Dave Frishberg Interview by Monk Rowe - 3/16/2001

Dave Frishberg Interview by Monk Rowe - 3/16/2001 - Clearwater Beach, FL

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Fillius Jazz Archive at Hamilton College

6 жыл бұрын

Pianist/songwriter Dave Frishberg talks about his composing process, the importance of the Great American Songbook repertoire to the development of jazz, and his time as a comedic songwriter-for-hire.
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Пікірлер: 37

@edwardsah3 2 жыл бұрын

I've loved Frishberg's writing and playing for the last 40 years. I just found out that he died four days ago. Very sad. This conversation confirms that he is very thoughtful.

@n.larson5994 2 жыл бұрын

Another great and important interview, Monk! Interesting what Mr. Frishberg says about the minor 7 chord in jazz. And also the popular ballads and songwriters' role in the development of the music. In 1971 Dave Frishberg was engaged to arrange the music for Jimmy Rushing's last recordings for RCA. He, of course, also played the piano on these dates, and he did such a wonderful job. I consider this album to be a classic, and Dave's role was essential to providing the background for Jimmy to shine one last time. And incidentally, most of Jimmy's records of the 60's were not close to this record. And as great as Jimmy was, he needed sensitive production to perform at his best. Dave certainly did this for him. But this interview made me realize what a consummate professional this man was. Writing for ensembles of every size, sometimes with the deadlines associated with TV, his experience was very big!

@filliusjazzarchive 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this comment and the information about his association with Jimmy Rushing. He certainly understood the art of accompaniment. Monk

@clearvisionapps4563 5 ай бұрын

I met Dave Frishberg at Vine Street Bar and Grill in the late 80's. I was in college and studying his works and voicings. He took a break and came over to the bar and stood right next to me and ordered a drink. He bummed a cigarette from me. I said to him, "HI Dave, ya know... I bought your book". And without skipping a beat he said: "So, your the one." Pretty cool dude. To this day I'm still studying his works.

@jimbrown1559 Жыл бұрын

Another wonderful interview. I'm a big Frishberg fan, and also of Monk's work. "My Attorney Bernie" was my introduction as well. Lots of stories about the scene, great insights about songwriting, and the musical insights towards the end. As a listener for nearly 70 years, I can't agree more about the importance to jazz of those who created the Great American Songbook. And in addition to the extremely high quality of the music, the often equally great lyrics gave us non-musicians something to hang our hats on as listeners! I'll never forget Bill Henderson's late '50s masterpiece reading (with one of sideman Ramsey Lewis's finest solos on record) of Larry Hart's brilliant line, "Now, I even have to scratch my back, myself!" And there are SO many other examples.

@filliusjazzarchive Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment Jim. I still marvel at the sophistication and craft connected to the GAS, and the added skill it took to compose songs that could stand alone, without the introductory verse. You might enjoy our new podcast, “Jazz Backstory,” available wherever you get your podcasts, built on excerpts from these interviews. Monk

@nemo227 3 жыл бұрын

If I ever meet Dave I'd like to buy him a drink or a meal or something. His "My Attorney Bernie" is my FAVORITE. Thanks, Dave.

@jamesroa2123 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely fascinating. I could listen to him all day long.

@robbriner9575 2 жыл бұрын

Dave mentions a "current" movie (mockumentary) Best In Show. That movie was released in October of 2000 (now, 21 years ago). Frishberg's passing on November 17, 2021 reminds us that the great ones are leaving the world behind -- much poorer.

@filliusjazzarchive 2 жыл бұрын

You are correct that the great ones are leaving, the primary reason this archive was initiated, in 1995. Yes, Dave mentioned Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer specifically at 29:02 when asked about his favorite comedians. He mentions the mocumentaries such as Best in Show, and two of my other favorites are A Mighty Wind and Spinal Tap. We enjoy that style of humor similarly being carried on by Dan Levy, son of Eugene and mastermind of Schitt's Creek, so exemplary comedy lives on.

@jimbrown1559 Жыл бұрын

Lots of great stuff here. Love his observations about the creative process, the importance of harmonic concepts of the Great American Songbook writers to jazz. And he's dead right about Burns -- he's all about sociology. There's a lot of great stuff about W. Eugene Smith's loft on youtube, including great stuff about Hall Overton's development of the Monk concert.

@filliusjazzarchive Жыл бұрын

Just a half hour ago I was engaged in a discussion about Ken Burns Jazz and the sociology emphasis.

@danjameson1572 Жыл бұрын

love, love, love Dave RIP

@kscordray 6 жыл бұрын

Discovered & watched this just a week after reading Frishberg's memoir. Great conversation, allowing his personality to come through. Looking forward to watching some of the other interviews here.

@nemo227 3 жыл бұрын

When he mentioned W. Eugene Smith he caught my fullest attention. Smith did a photo essay called "Pittsburgh" that I read in college and later bought.

@Warmhack 4 жыл бұрын

One of a kind, love you Dave Do you miss New York Zanzibar Fabulous

@dshore9535 8 ай бұрын

DAve was my Best Friend, I miss him more than I can say.

@dshore9535 8 ай бұрын

One of my favorite tunes he wrote "Can't Take You Nowhere."

@dshore9535 8 ай бұрын

Brilliant Interview, Monk knows how to do it!

@dshore9535 8 ай бұрын

I thought he would live forever.

@filliusjazzarchive 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for your comment and sentiment. Monk

@patricksullivan4329 Жыл бұрын

I'm not surprised Frishberg mentions Becky Kilgore, she is terrific and should be rated up there with Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney and the other all-time great jazz singers.

@filliusjazzarchive Жыл бұрын

So happy you are a fan of Becky's. You might want to check out the interview we did with her back in 1997. It's a relatively short interview (by our standards) but I think you will enjoy it. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ja1oa5V5ldi0mYk.html

@patricksullivan4329 Жыл бұрын

@@filliusjazzarchive Yes, I've seen that interview with her. It captures her personality well. She is shy and modest, a delightful person to be around. The music scene in Portland has only gotten stronger since she did that interview. In particular, Becky has recorded several songs written by Ellen Vanderslice (imagine a cross between Dorothy Fields and Dave Frishberg) that are terrific. She has also written several songs herself now.

@williamjeffbuckleyjr.2648 Жыл бұрын

best interview

@sportsmediaamerica 4 жыл бұрын

Ha ha....Ken Burns "Jazz" was about sociology not musicology! So true. That's all Burns does, in fact!!

@bobtaylor170 2 жыл бұрын

I was fascinated by what Dave said about the relative influences of the blues and of the minor 7th in the development of jazz. It's a nice, simple refutation of the Burns view that jazz was "the black man's music and the white man stole it." This is certainly true of what Dave said about The Great American Songwriters and their indispensability to the development of jazz, something Ken Burns appears never to have figured out but which jazz fans have always known. Here's a book recommendation, which I make with the greatest enthusiasm: Richard Sudhalter's "Lost Chords." I think you'd also enjoy Sudhalter's biography of Hoagy Carmichael, "Stardust Melody."

@jimbrown1559 Жыл бұрын

I've heard enough about Burns work on this to not waste a minute on it, for exactly the reasons Dave cited. I'm a white guy, veteran of the Civil Rights movement, but my ears are wide open to the giants, both Black and White, who made a music so vibrant that it's been my life as listener for nearly 70 years!

@hzelfern Жыл бұрын

One of his favorite gigs us his 2 nights a week in Portland at the Heathman Hotel with Rebecca Kilgore singing. I was blessed to hear so many of them and sit with them during sets

@rhythmfield Жыл бұрын

@@hzelfern Lucky you. Seriously, had I known about this gig, and had I’ve been aware of Mr. Frishberg, I would’ve flown out to Portland for a few of those nights. Wow… I’m just trying to imagine seeing this guy on a local hotel lounge gig with his vocalist partner, that would be a dream come true, alas…

@lesterwyoung Жыл бұрын

Fascinating from about 45:00 on, where he says what changed jazz was the minor seventh chord, not race or some kind of purposeful artistic mission.

@MarkEisenman 2 жыл бұрын

This is great.

@barberbach5883 2 жыл бұрын

What a superb interview. I saw Dave Frishberg in concert in the late 80s at one of the Maybeck Sunday afternoon concerts in Berkeley California. He was superb and an astonishingly good jazz pianist.

@sportsmediaamerica 4 жыл бұрын

Cool guy. Dave, that is.

@davidgraf2108 2 жыл бұрын

I feel uncomfortable for the interviewer, poor guy. He's so awkward. His questions are okay. Dave Frishberg is a delight. Just finished reading his book "My Dear Departed Past." Most of he topics discussed here are covered in greater detail and context in the book. Highly recommended.

@jimbrown1559 Жыл бұрын

You need to watch more of his work. Monk is a GREAT interviewer -- does his homework, asks as few good questions as it takes to keep the subject talking, and SHUTS UP to listen and respond! He knows that the other guy is the star, and that it's his job to get him to say interesting things!

@rhythmfield Жыл бұрын

It’s a great interview by a terrific interviewer - you missed the mark on this one somehow. Good luck.