Dan Haerle

[TrumpetMD]

Very sad to hear about the passing of jazz pianist Dan Haerle. Dan was an excellent teacher, musician, and author, who retired from the University of North Texas 2002.

Dan collaborated a lot with Jamey Aebersold, and was the pianist on many of his play-alongs. So if you're a fan of Aebersold, you've probably played with Dan.

Dan was also a prolific author. Along with Jamey Aebersold and Jerry Coker, Dan's books had the greatest impact on my playing.

I was fortunate enough to take online lessons with Dan in recent years. A common theme he would stress is to strive for authenticity and to "trust the beauty of the notes you're playing". He loved music, and did his best to pass on that love to his students through teaching and through the many books he authored.

Mike
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Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

[spitvalve]

I took a jazz improv class from Dan at North Texas. He was so good at explaining things clearly and always gave us kind, constructive feedback.

I had a roommate during my undergrad at BYU, a bass player who had studied and gigged with Dan when he was at Arizona State in the 1970s. After I met Dan I realized what a strong influence he'd been on my friend Bob, who had (consciously or unconsciously) assimilated almost all of Dan's speech patterns and mannerisms.
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Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[PH]

He was a great cat and a dear friend and mentor for something like 50 years.
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Bach trumpet artist-clinician
Clinical Professor of Jazz Trumpet, University of Illinois
Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
Faculty Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshops 1976-2019
JazzRetreats.com

[kehaulani]

Dan was a one-of-a-kind. He also played Bass and I took a String Methods course from him. The course was Tues-Thurs-Sat at 8:00 A.M. In this particular class, a lot of the students were jazzers and had Friday night gigs, usually not near Denton. 8:00 was brutal so on Saturdays, instead of playing pedantic exercises, we played lead sheets. I played walking cello with a hangover, LOL. Dan made it fun.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[jharris2]

In every encounter we had, Dan was gracious and very willing to share his knowledge. He will definitely be missed.
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John

2014 Flip Oakes Wild Thing flugelhorn (copper bell)
2014 Flip Oakes Celebration trumpet
2005 Flip Oakes Wild Thing trumpet
2002 Flip Oakes Wild Thing short cornet
1976 Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet
1951 Olds Ambassador cornet

[weeeeve]

Sorry to hear of Dan's passing. I remember my first jazz class with him at North Texas. It was at 7am. Not a typical time for musicians to be up and moving about. And I remember him walking in that first morning and saying "You think you're tired? You're not. From now on, consider this your normal."

I still tell myself that on those days at work when I'm feeling tired.
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Steven Laurent

Bach Strad Model 72
Holton Firebird

My music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5vmwM185PWOnMCC1I8Cwjr

[mike ansberry]

When I went to UNT I had absolutely no background in jazz. I figured it would be a great place to learn about it. So I dragged my wife of 1 year from Missouri to Texas so I could study there. My first week in jazz classes I was totally lost. It was like they were speaking ancient Greek. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I went home and told my wife. She said I $&*%^ figure it out. So I dropped my jazz classes and signed up for Haerle's Jazz Language class. I actually learned to speak jazz in that class. He was an awesome teacher.
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Music is a fire in your belly, fighting to get out. You'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt.

[DrewB]

Met Dan when he was a grad assistant for Jerry Coker at Miami. Played in his “Jazz/Rock” ensemble. I’m still trying to figure out why he wrote a piece in 7.5/4. Fun times.

[TrumpetMD]

[txharp3]

RIP.

Like most Jazz musicians, I own several of his books. Sad to read about his passing.

[BeboppinFool]

Only just now seeing this and hearing about Dan's passing.

Like so many others, his Jazz Fundamentals class during my first semester at NTSU was a huge wake-up call. That cat laid it all out so even a slow learner like me could get it . . . well, a lot of it, anyway.

One of my favorite Dan Haerle sayings that I use all the time is, "There are no difficult keys, only less familiar keys." (I usually remember to give him credit for that when I say it to students, too.)

I'm pretty sure I was there the first semester that he started the small groups program there, but I could be wrong about that. I was happy to be included in one led by Chip McNeill.

Dan was definitely a genius and such a great guy. I remember when his beard was about five colors (circa 1978) and he was into photography. He gave me a picture he took of me playing at the spring Lab Bands concert in '79 that I gave my parents . . . it stayed on their corkboard in the kitchen from then on. He was so good that he made me look good, even though I didn't sound all that good.

I loved Dan and will always cherish the huge and positive impact he made on me.
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Puttin’ On The Ritz