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 TODD STRAIT: Sticking To The Music © Doug Auwarter 1996
I clearly remember Todd's performance at that contest. Participants had been sent a sound disk with three examples of different styles that they were to play along with. And there was another "secret" disk that we were provided, along with some accompanying sheet music that each participant was required to sight read while playing along. A two minute drum solo was also to be performed. As Todd, then only 16, executed each stylistic and sight-reading example flawlessly, I remember seeing my assistant beaming at this display. And after the two minute solo, we all were practically giddy. How could this young man play with such depth? we wondered. Todd went on to place second in the national championship in Las Vegas (where Louie Bellson decided to take an informal straw poll among his own band; a handwritten note to Todd said, "I will pass on this valuable info to you. After the contest, I asked all my players who felt the best. They all agreed that you were the player. How about that?") After Las Vegas, Todd came back to his hometown of Topeka and participated in another Slingerland sponsored drum clinic along with his teacher, Alan Carter, and myself. This was the last I would see of Todd for about ten years. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. To get the whole story of Todd Strait, we have to return to his days in elementary school when, as a 5th grader, he began to play the trumpet. Todd was quite happy with this instrument, and were it not for the acquisition of braces, we might never have heard him play the drums. Because of braces, Todd's progress on the trumpet deteriorated to the point of barely being able to make a sound, and in frustration, he turned to the drums. Next came Logan Junior High, and band director Jerry Reiman. "Jerry would arrive at school to give private lessons at 6:30 in the morning," says Todd. "So I started showing up at that time, too. I'd hang out with him in the bandroom during lunch, and stay after school until he left at 5:30. I basically just moved into the bandroom for a couple of years. Jerry was a great guy and he really encouraged me." During this time, Todd began playing weekend jobs with his father, Don Strait, a bandleader and pianist. "I remember riding home after those gigs, lying down with my head on my father's lap, looking at the stars, listening to 'Mystery Theater' on the radio, and feeling the night air moving around in the car. I would think, 'This is great, ...and I just made $20! This is just the best.'" According to Todd, these early jobs were the ones that would lay the foundation for what was yet to come. In high school Todd began studying with Alan Carter, a fine jazz drummer in his own right. It was toward the end of this association that Todd entered the Slingerland/Bellson competition in '78. As a result of that contest, Todd had acquired some scholarship money, which he used to enroll at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. Previously, he had attended several Jamie Abersold jazz camps, and had studied with drummer Ed Soph. To continue this beneficial and enjoyable tutelage, Todd attended Bridgeport where Soph was a teacher. There Todd became acquainted with fellow student Dave Weckl and became good friends with Joel Rosenblatt of Spyro Gyra. "There is no better place (than Kansas City). Here we have the spirit of Paul Smith, the musicality of Bob Bowman, the mastery of Rod Fleeman and Danny Embrey, the feeling of Karrin Allyson and Kevin Mahogany, and the professionalism of Joe Cartwright. ...I have more respect for them than I can even say." -- Todd Strait About Ed Soph, Todd says: "(Ours) was a good association. Besides teaching me a lot of great stuff, Ed would recommend me for work (in nearby New York City), which sometimes called for a more mature player than I was. But I didn't make any enemies, and got called back sometimes. I even house-sat for Ed one summer when he went to Europe. It was a good time, a very nurturing environment, and there were lots of sessions. A lot of times, we would just scat-sing to Abersold records." Eventually, living in Connecticut began to lose its appeal, so Todd moved upstate from the New York City area to White Plains. There, after becoming intrigued with materials that his friend, Joel Rosenblatt, had been studying with educator/drummer Gary Chester, Todd decided to study with this well-known master. "Gary was the coolest teacher of them all," says Todd. "And he had a real family of students. Sometimes I would get to my lesson early and Gary and the guy taking the lesson ahead of me would greet me, even ask me what I thought of what I heard. Sometimes, the guy after me would do the same. It was all very interactive and done in a completely non-competitive environment. Sometimes, I'd stay for the next two or three lessons. And no one was uptight about it." In 1982, Todd was playing in Sonny Costanza's big band at a small jazz festival in Connecticut. Pianist Marian McPartland was also on the bill and her drummer hadn't shown up. Sonny asked Todd if he wanted to play, and after some trepidation, Todd thought, "What's the big deal? It's not like she's going to hire me or anything. Sure, I'll do it." He played the set and forgot about it. A couple of weeks later, McPartland called, asking Todd if he would like to play a concert. Where? "Lincoln Center." When? "In two weeks." "Wow," thought Todd, "I've only got two weeks to really learn how to play." On the evening of the concert, it was snowing heavily, and Todd had an automobile accident on the way. Since his car sustained more damage than the taxi with which he had collided, the cab driver said to forget about it. When he arrived at Lincoln Center, he hurried in with his drums, leaving his coat in his car. "The concert went great," recalls Todd. "And after it was over, I got my check from Marian, waved goodbye as they drove away in the limo, and took my drums to my car. But my car wasn't there. Here I am at 1 o'clock in the morning, standing outside with my drums, it's snowing, I don't have a coat, and I see the sign that says: No Parking, Cars Will Be Towed. So I get a cab and go to a friend's who lives in Spanish Harlem. He takes me in, we bring my drums up to his apartment, and we crash for the night. The next day, I go to find my car. At the motor vehicle place, the computer is down, it takes a couple of hours to find that the car is out in Queens, not far from Yankee Stadium. I get a cab, the driver is from another country, and can't find the tow lot. Finally, we get there, I get my car, some stuff has been stolen, but it's OK. When I get home, I find the check that I had almost forgotten about is still in my tux. I look at it, and... it's for $700! So I call Marian, tell her there's been a mistake, and she says, 'No, that's what the job paid.'" An auspicious beginning to an association that would last until Todd eventually departed New York in 1989.
Upon his return to the Midwest -- and the Kansas City area -- Todd soon emerged as one of the preeminent jazz drummers in town. In Kansas City, Todd discovered a much higher level of musicianship than he had imagined, and he formed strong bonds with pianists Paul Smith and Joe Cartwright, guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman, saxophonist Kim Park, singer Karrin Allyson, and bassist Bob Bowman. It was with Cartwright that Todd began a stint at the City Light Jazz Club in the Country Club Plaza that was to last several years and bring him in contact with many area musicians. "The gig at City Light was an important one," Todd recalls. "I had never done that much playing -- six nights a week -- with such great players." About Kansas City, Todd says, "There is no better place. Here we have the spirit of Paul Smith, the musicality of Bob Bowman, the mastery of Rod Fleeman and Danny Embrey, the feeling of Karrin Allyson and Kevin Mahogany, and the professionalism of Joe Cartwright. My goal is to do what Bob and Kim, my two favorites of all, do. Their lives are their music. They tell their stories every time they play. It isn't their work, it's just them. It's what they do. It's all one thing, somehow. That's what I want to get to. I have more respect for them than I can even say." Todd has achieved a remarkable balance in his life, and it has been attained through an equally remarkable amount of diligence. His daily regimen includes coffee with wife Louise at 6:30 a.m., then an hour of warm-ups, and in the afternoon, a variety of practice routines on the drumset. When reminded of this diligence, Todd characteristically shrugs it off, saying, "This sounds corny, and I know it's such a cliché, but you just have to do what you feel is right, what is right for you. There are things you've got to attend to, things you can't blow off, but most of the day-to-day stuff will take care of itself if you can live your dream. If you can do that, then you've accomplished something." I had already finished writing this piece and when I decided to take some editorial license and add a few thoughts of my own. I am grateful to Todd Strait for elevating the level of musicianship of everyone in the community over the years. My own level of playing has certainly been enhanced by the constant inspiration he provides. This inspiration isn't just musical, but personal as well. Todd exhibits a level of humanity and humility that has touched me deeply. I've never known a more genuine person. His friendship is very nurturing, and he has certainly touched the lives of all of us by his example. Singer Karrin Allyson recently said it best. "I just love Todd, as we all do. He's truly a team player, and always interested in making the music happen. He's a true prince of a guy." "What They Say About Todd" Bob Bowman -- "His sound is very consistent, and never conflicts with the other instruments. His time is absolutely consistent. What any musician can learn from him is that he is a totally unselfish player. He plays for the music, not himself." Rod Fleeman -- "Todd has a great touch. Even at the softest levels, he sustains the same intensity. He's a great listener, always supporting and enhancing soloists superbly. He's a great soloist in his own right, always making it look easy as the cross rhythms and poly-rhythms come flowing out. In a nutshell, who could ask for anything more?" Paul Smith: "Actually the only reason I really like him is because of Louise, and I think we should all come out of the closet about that. (laughs) Seriously, Todd's just a delight to work with. He has 'big ears' and we like to set up so we have a lot of eye contact. We really like to play off of each other. He's a great player, as well as a great friend." Kim Park -- "Todd is the only drummer with whom I play my original music. He is, in many ways, a second skin; it feels like his heart is beating with mine. He's a shadow that somehow doesn't lead or follow. He never gets in the way and anticipates my every move. The most amazing thing is that, at times, you hardly realize he's there, which is mercurial in itself. What a wonderful timekeeper, what a light touch. I'm thankful he's around here. How superlative can I get? I think he's just a wonderful drummer." RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 1996 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved. |
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