Gigging, finals, and red carpets: Life in the One O’Clock Lab Band

by Sarah Crisman

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Remember that time in college when your class was nominated for two Grammys?

DENTON — Denton's Dave Richards played lead trombone and wrote three charts on the One O'Clock Lab Band's Grammy-nominated album; he also played on Ice-Nine, composed by Steve Wiest. I sat down with Dave to learn more about what it's like to go to Hogwarts for Jazz -- the University of North Texas' jazz program.

What is it about this year that stands out to you from the other years you have been involved?

This was Steve's first year, and he's real hungry to get the band out there, promote it and play everywhere. It was his second year on faculty, but he was pushing his composition students harder to get better compositions for the album. There was a dedicated composition faculty member this year, so there was more time spent with the students one-on-one, which definitely helped. But also there were also some really big concerts. Two of the charts I wrote were for specific events: the alumni reunion hang, and the time when Dave Brubeck was here. Steve had me find one of Brubeck's lesser known tracks and do a chart for the One O'Clock to play while he was here. There's more motivation behind the compositions because everything was an album possibility. When you have that in mind, your drive to do better is there.

What was it like performing for Brubeck?

It was fun. He has so much life in him. He's happy, smiling all the time, has great stories. He finds the best part about any music he listens to and brings that out. He's still a flexible player, and has so many years of experience, and has been working with the other three guys in the Quartet for I don't even know how long. They're some of the most talented musicians and such great guys. They just want to hang out, have a good time and make good music.

I get that vibe from the One O'Clock guys, too.

You do enough rehearsing and traveling together, it starts to become like a second little family. A very warped second little family. It's fun with all the different backgrounds you get in there.

How many people are in One O'Clock?

Nineteen. Twenty if you count the director.

That's a big band, and you essentially live together. You're spending all of your time together between class and rehearsals and touring.

They're doing a lot more traveling now, partially because Steve wants to get the band out there and use it as a recruiting tool. Which is what it used to be back in the 70s and 80s when they were doing a lot more traveling. Sometimes you'll be on the road for a week together, sometimes two. There could be two or three local concerts in any given week, plus all the rehearsal time on top of that, plus everybody's in all your classes, and then all the parties – Denton's not that big a town. You're going to wind up hanging out with the people you have most in common with.

So you're in a full-on band, and also full-on academia. That's grueling.

You do get graded, and you can get kicked out. You have to re-audition every semester, there are no guaranteed spots. It keeps you on your toes. There are so many people in the lower bands, hungry for the spots, they're waiting for you to fold. They're already practicing for your spot.

Does being in the One O'Clock provide a higher advantage to becoming a working musician, or is that something that just comes with being in the program?

Unfortunately, being in the One O'Clock does give you the advantage because you can namedrop. Some people understand that the program is awesome and that many musicians never made One O'Clock and went on to do great things. Steely Dan's drummer, Keith Carlock, only made the Three O'Clock, but who cares? He's Steely Dan's drummer!

Someone told me once that the reason UNT jazz students can go off and become sustainable, working musicians, is that the program instills in you how to gig, and they encourage and foster working musicians.

Yeah, and it's not just how to gig. It's everything involved with the gig. How to show up on time, be professional, if you don't have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone anything, just say thanks for being there. Then once you develop a deeper musical relationship you can discuss those issues as needed. They teach you how to adapt on the fly. How to work well in any situation. Prepare you on getting through the gig, doing it well, and doing it right every time.

Are you going to go to the Grammy's?

Absolutely. The current band will already be on tour, so they're already in California. They're trying to raise money to help anyone else on the album get there as well.

It's been awhile since One O'Clock has been at the Grammy's, do you think the after parties are ready for the One O'Clock lab band?

What would happen if we win? There would be 30-40 misfits on stage. It's the biggest entourage in history.

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