Encounters with three memorable music greats

Editor's note: Part of this year's theme for the Hawaii International Jazz Festival, July 29-30, is a tribute to Ray Charles, Martin Denny and Artie Shaw. We asked Abe Weinstein, jazz festival executive director, who played with two of these musicians, for a little insight into their lives.

By Abe Weinstein

Ray Charles and Martin Denny are among the musical icons who will be saluted in July's jazz festival. Advertiser library photos

Artie Shaw was an icon of the big-band era who married Hollywood stars Lana Turner and Ava Gardner.

Hawaii International Jazz Festival 7 p.m. July 29-30 Hawai'i Theatre Tickets go sale today: $25, $40 and $50, with $5 discounts for seniors, military, students and Hawaii Theatre members; also, a two-day pass is $5 off the July 30 performance. 528-0506 or online at www.hawaiitheatre.com Festival Web site: www.hawaiijazz.com

I had the good fortune of playing with Ray in my earlier years when I played in his saxophone section.

That experience, coupled with the passing of Martin Denny and memories of Artie Shaw's influence on my life, leads us to this year's theme of the Hawaii International Jazz Festival — a tribute, in part, to three great musicians who are all pioneers in their own right.

Of the three, I knew Denny the best. We met when he came to sit in with my band at the Esprit Lounge at the Sheraton Waikiki. We clicked immediately, partly because we both shared serious training in the classical field.

We remained friends for years, and among the many things I remember about him are the way his mental energy and sharp ears remained until he died a few months ago.

Not long before he died, my assistant and I visited Martin at his home in Hawai'i Kai, where we spent four hours listening to him perform on his grand piano. It was amazing.

But you already know that about his music.

What you may not know is that although his music was very elegant and sophisticated, his personal sense of humor tended to be quite playful. He loved to tell jokes with saucy punch lines.

His memory was almost photographic. Years after his early adventures in South America, he would talk story about his travels, identifying every photo in his South American album from that period of his life (in the 1930s, when he first started to play professionally).

There's so much more to tell about Martin, but even these few details can add to an appreciation for his music.

I wasn't as close to Ray, but we crossed paths several times.

I will always remember him for his great talents and for the styles of music, which he fused together for his concerts and recordings. Performing in his saxophone section, I remember watching him work the audiences and how I would listen to him with his incredible hard-driving piano styles and inimitable vocals.

Ray was one of the most expensive acts in show business, commanding very high salaries for his appearances. But he was appreciative to me on more than one occasion for helping him find musicians for concerts in the Islands.

And then there's Artie Shaw, one of my personal favorites.

Shaw has been part of my life since I was 16 and won our high school talent contest with a performance of Artie's Concerto for Clarinet.

Artie was one of the biggest enigmas in musical history. He was an intellectual who was married to beauties like Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. He was a pop icon during the big-band era and cut quite a figure for himself, much like the pop figures of today. In the '30s, he was earning $10,000 a week, a staggering amount, and chose to quit the music business because of his irritation at the commercial side of the business.

I have followed Artie's life through his recordings, newspaper interviews and the personal stories told to me by other musicians who knew him.

Artie was considered a very good bandleader, unlike Benny Goodman, who had a hard time keeping his cool. Artie was well-liked and looked up to by his fellow musicians.

It's boggling that he basically quit music at the height of his career. His charisma, intelligence and organizational moxie have been a beacon for me throughout my life.

A highlight for me today is that a version of "S'Wonderful" that I recorded to dedicate to Artie is now being played during the in-flight audio on Hawaiian Airlines' transcontinental flights.

Artie's life was an intriguing one to follow. He was married eight times. He was stationed here during World War II, and his big band performed at the Breakers Club in Waikiki.

Gabe Baltazar, Hawai'i's legendary alto-sax player, tells the story about how he crawled under the barbed-wire fence along the beach to hear Artie during those years. Gabe was just a teenager.

And now there's a book on Artie's life. Titled "The Trouble With Cinderella," it gives his fans insight into his life as a pop star/jazz musician. That he had a book at all is surprising because Shaw was secretive about his music in many ways.

He wouldn't even tell anyone what kind of clarinet reeds or equipment he used, which all thought to be odd.

This year's jazz festival runs July 29-30. Personally speaking, the tribute to these three icons makes it all the more special.

Abe Weinstein is the founder and executive director of the Hawaii International Jazz Festival.