The following is from the liner notes of Live from the Lighthouse - The Dick Watson Trio, recorded August 23, 1997, written by Dr. Chuck Berg, University of Kansas
In Kander and Ebb's paen to The Big Apple, New York, New York, the lyrics opine that "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." To this day, making it in New York is still a crucial test for aspiring jazz players.
However, as anyone who's traveled the nation's byways with an ear tuned to jazz's inimitable sounds-of-surprise can attest, there's also a legion of "local legends," fine players who've opted to stay home, raise families, and establish professions, mostly outside the field of music.
One such "local legend" is pianist Dick Watson. A 1962 graduate of the University of Iowa who remained in the home of his alma mater, Iowa City, Iowa, Dick quickly established himself as an insurance agent for New York Life. With his lovely wife Penny, he also established a family including three beautiful daughters, and a growing brood of grandchildren. Throughout, the torch for jazz has continued to burn bright.
As a jazz pianist with a host of regional gigs to his credit, echoes of the great tradition abound. In ballads, there's a melodic eloquence and clarity of line reminiscent of Teddy Wilson. In up-tempo tunes, one recalls the harmonic boldness and boppish virtuosity of Bud Powell. As for blues, watch out, because there's the power of such masters as the soulful Gene Harris. These, though, are touchstones.
Indeed, Dick has evolved a compelling and personal style.
As a budding jazz tenorman, I first met Dick in 1968, when I arrived in Iowa City in pursuit of a doctorate in film studies. Everything clicked. Dick knocked me out. Here was a guy who soloed and comped with class. He really cared about the music. Indeed, some of my happiest memories involve piling into Dick's car, one of those behemoths of the period, and heading out of town for a gig. We debated politics. It was the 1960s. Then, when the tapes rolled, we argued about the relative merits of Oscar Peterson vs. McCoy Tyner or John Coltrane vs. Stan Getz. Of course, we loved them all.
The gigs were always fun. Serious fun! It didn't matter if it were a wedding reception, a country club dance or a smoky jazz club. There was passion. And a commitment to push the envelope while also trying to keep listeners and dancers plugged in. Then, as now, Dick's playing had a "smile," a wry aside, a bit of musical sleight-of-hand. Serious fun? You bet!
As I listen to these warmly wrought tracks recorded live on August 23, 1997, at the Lighthouse Inn in Cedar Rapids (home base for the Watson Trio), I'm still knocked out by Dick's Playing. Like other "weekend" players, there's a palpable joie de vivre that's often missing in the work of many "pros" whose daily grinds have given them and their music unrelenting darkness.
That upbeat glad-to-be-alive quality extends to the playing of Dick's colleagues. It's clear that this is a real group, a tightly knit unit with a shared vision, and the musical means to make things happen. Like Dick, drummer Craig Wood has a "day job." He's Director for Services for People with Disabilities, for Linn County, Iowa. Bassist Steve Charlson, an alum of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and various cruiseship stints, has just finished a degree in finance from the University of Northern Iowa, suggesting he too will soon settle down.
The music more than speaks for itself. Still, I think that its freshness, its spontaneity, its capacity to surprise is both a reflection of the trio's considerable talents, and a reflection of the untarnished joy brought to the creative process by weekend players who want, rather than are forced, to play.
Yes, there is obviously great music being made in New York, and Chicago, and Los Angeles. But as this ebullient performance by the Dick Watson Trio points up admirably, there's also great music being made along America's byways, indeed in heartland communities like Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
Now, good listener, it's your turn. From the spirited trio romp with the sprightly Rosetta to Dick's solo meditation on All the Things You Are, this is a banquet created to delight and replenish both body and soul.
Enjoy!
Dr. Chuck Berg, University of Kansas
JazzTimes; Jazz Educators Journal; Gramophone Jazz CD Guide
12 October 1997
Craig Wood is a drummer in the Dick Watson Trio. Craig majored in music at the University of Iowa, played in the United States Military Academy Band, and has played many styles of music in over 35 years of performing.
