Ripon College Days

Jazz 'Bones by Kurt Dietrich [Click to enlarge]

Most people know Kurt Dietrich as a professor of music or as the conductor of the jazz ensemble at Ripon College. But few know him as a successful author.

Professor Dietrich has recently penned his second book entitled "Jazz 'Bones." Dietrich calls his 600-page work a complete history of the North American jazz trombone.

To his knowledge, it is the first book if its kind. "There had been books about trombonists throughout splices of history, but never a complete work from beginning to modern day," he says. In fact, Dietrich covers nearly 500 'boners, or trombone players, in the book.

Dietrich began writing "Jazz 'Bones" in 1998 and has spent the better part of the last seven years writing it. "It's hard being a professor and writing," he notes.

But, this project was important to Dietrich, as he wanted to give current musicians a sense of their musical roots. "Trombonists should have a sense of 'this is where it comes from.' I'm not under any illusion that I really wrote literature, here, I just wrote history," he says. "I want trombonists everywhere, especially younger players to have a sense of what's gone before."

Dietrich felt especially attached to the project because of his extensive experience with jazz. "I feel like I have a pretty good sense of jazz history. I've been studying it for a long time. If I thought anyone else was going to do it and do it well, I'd say forget it. But I just decided it needs to be done," he says.

Dietrich reveals his favorite part of writing "Jazz 'Bones" was the research, more specifically, listening to the music. He bought somewhere between 500 and 600 CD's for the purpose of writing this book over seven years. While on sabbatical next spring, he'd like to make an accompanying CD set which he speculates will include nearly 100 pieces.

Longtime friend and fellow professor Skip Wittler says he admires Dietrich's work with music. "He works hard at his scholarship. He's dedicated to the music department and he's dedicated to music," Wittler says.

He adds, "As far as I can tell he's great, but I'm not a critic, although I enjoy listening to his music. I think he's very good. And he plays the trombone very well."

While Dietrich is proud of his accomplishments as a writer and musician, he makes it clear that he is first and foremost a teacher. "You do this job for the teaching. If I were at a big research institution I could say, 'well, why do I love being a professor? Because I can write books.' But that's not what we do here," he says.

Professor of Spanish Geoff Guevara-Geer was once a student of Dietrich when he attended Ripon in the 80's. Guevara-Geer notes that it is Dietrich's sense of humor that stuck out to him the most.

"He has a lean-in-and-listen sense of humor, punctuated by a few zingers. With that, he keeps students on task, motivated and upbeat," he says. "With that sense of humor he can speak softly and he doesn't need to carry a stick, as some musical directors do."

Guevara-Geer admits that Dietrich's teaching style did rub off on him. "Ever since I first saw him work with a group, I've been impressed with his way of gently pushing students," he explains. "Kurt has impacted me by proving that this is possible... that a professor can set high standards, achieve a lot in the attainment, and not wear out over years of high expectations."

Current student junior Ben Ruetten also has fond memories of Dietrich, calling him a professor, a mentor and a friend. "There is so much more that he does for me. Most importantly he keeps me in line. Professor D keeps me focused on what I need to do," he says.

But Ruetten notes it is Dietrich's class that stands out to him the most. "Professor D is probably the classiest person I have ever met. Friends and I often talk about how whenever we hear Professor D play trombone we could be in tuxedos and still feel like we were underdressed to hear him play," he says.

Ruetten adds, "I will remember everything he told me about music, especially playing. Every time I pick up a trumpet or a pair of drumsticks I will think of what he taught me. I will probably get more sarcastic too."

In addition to "Jazz 'Bones," Dietrich wrote a book entitled "Duke 'Bones: Duke Ellington's Great Trombone Players" in 1996, and contributes reviews and articles to music journals.

"I usually review three or four or five books a year, usually for this journal called 'Choice' put out by the American Library Association," he says. Dietrich's reviews are then used as recommendations for people who buy books for libraries.

He also writes reviews of recordings for the International Trombone Association.

Dietrich has been writing reviews for nearly 25 years, and adds that he's reviewed about 75 of the books in his office.

Before Dietrich taught jazz, he performed it across the country, playing trombone, keyboard and singing in his band called Matrix. He and his bandmates toured the country for more than five years, performing what would now be considered fusion jazz.

"Some people called it jazz rock and some of what we did was jazz rock, but some of it was what I would call jazz, period," he says.

Dietrich joined the band while attending graduate school at Northwestern University when he was 22 years old. Matrix went so far as to perform in California's Monterey Jazz Festival. "It was a huge hit. Everyone went crazy," he notes.

Dietrich eventually focused his efforts on joining academia, but found some resistance in the world of higher education. He recalls how administrators would tell him he didn't have any "professional experience," to which he would reply, "I beg your pardon?"

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