KEEPERS OF THE FLAME 2002
In June 2001 we profiled several members of the Kansas City jazz community (Steve Dekker, Angela Hagenbach, Billie Mahoney, Paul Smith/Bob Bowman/Todd Strait, a.k.a. PBT, Logan Richardson, Lester "Duck" Warner, Bram Wijnands, Charles Williams) who are out there doing what it takes to keep the scene lively and alive. Here are some more local heroes whose commitment to the music is making a difference.


TYRONE CLARK
Bassist, composer
In a mini-Q&A with Dr. Wayne Goins

WG: First of all, Tyrone, please give us a brief profile of your musical upbringing.

TC: Well, I actually started off playing rock music! I played electric bass for a few years at Lincoln High School, right here in K.C. I went to school with guys like Will Matthews, Vernon Black (who's currently with Mariah Carey) and the McFadden Brothers. Then I started playing funk with some dance bands. I'm a self-taught musician. I taught myself to read, and I did a lot of listening.

When I left school, I went on the road with the McFadden Brothers to Asia, toured Japan, and played disco music. Will Matthews was in that group. I didn't start playing acoustic bass until I was 26 years old. That's when I really got into jazz. I got tired of the repetition in disco music, and jazz was more of an adventure. My first introduction to jazz was with tenor saxophonist Horace Washington. The more I played the better I got. But it took several years for me to get into the groove.

WG: Who were some of your influences as a jazz musician?

TC: Ron Carter, Paul Chambers and Ray Brown were my musical heroes. They got me wanting to play like they did, with that kind of intensity. I played in the movie "Kansas City" with Ron Carter. He was exceptionally nice. It seemed like I'd known him forever. And I met Ray Brown over in Poland while I was on the road.

WG: Describe some of your current musical activities?

TC: My home base seems to be at The Blue Room. I also play at The Club at Plaza III and do a lot of private gigs. The regular band I play with is the Dunn-Freeman Mix. I also write music, and the Mix performs about seven of my originals.

WG: What's your take on the current jazz scene in KC?

TC: Back in the nineties when (then mayor) Cleaver was still in office, it seemed like the jazz scene was growing because the effort to bring back the jazz tradition was being supported. There was great excitement once again in the 18th & Vine district. Of course, everybody all over the world knows about 18th & Vine, and when they come here they want jazz and barbecue. Mayor Cleaver really brought back the feeling of togetherness on the jazz scene. Now that he's no longer in office, the entire jazz scene has been put on the backburner. I don't understand why the city isn't pushing the Historic District!

WG: Who are some of your favorite musicians to play with here in KC?

TC: Pete Eye, Lisa Henry, Ahmad Alaadeen, Will Matthews and yourself! And of course, the members of the Mix.

WG: Have you had the chance to perform with any nationally known players?

TC: Yes. Hank Crawford, Eddie Harris, Benny Golson, Milt Jackson, Billy Taylor and Max Roach, among others.

WG: What are your plans for the future?

TC: I plan to help release the new Dunn-Freeman CD in October of this year. Also, I plan to do some touring with the group throughout the US, Europe and Asia.

WG: Any final words for our readers?

TC: Yes. Don't let the jazz scene die! Jazz is something this town is known for. We need to keep jazz education in the schools alive so we can keep it going. And we need more national artists coming out of Kansas City. We have a treasure that we are letting slip away. We also need to make sure that The Blue Room maintains its tradition of featuring only the highest quality acts of mainstream, traditional,
straightahead jazz.


DAN DE LUCA
Pianist, soloist
by Mike Metheny

If you're a jazz buff and happen to be dining at Remington's in the Adam's Mark Hotel (I-70 at the Truman Sports Complex), the first thing you'll notice is the tasty background supplied by pianist Dan De Luca. The next thing you'll notice is that, not only is De Luca's playing a classy mix of elegance and musicality, it's also pleasantly hip. As in Bill Evans/Andre Previn/Erroll Garner hip. ("I've listened a lot to all three," Dan says, when asked about important influences.)

No musical wallpaper at Remington's, where De Luca appears seven times a week. Just the kind of sophisticated solo piano that will appeal to casual listener and jazz aficionado alike. (And as JAM readers will already know, smart reharmonizations and well-chosen repertoire have been known to aid digestion.)

Dan De Luca was born in Philadelphia, began his formal musical training at an early age, and has always worked hard at his craft. "It wasn't always easy for me at first," he admits. "But with determination, constant study, and a lot of practice, there was continuing development. Also, studying privately with accomplished musicians really made a difference."

After traveling throughout the United States and abroad with various U.S. Navy bands, De Luca returned to Pennsylvania where he completed a degree in music education at West Chester University. Now armed with the credentials to become a teacher himself, it was his love for performance that would put him back on the road. And it was at a gig in California where a chance encounter opened new doors.

"I was playing a club date one night in San Francisco," Dan recalls, "and a lady in the audience hired me to play a private party at her house. It was Dolores Hope, Bob's wife. The Hopes had me back several times for additional engagements."

Thus a new chapter had begun, this time on the west coast.

During the next ten years while based in San Francisco, Dan De Luca worked multiple longterm engagements at such star-studded venues as The Hotel St. Francis, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Black Hawk Country Club. Then came another turning point in 1988 when Dan traveled to Kansas City at the recommendation of some transplanted west coast friends. "They told me I would really like it here," Dan says. "And they were right."

14 years later De Luca continues to appear at Remington's. ("A long time to sit on the same bench! But I've been fortunate. And I'm still paying the bills!") And he continues to weave hip sounds for the appreciative ear.

Looking for an evening of fine dining and good music? Then head on over to the Adam's Mark for eclectic cuisine and the music of one KC's most enduring pianists. It's an irresistible, and classy combination.

Dan De Luca appears at Remington's on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Monday through Saturday 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.


TOMMY RUSKIN
Drummer, bandleader
by Tim Cross

It's five o'clock on Sunday afternoon at the Majestic Steakhouse. Accompanied by the rattle of plates and the murmur of conversation from the dining room, Tommy Ruskin quietly sits down at his drums to begin the first set. Several measures into Mike Ning's piano solo on "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," patrons at a nearby table look up from their drinks, smiling in acknowledgment. People standing by the bar also turn around to listen. Three tunes later, as vocalist Julie Turner counts off the tempo for "Night and Day," two women sitting in the booth by the front window nod their heads in rhythm.

With Tommy Ruskin on this or any gig, the music sounds so natural, it's easy to miss the mastery behind it. How can he play so precisely, with such perfect time, and make things sound so loose and relaxed? How can he groove at every possible dynamic level, and always make things swing? And, how does Tommy make everybody who works with him sound so good? In his typical self-effacing manner, he simply says, "It takes a lot of practice. And I try to listen."

It doesn't take long to understand why Ruskin has been one of the most admired jazz musicians in Kansas City for over forty years. Born here in 1942, Tommy picked up the drums as a child, following attempts at piano and clarinet. After losing out in a band audition to another drummer, he "decided to get motivated." He studied with Jack Miller and Irv Hudnal, started playing professionally while still in high school, and in 1960, at seventeen, began working six nights a week with Roy Johnson, a pioneering electric bassist.

Tommy Ruskin hasn't slowed down since. His résumé includes Bram Wijnands, Mike White, Russ Long, John Veith, Marilyn Maye, Sammy Tucker, Pete Eye, John Elliot and, of course, spouse Julie Turner. Equally in demand in the studio, Ruskin has also contributed to recordings by Maye, Wijnands, Gary Foster, Richard Ross, Mike Ning, Paul Hofmann and Mike Metheny.

Along with all this, Tommy has also had a longtime relationship with the Topeka and Kansas City Jazz Workshops, which began in 1979 when the KC Friends of Jazz asked him to put together a rhythm section to support visiting guest artists. Over the following years, he has backed everyone from Herb Ellis, Gene Harris, Al Cohn and Red Rodney to Ruby Braff, Gary Foster and Clark Terry.

Although Ruskin cites Stan Getz and Bill Evans as two of his favorite musicians, he has an open mind about all styles of music.

"When I was growing up, I listened to everybody. East Coast, West Coast, swing bands, modern jazz." He's still listening. "There are some very good young players out there. And I'm hoping more young people will take to jazz so it can keep thriving."

What does Tommy think about the local scene? "There is a lot going on. And there are a lot of good musicians, especially for a city this size. When musicians come through, they can't believe that there is this much jazz."

Since 1989, Ruskin's Saturday afternoon jam sessions -- first at the Levee, now at 210 at Fedora -- have contributed to this vitality by providing a meeting place for aspiring musicians, seasoned veterans and enthusiastic fans. Among the young musicians currently working in Kansas City, Tommy is particularly impressed with the pianist, Eldar Djangirov.

"I can't believe how good he is!"

Of course, many in town will say the same about Tommy Ruskin.

It's nearly seven o'clock and time for the last set. Although it's Sunday evening, the Majestic is still full of people who have hung around to hear the music. And Tommy Ruskin is ready to go back to work.

"As long as I can keep playing," he says with a smile, "I'll be happy."


JULIE TURNER
Vocalist, bandleader
by Bill Fogarty

If you talk to enough jazz musicians around Kansas City, sooner or later you will meet up with someone who carries a trace of bitterness as they reflect on their lives. No doubt about it: the jazz life can be tough. And sometimes it can darken one's attitude, either a little or a lot.

When there's the occasion to chat with someone like vocalist Julie Turner, however, it's refreshing to hear from a person who's happy and upbeat about her work.

Turner has been a part of the Kansas City scene for many years beginning in the 1960s when she was a member of the Warren Durrett Orchestra. In the 1970s, she started working with KC bandleader Steve Miller, an association that continued well into the 1980s when she also began to branch out on her own. Julie was off for a year in the early 1990s with throat problems, but overcame that interruption nicely and returned to the scene with her own group, a group that she still leads today.

How did Julie Turner get interested in music in the first place?

"My parents weren't musicians, but they had every kind of recorded music going in our house -- Caruso, Benny Goodman, Crosby, Sinatra. Everything."

Often, it's the ordinary things -- and an everyday coincidence -- that can attract young people to jazz.

"When I was a kid, a musician gave me a Billy Taylor album," Julie recalls. "That was an important factor in getting me interested in jazz."

Julie sang in high school operettas, and had some vocal lessons from a school music teacher. Later there were a few lessons from singing sensation Marilyn Maye. "Marilyn and (then husband) Sammy Tucker got me my first gig with Warren Durrett," Julie remembers.

And so, Julie Turner learned her craft as she performed it.

Among her early influences were Carmen McRae and Peggy Lee -- especially Lee. "Oh, she was a big influence. And later in life, I learned how big an influence Billie Holiday was on her. There was that soulfulness, and that quality of the storyteller, which a singer is supposed to be."

Julie now reflects on the good fortune that has enabled her to make it in this town.

"I've been blessed as a singer. And I've been able to work steadily. When a singer doesn't play any instrument to go with her voice, it's not easy. There's a certain amount of scuffling necessary to get the gigs. But we've been very fortunate. Sometimes the gigs come in bunches."

The "we," as KC jazz fans will already know, includes her husband, Tommy Ruskin, whom she married when both were very young. "He's still my favorite drummer," Julie says.

Julie and Tommy do two nights a week at the Majestic Steakhouse, Sunday and Thursday. And it's a rare week when she doesn't have at least one or two additional engagements with her trio, including club dates, wedding receptions and corporate events. Yes, the music profession has been very rewarding for Julie Turner.

Regarding the future, Julie says that one long-range goal is to make another CD. (The cassette she made several years ago, Save That Time, is now available on CD.) She'd also like to work in other cities and new venues.

"But I love Kansas City. And if nothing else happens than I continue working here, that's enough. I'm extremely grateful for what I've had. And as long as people enjoy hearing me, I'll keep doing it."


MIKE WARREN
Drummer, educator
By Tom Fredrick

Good things happen when Mike Warren and music get together.

Warren on drums strives to nourish the soul with jazz. His melodic approach to a rhythm instrument also strives for what he calls "inter-combo dialogue," a conversation among musicians shared with an audience. Seeing colors while he plays, even feeling music in the very pores of his skin while he listens to others, Warren exudes pure energy.

Drummers speak in letters, words, or even sentences according to ability. A few have the facility to speak in whole paragraphs, to accentuate and elevate. Max Roach is one. Warren, with his distinctive vocabulary, may be the next. Louie Bellson, whom Duke Ellington called the "world's greatest musician," is on record declaring Mike a "great player."

"I learned the language a unique way," Warren says. "There are so many musicians to admire and respect, but I didn't pattern myself after anyone." Somewhat unorthodox in technique, he never had formal lessons yet now finds himself teaching others one day a week. An accomplished scholar and athlete, he fought for a musical identity and forged an original voice.

Warren reflects on a drummer's destiny: "I used to pick up sticks and play a basketball held between my knees" -- a far cry from the Peter Erskine Rides and DWs he now uses. "Growing up," he continues, "we fell asleep to the sounds of late-night jazz on the radio."

The fifth of five children, Mike Warren was born in the same hospital where he'd later return to study medicine. "My father, a blues guitar player, placed different musical instruments around our house," a brown-brick home in Kansas City, Kansas where his mother still lives. "I picked up a clarinet when I was seven," the year before his father's death. "After growing up with classical music, I finally turned to drums as a high school senior."

Within a year, Warren became principal percussionist at KCK Community College. After transferring, he held the same spot at Kansas University, where he helped garner a handful of Downbeat awards. "Behind the scenes," he interjects, "we knocked on doors all over town looking for places to play," eventually sparking a Lawrence jazz revival.

Steeped in tradition, Warren is a serious musician with high standards and an abiding love of Kansas City jazz culture and style. "The Dunn-Freeman Mix, my main group, has wide abilities and seeks new frontiers, yet we uphold the music and its elder statesmen." Warren yearns for venues "where jazz is front and center, not just a sidelight. We need more stages, better sound systems, and committed club owners to support current generations and younger musicians who'll follow."

An American Jazz Museum All-Star, Warren's musical interactions, like those found on Al Pearson's 1997 'Bout Time album, are critically acclaimed. His arrangement of the Miles Davis classic "All Blues," from the 1998 Live at the Blue Room album with Lisa Henry, has been hailed by many as "flawless." Blue Room II, with Dunn-Freeman, is in the works.

As the discography continues to grow, someday, somewhere, a child will settle sleepily into bed and, while a CD plays, absorb the spirit, melody and energy of Mike Warren and his one-of-a-kind musical voice.




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