My Dear Departed Past

For Dave Frishberg internationally known jazz pianist, songwriter, and lyricist it all began when he was in elementary school during World War II. Mentored by his brother, Mort, seven years his senior, Dave discovered the music of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bing Crosby while listening to 78-rpm records from Mort s collection. For good measure, Mort also taught Dave how to play boogie-woogie and blues on the piano. This musical indoctrination perfectly sharpened Dave s musical tastes and lay the foundation for his lifelong love of music and the camaraderie of musicians. In My Dear Departed Past, the creator of well-known songs including Peel Me a Grape, I m Hip, My Attorney Bernie, Blizzard of Lies, Van Lingle Mungo, and I m Just a Bill (featured in ABC s Schoolhouse Rock) takes readers from his boyhood and university days in St. Paul, Minnesota, to his Air Force service in Salt Lake City, and then on to his life as a pianist and songwriter in New York City and Los Angeles. Populated with colourful characters including the brilliant musicians he s played with in the iconic clubs and studios of the jazz scene at its peak Dave brings his stories of being on the road and his experiences in the music business vividly to life.