Melodic Cornerstones

Dick Oatts, alto saxophone

Melodic Cornerstones is available for streaming and download from all major platforms. Physical CDs are available for purchase on Bandcamp.

Melody is the foundation of western music. Even with abstract motives when we may not hear melody immediately, don't rush the listening process. The object is to internalize it meticulously to gain freedom of expression; adding wisdom of past greats, it is evident to me, playing vertically on changes is not nearly as challenging as connecting melodically. The melody is at the inception of understanding our chordal framework and thus the title, Melodic Cornerstones. To grow and change your interpretive style, learn the melodies in numerous ways, use the rhythm section for what they are trained to give you, and compliment comping without interference. Play the composition first. Your knowledge and expertise will follow. The music, no matter your personal style, always comes first.

I have always been obsessed with melodies. My first musical love and experience as a young man was analyzing the way great masters of improvisation explored melody to develop language and their individual voice. Having spent a lifetime learning standards, I find them to be my most enduring teacher for melodic framework, emotion, interval study, personal likes, dislikes, and a continuous challenge to hear deeper into progressions and lines a musician personally gravitates toward.

I can remember my father saying, "stay away from the chord symbols and just play what you heard others before you play. Impersonate the melody!” Reading between the lines, Dad’s wisdom had me observe the melody’s style, register choice, modulation into the bridge, sound, inflections, and especially rhythmic flow in-between each harmonic or rhythmic modulation.

My first step with improvisation is always derived from melody. It has all the essentials I need. The very last steps handle the progression and chords. When running into difficulty, I will cycle through melodies in different intervals. Many artists follow the same path and listening to other’s processes can help connect the dots. With these efforts, I develop technique and better reading skills at the same time. Picking out patterns I like, I’ll then practice it in the 12-tone possibility, while avoiding routines that can make it sound like an exercise. Also, playing tunes at faster tempos pushes one to paraphrase the melody differently which helps your agility and freedom when it comes to rhythm. Hearing the melody in different meters and tempos helps broaden our understanding of how the melody connects the composition as a whole.

Huge early inspirations were, of course, the greats: Bird, Stitt, Cannonball, Desmond, Hodges, Strozier, Spaulding, Getz, Buddy Tate, Coltrane, Lester Young, Hank Jones, Louis Armstrong, Ella, Sara, Betty Carter, Fats Navarro, Ben Webster, Kenny Dorham, and too many more to list here… But my largest influences are my contemporaries I have been fortunate enough to grace the bandstand with during my 47 years at the Village Vanguard and beyond. It was a dream come true for me to explore and discover the unique differences in their styles of melodic interpretation. Freedoms I would have never dreamed taking chances on! When you're on a scene where other musicians are taking chances and emulating various styles, it inevitably permeates into your own direction.  If you want to keep growing, find a scene that matches your goals. Sometimes I can’t believe that most every day I got to hang out and listen to the likes of Billy Drewes, Ralph Lalama, Rich Perry, Gary Smulyan, Joe Lovano, Ted Nash, Mel Lewis, Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, John Mosca, Kenny Garrett, Jim Powell, Harold Danko, Rufus Reid, Terell Stafford, Scott Wendholt,, Joe Magnarelli, Luis Bonilla, Ed Neumeister, Michael Abene, Douglas Purviance, Tom Harrell, Dion Tucker, Rufus Reid, John Faddis, Eddie Gomez, Wycliffe Gordon, Pete Yellin, Vic Juris, Ray Drummond, Brian Lynch, Eddie Martinez, Red Rodney, Garry Dial, Gary Pribek, Steve Grossman, Bob Mintzer, Bob Sheppard, Jerry Bergonzi, Dave Santoro, Mike Boone, Jimmy Oblon, Ray Mantilla, Bob Berg, Joe Chambers, Steve Berrios, Bernard Purdie, John Vidacovich, Kenny Horst, Kent Saunders, Dan Higgins, Andy Fusco, Tardo Hammer, John Marshall, Lawrence Feldman, Buddy Tate, Tommy Flanagan, Jay Anderson, Ted Rosenthal, Renee Rosnes, Mike Formanek, Joey Baron, Jeff Hirshfield, Tim Warfield, Steve Coleman, Charles McPherson, and so many others. I will also mention that every jazz program I’ve had an association with was a huge experience! The students taught me more than I could ever teach them.

Melodic Cornerstones, to me, describes what is in all of us. Giving melody the freedom to guide musical development allows us to continuously evolve throughout our artistic lives and careers. My best and most consistent teacher has always been the melody.

A few words of thanks: To our engineer, David Pasbrig, who always gives me the sound that I hear. We are so lucky to have his talents at Temple University. David and his fantastic students made this project a reality. It’s exciting to know the future of sound engineering is in excellent, capable hands. My forever gratitude to my Oatts family, Humphris family, VJO family (John Mosca, and the old and new guards) and my Minneapolis family (Bob Rockwell, Brian Grivna, Jim Marentic, Dave Karr, and Jack Gillespie, especially Flim & the BB’s!). To my teachers, Jack Oatts, Eddie Daniels, and Jerry Dodgion. All my love to Jack, Henry, Alaina, Kathy, Laura and lastly, thanks to my son, Sam, for editing my liner notes. Besides being a most excellent son and trumpeter, he was able to voice my passion for Melodic Cornerstones.

I dedicate this record to my wife, Debbie, and all my wonderful colleagues and friends at Temple University, without whose support my work would have not been possible: Terell Stafford, Robert Stroker, Sue Alcedo, Mark Allen, Vicente Archer, Bruce Barth, Todd Bashore, Madeline Bell, Marcell Bellinger, Mike Boone, Tim Brey, Darlene Brooks, David Brown, Lucas Brown, Norman David, Rollo Dilworth, José Luis Domínguez, Scott Edmunds, Robert Edwards, Justin Faulkner, Steve Fidyk, Ed Flanagan, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Devin Hanson, Jason Horst, Tony Kadleck, Jake Kelberman, Greg Kettinger, Michael Klein, Byron Landham, Tom Lawton, Josh Lee, Dan Levine, Don Lucoff, Frank Mazzeo, Joe McDonough, Tony Miceli, Dan Monaghan, Phillip O'Banion, Chris Oatts, Najwa Parkins, Mark Patterson, Jeb Patton, Paul Rardin, Chelsea Reed, Alison Reynolds, Josh Richman, Ben Schachter, Eduard Schmieder, Eric Schweingruber, Jonathan Shaw, Jim Short, Fareed Simpson-Hankins, John Swana, Jeffrey Solow, Elio Villafranca, Tim Warfield, David Wong, and of course, all of our incredible students, past and present.

It is your melody that carries me. You have my profound gratitude.

--Dick Oatts

Track Listing

1. With A Song In My Heart (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
2. Bye Bye Blackbird (Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson)
3. I Hear A Rhapsody (Dick Gasparre, George Fragos, Jack Baker)
4. Memories of You (Andy Razaf, Eubie Blake)
5. End Of A Love Affair (Edward C. Redding)
6. My Romance (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
7. It Could Happen To You (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)
8. Body And Soul (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour)
9. Taking A Chance On Love (John Latouche, Ted Fetter, Vernon Duke)
10. Embraceable You (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
11. Skylark (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer)
12. You And The Night And The Music (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)
13. Angel Eyes (Earl Brent, Matt Dennis)
14. Alone Together (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)
15. Invitation (Bronislau Kaper, Paul Francis Webster)
16. Out Of Nowhere (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman)
17. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael)
18. Just Friends (John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis)
19. I Should Care (Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn)
20. Star Eyes (Don Raye, Gene De Paul)
21. There Will Never Be Another You (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon)
22. Days Of Wine And Roses (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer)
23. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown)
24. If I Should Lose You (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)
25. Green Dolphin Street (Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington)
26. All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) 
27. Darn That Dream (Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie Delange)
28. What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)
29. Laura (David Raskin)

Performer

Born and raised in the state of Iowa, Dick Oatts was brought up in a musical family. He was introduced to the saxophone by his father, Jack Oatts, a respected jazz educator and saxophonist. After high school, Oatts attended Drake University and in 1972 he began his professional career in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Oatts moved to NYC in 1977. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Since then, he has toured, recorded and performed as a sideman in small groups with Bob Brookmeyer, Red Rodney, Eddie Gomez, Mel Lewis, Jerry Bergonzi, Joe Lovano, Dom Salvador, Vic Juris, Soren Moller, Terell Stafford, Ray Mantilla, Jon Faddis, David Berkman, Flim & the BBs, Ray Mantilla, Fred Hersch, Joe Morello, Lalo Schifrin and several others.

His big band and large ensemble experience includes the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Jon Faddis Jazz Band, Tito Puente, Lester Bowie, Sam Jones/Tom Harrell, Jim McNeely, Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lovano, Paquito D’Rivera and Gunther Schuller. Oatts has been a featured artist with the Metropole Orkest, WDR Big Band, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Danish Radio Big Band, Millennium Jazz Orchestra, Norrbotten Big Band Radio, High Coast Jazz Orchestra, RIAS Big Band, Jazz Orchestra of the Royal Concertgebouw, Mats Holmquist/Dick Oatts Orchestra, Rome Radio, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and the Wellington Jazz Orchestra. Oatts has accompanied such vocalists as Joe Williams, Sara Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Nneena Freelon and Milton Nascimento. He has recorded solos for R&B artist Luther Vandross and Everything But The Girl.

As a Steeplechase recording artist, Oatts has recorded 10 solo CDs and five co-led CDs. He has recorded three CDs on the DMP label with co-leader and pianist Garry Dial, and another on Temple University’s BCM&D Records label entitled That Music Always Round Me. Oatts and Terell Stafford are co-leaders on Bridging the Gap on Planet Arts. Dave Santoro and Oatts are co-leaders on Meru on Red Records.

For the past 35 years, Oatts has appeared at college jazz festivals as a soloist and clinician throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Middle East, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan. Oatts is a professor at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University and has been an artist-in-residence at the Amsterdam Conservatory since 1998.

 

Founder and Executive Producer: Robert Stroker
Producers: Dick Oatts, David Pasbrig
Recording/Mixing/Mastering Engineer: David Pasbrig

Recorded 2022-2023 at the Boyer College Recording Studio, Philadelphia, PA All rights in this sound recording and artwork reserved. Unauthorized public performance, broadcasting and copying of this compact disc prohibited.
Made in the USA. © and (P) 2024 BCM&D Records, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University 1715 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122 boyer.temple.edu