By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Not surprisingly when “Blue Lou” Marini, of Blues Brothers and “Saturday Night Live” fame, met with seven student jazz saxophonists on the stage on Kobacker Hall, some storied names in popped up.
One student played a little-heard tune by Dexter Gordon.
Marini spoke of being inspired by the work of Benny Carter, and playing a concert with Clark Terry when he was a student at the University of North Texas.
Dizzy Gillespie and Gil Evans signed the wall in his former New York apartment.
He talked about watching Charles Mingus schooling a drummer who insisted on sitting in.
Another personage, though, was mentioned more often than these musical luminaries.
It was Marini’s first teacher, whose lessons stuck him for 70 years, and some of which he was now passing on to these BGSU students.
That was Lou Marini Sr., Marini’s father, a professor who taught at Bowling Green State University for 15 years after his son had started college and was on his way to a stellar career as a performer.
Lou Marini Sr. was a teacher. He worked as a high school band director before coming to BGSU. And he taught his son.
While his son made a career as a performer, it was clear Wednesday at BGSU that Lou Marini Jr. had picked up a knack and love of teaching from his father.
As each of the saxophonists took a turn standing up and playing an impromptu solo, he offered praise, and a specific suggestion for improvement and development.
Slow difficult passages down, way down, he said. One of the lessons from his father.
Marini’s own playing will be on display (tonight Friday, Feb. 25) when he performs with the BGSU Wind Ensemble and the Jazz Lab Band I in a free concert in Kobacker Hall in the Moore Musical Arts Center.
One of the horns that he’ll play is his father’s alto saxophone. “l thought, I’m coming to Bowling Green, let me get dad’s alto out. It feels great, so I’m playing it Friday night.”
Marini said he first visited campus when his father was being honored after his retirement.
He met Bruce Moss, director of band activities. They stayed in touch over the years. Moss is a James Taylor fan, and Marini plays in Taylor’s touring band.
Moss brought Marini in as feature soloist to mark his 30th year as the conductor of the Wheaton Municipal Band in Illinois, and then 10 years later, Marini flew in from Europe to play for the celebration of Moss’ 40th anniversary as conductor of the ensemble.
Last summer, Marini said, Moss called to suggest a return visit to BGSU.
Marini said he had a piece he had composed for wind ensemble that he’d like to hear played. That and a chance to reconnect with BGSU’s jazz faculty made the visit all the more attractive.
Marini has been on campus since Wednesday under the auspices of the Hansen Musical Arts Series. While here he has spent a lot of time with students.
Talking to the young saxophonists, the 76-year-old musician brought up the difference in the jazz scenes now.
Sixty years ago, there were jam sessions and opportunities for young players to sit in with their elders. That’s pretty much closed down.
Now musicians have the play-along records produced for the past 50 years by Jamey Aebersold. That means they can jam over and over to learn a song with the renowned pianist Kenny Barron and other all-stars as their back up band.
“You have a lot of resources.”
When he was coming up, older musicians could be tough on youngsters, especially those not up to snuff.
He recalled watching a drummer pester Charles Mingus to sit in with the composer’s band. The notably irascible bassist finally relented. Then he counted off his tune “Better Get It In Your Soul” at an impossibly fast tempo, so fast the members of his group struggled to play the melody. Then the band walked off the stage and left the drummer alone to muddle along until he gave up.
It was, Marini said, painful to watch.
He recalled that he had a graffiti wall in an old apartment in New York, and musicians who visited would sign it.
The brilliant arranger Gil Evans wrote: “It’s wonderful to play what you hear as long as what you hear is wonderful.”
When Marini played in college with trumpeter Clark Terry, the older musician let him know that there were dozens of players from places like Canton, Ohio, Marini’s hometown, in New York who could play as well as he did.
Marini said it comes down to “whether you can do the practice and work to get there.”
And there are still plenty of hot young players in the city.
“I hear young saxophone players in New York who play their asses off. They keep me in the practice room. They’re coming up and somehow if they have the will, they find a way to make a living. I don’t know how they do it. New York is expensive. It’s changed so much.”
Here in Bowling Green, the students get to exercise their chops at the weekly Wednesday Jazz Studies Nights at Arlyn’s Good Beer.
Marini sat in on the faculty’s opening set. Jamming with drummer Dan Piccolo, bassist Jeff Halsey, alto saxophonist David Bixler and Ariel Kasler, on guitar and keyboards, was fun. Marini was impressed with Kasler’s mastery of both his instruments. “He plays beautiful.”
After a brief interview following the set, he had more important matters on his mind.
The students were already on stage playing.
“Let’s go listen to the kids.”
