Decades ago, bass player Dave Holland was summoned to the U.S. to perform with the legendary Miles Davis, who had seen him play at Ronnie Scott in London and wanted him for a gig at Count Basie’s in Harlem.  

A drummer who had struck up a friendship with Holland in London met him at the airport and invited him to stay with him and his wife, Lydia, until he found his own place. The musician was the late Jack DeJohnette, a Chicago native who would go on to live in Woodstock and win two Grammys as part of a career in which he also performed with Davis. 

“I’ll always be grateful for their generosity and kindness,” Holland said. “I was a stranger in a strange land and they made me feel part of their family immediately and helped me connect with the musical community and New York life.”

“I slept on their couch for a few weeks until they kind of gently suggested it might be time for me to find a place of my own—which I did.”

Holland was among speakers at the Broadway Theater at Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston on Sunday for a four-hour tribute to DeJohnette that included live jazz performances. Producer Danny Melnick of Saugerties described it as a near sellout of the 1,500-capacity space. DeJohnette died Oct. 26 at the age of 83. 

Holland provided rare insight into DeJohnette’s personal life as a celebratory spirit gave thrust to “Celebrating Jack DeJohnette: Sound Travels.” 

Dozens of musicians, including his longtime Woodstock neighbor, jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, as well as Bruce Hornsby and Esperanza Spalding, turned out to celebrate DeJohnette’s career. 

Cuban pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba gave a show-stopping performance as his seemingly fragile piano performance brought UPAC to a hush. Delivering an entirely different but no less compelling performance was a boisterous ensemble that featured Hornsby on piano, Spalding on bass and vocals and guitarist John Scofield, also a veteran performer with Davis. 

Holland described in his speech how DeJohnette’s impact on the jazz world made itself known in nuanced ways. 

Performing with him, Holland said from the UPAC stage, was like “putting on a jacket that really fit.”

He continued, “Sometimes, when you play with a musician, you feel there are certain things that are understood and shared that don’t need to be discussed,” Holland said. “And that’s how I felt playing with Jack.”

The event raised money for Family of Woodstock and The Table at Woodstock. The amount generated was still being calculated as of Thursday afternoon.

Family of Woodstock provides mental health support, shelters for domestic violence victims and people who are homeless, restorative justice services, and other resources. The Table at Woodstock works to address food insecurity and expand access to community resources.

Family of Woodstock Executive Director Michael Berg, who with his team was positioned at an information table in the UPAC lobby, said Lydia DeJohnette volunteered years ago on the Family crisis telephone hotline. The DeJohnette family has long been a strong supporter of Family’s efforts and has supported the organization financially, he said. 

The organization emerged in July 1970 in the aftermath of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair a year earlier, when the town was inundated by young people seeking “Bob Dylan and the Woodstock nation,” Berg told The Overlook in April. Berg said Sunday that the DeJohnettes strengthened the relationship between Family and music and said the UPAC event  was a “demonstration of the connection.”

Along with the notable names from the world of jazz, fans turned out to pay their respects. 

“I’m here to honor the memory of Jack DeJohnette and his good works in the community and for Family of Woodstock,” said Angela Zizzamia of Woodstock. “And because I love jazz.” 

Professional jazz drummer Rob Garcia of Brooklyn was planning a trip to New Paltz over the weekend when he learned of the show. He quickly rearranged his plans and bought a ticket.

“Jack DeJohnette is one of the most important jazz drummers to me,” Garcia said. “There’s just non-stop creativity, such an incredible imagination. He was so in the moment and in the flow. I find so much inspiration in Jack DeJohnette.”

John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.