By Jeffrey Bowen
We had dinner at Phnom Penh on Monday night, and then drank Koffie Cafe coffee outside at the Market Avenue Wine Bar until they closed. John’s eyes sparkled as he filled me in on his recent sabbatical to Arizona. We talked about the arrangement he finished, the older musician he spent mentoring time with, the college music program he investigated, the composition and pedagogy books he read, the joy of playing out a few times with some local cats, and how much he relished the peacefulness of porch sitting in the desert.
He was truly grateful for the Creative Workforce Fellowship grant that allowed him the opportunity to get away, practice for hours each day, and revisit the life as composer and arranger that was so often overshadowed by his life as a caterer and teacher. He loved the teaching, and was great at it, but even when combined with paid gigs, (he played at one time, or another, with practically everyone in town) it was simply not enough to pay the rent. He told me that he had definitely decided that his catering days were numbered, and since some kind of non-musician work was in order, that he was considering a job as a waiter, so that he would have more opportunities “to actually talk to people.” We bemoaned the fact that artists always need to have “other jobs” in order to make it, and laughed when we concluded that at least musicians can occasionally get paid to play at one of the many clubs where all the servers are dancers, actors, & visual artists, and the bartender, a grizzled poet.
He also concluded, during his Arizona stay, that being an accomplished trumpet player, (and it’s important to note: drummer, percussionist, pianist, teacher, jazz historian, ethnomusicologist, band leader and arranger) simply wasn’t enough, and that he really wanted more than anything to compose. He said that he was ever more frequently returning to his classical roots and wanted to improve his facility at the piano. To that end, he announced casually, he had selected a teacher, and planned to take a series of lessons that were to begin the following day.
When it became apparent that we were, once again, the only customers in the joint, we paid our check, left a fabulous tip, and then spent the next half hour critiquing the new park across from the West Side Market. He really liked the hand painted mural, but was outraged that they had cut down big trees in order to plant little ones, that the stage wasn’t deep enough to accommodate a back line and drummer without putting the singers’ mic stands on the pavement in front of the stage, and that there was nothing but pavement throughout the park. We stood together on that stage, under the street lamps, in the middle of the night, laughing and gesturing and performing for an imaginary crowd. It was his last gig, and I’m honored to have been there…
From Cool Cleveland Contributor, Jeffrey Bowen
[Photo by Ryann Anderson]
John Kuegeler passed away on June 22nd at the age of forty.
A memorial site has been established on Facebook.
Samples of John’s music are available on Reverbnation.
Donations, in John’s honor, can be made to: The Rainey Institute.
One Response to “A Standing Ovation for the Great John Kuegeler”
Kevin T. Richards
So sad, so sad….. ……John worked for Roots of American Music in the classroom on quite a few projects with various teaching artists for about two years, maybe more. I still can not believe he has passed. I am totally lost.
John was involved with quite a few drumming projects with the kids. He also worked with Rhythm Culture who share the office space, with ROAM. I saw a lot of John. Sometimes early in the morning in the office, sometimes in the classroom , and of course in the clubs. He used to play some very interesting piano and trumpet in the ROAM office. He had his own signature that i appreciated. He did not try to sound like any one else . I respected his work. I can not believe he is gone. He will be missed by many.