OUR TAKE: A Life Well Lived

Dick Golden is the host of a Saturday morning jazz show on SXM called American Jazz. He was our Jazz Historian on The Jazz Cruise for several years and was a delightful and insightful addition to our team. Steeped in all things Tony Bennett, Dick’s focus was largely Post-World War II jazz with a hard stop in the mid ‘70s.

I am usually doing errands and in the car on Saturday mornings, so I catch parts of his show from time to time. His detail is exquisite. Never misses to announce a sideman. Or an arranger. And certainly not a composer. If I were not driving, I would take notes when he introduces a tune.

With all that going on, when I think of Dick, one of his comments is always at the forefront of my memory. When introducing a tune that featured Eddie Higgins on piano, Dick said that Eddie “never tasted the full fruit of his talents.” I have wanted to ask Dick what he meant by the comment, but I believe he was intimating that Eddie never received the accolades or recognition that he deserved based upon his talents.

Born in Cambridge, MA., Eddie began playing piano at 4 years old. His education was at a high level, attending Andover Prep where his father taught and Northwestern University. During his college years he became a part of the Chicago jazz scene eventually setting up shop with his trio and the famous London House, where he performed with Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and others. 

In short, he was the leader of a house band where his main obligation was to learn the music of the guest star and blend in as best as he could. What he gained in experience and in popularity with local patrons, he lost in developing his own style, sound and path.

Later moving back to New England, Eddie settled on Cape Cod and performed at local clubs along with his partner and wife, vocalist Meredith D’Ambrosio. There are a couple of ways to look at that arrangement, but one would certainly be that Eddie was her accompanist.

House Band leader and accompanist. If Dick Golden’s comments are the logical extension of that background, I understand his point. Yet, in a review in JazzTimes in 1997, Eddie’s Sunnyside album was called “one of the most impressive piano trio albums in recent memory.” Another critic offered that “Eddie Higgins is on the same level of excellence as Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan.“  

By now, many of you are wondering why Eddie Higgins’ reputation is so important to me. As some of you know, Eddie was one of the first performers on The Jazz Cruise and was instrumental in helping my mother gather the musicians for the first cruise. For that alone, I hold him in the highest regard.

But, I also spent several cruises listening to him perform solo shows on the ship. They were sublime, beautiful, and heartfelt. Eddie was also on the piano for most of the special events on the cruise. Much like the Jeff Bridges character in The Fabulous Baker Boys, Eddie could do the ham and egg gigs and then go into a phonebooth and become Super Eddie.

I always felt that Eddie was too practical to be an artist. Paying the bills, having a gig, and being useful was just as important to him as being special. Perhaps not entirely telling, Eddie would balk at any performance schedule that interfered with his required dining time. When he could eat dominated his day.

A quiet, introspective man, I always sensed that there was a lot more to him that was bottled up inside, a spirit of which we would only see glimpses. Not all life’s dreams are fulfilled. Sometimes we have to settle for a life well lived. 

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea and Journey of Jazz. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at [email protected].

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David Sanborn Tribute Concert

The life and legacy of our friend David Sanborn will be celebrated with a very special tribute concert on Saturday, November 25 at Sony Hall in NYC. Proceeds from the event, which will feature performances by many of his longtime friends and colleagues, will benefit the David Sanborn Memorial Fund and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Among the artists familiar to Jazz Cruises audiences who are appearing at the concert are Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Bob James, Marcus Miller, Eric Marienthal, Geoffrey Keezer and many more.

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Jazz Cruises’ Programs

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Mug Shots of the Week

Guests on the ’24 jazz cruises received The Weekender mug, which we hope you will use with your Saturday morning coffee while you read the latest edition. Please share a picture of yourself & your mug with us so that we can include it for the 100,000+ folks who receive The Weekender each Saturday.

Tag us @thejazzcruise, @bottiatsea, @thesmoothjazzcruise, #jazzcruises and #theweekender. Email your photo to [email protected].