Dan Pliskow Dies — Leaves Legacy
One of the finest jazz bassists and instructors anywhere, Dan Pliskow called the Metro Detroit area his home for eight decades and has left an enduring mark on the scene, through visual and audio media, or at the halls he performed in. Through teaching students who carry on in the tradition, and players he worked alongside, he will be remembered in the same vein as Will Austin, Don Mayberry and Ron Carter as those who came from the Detroit area and left their influence on many levels.
Dan was a native Detroiter, born in 1935. As a student in the second grade, he took up cello, studying with Jacob Becker of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Moving to the upright acoustic bass in high school, he played the occasional wedding and jazz engagements. By the age of nineteen he was a regular on the jazz nightclub scene.
Wayne State University accepted Pliskow as a music major, continuing his studies with DSO members Gaston Brohan and Walter Hardman, while performing regularly at such well known venues as The Roostertail, The Detroit Playboy Club and The Attache. Closely associated with pianist Matt Michaels over the years, Pliskow also worked for WJBK and WXYZ on daily broadcast television shows.
His recording credits include performing alongside Wes Montgomery, Wynton Kelly, Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, Ruth Brown, Roy Eldridge, Junior Mance and Jose Feliciano among others. Teaching private students since 1960, helped found the jazz studies program at Wayne State starting in 1979. Among his students and colleagues were Rodney Whitaker, Robert Hurst and Ralphe Armstrong.
The U.S. Library of Congress received a donation from Pliskow in 2002 of his collection of reel-to-reel tapes, some 2,100 hours worth, going as far back as 1957. He also collected and archived several thousand photos, and authored books, including his personal history, He’s Base, He’s Vile, It’s Dan Pliskow, the instructional Jazz Bass Lines, and 23 Bass Lessons At Home.
John Trudell, who was on that first recording from ’57, remembered him well. “He was a wonderful bassist who seemed to improve as time went by. He was a dedicated father, husband and musician.”
Dennis Tini, a co-founder of the Wayne State jazz studies program, observed “Dan loved his many students, and graciously shared his extensive professional experience and mentoring with dedication and kindness. I will miss my friend’s thoughtful conversations, musicality and humanity.”
Robert Hurst said “I think one of the defining attributes of a ‘Master Teacher’ is instilling in your students the ability to continue to teach themselves after the lesson or class is over. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of or quote a musical or life lesson that I learned from Dan. As great of a teacher as Dan was, he was an even better human being — one of the most loving and caring people that I have ever met.”
Remembrances of Dan Pliskow peppered various Facebook pages. Local musician Steve Whitford said, “Very sorry to hear this news. I had the pleasure of working with Dan on a couple gigs many years ago; he was a fine player, and an even finer person.” Fellow bassist Todd Perkins commented, “A good man, a nice guy, a great teacher. He gave me bass lessons when I was at Wayne State — an excellent musician. He’ll be missed,” while bass player Reggie Canty lamented “I’m in tears. Dan was a great musician. Though I only spent two years with him, he singlehandedly redefined what playing bass was for me, and I already miss him dearly. I most assuredly will not ever forget!”
Guitarist Evan Perri from the Hot Club of Detroit said “Sad to hear about the passing of Dan Pliskow. What a great man/educator/musician he was. I played my first jazz gig ever with him when I had to sub for my dad. I think I was 18 or 19. This was the first gig of several I had over the years with him. Big loss for the D.”
A longtime resident of Royal Oak, Dan Pliskow died in a battle with cancer on February 8, 2015 at age 79 His funeral was Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Oak Park, Michigan. He is survived by wife Phyllis.