Dan Haerle, Pianist

Dan Haerle had a 25-year academic career at North Texas State University’s Jazz Studies Division of the College of Music (including 10 years as a Regents Professor).  He retired in 2002.  He performed with the Stan Kenton Band, Clark Terry Quintet and with a host of jazz artists including Pat Metheny, Dave Liebman, and Freddie Hubbard.

Haerle is well represented on Aebersold’s Play-A-Longs, appearing on 18 recordings, including standards, blues and tributes to jazz legends Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins and Bill Evans.

I will always remember my first Play-A-Long recording for Jamey. He called up a tune and counted it off. After we finished the take I asked him what he thought. He said he thought it was good but that it sounded like I was soloing! He was, of course, right. I had never done anything like this where the rhythm section just accompanies without any soloing.

My solution that day was to flip into arranger mode. I had written quite a few big band charts and, in those situations, if there is a solo, there is often some kind of background behind the solo played by saxes or trombones. Those backgrounds usually have some rhythmic interest to them but are not too busy and wouldn’t interfere with the solo.

As soon as I started thinking that way, the comping became less of a solo and the soloist could relax and have fun!

There was another occasion when we were doing tunes in all 12 keys. Jamey had written the changes to the tune out in all 12 keys, but it was pages and pages of music. I told him I knew the tune and could play it in all 12 keys so I didn’t need to try and handle all the pages of written chords. 

Well, the track went fine until some point where all of a sudden I thought, ‘What key am I in?’ So there were a couple of measures where the changes were off until I got back in the right key!