An Architect of the Music

[ JOE LOVANO ]

I remember Lyle playing with Woody Herman’s band.  I had also heard of him earlier through North Texas State. Lyle’s legend was large. I played in Woody’s band after Lyle with Marc Johnson and Pat Coil also from North Texas State.   So, we met and knew each other back then.  And btw, Woody loved Lyle and featured him a lot.  

Lyle was an amazing musician.  He was incredible. He channeled a lot of things in his playing and writing that just came to him and unfolded.  As a solo pianist he could have had done so many things.  He was an architect of the music.

RE: THE LYLE MAYS SEXTET AT WILLOW JAZZ CLUB EARLY 80s:

That Willow Jazz Club was a funky little funny joint. A bar on one side and a room on the other side that was like a diner kind of restaurant that became a famous kind of club because The Fringe with George Garzone and those cats played there every Monday for many years.  It wasn’t really a jazz room though.

We only had one rehearsal and played those two sets on that gig at Willow.  I’m glad there is a recording.  Listening to that brought everything back.  We packed that place when we played.  We made more bread from the door than ever at that time in the early 80’s.

Lyle brought his own piano. He had a Steinway delivered there.  The music wasn’t flashy.  It was so musical and beautiful and clear and his playing on this session is so mature.   Also, the way he put this group together and opened the door for everybody to contribute.  He didn’t over power at all.  He let us really live the music and create it from within. That was so special.  

The compositions were so beautiful. The way he arranged it from knowing us and the way we played.  Lyle’s compositions took shape just like Billy Drewes and I and our duets and things. Billy played alto and soprano and I played tenor and flute.  Between the two of us we covered four different colors and personalities on those horns.  The way Tiger Okoshi played trumpet with different mutes and effects, the three of us covered a lot of different sounds all together. The way we all communicated was so natural and felt great.  We were all hoping that band could have went into the studio and laid it all down. 

We all possessed a searching concept and quality. We weren’t trying to be anybody else.  We were all in that open approach about “let’s make it happen for what it could be” not like what it is. What it is “IS” but what it could BE is something else.  And everyone played with that kind of approach. That’s the essence of jazz and the music.

Photo: Jimmy Katz