Don Linke’s Never-Ending Passion

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Photo courtesy Don Linke

Don Linke Trialogue

Trialogue: Don Linke, bassist Todd Richards and drummer Andy Blochowiak.

In a recent conversation jazz guitarist and educator Don Linke, we spoke for over an hour-and-a-half. And while we talked about cars, social media, vaccine booster shots, the history of Milwaukee, all roads led back to Jazz.

Linke taught for 24 years at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and 11 years at UW-Milwaukee. But he still considers himself a student as well.

The Jazz Rocks series at Arts @ Large is the current manifestation of Linke’s three year relationship with Joy Engine shepherdexpress.com/culture/happening-now/from-public-art-to-jazz-joy-engine-expands-on-black-box-fund, formerly known as Black Box Fund, a nonprofit public art organization. That relationship began with the Jazz at Noon series in the Third Ward. A CD compiling highlights  shepherdexpress.com/music/album-reviews/don-linke-and-friends-jazz-at-noon-volume-one was released. Then the pandemic hit. 

Undeterred, he continued with 15 weeks of the Jazz at Noon podcast which segued to 36 episodes of Jazz at Noon Live From Linke’s Living Room on YouTube.

Jazz Rocks and Arts @ Large

The Jazz Rocks series features all original material from Linke’s archive of compositions. His trio Trialogue (Linke, drummer Andy Blochowiak and bassist Todd Richards ) plays with different guest artists each month. Upcoming guests include Jason Goldsmith, tenor sax (April 29); Theo Merriweather, piano (May 27); Johnny Padilla, tenor sax (June 17); and Victor Campbell, drums and Ken Kosut, piano (July 15). Guests for August through December dates will be announced.

Diversity, equity and inclusion—the mission of Arts @ Large is to ensure that everyone has access to the arts. The organization believes that diversity leads to better problem solving. Through intentional conversations, active listening and hard work, they strive to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to share their voice and unique perspectives for the betterment of our community.

Dedication and Intention

Linke takes his craft seriously. It is hard work and the musicians are compensated for three rehearsals and a feature performance. Linke’s approach recalls the workshops of the great bassist/composer Charles Mingus. For three decades Linke has been conducting his version, “working on the process of improvisation as it relates to ‘Black American Art Music’ or jazz.”

His father was a jazz musician and he still has his dad’s 1948 Gibson L7 guitar. Linke’s mentors taught the importance of history, technical ability, intellectual content and above all to use one’s ears. To listen and ingest. “This is basically how I interact with students to this day. Some people get it and start on their own version of the quest. Many find it too rigorous,” he said.

Sensitive to history, when Linke needed a definition of jazz, he ran his idea past drummer/educator Sam Belton. “The Black man’s artistic response to his, generally speaking, experience in America.”—so that entails everything. Coming here. Being brought here. Then having the artistry, the genius to create something to be proud of,” Linke said. “For white people to latch onto that is impossible. You have to give in to that idea. You have to study with Black people and listen to the Black examples.”

Linke quotes his mentor Berkely Fudge, “Jazz doesn’t have a first name,” and takes it a step further saying it also doesn’t have last name. There is no such thing as acid jazz or gypsy jazz. Linke was a “fusion guy” for many years playing with Magewind. He studied classical style guitar, which led to developing a musical system called PNSD—a unique way for students to learn the guitar fingerboard. Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery are the names Linke cites when he talks about titans. He references Fudge and Manty Ellis, elders who mentored him on the local scene. He’s also played with greats Frank Morgan, and Melvin Rhyne.

Now into his seventh decade, Linke doesn’t sound keen on slowing down. The muse that tapped on his shoulder keeps tapping. In naming the group Trialogue, he has chosen to reference dialogue, in the context of a musical conversation. It suggests travelogue, as in the places that musical improvisation can go. And it also references the necessity of the stool’s three legs. Each is of equal importance and that foundation is essential. Adding guest musicians for each performance, Linke’s very name becomes a refence point in continuing links to a musical legacy.