Bobby Militello Headlining Jazz & Blues Weekend
Bobby Militello Headlining Jazz & Blues Weekend
Jazz great Bobby Militello and his quartet will be performing at 12:30pm on the Main Stage come Sunday, July 31st as part of the 23rd Annual Ellicottville Jazz & Blues Weekend, produced by the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce.
Bobby Militello is considered one of the greatest saxophone players in the world and we are lucky to call him one of our own from Buffalo. Dave Brubeck and Maynard Ferguson were lucky to call him one of their own when he played and toured with two of the best jazz bands in the world.
Militello has a musical resume that would probably take up more than a full page in this paper - played and recorded with the biggest and best symphonies in the world, worked with all of the “who’s who” of the jazz world, recorded many albums (which are actually too numerous to list as you will find out in the following interview), worked with Doc Severinsen as a member of the Johnny Carson Band on the Tonight Show, recorded the theme song to the sitcom “Major Dad”, played music in multiple episodes of the hit TV drama “Dallas”, worked with Patrick Duffy on the soundtrack of the movie “Vamping” where he was also the technical advisor.
I had a chance to talk with Militello recently about his career and his upcoming show at the Ellicottville Jazz & Blues Weekend and found him to be a great conversationalist and someone who has spent the last fifty years doing exactly what he loves and was made to do.
He credits his mother for his career and love of music. She bought the family’s first record, a jazz album, that was played in the house growing up.
His biggest audience was 40,000 people, which Militello said, “Once you get over the stigma of doing that, you’re like addicted to it, and you realize you’re a live performer and that’s what you want to do. Music is a religion to me. It’s everything … it’s like I’m preaching when I’m playing. It’s a very satisfying feeling. Very few people get to fulfill that honest integrity in what they’re doing. I won’t sacrifice it for anything.”
For more information on Bobby Militello visit bobbymilitello.com. For more information on the Jazz & Blues Weekend visit ellicottvilleny.com.
A CONVERSATION WITH BOBBY
HULICK: You’ve moved to many different places throughout your life, but you always return to Buffalo.
MILITELLO: Yes, that was my intention all along. I traveled the world for 40 years and lived in Michigan, Vermont, Florida and California, but I always knew this was home. I didn’t want it to be any other way.
HULICK: I love doing research on the artist I’m going to interview, and what amazes me is how connected the different artists are to other artists you would never know about. For example, you worked with Buffalo’s own Rick James.
MILITELLO: Yes. He became a really good friend. He got caught up in his own success, which is easy to do when you’re in the category he was in. As a jazz musician I’ve been all over the world a hundred times and have gotten standing ovations and yet when you leave the gig you’re just a person now. Your ego comes out when you’re on the stage … that’s where it needs to come out, but once you’re done playing you’re no different than the people around you.
HULICK: I was doing an interview with Donny Osmond and he brought up Rick James. Apparently Rick was going to produce Donny’s first solo record and he told Donny to come to Buffalo, get a room and he would contact him to get started. Well Donny waited for three days and never left the room. He ordered room service for all his meals so he wouldn’t miss that call and got hooked on soap operas and Rick never called, showed up, nothing.
MILITELLO: (laughs) Well that sounds like Rick without a doubt. I would go into a new recording session with him and they would tell me that Rick was sleeping … and I had four horn players there ready to go, but he didn’t want anything being recorded on his track without him being there. The one time I talked him into letting me record without him there he got mad. (laughs) He ended up using what I recorded but he was still mad I did it without him there. But he was a great guy. He treated me very well. I loved the cook he had in his house. She was a wonderful lady and whenever I was out I would buy her a bushel of tomatoes or peaches or something and bring it to the house because she was always cooking for 15 to 20 people. She would always give me a kiss and make me a sweet potato pie or something. It was pretty cool.
HULICK: You’ve been a part of enormously popular bands including Dave Brubeck and Maynard Ferguson. The stories you must have!
MILITELLO: Oh, tons of them! I keep getting told I should write a book. (laughs) That’s what everyone tells the people that are on the road touring. (laughs)
HULICK: Were you always interested in music?
MILITELLO: Yes. My mother was a huge jazz fan.
HULICK: Did you study music in school?
MILITELLO: Yes, every grade. I had great teachers. They pushed the hell out of me.
Every single music teacher gave me immense support and knowledge.
HULICK: Was there someone through the years who had a major influence on you?
MILITELLO: John Sedola. The best saxophone teacher, I think, in the world. He taught some of the greatest players and when you agreed to study with him you agreed to a commitment and that was that you would practice the way he told you to. My lessons used to take me about six hours to complete every day. If you didn’t do it he didn’t want any part of you. So he became this bigger than life person that you wanted to satisfy under all circumstances. That forced you to raise your level and get stronger and stronger. He was an immense part of my life. If it wasn’t for him I don’t think I’d be the player I am.
HULICK: With all you’ve done in your five plus decades of music, is there any one moment that you would call your “pinch me moment”?
MILITELLO: Playing with the London Symphony at Abbey Road Studio for seven days and recording there. There are so many moments though … I got to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Maynard Ferguson. Played at the Apollo Theater and hung out with the greatest jazz players of all time in the greenroom … I felt like a child. I really did! You feel like all of a sudden you may have arrived, but you’re not sure yet … you don’t want your ego to go too far. You can’t believe the juice it gives you to be a part of that.
HULICK: I loved it when I looked at your discography on your website and at the end of the very long list you have … “That’s all I can remember.” (laughs) Like saying I’m done making this list so there you go!
MILITELLO: (laughs) You know I thought about it and then like you said I just thought I’m done. (laughs) I don’t know how many records I did that aren’t on there.
HULICK: How would you like to be remembered Bobby?
MILITELLO: As a guy that tried to do the best he could.