Today is International Jazz Day.  That put me in mind of a sweet story involving one of our very favorite jazz musicians and human beings, the late, great Dave Brubeck.  2001 marked Dave’s first appearance at Litchfield Jazz Festival with his wonderful quartet, with Bobby Militello on sax, Michael Moore on bass and Randy Johnson on drums. It was also the first year at Litchfield Jazz Camp for eleven-year-old sax player, Dakota Austin.  Dakota made his way into camp, despite his young age, by arranging to do an “impromptu” telephone audition, playing, you may have guessed it, Take Five.

All our campers attend the festival as the end game of their study.  They play on their own stage and have a chance to meet towering figures in jazz who appearing on our Main Stage.  Shyness was never an issue for Dakota.  He spotted Dave walking the festival grounds with me and called me aside to ask,

“Do you think I could play Take Five with Mr. Brubeck?”

I  said, “I don’t know.  You’ll have to ask him.”

So he asked. Dave, who loved kids, entertained his appeal and said, “ Well, you’ll have to ask Bobby– he’s the saxman.”  The meet up was arranged and Dakota found himself on stage with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, all eleven years and 4 1/2feet of him.  Bobby even let him take a solo as he knelt beside him for encouragement.

To say there was not a dry eye in the house is not hyperbole. All the folks standing sidestage ,from his mother Laura to  our electrician Ron Johnson were weeping. The only one who did not cry was Dakota.  He was too happy and excited.

He told his mother, who was our volunteer camp nurse, “Mom, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again!”

Postscript:  Dakota Austin is now a professional musician and loving it.  He helps us at Jazz Camp, too, when he has the time.