Jazz piano guru Stu MacAskie got into jazz in seventh grade after watching a PBS special on Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie.ˇ
"Then Dave Brubeck performed 'Take Five,' and I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever heard in my life," MacAskie said. "That's what really got me fired up."
At a young age, MacAskie already knew that he wanted to play music.ˇ
"I always thought I was going to play piano or write music," he said.ˇ
MacAskie teaches jazz piano at UNM. He hosts a jazz-jam night Tuesdays at Scalo in Nob Hill and plays there with a trio at 8:30 p.m. every Friday. His trio usually features Michael Glynn on upright bass and an array of local jazz drummers, including Chase Ellison, Cal Hanes, Arnaldo Acosta and John Bartlett.
MacAskie has one solo CD of jazz standards and one original R&B CD with singer Cathy McGill.ˇThe two are collaborating on another release due out sometime this year.ˇ
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Before he settled down in Albuquerque, MacAskie toured the country playing music and then lived in New York City while performing.ˇˇ
"After school, I didn't have any money, but I knew I wanted to go to New York," he said.ˇ"I thought, 'It's winter time in Florida, and I can get some money saved to pay my way to New York by playing gigs.'"
He soon met a bass player who introduced him to the rest of his band that toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
"They asked me to join the circus," he said.ˇ"I auditioned. We talked about the band, the pay, etc. They said if I wanted to be in the band to meet them in Birmingham, Ala.,ˇin two days.... I did that for a year and two months. I saved enough to move to New York."
His skill on the ivories springs from his obstinate will.ˇ
"I worked my ass off," he said.ˇ"I'm pretty good at what I do, and it's been good.ˇIt keeps getting better.ˇFor a local cat in Albuquerque, I do pretty well."
MacAskie said it takes a lot of discipline and long hours of practice to be a musician.
"I try to get this notion across to my students," he said. "If your practicing isn't engaging your intellect fully, then you're not using time efficiently.ˇYou can be lazy or you can concentrate on pushing yourself."
He said listening to jazz requires full attention.
"If you always talk over it, you're not getting it," he said.ˇ"One of my hopes for our culture is that people learn to listen to music -ˇgood music.ˇA lot of stuff is crap, and if we listened and were more critical, it wouldn't be there."
