Buffalo’s Bobby Militello takes center stage at Exodus to Jazz
Bobby Militello has a name that’s recognizable by two groups of Rochesterians: The small population that has traveled regionally to hear great jazz, and the loads of locals who have caught Dave Brubeck’s performances at the Rochester International Jazz Festival.
Militello, who will play with Paradigm Shift Thursday in the Exodus to Jazz series, has been the alto saxophonist and flutist in Brubeck’s band since 1982. Having heard Militello perform with Maynard Ferguson in the ’70s, Brubeck invited the Buffalo resident to audition after Paul Desmond, Brubeck’s long-time saxophonist and composer of Brubeck’s most famous tune, “Take Five,” died of lung cancer.
“I’ve been there almost longer than anybody,” says Militello, the longest-running saxophonist in the band’s history. “It’s sort of a thing you strive for when you’re young, trying to get that kind of position and stature.”
Staying with the band for so long is a great source of pride for him.
“When I first joined, I always looked up to Dave and was intimidated,” he says. “As time went on, I lost that intimidation and I played better than ever. Eventually, you have to get to the point when you walk on the stage, you have to sort of level the playing field.”
Brubeck is 88, and as his physical abilities at the piano declined, much of the musical weight of has fallen to Militello. Militello is currently the band’s virtuosic center.
Militello is a force on stage. The burly man has no shortage of oxygen as he braids long strings of notes into intricate and unapologetically melodic solos. He finds the right moments, despite the web of harmonies underneath, to jump octaves, trill or splat in such a way that elicits wows from his audiences. And then he does it on a flute, the most feared auxiliary instrument for a saxophonist. (He performed such a touching “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on his flute back in his jazz fest appearance in 2007 that I felt a few tears coming on.)
Militello may do a mean Desmond impression, but he comes from a long list of influences that started, curiously enough, with Motown and Latin fusion. He’ll be sporting a funk, organ trio side when he joins the local band Paradigm Shift on Thursday, his second performance with the band, the first being in 1992.
“Ever since Desmond passed away and Bobby replaced him in Brubeck’s band, I’ve always listened to him,” says Mel Henderson, guitarist of Paradigm Shift, who asked Militello to play Thursday in hopes of recreating the fun they had together the first time around.
“Bobby was the guy who had all that; he had all that firepower that some of the old-school guys had, the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s guys. But I’ve also heard him play kind of groove-based Latin music and I’ve heard him play groovy funk kind of stuff. And he manages to put in all that, still having the jazz element with the groove base in it.”
Despite a big reputation, Militello is still just another local guy. He still makes Buffalo his permanent and professional home, having run a successful jazz club called Tralfamadore Café that brought stars to the region for seven years. (The club still exists, though under new management.) Militello also owns two city restaurants: Citta’ di Militello (locally called Militello’s) and The Bijou Grille.
“I like Buffalo because of the people,” he says. “It’s the same in Rochester. They have a common bond. I think the winters and helping people out because their cars get stuck and shoveling your neighbor’s driveway because they’re older, people’s power goes out and you have to see if they’re OK — it sets up a bond that’s family and friends and you know who your neighbors are.”
AREGUERO@DemocratandChronicle.com
If you go
What: Exodus to Jazz presents Paradigm Shift with guest saxophonist Bobby Militello.
When: Thursday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets.
Where: Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, 120 E. Main St.
Cost: $25 for reserved seats; $20 general admission. ($10 for students).
Call: (585) 733-7685
Web site: www.exodustojazz.com.
