Undergrad's Sax CD Just "Chapter One"

He definitely does not want to be the next Dave Coz.

And pretty much no one can be the next John Coltrane.

But maybe, some day, some aspiring sax player will want to be the next Dave Lackner.

Lackner, a 21-year-old jazz performance major from Eatontown, cut his first CD in June 2006, an eclectic combination of tunes titled, aptly, Chapter One.

Lackner composed seven of the nine pieces on the album and arranged the other two.

"The title is kind of ambiguous," he observed wryly from a practice room in Wilson Hall, a small, Spartan space with plain cinder block walls, sound-proofing material, a piano and his sax. "There will definitely be more chapters unless, of course, I die."

It's the culture, man

Perhaps fatalism is simply part of the jazz culture. After all, the legendary Coltrane, one of the greatest jazz sax players of all time, died at the tender age of 40, a victim of liver cancer following years of hard living.

But when the topic is jazz Lackner smiles despite himself and his optimism shines through.

"I just love the tradition that Miles and Coltrane created," he said. "They did stuff no one ever heard of, trying to break new ground all the time. That's what we should explore."

Indeed, the Coltrane influence on Chapter One is evident: Lackner's playing style can be soft yet powerful as he drives straight ahead jazz performances without an evident need to draw attention to himself.

The first composition, Fission, starts with a plucky electric bass guitar followed by bright piano and snappy drums. When Lackner joins in, his punchy, melodic sax riffs lead the tune but they are wrapped in the play about them. The coalition of deft, accomplished musicians - George Rabbai, Jim Ridl, Steve Varner and Jim Miller - jam in synch to songs written -- and led -- by a kid half their age.

"Flunk him to keep him"

"Dave's a sponge," said jazz professor Denis DiBlasio, an impresario in his own right who advised and taught Lackner since he arrived at Rowan nearly four years ago. "He's the kind of student that makes the teacher better. As a junior he produced, composed and arranged his own CD with the best professionals from the Philadelphia area. On top of that he's a great teacher. Dave will be great at what ever he chooses to do, he's just that way. I'm going to flunk him just to keep him around."

Lackner has performed at jazz haunts around Philadelphia (Coltrane's adopted city), at the Cape May Jazz Festival and at private parties. When he isn't practicing (on average four hours a day) or playing a gig he teaches music to other up and comers.

Following graduation he plans on buying a one-way ticket to Europe, playing and staying his way across the continent as he develops musically and personally.

"I want to be always changing," Lackner said. "Chapter One was how I sounded on June 19, 2006. But I've been practicing every day so the hope is I evolved since then."