Playing Saxophone and All That Jazz
As his teacher had before him, the late saxophonist Hal McKusick, who lived in Sag Harbor, wanted to inspire students to pursue their dream and be passionate about what they believe in. “That takes mentors,” he told The Star in 1998. “And that’s what I’d like to do with my students.”
So inspired, John Ludlow is living the dream of a successful career in music. Now 26, the Bridgehampton native has been performing regularly on the South Fork since he was a teenager. In between gigs, he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the jazz instrumental performance program at the City College of New York.
Mr. Ludlow’s 13 years under McKusick’s tutelage had a clear and profound impact. Apart from Bob Marley and a passing interest in rock ’n’ roll and hip-hop, he has been a jazz aficionado from the start. “When I was pretty young, Hal asked, ‘Where do you want to go with this? I can teach you everything I know about jazz and you can follow that path. Or, you can not take it so seriously, and have fun with it playing pop or rock.’ I said, ‘I want to do what you do.’ ”
In fact, Mr. Ludlow’s first instrument was the piano, which his brother, Peter, plays. “I enjoyed it, but I didn’t really like practicing, like every kid,” he said. “I wanted to stop, and my parents told me that I had to play an instrument. I guess I chose the sax because of the aesthetics — the gold, the curves. And, I was obsessed with basketball, and David Robinson, the San Antonio Spurs player, played the sax.”
Peter Ludlow was taking piano lessons with Mr. McKusick, so when John chose the saxophone, their parents brought the musician another student. “I was 10 or 11, and it just took off from there.” Mr. Ludlow said. “I took a lesson every week up until he passed away in 2012. He got me on the right path. I listened to him, and everything he said was gold.”
His teacher, who had worked with legendary musicians and vocalists including Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, and Gil Evans, advised him to listen to saxophonists like Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Dave Schildkraut, “but he was my primary influence.”
He first performed during services at the Bridgehampton Methodist Church. “But my first real public performance was at Kipling’s.” The now-defunct Bridgehampton restaurant was owned by a musician, Jim Demitrack, who performed there regularly. “They had jazz playing on the radio,” Mr. Ludlow remembered, “and on Friday and Saturday nights they would have Jim with Ray Williams on bass. I just loved the sound of it.” About 10 years ago he was invited to perform there. “It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I played there a few more times.”
In his first paying gig, he and other students accompanied McKusick, who was performing with a trio at a fund-raiser in Southampton hosted by Dorothy Lichtenstein. “Hal invited us up to play a tune — that was a quite a thrill. I didn’t even have the chord changes in front of me. Maybe Hal told me not to use them, to just play by ear and be confident in what I was hearing. It was kind of a blur — one tune, one solo — but it was great.”
Mr. Ludlow, who is also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, will return soon to City College for the next of three remaining semesters, but meanwhile, with summer in full swing, there are plenty of gigs on the South Fork. On Saturday night he will perform with the vocalist Ludmilla Benevides and the guitarist Marcello Pimenta at Circo restaurant in Southampton, and on Sunday evening he will play at the Bridgehampton Inn and Restaurant. He is also a regular performer at Pierre’s in Bridgehampton and the Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island, among others. “I really like the scene out here,” he said. “It’s a small music scene, but there are some good players.”
The feeling is mutual. “In addition to being a skilled, versatile player, John is very empathetic and brings a positive vibe to the bandstand,” said Jane Hastay, a pianist. “He cheers his fellow band mates on with encouraging words, which is always an asset with new guest performers and repertoire. He helps keep things relaxed and easy. This is what veterans do.”
“With his beautiful tone, excellent training, and a willingness to try any style, John Ludlow is at the top of my list,” said Peter Martin Weiss, a bassist. “I hire him as much as I can because he’s been playing more and more in New York City, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets discovered by an internationally touring jazz group.”
“I want to play as much as possible,” Mr. Ludlow said, “and make enough money doing it — unfortunately, money has to be involved. It’s not one of the most lucrative trades, but I love doing it, and if I could do that every day I’d be very happy.”
For John Ludlow’s performance schedule, recordings, and more, go to johnludlowjazz.com.