NEWPORT, Rhode Island: Chevy Chase ended up improvising a bit while hosting the Newport Jazz Festival. But instead of his trademark pratfalls and buffoonery, the comedian was all business when he sat down at the piano to entertain the audience when pianist Dave Brubeck's entrance was unexpectedly delayed.
As the festival crew scrambled to prepare the main stage, Chase gave a respectable performance of jazz pianist Bill Evans' tune, “Waltz for Debby." However, Chase demurred when Brubeck invited him to sit in with his quartet, which opened its Saturday afternoon set with “St. Louis Blues."
“Dave said, 'Hey, I didn't know you could play that well, so that made me feel real good," said Chase, 63, an accomplished amateur jazz pianist, at a backstage news conference on Sunday before the festival concluded with rousing performances by Al Green and B.B. King.
Chase was invited to be the host after a chance encounter at a party earlier this year with some of the festival's producers, who discovered that the Emmy-winning comedian, film and TV actor is also a devoted jazz fan.
“This is my first time (at the Newport festival)," said Chase. “It's a dream for me. ... I've been a jazz aficionado all my life. ... One of my daughters, Caley, is here with me and she's a jazz pianist and soaking it up."
In college, Chase played drums in a jazz band with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who later became famous as Steely Dan. Before his star turn on the opening 1975 season of “Saturday Night Live," a then unknown Chase frequented the Village Vanguard and other New York clubs where he became friendly with many jazz legends. Miles Davis even invited him to sit in one night in place of his drummer Tony Williams.
“Miles said, 'Hey Tony, let Chevy sit in,'" Chase said, imitating the trumpeter's scratchy voice. “I was scared to death. I sat in for a song and, thank God, I didn't trade fours or have any solos. It was just fun."
Chase credits Thelonious Monk and Evans in particular with inspiring him to switch to piano.
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As the festival crew scrambled to prepare the main stage, Chase gave a respectable performance of jazz pianist Bill Evans' tune, “Waltz for Debby." However, Chase demurred when Brubeck invited him to sit in with his quartet, which opened its Saturday afternoon set with “St. Louis Blues."
“Dave said, 'Hey, I didn't know you could play that well, so that made me feel real good," said Chase, 63, an accomplished amateur jazz pianist, at a backstage news conference on Sunday before the festival concluded with rousing performances by Al Green and B.B. King.
Chase was invited to be the host after a chance encounter at a party earlier this year with some of the festival's producers, who discovered that the Emmy-winning comedian, film and TV actor is also a devoted jazz fan.
“This is my first time (at the Newport festival)," said Chase. “It's a dream for me. ... I've been a jazz aficionado all my life. ... One of my daughters, Caley, is here with me and she's a jazz pianist and soaking it up."
In college, Chase played drums in a jazz band with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who later became famous as Steely Dan. Before his star turn on the opening 1975 season of “Saturday Night Live," a then unknown Chase frequented the Village Vanguard and other New York clubs where he became friendly with many jazz legends. Miles Davis even invited him to sit in one night in place of his drummer Tony Williams.
“Miles said, 'Hey Tony, let Chevy sit in,'" Chase said, imitating the trumpeter's scratchy voice. “I was scared to death. I sat in for a song and, thank God, I didn't trade fours or have any solos. It was just fun."
Chase credits Thelonious Monk and Evans in particular with inspiring him to switch to piano.
Continue...
For more information contact All About Jazz.
