Menza Calls It Quits

[Dr. Rat]

Las Vegas Sun, January 16, 2004

Columnist Jerry Fink: Longtime jazz great Menza calls it quits

Don Menza has retired.

The 68-year-old genius of jazz, who splits his time between homes in Las

Vegas and Los Angeles, says he is finished.

He put away his famed saxophone following his last gig -- the annual

Desert Big Band and Jazz Party last month in Palm Springs, Calif.

"I got into music because it was fun. I enjoyed the challenge of being

able to go out and create all this music," Menza said. "But the whole

jazz culture suddenly is part of the pop culture. The record business is

more concerned about how we look than how we sound.

"Music has become part of the visual arts. They ask you, 'What kind of

act do you do? What kind of show do you do?' "

His has always been a class act, and his shows have been as diverse as

the production revue "Splash" and "Jazz on the Strip," a Monday-night

jazz showcase in the former Le Bistro Lounge at the Riviera.

Menza says his decision to walk away from something that has been a part

of his life for so long was not easy.

"It was brought about by a series of events," he said. "I've been doing

this for 53 years, but that's not the problem. My health is good -- I'm

concerned about where music has gone. I'm not at all impressed by the

pop/rock culture."

He still loves music, but that isn't enough to keep him onstage.

"Before I learn to hate music, I would like to go back and listen to it

the rest of my life," Menza said. "If I feel the urge, I might play

again."

But he says that isn't likely.

"At this point, I don't even want to play for pleasure," Menza said.

And playing professionally part time is out of the question. He says if

you're going to perform at all, you have to practice several hours every

day "if you want to stay on top of it. You can't just play on a Saturday

or a Tuesday."

Menza, a native of Buffalo, N. Y., has been a serious musician since the

age of 12, studying saxophone in high school and at the State University

of Fredonia.

While in the service and stationed in Germany, he played with the 7th

Army Jazz Orchestra, a band that included such musical heavyweights as

Don Ellis, Leo Wright, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton and Lanny Morgan.

In 1958 he returned to the United States, was discharged and -- for the

first time -- quit playing.

"In the two or three short years I was gone from this country, I was

amazed at how the jazz scene had diminished," Menza said.

But then he heard saxophonist Sonny Rollins play.

"And I remembered why I wanted to play the saxophone," Menza said.

He joined the Al Belletto sextet and then, in 1960, toured with Maynard

Ferguson. He performed briefly with Stan Kenton, led a quintet in

Buffalo for a couple of years and then, in 1963, moved back to Germany.

A lifelong fondness for Europe had developed during his tour of duty

with the military. Now that he's retired, he may spend even more time

overseas.

"It was the first time I was treated like an artist, with respect,"

Menza said. "It's a whole other lifestyle. The rest of the world looks

at jazz as a true art form, but not in this country.

"When I came back from a five-year stint in Europe in '68, I couldn't

buy car insurance in this country because I was a jazz musician and jazz

musicians were in a high-risk pool. It was insanity."

After his return, he toured briefly with the Buddy Rich band and then

settled in L. A. and became a musician with the three major television

networks and several recording companies.

He performed with productions in Las Vegas until he began to burn out on

commercial gigs in the late '80s.

A yearlong position as artist in residence at UNLV may have hastened the

burn.

It was in 1990.

"It was a stretch for those people -- they don't want someone like me,

someone who has been on the buses on the road, showing kids how it

really was," Menza said. "I don't teach out of the book.

"I told them how it is and how it was, but those people don't want to

hear about that. I feel bad for kids going to school. They all come out

sounding the same, like coming out of a Chevy plant -- the more I talk

about it, the more I'm convinced I don't want to play anymore."

It was about that time, more than 10 years ago, that he was with the

orchestra in "Splash."

"That was my last commercial gig," he said. "After that, I said no more.

When that gig ended, I promised that would be the end of it -- from then

on I would only do jazz gigs."

For the most part, he has been true to his word.

"I've survived 53 years in the business, most of the time calling my own

shots," Menza said. "I wasn't an innovator or a trailblazer or world

beater -- I was a traditional, mainstream player, sometimes high energy,

sometimes not.

"There are so many things I haven't done, like writing for an orchestra,

but I'm tired and I don't want to do it now. I ran out of energy -- I

wasted so much energy on bad gigs. We all did. If you are going to be

conscientious about playing, you're going to spend a lot of time doing

it

-- it's hazardous to jazz playing."

He says he isn't bitter about anything.

"I just don't want to have to deal with it anymore," Menza said. "I have

no regrets. It was wonderful. I gave a lot. I gave it willingly -- all

the playing, all the writing, the teaching."

Last week he came to Las Vegas for a few days from his home in Los

Angeles.

"For the first time, I didn't have my saxophone with me," Menza said.

"It was like I had left a friend behind -- a good friend. But I didn't

miss him."

[mikeweil]

This is the jazz player's version of what caused Joni Mitchell to perform a similar step last year.

The list of frustrated musicians who do not have the mindset for studio gigging or quit out of frustration, at least temporarily, was never written down. Lucky Thompson is the first that comes to my mind.

[Dan Gould]

I think this post will get me to finally take the time to give a listen to his Palo Alto LP, Hip Pocket, I found up north at Christmas time.

[Jim Alfredson]

Wow. Something tells me they won't print that interview in Rolling Stone. I sometimes wonder why I do it too, but I still have the love and drive to play... plus my brothers in the trio make every gig fun.

But what he says about the music business is totally true. It's very sad.

[John Tapscott]

It is sad, especially givenn the reasons behind it. I own several Menza recordings and have seen him live several times. I like Don Menza's playing and writing.

OTOH, he is 68, not old, I know, but surely the age when a person is entitiled to retire if he's financially able. I'm just hoping and praying I can keep working 'til I'm 65. Some days I have serious doubts, though. (16 more years...hmmmm)

[Lazaro Vega]

One of my good friends at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, trombonist Richard Goldsworthy was in this band:

While in the service and stationed in Germany, he played with the 7th

Army Jazz Orchestra, a band that included such musical heavyweights as

Don Ellis, Leo Wright, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton and Lanny Morgan.

And he came over to the station with some tapes of he and Menza and Cedar Walton performing at that time: Four Freshman type vocal choruses, but wailing jazz, too.

[Alec]

Not being a musician I probably don’t have a right to say this but…

Don’t many musicians simply have to play? I’m sure the business sucks and is getting worse all the time, but do most musicians go into it planning to be the next big thing?

Joni hates the business, fine. Keep making music and forget the business. I doubt she needs the money (which she got from the business, I might add.)

How does quitting show anyone anything? Sure Jazz is dying and overseas they treat jazz musicians better. That broken record has been playing since the 20s. Find a new tune or as he has decided quit.

[JSngry]

Yeah, they should all just shut up and play.

[paul secor]

It sounds as if he's made a decision that he's comfortable with, at least for now. There's nothing wrong with changing at any point in one's life. I hope that he's happy and that he's enjoying himself. His band was the first live jazz that I ever heard, and I thank him for that.

[Free For All]

Not being a musician I probably don’t have a right to say this but…

Don’t many musicians simply have to play? I’m sure the business sucks and is getting worse all the time, but do most musicians go into it planning to be the next big thing?

Joni hates the business, fine. Keep making music and forget the business. I doubt she needs the money (which she got from the business, I might add.)

How does quitting show anyone anything? Sure Jazz is dying and overseas they treat jazz musicians better. That broken record has been playing since the 20s. Find a new tune or as he has decided quit.

I've felt pangs of "what's the point" from time to time. They always pass, though and things get better again (so far). I can certainly sympathize with someone who has those feelings. One thing I wouldn't do is make a public announcement about it, however- it's hard to say "never" as a player, and I can't help but wonder if this is a temporary situation that will pass and Menza will reconsider. Either way, it's his call, and I respect that even though he will be missed.

It's frequently frustrating having to depend on something like the creative arts to make a living. Sure, it's important to be idealistic and stay true to your art, but you also have to pay the bills, so you end up having to deal with the business end of it and that can really be a discouraging experience. It's just an unfortunate reality. It's just not possible to live like Jack Kerouac these days. I'd guess that few players have the kind of money that Joni Mitchell has!

....and jazz is NOT dying- it's just taking a nap........

Edited February 22, 2004 by Free For All

[JSngry]

I’m sure the business sucks and is getting worse all the time, but do most musicians go into it planning to be the next big thing?

Well, some do, but most of us just want to be able to play music that is pleasurable at some level for an income that is adequate at some level. When the only way to approach the latter is to forsake the former, damn right frustration and bitterness sets in.

"But aren't MOST jobs like that? Doesn't EVERYBODY have to suck it up and do stupid shit just to make their nut?", you say. Well, yeah, that would seem to be the case, if the increasing popularity of cynicism in all/most levels of popular culture is any indication. So Menza's rant is right in line with mainstream society, even if his musical ambitions aren't, an irony that probably just pours another can or three of gasoline on his internal fire.

I've never met Menza or worked with or around him, but stories of his ultra-"Type A" personality are legion, so this kind of a Farewell Fuck You seems right in line with his character. I don't know that I'd go public with it either, but the points that he makes are one that most every working musician feels from time to time, with the feelings coming more frequently and stronger the deeper into the world of high-profile "commercial" music (shows, revues, etc.) you go.

It's not a world I've aspired to myself, having had the good sense (mental, not financial) to avoid it like the plague after getting a taste of it early on. But I've got plenty of friends who either go back and forth between that world and the world of "real music", and a few who either want or need the financial security it brings, and who have gone into it 100%. I tell you this, and you can believe it or not - there is a BIG world of difference between Don Menza ranting about playing shows, pit gigs, whatever, at the expense of playing jazz in order to make a living wage and Joni Mitchell (god bless her, though) ranting about the decrepit state of The Music Industry Today.

"Selling Your Soul" is a melodramatic concept to be sure, but it is also a reality we all face when we need some bucks and the options at hand are few. Most of us adjust and set about getting the biggest payment for the least merchandise, and we tell ourselves, true or not, that we have enough of our soul in reserve that selling a little bit of it here and there won't hurt TOO much. But the level of work that Menza is talking about is an entirely different world than that of local wedding bands and Top 40 gigs. He's talking about a level of work that presents its own dynamic, music and professionally, and believe me, the clowns are running the circus (again, not too much dofferent than any other field these days, but there you go).

My personal feeling is that Menza could probably live OK doing club, concert, and festival work when he wanted too, but perhaps his aforemenetioned personality won't let him. His drive is fierce, from what I hear, and his standards are incredibly high, both musically and professionally. I haven't heard about him being "difficult" business-wise, but I have heard that he suffers neither fools nor non-perfection gladly musically. Good for him, but it ain't that kind of business, and it damn sure ain't that kind of world. And it's a fact that a lot of players who get bruised enough end up in management, so.....

Nevertheless, his points are good ones, all of them, so pull out a copy of "Groovin' Hard" @ your next rehearsal band rehearsal, and have a sweat and a smile.

Especially if you're a sax player.