Dave plays Thursday September 20 at Makeda!
NBJP: What living musician do you admire most? Why?
DG: Branford Marsalis is one of the most honest humans I’ve encountered. I see him challenging himself to perform in new and diverse settings. He’s a keen observer of people, music and culture and he’s very good at articulating his observations. I aspire to that level of communication.
NBJP: You are a musician, is there another art in which you’d like to be accomplished?
DG: Ever since listening to an interview with Oliver Sacks about music in the brain, I’ve been fascinated by the topic. I have a host of diverse interests that all exhibit the drama of human behavior….whether politics, music or baseball, I’m interested in the reactions of people.
NBJP: What’s your favorite (G-rated) guilty pleasure?
DG: Over the years, I’ve loved going to Yankee Stadium for a Wednesday afternoon day game and sitting alone for a few hours. I could watch the game on TV, but I love seeing the entire field and all the player movement that gets missed in a broadcast.
NBJP: If you were about to have your last meal, what would it be?
DG: The only important component of my last meal would be spice. I like anything spicy.
NBJP: Who’s your favorite non-jazz composer?
DG: J.S. Bach set the bar pretty high, early on. He created a skeleton of logical thought that is bedrock for me. He does sound like a bebopper sometimes, though.
NBJP: What’s the worst (non musical) job you ever had?
NBJP: Finish this sentence: If I can, I try to avoid DG:negative thinking.
PLUS ONE: When did you know that you wanted to be a professional jazz musician?
DG:I got my first taste of performing with musicians who were better than me, when I was 15. I was inspired by these musicians’ ability to communicate with the audience. I wanted to do that, too.