I am keyboardist Dave Latchaw. I spend most of my time as an independent recording artist, music educator, student, and fan of the fusing of jazz, rock, world, and classical music.
I realized at a young age that rural Indiana was not the Mecca of music. Looking for musical adventures, I packed up my wide range of musical directions, traveled abroad, and became keyboardist for the internationally acclaimed melodic-metal hair band from Scotland, "The Heat". "The Heat" received many praises from British magazines Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Raw, and in 1989 "The Heat" even recorded for the BBC, Radio One. What a wild time for this Hoosier jazz head! I did this for four years and was having a cool time, but started to wonder if this was what he wanted to do as a musician.
Then one night while hanging out in London at a Screaming Blue Messiahs concert, doing the backstage schmooze fest, I realized I was bored with all of it. The whole music business scene started to make sense to him after doing a post-gig hang with Sharon Osbourne (Ozzy's wife). She inspired me to realize that it would be more interesting to develop his own voice as an independent artist, rather than just be a master schmoozer to do well in the music bizz. Shortly after this experience, I found my manager, Roland Hymans the chancer, had neglected to keep my work permit current (which the British Government frowns on). Seeing this as a sign, I returned to America.
Back home again in Indiana, I worked on developing further my own unique, expressive style of music and playing, through hours of studying and teaching. After a few years of self-imposed musical exile back in the States, I had the good fortune to go play at the Plock, Poland open-air jazz festival. While there, I also performed with Polish musicians Kryzsztof Kralka and Kryzsztof Misiak, and the vocal group Anima from Belarus. Inspired by this experience, I started my own company, Latch Music.
I have released 6 recordings so far:
"Looking In Vol. I" is dreamy expressive solo piano music from my Two Days One Summer session. Improvised acoustic piano compositions recorded in two days by Jason Pittman. Jason did an excellent job in capturing the spontaneity of my performance. I divided the music from Two Days One Summer into separate categories. Looking In Vol. I is relaxing, tonal and gentle with Looking Out Vol. II expressive, dreamy and adventurous. I can hear my whole music history when listening to this music. Influences of growing up in Indiana, the jazz classical fusion solo piano works of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Lyle Mays, Rick Wakeman, Bruce Hornsby and McCoy Tyner and more.
Listen to "Looking In Vol. I" and get more details.
"Looking Out Vol. II" is dreamy expressive solo piano music from my Two Days One Summer session. Improvised acoustic piano compositions recorded in two days by Jason Pittman. Jason did an excellent job in capturing the spontaneity of my performance. I divided the music from Two Days One Summer into separate categories. Looking In Vol. I is relaxing, tonal and gentle with Looking Out Vol. II expressive, dreamy and adventurous. I can hear my whole music history when listening to this music. Influences of growing up in Indiana, the jazz classical fusion solo piano works of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Lyle Mays, Rick Wakeman, Bruce Hornsby and McCoy Tyner and more.
Listen to "Looking Out" and get more details.
"Enhance My Trance" uses a combination of electronic ethnic world beat grooves and ambient sounds featuring the computer as my main instrument. This recording is a musical adventure soundscape where the future meets the tribal past. On this recording I am influenced by the electronic ethnic world fusion works of Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Karsh Kale and Tabla Beat Science.
Listen to
"Enhance My Trance" and get more details.
"Jazztronica" is a collection of 13 original compositions with an electronic jazz rock fusion feel. I use the keyboard sounds of the Fender Rhodes, Clavinet and MiniMoog with a few other synthesizer sounds. I play all the lead keyboard parts with no overdubs to keep musical continuity. Recorded at Latch Music Studios in 2000 and remastered in 2006. On this recording I am influenced by the electronic jazz rock fusion works of Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Jan Hammer, George Duke, Bill Laswell, King Crimson and Tabla Beat Science.
Listen to
"Jazztronica" and get more details.
"Glencoe" is a collection of 10 original compositions with a world jazz fusion feel. I used a melting pot of different cultures and influences combined into an ambient musical adventure. I play all the lead keyboard parts with no overdubs to keep musical continuity. Recorded at Latch Music Studios in 1999 and remastered in 2006. On this recording I am influenced by the electronic world jazz fusion works of Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Trilok Gurtu, Karsh Kale and Tabla Beat Science.
Listen to "Glencoe" and get more details.
"Reflections" is a collection of relaxing original acoustic solo piano pieces I recorded with Jim Reiske. 11 of the 15 tracks I improvised at the recording session, the other 4 I composed before the recording date. All tracks are first takes with no overdubs. On this solo piano recording I am influenced by the jazz classical fusion solo piano works of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Lyle Mays, Rick Wakeman, Bruce Hornsby and McCoy Tyner and more.
Listen to "Reflections" and get more details.
Additional Bio Information
Education
1985
Music Education Degree - Indiana University
1982-85
Jazz Theory with Dr. David Kay
1980-85
Improvisation and Composition with Brian Derek
1981
Harmony with Greg Hopkins (Buddy Rich Band)
1981
Piano with Bruce Thomas (Ornette Coleman Band)
1981
Berklee College of Music Boston, MA
1978-80
Jazz with Scott Stroman (Head of Jazz Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, England and Director of the
London Jazz Orchestra)
1980-Present
International Piano and Keyboard Performer
1980-Present
Private Music Instructor with Emphasis on Jazz and Contemporary Music
1994-07
Judge for the Snider High School Jazz Festival
1996-07
Judge for the Northrop High School Jazz Festival
1998-01
Professor of Jazz Theory - Grace College
1999-00
Judge for the Northside High School Jazz Festival
1999
Featured Artist at the Leo High School Spring Jazz Concert
1994-99
Featured Artist at the Memorial Park Middle School Spring Jazz Concert
1997-98
Professor of Aural Perception - Indiana/Purdue University at Fort Wayne
1993-97
Big Band Composer
1996
Featured Artist with the IPFW University Jazz Band
1996
Performed with the Clark Kent Jazz Trio, Polish Jazz Musicians Kryzsztof Kralka,
Kryzsztof Misiak and the vocal group Anima at the open air Jazz Festival - Plock, Poland
1996
Featured Artist at the Indiana Music Educator's Association Convention along with
Dominic Spera and James Walker, performing with the Northrop High School Jazz Ensemble
1992-93
Performed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
1991
Professor of Careers in Music - Huntington College
1990
Keyboard Expert for the Music Spectrum
1986-90
Keyboardist for the Scottish Rock Band "The Heat"
1989
BBC Recording Artist
1985-86
Instrumental Music Educator - South Adams, Indiana School System
1984
Composed Theme for Channel 55's "Night Shift" Television Show
The News Sentinel
Pianist jazzes up work with unbridled energy
By ROB McDONALD of The News Sentinel
Story entered Thursday, 09/24/1998
One friend describes Dave Latchaw as sweet and kind of shy, with an ability to go on a tear when it comes to music.
On a hot summer day, like the one at the Covington Art Fair earlier this year, the oppressive heat didn't dampen his energy for the music. His head bounced and his fingers played the keyboards like he was inside an air-conditioned room.
In his basement in south Fort Wayne, where he teaches the piano and practices, Dave Latchaw gets into a tear talking about his craft and his influences.
His fingers fan out to illustrate the vast web of connected jazz artists, people like Chick Corea and Miles Davis. An open hand reaches toward his chest and comes back in a tight fist as he talks about extracting emotions.
Latchaw is known around town as that jazz pianist guy. He likes to think of himself as one who explores his own creative possibilities. The 36-year-old is among Fort Wayne's leading piano men.
Originally from Kendallville, Latchaw got his exposure to the piano as a child. On the Latchaw family farm in Defiance, Ohio, his great-grandmother (who was 80 then) would play for him. Her body had lost its youthful suppleness. "But when she played," Latchaw says, "her hands and arms came alive."
He distilled those farm memories into a song on his "Reflections" CD, which was released in June (available at local Wooden Nickel stores and Mill Bread Company stores). "Grandma's Farm" is a haunting and charming piece.
He recorded the hour-long album at a friend's place in one afternoon. He went into it with only four written songs. The other 14 were created on the spot, an improvisational display of talent.
"That always blows me away," says Betsy Thal, a Philharmonic violinist who is friends with Latchaw and his wife, Margery Latchaw. They watched him record his CD. "That's totally not what I do," Thal says. "I need the music in front of me to play it."
In doing it that way, Latchaw hopes the emotion comes through. He's not the sort to play or write jazz standards. Or limit his repertoire to just jazz. He incorporates country, rock and blues into his style. His songs are far from basic.
"It's a little more abstract than just a standard song. It's more like a movie score," he says. "Kind of like a soundtrack to the daily grind."
His work almost sounds like the modern new-age composers, but he's following classical masters such as Mozart and Bach, who established themselves as early improvisers.
He says he'd call his work 20th-century classically impressionistic, developed through a jazz background, rather than just straight-out new age.
"Not to be knocking new age," he says.
When you're trying to be a vanguard, it's hard to define your style.
"Dave really wants to beat his own path," says local musician Todd Harrold, who's been recording his own music for several years. "He's really working on developing his own voice and his own sound. With that there's always an element of hit or miss. I just really respect that. Most people aren't willing to do that."
Latchaw earned a music education degree at Indiana University in 1985. He worked with many local band leaders, and even helped with East Noble's marching band before going to Scotland, where he joined a rock band called "The Heat". They went as far as recording a show for the BBC before he was deported because band managers neglected his work visa.
Since returning to Fort Wayne, he's taught at local colleges, including Huntington College and IPFW. He's even performed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Now he's passing on that experience. He's teaching about 20 students a week.
In his basement, he studies, replenishes and brews his sound.
"There's a lot happening in the basements of Fort Wayne," he says.
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