our studies. Those early positive associations for a young man are so important and today it still means a lot to me. I stayed for five years and had a fantastic teacher and got a Masters Degree in Performance.
Can you remember that moment when you got your first apartment in New York? How did that feel?
Oh yes - the feeling was ‘Wow, this is my second home’. I felt very comfortable almost right away. I knew this was the right decision for me, this was the place for me.
For me the city became like my second home, I loved it in spite of it’s difficulties. I lived there, on the upper west side, for over 30 years. I originally wanted to go New York essentially because Juilliard was there. I wasn’t looking for a party city I was looking for a city to learn and play with the great musicians and New York was certainly that.
I used to look at the back of LP Record sleeves and see all these photos of the brass section - saxophone players and trumpeters, the rhythm section with the drums and bass…. they would set the band up a certain way and I thought it was just so exciting! Every musician’s name was printed on the sleeve. I can tell you who played on every record I had and I used to envisage myself in there!
Years later I did find myself in those scenarios and started getting busier and busier. It has been said “don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. (as much). Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.” I wanted to learn everything I could about playing clarinet, saxophone and flute. Not to mention jazz improvisation, composition and arranging. It was a very challenging time. However the arts were flourishing in the 1960s and there was a lot of work for musicians in that period of time it was kind of an ecosystem for musicians and the arts in general. At the same time I must say, making a living as a freelance self-employed musician is extremely difficult. Moving to NYC is not for the faint of heart especially for someone in the arts especially now. But having said that there is still opportunity in New York. I think the key to it would be preparation in ones chosen field.
Yes New York can still surprise me, but with how much it's changed and how expensive the real estate has become making it extremely difficult for artists to thrive.
New York for me was great! I went there for the first time when I was 17 to audition for the Juilliard School and was accepted. Then I moved there when I was 18 to live and attend the school. I was very fortunate to have had three roommates who were very talented and serious musicians. All four of us were immersed in our studies. Those early positive associations for a young man are so important and today it still means a lot to me. I stayed for five years and had a fantastic teacher and got a Masters Degree in Performance.
Can you remember that moment when you got your first apartment in New York? How did that feel?
Oh yes - the feeling was ‘Wow, this is my second home’. I felt very comfortable almost right away. I knew this was the right decision for me, this was the place for me.
For me the city became like my second home, I loved it in spite of it’s difficulties. I lived there, on the upper west side, for over 30 years. I originally wanted to go New York essentially because Juilliard was there. I wasn’t looking for a party city I was looking for a city to learn and play with the great musicians and New York was certainly that.
I used to look at the back of LP Record sleeves and see all these photos of the brass section - saxophone players and trumpeters, the rhythm section with the drums and bass…. they would set the band up a certain way and I thought it was just so exciting! Every musician’s name was printed on the sleeve. I can tell you who played on every record I had and I used to envisage myself in there!
Years later I did find myself in those scenarios and started getting busier and busier. It has been said “don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. (as much). Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.” I wanted to learn everything I could about playing clarinet, saxophone and flute. Not to mention jazz improvisation, composition and arranging. It was a very challenging time. However the arts were flourishing in the 1960s and there was a lot of work for musicians in that period of time it was kind of an ecosystem for musicians and the arts in general. At the same time I must say, making a living as a freelance self-employed musician is extremely difficult. Moving to NYC is not for the faint of heart especially for someone in the arts especially now. But having said that there is still opportunity in New York. I think the key to it would be preparation in ones chosen field.
Yes New York can still surprise me, but with how much it's changed and how expensive the real estate has become making it extremely difficult for artists to thrive.
"It is difficult and virtually impossible to be a success as a musical performer without other people wanting you to be successful. Word of mouth is integral."

Moving onto music although I could talk about your New York all day... I'll start at the beginning by asking you about your influences? Firstly were your parents musical?
Well my mother sang - not professionally, but she sang well and had a good voice. My real musical influence in our family was my uncle Americo, my mother’s brother. He played alto saxophone and clarinet beautifully. My grandparents were immigrants from Italy and they loved America so much that they named their only child born in the U.S., Americo. For them it was the American Dream. I wrote an album of extended Jazz compositions entitled ‘An American Garden’ and although I wanted to make the music current, I dedicated it to “the greatest generation” (World War II parents and families) as they were so inspiring including my own parents. It had airplay on 365 Jazz radio stations in the States and although this was only around fifteen years ago this wouldn’t happen now as Jazz radio stations have been stripped back so much.
An emotional project to work on?
Oh yes, it was. It was a labor of love. I spent several years in writing of the compositions, then arranging the pieces for a variety of ensembles, then getting into the studio and recording. All while working around the city doing other artist’s sessions and concerts and clubs.
You knew at a very early age that music was an integral part of you?
Yes I realised this in Junior High School when I was thirteen or so - around the ninth grade. In fact in the ninth grade Yearbook when they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was ‘Jazz artist’
So would you say music come naturally to you Dave?
I would say I took quite naturally and quickly to the clarinet and I found it was also a vehicle to compose little tunes. Of course, there is still a lot of study involved. The clarinet was my first musical instrument at age eight. And I was very fortunate to have wonderful beginning guidance on the clarinet from my uncle Americo who played beautiful alto saxophone and clarinet. He became one of my major mentors. (I wanted to play saxophone first but with my uncles very intelligent guidance he encouraged me to study the clarinet first because it required a more precise technique and it would then be easier to transition to saxophone in the coming years. That has proven to be wise advice even through my professional life.) My uncle found a teacher for me who had somewhat of a conservatory background from the Eastman School of Music. I began studying privately with Doris Brown for the next six years from the age of nine.
I made a special tribute to Americo on my An American Garden Album by composing a piece dedicated to him titled, New York At Night (a piece for Alto Saxophone and strings.) I dedicated the piece to him knowing the sound I was expressing would be inspired by him.
That’s wonderful, I think It’s an incredibly rare thing to know at an early age what you want to do with your life, what career you want to follow. Were you listening to a lot of Jazz at that time?
Yes I was listening to The Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond. Paul Desmond was definitely one of my earliest influences, along with Stan Getz. Then later John Coltrane. Buddy DeFranco on jazz clarinet. I also loved the big bands like Count Basie, The Stan Kenton Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Frank Sinatra with big bands, and so many other great artists. I had my own record player and would buy LPs at the local music store. Also, Uncle Americo introduced me to a lot of great jazz of that period.
I want to ask you if you remember a ‘turn-around’ moment when you thought ‘I’m here now! I’m a serious musician’?
I do! I was around twenty years old and still a student at the Juilliard School. My first big time job was in 1965 for the Bell Telephone Hour, which I believe was on NBC with the last remnants of their legendary studio orchestra. They had around 40 or 50 musicians - woodwind, brass, percussion sections, the whole lot, like a small symphony orchestra. It was an incredible experience.
My teacher Joseph Allard had been the first clarinet player in that orchestra and I was studying saxophone and clarinet. The second clarinet player in the orchestra was taking off to try for the New York City Opera so they needed a second clarinet player, but the caveat was that the second clarinet player had to double up on tenor sax and perform a Jazz solo in a song to be sung by Polly Bergen and none of their usual guys could play both. So Joe Allard put me forward but didn’t tell me straight off.
So I was in a clarinet lesson with him and at the end of the lesson I packed my stuff away and as I left, Joe put his head around the door and said ‘Oh, Dave! By the way, you’re gonna get a call from the contractor from the Bell Telephone Hour to play second clarinet and a tenor saxaphone solo, so get a good reed!’
Then he chuckled and closed the door!
I was walking towards the elevator thinking ‘WHAT?! Did I hear that right?!’
How exciting, did you did you tell anyone?
No, I did not! I ran home and practiced the clarinet for a couple of hours, the practiced the tenor sax! I was practicing every day anyway - so the weekend came and I was ready to go. The show was taped live so we rehearsed on Friday night. We played a lot of classical pieces with some opera singers and pop singers, then Polly Bergen came on to do her song….. the solo went really well. I had a really good reed (!), the conductor gave me the nod and I went charging in and played with a lot of passion. The conductor never even looked at me but turned to Joe and give him the ‘ok’ sign! The original second clarinet player was accepted into the New York Opera so I got his job! Can you believe it? It gives me chills to remember it all.
So were you working in studios mainly, with orchestras, or were you part of a jazz combo?
I worked as a self-employed freelance woodwind player of Saxophone, Clarinet and flute. I worked in nearly every medium in New York: Television, Movie soundtracks, Major artist’s records and CDs, TV Commercials, Broadway Orchestras, Jazz Clubs, Orchestra Concerts (both classical and jazz), The New York Saxophone Quartet (for seven years.)
And, yes, I worked with my own groups also: Dave Tofani Quartet (sometimes sextet) playing clubs in New York, like Mikells, Seventh Avenue South and Strykers. I played a lot with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard in the 70s and 80s and the Dave Matthews Jazz Band at Erics Club. All to make a living as a performing musician in the New York music scene. It was one hell of an interesting and challenging ride!
And if I was to mention Simon and Garfunkel?
Yes! I played a major solo in ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’, at the Simon and Garfunkel Reunion concert, at around 1981.
That was massive!
It was 500,000 people in the Central Park.
You must have had a good agent, Dave!
No I never had an agent- it was all word of mouth really. It is difficult and virtually impossible to be a success as a musical performer without other people wanting you to be successful. Word of mouth is integral. The second flute player in the Bells Telephone Orchestra was the contractor for Tony Bennett! In the next year or so and for the following two to three years after that, I found myself being the tenor soloist for Tony Bennett!
Well my mother sang - not professionally, but she sang well and had a good voice. My real musical influence in our family was my uncle Americo, my mother’s brother. He played alto saxophone and clarinet beautifully. My grandparents were immigrants from Italy and they loved America so much that they named their only child born in the U.S., Americo. For them it was the American Dream. I wrote an album of extended Jazz compositions entitled ‘An American Garden’ and although I wanted to make the music current, I dedicated it to “the greatest generation” (World War II parents and families) as they were so inspiring including my own parents. It had airplay on 365 Jazz radio stations in the States and although this was only around fifteen years ago this wouldn’t happen now as Jazz radio stations have been stripped back so much.
An emotional project to work on?
Oh yes, it was. It was a labor of love. I spent several years in writing of the compositions, then arranging the pieces for a variety of ensembles, then getting into the studio and recording. All while working around the city doing other artist’s sessions and concerts and clubs.
You knew at a very early age that music was an integral part of you?
Yes I realised this in Junior High School when I was thirteen or so - around the ninth grade. In fact in the ninth grade Yearbook when they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was ‘Jazz artist’
So would you say music come naturally to you Dave?
I would say I took quite naturally and quickly to the clarinet and I found it was also a vehicle to compose little tunes. Of course, there is still a lot of study involved. The clarinet was my first musical instrument at age eight. And I was very fortunate to have wonderful beginning guidance on the clarinet from my uncle Americo who played beautiful alto saxophone and clarinet. He became one of my major mentors. (I wanted to play saxophone first but with my uncles very intelligent guidance he encouraged me to study the clarinet first because it required a more precise technique and it would then be easier to transition to saxophone in the coming years. That has proven to be wise advice even through my professional life.) My uncle found a teacher for me who had somewhat of a conservatory background from the Eastman School of Music. I began studying privately with Doris Brown for the next six years from the age of nine.
I made a special tribute to Americo on my An American Garden Album by composing a piece dedicated to him titled, New York At Night (a piece for Alto Saxophone and strings.) I dedicated the piece to him knowing the sound I was expressing would be inspired by him.
That’s wonderful, I think It’s an incredibly rare thing to know at an early age what you want to do with your life, what career you want to follow. Were you listening to a lot of Jazz at that time?
Yes I was listening to The Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond. Paul Desmond was definitely one of my earliest influences, along with Stan Getz. Then later John Coltrane. Buddy DeFranco on jazz clarinet. I also loved the big bands like Count Basie, The Stan Kenton Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Frank Sinatra with big bands, and so many other great artists. I had my own record player and would buy LPs at the local music store. Also, Uncle Americo introduced me to a lot of great jazz of that period.
I want to ask you if you remember a ‘turn-around’ moment when you thought ‘I’m here now! I’m a serious musician’?
I do! I was around twenty years old and still a student at the Juilliard School. My first big time job was in 1965 for the Bell Telephone Hour, which I believe was on NBC with the last remnants of their legendary studio orchestra. They had around 40 or 50 musicians - woodwind, brass, percussion sections, the whole lot, like a small symphony orchestra. It was an incredible experience.
My teacher Joseph Allard had been the first clarinet player in that orchestra and I was studying saxophone and clarinet. The second clarinet player in the orchestra was taking off to try for the New York City Opera so they needed a second clarinet player, but the caveat was that the second clarinet player had to double up on tenor sax and perform a Jazz solo in a song to be sung by Polly Bergen and none of their usual guys could play both. So Joe Allard put me forward but didn’t tell me straight off.
So I was in a clarinet lesson with him and at the end of the lesson I packed my stuff away and as I left, Joe put his head around the door and said ‘Oh, Dave! By the way, you’re gonna get a call from the contractor from the Bell Telephone Hour to play second clarinet and a tenor saxaphone solo, so get a good reed!’
Then he chuckled and closed the door!
I was walking towards the elevator thinking ‘WHAT?! Did I hear that right?!’
How exciting, did you did you tell anyone?
No, I did not! I ran home and practiced the clarinet for a couple of hours, the practiced the tenor sax! I was practicing every day anyway - so the weekend came and I was ready to go. The show was taped live so we rehearsed on Friday night. We played a lot of classical pieces with some opera singers and pop singers, then Polly Bergen came on to do her song….. the solo went really well. I had a really good reed (!), the conductor gave me the nod and I went charging in and played with a lot of passion. The conductor never even looked at me but turned to Joe and give him the ‘ok’ sign! The original second clarinet player was accepted into the New York Opera so I got his job! Can you believe it? It gives me chills to remember it all.
So were you working in studios mainly, with orchestras, or were you part of a jazz combo?
I worked as a self-employed freelance woodwind player of Saxophone, Clarinet and flute. I worked in nearly every medium in New York: Television, Movie soundtracks, Major artist’s records and CDs, TV Commercials, Broadway Orchestras, Jazz Clubs, Orchestra Concerts (both classical and jazz), The New York Saxophone Quartet (for seven years.)
And, yes, I worked with my own groups also: Dave Tofani Quartet (sometimes sextet) playing clubs in New York, like Mikells, Seventh Avenue South and Strykers. I played a lot with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard in the 70s and 80s and the Dave Matthews Jazz Band at Erics Club. All to make a living as a performing musician in the New York music scene. It was one hell of an interesting and challenging ride!
And if I was to mention Simon and Garfunkel?
Yes! I played a major solo in ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’, at the Simon and Garfunkel Reunion concert, at around 1981.
That was massive!
It was 500,000 people in the Central Park.
You must have had a good agent, Dave!
No I never had an agent- it was all word of mouth really. It is difficult and virtually impossible to be a success as a musical performer without other people wanting you to be successful. Word of mouth is integral. The second flute player in the Bells Telephone Orchestra was the contractor for Tony Bennett! In the next year or so and for the following two to three years after that, I found myself being the tenor soloist for Tony Bennett!

Did you ever cross paths with Frank Sinatra?
Yes - I played on an album called ‘L.A. Is My Lady’ which was produced by Quincy Jones. There’s a little video of that floating around somewhere - it might be on my Facebook page. If you don’t blink you might spot me right to the left of Quincy. What a band that was, I’m telling you! I can’t say this about every session I’ve played on but that was an absolute joy. Every musician who played on that session was an ace. Every single one. George Benson was on guitar… and there I was amongst them. An amazing experience.
The guy who did the arrangements, Frank Foster, played with Count Basie! Frank Foster also did a lot of the arrangements for Count Basie and he did all the arrangements for that album.
I’m a massive Frank Sinatra fan. I saw him play at The Royal Albert Hall back in the eighties with Cleo Laine. I’m mesmerised by him. Are you a big Sinatra fan?
Absolutely. Quincy Jones even said, right in front of him, ‘I know all you horn players love Frank, because he phrases like a jazz musician, and it’s true. He could really swing. There’s nobody like him. He was unique like that.
Yes - I played on an album called ‘L.A. Is My Lady’ which was produced by Quincy Jones. There’s a little video of that floating around somewhere - it might be on my Facebook page. If you don’t blink you might spot me right to the left of Quincy. What a band that was, I’m telling you! I can’t say this about every session I’ve played on but that was an absolute joy. Every musician who played on that session was an ace. Every single one. George Benson was on guitar… and there I was amongst them. An amazing experience.
The guy who did the arrangements, Frank Foster, played with Count Basie! Frank Foster also did a lot of the arrangements for Count Basie and he did all the arrangements for that album.
I’m a massive Frank Sinatra fan. I saw him play at The Royal Albert Hall back in the eighties with Cleo Laine. I’m mesmerised by him. Are you a big Sinatra fan?
Absolutely. Quincy Jones even said, right in front of him, ‘I know all you horn players love Frank, because he phrases like a jazz musician, and it’s true. He could really swing. There’s nobody like him. He was unique like that.
I appreciated the way David Ball was laying down the chords in Say Hello Wave Goodbye, it gave me something to bounce off to create a new melody by playing over the chords of the song.

Can we talk about the Soft Cell collaboration? I’ve waited so long to ask you, how did that come about? I always thought because Mike Thorn the producer was classically trained.
Yes Mike Thorne did have a background with classical music having studied the piano in his early years. Combining that with his technical orientation was a winning combination.
Well as far as I know, Mike Thorne was in New York at that time but that session really happened the same as the others… by word of mouth. Mike went to a producer called Jimmy Biondolillo and told him he needed a clarinet player for a Soft Cell record, to which Jimmy replied ‘ I have just the guy for you!’.
So I turned up at the studio and Marc Almond and Dave Ball were there and they had most of the tracks laid down already. I asked them what they wanted me to do and where they wanted my solo in the track -
‘Do you have a lead sheet?’
‘No, we have SIMPTE Timecode’
‘Er….’
Creativity happens when limitations are present so this was a difficult brief!
So they played me that song and Dave said ‘Let’s just have a go and blast away’, which cracked me up.
Well they started the song and I just connected & appreciated the way David Ball was laying down the chords in Say Hello Wave Goodbye, it gave me something to bounce off to create a new melody by playing over the chords of the song. Tonally, it was a nice key for the clarinet and if my memory serves me right I did just one take - maybe two at the most on that track. It just fell into place. I looked over at the control room and the guys were jumping up and down and clapping!
I said I wanted to do another take and they waved me off and told me to come into the control room to listen. Yeah it really worked with the track. The flow felt great and they loved it.
Yes Mike Thorne did have a background with classical music having studied the piano in his early years. Combining that with his technical orientation was a winning combination.
Well as far as I know, Mike Thorne was in New York at that time but that session really happened the same as the others… by word of mouth. Mike went to a producer called Jimmy Biondolillo and told him he needed a clarinet player for a Soft Cell record, to which Jimmy replied ‘ I have just the guy for you!’.
So I turned up at the studio and Marc Almond and Dave Ball were there and they had most of the tracks laid down already. I asked them what they wanted me to do and where they wanted my solo in the track -
‘Do you have a lead sheet?’
‘No, we have SIMPTE Timecode’
‘Er….’
Creativity happens when limitations are present so this was a difficult brief!
So they played me that song and Dave said ‘Let’s just have a go and blast away’, which cracked me up.
Well they started the song and I just connected & appreciated the way David Ball was laying down the chords in Say Hello Wave Goodbye, it gave me something to bounce off to create a new melody by playing over the chords of the song. Tonally, it was a nice key for the clarinet and if my memory serves me right I did just one take - maybe two at the most on that track. It just fell into place. I looked over at the control room and the guys were jumping up and down and clapping!
I said I wanted to do another take and they waved me off and told me to come into the control room to listen. Yeah it really worked with the track. The flow felt great and they loved it.
I bought that 12” single when it first came out and it’s been my favourite piece of music ever since! Even my cat loves that piece - we cuddle up together and drift off to it! That solo really touches me and I know many people who feel the same.

I've been listening to more of your albums. I love ’New York at Night’ on American Garden, in fact the whole album!
Yes, that was a special tribute to Americo, on the album ‘American Garden’. It was a piece for Alto Sax and Strings and I dedicated it to him as he was my most important mentor as a young person and the sound I was expressing was inspired by him.
I can feel the emotion in that piece..
Oh yes there’s definitely a LOT of emotion in that piece! When I composed that, we lived on the fifteenth floor on the Upper West Side with a view of the city scapes. So I was leaning out of the window and fortunately I had set my little cassette recorder on and taped myself playing. I started doing an improvisation and when I stopped I turned the cassette recorder off and didn’t think anything of it until much later when I thought to myself ‘Let me hear what this thing is’ .
When I listened back to it I thought ‘WHAT?! This thing has a real FLOW to it’ and it just worked. I probably don’t give myself enough credit for that intuitive side. My mother always used to ask me if I had practiced every day and I definitely think that practicing helps loosen up my playing.
Is there a story behind the song ‘Elizabeth’s Journey’? It feels very cinematic.
Elizabeth is my daughter. Elizabeth’s Journey is a song with an upwardly spiraling melodic line dedicated to my lovely daughter and her positive journey through life.
Is there anything you are working on at the moment which you would like to talk about?
Yes, I am working on my memoirs centred around my musical life, stories of living and working in New York and my experiences in the recording scene. Also, recently I did an arrangement in my studio of a Thad Jones song. He was a great jazz trumpeter and he wrote a song called ‘A Child is Born’ and I did a version with Nancy Reed singing it. She did a wonderful job on that - really put feeling into it.
The music industry, thoughts?
It’s funny how the musicians business has changed - streaming is killing it. It takes hundreds of streams to make just one dollar. I don’t know how young upcoming musicians can ever earn a living. I have about twenty four compositions that I would like to record with a big band but it seems nearly impossible to find the budget for it.
Dave can I ask you, do you let other people produce your work or are you precious about this? Some producers like George Martin with The Beatles almost become part of the band. Do you go into the studio with a definite idea of how you want the production done?
Yes I do. You’ve just reminded me - I played on the ‘Double Fantasy’ album! The horn section was actually inconsequential, but John Lennon walked into the studio that day and his bass player had been doing the arrangements but did not know how to write for instruments, you know, so we started the session and the whole session broke down because he had written the wrong notes, chords and the whole thing didn’t gel.
(I love the way you just drop John Lennon in...) Did the bass player concerned realise and put his hands up?
Oh yeah! He came out of the control room and said ‘Well mates. can you make this better?!’ He was asking us, nit the bass player or John Lennon! So we took the piece and tidied it up and played it back and it was passable - but can John Lennon be passable? I think not! So…. when the final mix came out it was much as I thought should have happened - they brought the brass section right down in the mix and it’s pretty much just drums, bass and guitar, which was unfortunate as they missed a great opportunity to do something really special.
It’s so long since I heard that album but I will have a listen tonight and see if I can pick you out!
Oh you won’t be able to as we’re all so low in the mix. On the 'Imagine' album, John Lennon also used a lot of strings and they got this New York guy, Torrie Zito who brought in the best arrangers. That’s what they should have done with 'Double Fantasy'.
(speaking to Dave today 14th/2/2020 about John Lennon, he told me he lived very near The Dakota Building at that time - such a tragic moment in history - pp we agreed)
Going back to your question about producing, I played on so many sessions with great producers that I learned how to produce, so this, plus the fact that I compose, arrange and play, so I would use a producer for areas that I am not so experienced in but am confident in producing my own work.
Ah Dave, because you were the best man for the job, you should blow your own trumpet more! Boom boom! (laughs)
I wish you could have been a fly on the wall in some of the sessions I did in those beautiful old analogue studios. The sound really was incredible.
Yes, that was a special tribute to Americo, on the album ‘American Garden’. It was a piece for Alto Sax and Strings and I dedicated it to him as he was my most important mentor as a young person and the sound I was expressing was inspired by him.
I can feel the emotion in that piece..
Oh yes there’s definitely a LOT of emotion in that piece! When I composed that, we lived on the fifteenth floor on the Upper West Side with a view of the city scapes. So I was leaning out of the window and fortunately I had set my little cassette recorder on and taped myself playing. I started doing an improvisation and when I stopped I turned the cassette recorder off and didn’t think anything of it until much later when I thought to myself ‘Let me hear what this thing is’ .
When I listened back to it I thought ‘WHAT?! This thing has a real FLOW to it’ and it just worked. I probably don’t give myself enough credit for that intuitive side. My mother always used to ask me if I had practiced every day and I definitely think that practicing helps loosen up my playing.
Is there a story behind the song ‘Elizabeth’s Journey’? It feels very cinematic.
Elizabeth is my daughter. Elizabeth’s Journey is a song with an upwardly spiraling melodic line dedicated to my lovely daughter and her positive journey through life.
Is there anything you are working on at the moment which you would like to talk about?
Yes, I am working on my memoirs centred around my musical life, stories of living and working in New York and my experiences in the recording scene. Also, recently I did an arrangement in my studio of a Thad Jones song. He was a great jazz trumpeter and he wrote a song called ‘A Child is Born’ and I did a version with Nancy Reed singing it. She did a wonderful job on that - really put feeling into it.
The music industry, thoughts?
It’s funny how the musicians business has changed - streaming is killing it. It takes hundreds of streams to make just one dollar. I don’t know how young upcoming musicians can ever earn a living. I have about twenty four compositions that I would like to record with a big band but it seems nearly impossible to find the budget for it.
Dave can I ask you, do you let other people produce your work or are you precious about this? Some producers like George Martin with The Beatles almost become part of the band. Do you go into the studio with a definite idea of how you want the production done?
Yes I do. You’ve just reminded me - I played on the ‘Double Fantasy’ album! The horn section was actually inconsequential, but John Lennon walked into the studio that day and his bass player had been doing the arrangements but did not know how to write for instruments, you know, so we started the session and the whole session broke down because he had written the wrong notes, chords and the whole thing didn’t gel.
(I love the way you just drop John Lennon in...) Did the bass player concerned realise and put his hands up?
Oh yeah! He came out of the control room and said ‘Well mates. can you make this better?!’ He was asking us, nit the bass player or John Lennon! So we took the piece and tidied it up and played it back and it was passable - but can John Lennon be passable? I think not! So…. when the final mix came out it was much as I thought should have happened - they brought the brass section right down in the mix and it’s pretty much just drums, bass and guitar, which was unfortunate as they missed a great opportunity to do something really special.
It’s so long since I heard that album but I will have a listen tonight and see if I can pick you out!
Oh you won’t be able to as we’re all so low in the mix. On the 'Imagine' album, John Lennon also used a lot of strings and they got this New York guy, Torrie Zito who brought in the best arrangers. That’s what they should have done with 'Double Fantasy'.
(speaking to Dave today 14th/2/2020 about John Lennon, he told me he lived very near The Dakota Building at that time - such a tragic moment in history - pp we agreed)
Going back to your question about producing, I played on so many sessions with great producers that I learned how to produce, so this, plus the fact that I compose, arrange and play, so I would use a producer for areas that I am not so experienced in but am confident in producing my own work.
Ah Dave, because you were the best man for the job, you should blow your own trumpet more! Boom boom! (laughs)
I wish you could have been a fly on the wall in some of the sessions I did in those beautiful old analogue studios. The sound really was incredible.
So music was definitely your first love but did it have a rival Dave, lots of artists write or musicians paint for example?
I'd say architecture was my second love. Designing and building was very exciting to me and relates to musical composition. I have learned to do scale drawings for my designs. I have designed and built a pergola over the back patio of our house. Designed and built a chicken house for my wife’s love of chickens and fresh eggs. Installed and did the finishing carpentry in our new kitchen.
I love that your wife keeps chickens!
I'd say architecture was my second love. Designing and building was very exciting to me and relates to musical composition. I have learned to do scale drawings for my designs. I have designed and built a pergola over the back patio of our house. Designed and built a chicken house for my wife’s love of chickens and fresh eggs. Installed and did the finishing carpentry in our new kitchen.
I love that your wife keeps chickens!
Dave can I ask you about a favorite book, or film. Something that touched an emotion made an impression?
Favorite book: Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Tis’ by Frank McCourt
Film: Cinema Paradiso
(I saw myself in that young boys life, leaving Williamsport, Pa, mentors and a loving supportive family to go off to New York City)
Favorite book: Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Tis’ by Frank McCourt
Film: Cinema Paradiso
(I saw myself in that young boys life, leaving Williamsport, Pa, mentors and a loving supportive family to go off to New York City)

Dave, having worked in New York’s very competitive music and recording scene and becoming one of the first call woodwind players for over twenty-five years.
Winning Most Valuable Player Awards - three times for soprano and tenor saxophones from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for outstanding performance.
MVP nominations for five instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxophones, The only player in the history of the National Academy MVP Awards to have five nominations.
Having composed and produced three solo albums (and a compilation) which played nationwide on three hundred sixty-five jazz stations and then eventually establishing my own indie label SoloWinds Records.
Playing a major solo on alto saxophone on Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years at the Simon & Garfunkel reunion Concert in Central Park NYC -1981 (500,000 people)
(As well as your clarinet solo that's brought me & many so much joy over the years)
Do you ever just listen to that, or any piece of your work like I do with eyes shut and just get lost in it?
Yes I do that at times. Music has an immediate effect on the body and mind.
Winning Most Valuable Player Awards - three times for soprano and tenor saxophones from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for outstanding performance.
MVP nominations for five instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Soprano, Alto and Tenor Saxophones, The only player in the history of the National Academy MVP Awards to have five nominations.
Having composed and produced three solo albums (and a compilation) which played nationwide on three hundred sixty-five jazz stations and then eventually establishing my own indie label SoloWinds Records.
Playing a major solo on alto saxophone on Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years at the Simon & Garfunkel reunion Concert in Central Park NYC -1981 (500,000 people)
(As well as your clarinet solo that's brought me & many so much joy over the years)
Do you ever just listen to that, or any piece of your work like I do with eyes shut and just get lost in it?
Yes I do that at times. Music has an immediate effect on the body and mind.
Finally - you’re a musician that has brought so much pleasure to so many people - integral to some of the most important recordings. You should know that this has been such a pleasure and privilege, worth waiting for every minute 🙏
Thank you Paulie for your sensitive listening to music and keeping your unique perspective in a distracted world.
Thank you Paulie for your sensitive listening to music and keeping your unique perspective in a distracted world.
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