A gifted Burlington boy will have quite a story to share when he goes back to Har-Bur Middle School in a few weeks. Dakota Austin says his 10-minute performance with Dave Brubeck at the Litchfield Jazz Festival last Saturday seems like a dream.
But it wasn't.
A serendipitous sequence of events led to the invitation for the young saxophonist.
Dakota, 12, was attending a jazz camp on Aug. 2 sponsored by the festival and during a question-and-answer session he mentioned to Brubeck that he was a big fan.
“You were the person who inspired me," he told the legendary musician, who was scheduled to play at the festival that night. “Then I blurted out: 'I want to play “Take Five" with you.'"
Brubeck, 87, must have been struck by the boy's boldness, because he told Dakota to run the idea by his saxophonist, Bobby Militiello.
Militiello asked if he knew the chords, and Dakota told him by heart.
But it wasn't.
A serendipitous sequence of events led to the invitation for the young saxophonist.
Dakota, 12, was attending a jazz camp on Aug. 2 sponsored by the festival and during a question-and-answer session he mentioned to Brubeck that he was a big fan.
“You were the person who inspired me," he told the legendary musician, who was scheduled to play at the festival that night. “Then I blurted out: 'I want to play “Take Five" with you.'"
Brubeck, 87, must have been struck by the boy's boldness, because he told Dakota to run the idea by his saxophonist, Bobby Militiello.
Militiello asked if he knew the chords, and Dakota told him by heart.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
