With the death of Grammy-winning drummer and pianist Jack DeJohnette on Oct. 27, Woodstock lost a pillar, an anchor, a compass needle pointing home, and that proverbial porch light left on by a loved one, to guide you from the car door to the front door.
Yet the rhythm, the downbeat, the melodies, the soul, the spirit, the smile, and the vision that DeJohnette shared with his fellow artists, and fellow art lovers, inspiring one and all, remain firmly embedded in the community he called home.
In the wake of DeJohnette’s passing, tributes to the man who performed with everyone from Miles Davis to Levon Helm have poured in near and far. Posted on social media and shared directly with The Overlook, these anecdotes, reflections and outpourings of grief paint a portrait of a musician whose impact on Woodstock will, above all, endure.
Pete Caigan
Chief Engineer, Utopia Studios Bearsville in Woodstock
“I had the privilege of working with Jack DeJohnette a few times in the past two years. He was producing a record by Arti Dixson and we did multiple listening sessions at Utopia Studios Bearsville. The other session was recording Jack playing drums on a record by an artist named Joseph Tawadros. He played for almost six hours flawlessly. It was one of my greatest studio experiences. We also had a lot of laughs.”
Robbie Dupree
Singer-songwriter from Saugerties and close friend to Jack DeJohnette
“Jack was incredibly community-spirited and did so many benefits for a broad range of organizations and individuals. He wasn’t removed from the community. He was very involved and invested in Woodstock.”
Dupree fondly recalled DeJohnette’s passion for professional fighting and how the two would venture to Kingston to watch pay-per-view bouts at Ulster Performing Arts Center. “Jack was a big boxing fan,” Dupree said.
Stephen LaMarca
Former Bardavon 1869 Opera House Managing Director
“Over the last four years Chris Silva (former Bardavon 1869 Opera House Executive Director) and I produced nine performances with Jack and Lydia, including amazing shows with Savion Glover, Jon Batiste, Santana and Jack’s theatrical debut in two short Sam Shepard plays with Estelle Parsons and David Strathairn, an unforgettable collaboration. We had the opportunity to work closely with Jack and Lydia and became great friends and got to experience his creative genius and passion up close and personal. Such a genuine player and a really special guy. We are fortunate to have played a role in creating these events with Jack and some spectacular performers that ultimately closed out a truly amazing career.”
Scott Petito
Producer, composer, performer, and owner of NRS Recording Studio in Catskill, who worked often with DeJohnette.
“Jack DeJohnette has left us. One of the greatest of all time,” Petito wrote on Facebook. “I’ve known him since I was 17 and he was a friend, a mentor and influence beyond words—a member of our very diverse Woodstock music community, yet an ambassador to the world. A life very-well lived. Listen to some Jack today. There are hundreds of recordings to choose from—all will make your day a little brighter.”
Bruce Hornsby
Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and pianist
“Jack DeJohnette led a life of integrity, intensity, empathy and a deep commitment to musicality, collaboration and love for humanity,” Hornsby said on Facebook.
“From the late ’90s on, whenever I would run into Jack and Christian McBride, the ridiculous bassist, they would say to me ‘OK, man, when’s the hit?’—meaning ‘When are we going to make something together?’ I would always reply, ‘When I feel like I’ve developed some ideas about how to make a jazz record that has its own voice, its own, hopefully, original way of dealing with the piano trio musical area.’
“Several years later, I called them up and sent them my attempts. They responded, together in a conference call, with great enthusiasm, but with the caveat, ‘You need to get this music under your fingers more solidly!’ They were, of course, correct, and I went deep into the woodshed for the next four months to get ready!
“They came to Williamsburg, and sessions were a joyous affair. The album, ‘Camp Meeting,’ was released in 2007 and we played several concerts to support it, including the Newport Jazz Festival, The Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, and the last and best gig of all, at City Hall Park in NYC.
“We all stayed in touch and played more together through the years; Jack at our Funhouse Festival; and Christian with our band at Town Hall two years ago. I will always cherish those experiences. Jack DeJohnette was a true original, a beautiful soul and inspiring musical role model for me and many, many, many others.”
Michael Shrieve
Original drummer for Santana; performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival; and worked with the Rolling Stones, along with countless other bands and musicians
“One of the GOATS of the Drums passed away,” Shrieve said on Facebook. RIP Jack DeJohnette. To describe how much he influenced and inspired me would take some time. I considered him a friend and a true inspiration. His playing directly influenced my playing on a number of Santana recordings, including “Caravanserai.”
Monterey Jazz Festival
“Jack was a constantly-evolving rhythmic river of flow and ideas, there was nobody like him. Jack was our Showcase Artist at MJF in 2004 and 2012, when he was our Jazz Legends Gala recipient. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and fans worldwide.”
John W. Barry is a contributing writer for The Overlook. Reach him at reporting@theoverlooknews.com.