Keyed Into Performers
Every month we sit down and have an informal conversation with a featured pianist. It could be a famous Jazz pianist, an innovative keyboard instructor or an up-and-coming new artist. This week at OnlyPiano.com, we have a conversation with…

Don Rebic

by Gary Paul Bryant

This week we interview Composer/Pianist Don Rebic. Within a year of moving to New York City he was conducting his first show on Broadway, Jesus Christ Superstar. He's been an accompanist to Peggy Lee, Dixie Carter, Morgana King and others. He's a jazz pianist, conductor, musical directory and composer.

Only Piano: I have to tell you, when I saw this CD I thought, "Here's another guy that plays, hotel lounges", you know. But then I listened to this CD and I was blown away. I mean, you are so good it's not even funny. Your sound is so crisp.

Don Rebic: We could have done this about 25 years ago, but hey.

Only Piano: Yeah, so that gets me to my next question, you've been in the business a while, you've worked some great names and have had some great gigs. Why, all of a sudden, are you out on your own?

Don Rebic: Well, first of all, I'm still not out on my own. I've managed to meek out a living as a freelance musician in New York City for almost 30 year now. You know, when you're a freelancer you have to do everything. I just decided that it was high time that I try to do my own thing.

And, it was time. I've been really honing my Jazz skills for the past seven or eight years and made a major move back to the Buffalo area about that time and I had more time to practice and to re-acquaint myself with the jazz idiom again. I mean, it wasn't like I wasn't playing jazz before that.

I got into playing with singers and doing Broadway and doing this and doing that and my jazz playing sort of went on the back burner. When I got up here again in the Buffalo area, there were very good players up here and I started gigging more, doing more jazz gigs and it felt good, you know. So, I started practicing the concept. It really helps, you know, to practice. You get better.

Only Piano: So, you've done Broadway, you also did some television work. Now is that as a musical director or is that acting or what was that?

Don Rebic: Actually, I had what they called an ‘under 5’. I had one speaking part. It wasn't very long. But most of the time I was the in-house piano player in the Blue Moon Cafe for the Guiding Light and I did that for two and a half years. I mean, it wasn't everyday, it was three or four times a month maybe and they had a character who sang in the night club. So, I would come in and I'd play for her and I'd play background music at the times they had the club in the plot. Finally they had a new producer come in and he didn’t' like the Blue Moon Cafe so they had a fire. No more clubs and that was the end of my gig.

Only Piano: You've done Broadway, you’re a jazz pianist, a conductor and musical director, now you;re a recording artist. Who's the real Don Rebic?

Don Rebic: Real Don Rebic? Whatever you want me to be. I mean, I love jazz, I love classical music. I trained as a classical pianist. And, I love playing classical music. I still do, occasionally. I don't make a living at it. I learned very early on that, well, when I was in college that the competition was so fierce and the chances of having a concert career, I wasn't really convinced that that was what I needed to be doing with my life.

I'm a creative guy and that just didn't seem to be that much creativity in that particular idiom. I mean, do you want a new version of something that a hundred and fifty people have already played. I don't know, it just seemed like jazz or pop music was the way to go.

So, that's what I decided to do when I graduated and then I moved to New York, real work that I got was on Broadway. So, I started doing that and making money and try to do other things and still play jazz and play some pop music. You know, I've played everything. And I love music, I mean, I love music!

Only Piano: Well, I hope so, Don.

Don Rebic: Yeah, that would help, wouldn't it? But I mean, that's the real me. I love it all. I want to do it all. I want to do it all for as long as I could do it.

Only Piano: What advise do you have for any young people starting out, just coming out of music school or getting out of the garage band scene, or whatever? Just overall, what's your take on the business world of music today?

Don Rebic: Well, the business is constantly changing. You know, now we're in the digital age. I mean, I'm an analog guy living in a digital world. But I love everything you can do with the computers.

I teach a little bit at the University of Buffalo. I have three or four students. I encourage my students to be well versed in everything. To be able to do what I did, which is to play classical, play jazz, play pop.

You should have a very good knowledge of harmony, and be a good sight reader, be able to walk into any kind of gig and do a good job. That’s my advice. You know, get all the styles together. Make sure you have very, very solid technique whether you're a pianist or something else. If you're any kind of instrumentalist, I would have very good solid technique and have a good understanding of all kinds of music and being able to play it. That's my advice.

Only Piano: Okay. And now, a minute on your CD, it's called “Together” and it's out on CD Baby? Is that were people can get it?

Don Rebic: That is correct.

Only Piano: Okay, tell us who's on your CD.

Don Rebic: Well, on drums it's Michael Berkowitz. He was just out in Seattle. He did a gig with a symphony out there. And he is the leader of the new Gene Krupa Orchestra. And, so, he's been getting work for that band and he was a very top studio musician in LA and then he moved to New York. He went to Indiana at the same time that I went to Indiana but we didn't know each other.

So, it's kind of weird we met in New York and did a show together and became friends. He's a wonderful drummer. Talk about understanding the idiom as far as piano trio and how to do that. He is really great. He's one of my best friends. I have to say that.

David Finck is a wonderful base player with a terrific reputation. He's worked with Andre Previn and he was on the first two Rod Stewart albums. David was just in Japan working with Hank Jones at the Blue Note. He's a wonderful player, went to Eastman and I met him doing the show, too.

So, I mean, it's funny. You live in New York, it's a real scene and you get to know people and you get to know them in different kinds of situations but I love it. And I've known most of these guys for many, many years now and when it was time to do the album, they were my first choice.

Only Piano: And one last question about your CD here. We mentioned it a minute ago that you've written a couple of, you know, three or four of these songs on the CD. What was your strategy here? Why not all of your own music or why not all cover tunes? What was your idea?

Don Rebic: Well, I wanted to showcase myself, first of all, as a jazz player and also as a composer and I think I've accomplished that, you know, with this CD.

But, I'll tell you, I'm really glad that I didn't go one way or the other because I wanted to have some original songs on the album, first of all. But, I don't think an album, you know, someone that doesn't have a really solid reputation as a jazz pianist, which would be me. I don't think it's a good idea to have an entire album of your own material, you know. I think that it could push in the eye, a little ballistic. I think people need something to latch on to.

Only Piano: You've worked with a lot of people, a lot of big named people. Musicians and actors and singers and so, who stands out? There must have been some day that was a turning point, a time something happened for you. You were impressed by somebody.

Don Rebic: Well, it wasn't really a turning point, but there's some things that pop out. I hadn't been in New York all that long and I worked with Morgana King on an album. She had a hit with "Taste of Honey". And I got called to do this album and I was maybe 26 or 27 and I hadn't been living in New York all that long. And I walked into the studio and Torrie Zito did the arrangements and it was for a string quartet. No rehearsal. I had never met this woman, sight unseen. I walked in, sat down and we started doing it and that kind of sticks out. And of course I sub for Mike Rensey on Peggy Lee's gig and that was pretty amazing.

Only Piano: Thanks, Don.

Don Rebic: I really applaud what you're doing. I think it's wonderful.

Only Piano: We appreciate that.