Sad news: my father Dave Zoller, pianist & composer, has esophageal cancer. Doctors say he has months left. You can order his music at https://www.dpzrecords.com . Here's a video of him talking about EVIDENCE, his album of Thelonious Monk arrangements. https://vimeo.com/233212912 

Dad has decided not to seek treatment beyond palliative care because, as he put it, "I've had a good run," plus he doesn't want to be taking up treatment space during a pandemic. His grandkids and I are figuring out if it's possible to see him in person one last time.

Dad's masterpiece, IMO, is Evidence, his tribute to Monk on the centennial of his birth, available as a 3-record set or as a 2-CD set. He recorded many more albums, with his own bands and in collaboration with other composers. Info at this link: https://www.dpzrecords.com/shop.html 

I just saw that CD Baby, which handled downloads of my dad's music, is no longer operational as of this month! Some timing. So the only available work is Evidence. I'm gonna redo his store tomorrow to make the other work available if possible. Watch this thread.

In the meantime, here's video of my dad playing with the great bandleader Al Hirt circa late 1980s. He was Hirt's touring pianist for many years. Dad was a silver fox at that point, and he could play like a motherfucker.

Here's one of my favorite compositions by dad, "Blue Note ca. '65." Really phenomenal stuff here --a soundscape that builds out an entire cinematic picture of what he imagined that time and place to be like.

Here's another piece I adore: "Love Song to a Genie," a tribute to dad's second wife (my stepmother) Genie Grant, a jazz singer. She had 3 kids from a previous marriage when dad got together with her. He was a loving and attentive father to them.

Dad's "7th and Christopher," from his album Snug Harbor, is another imaginative portrait of one of the centers of jazz in the United States. I spent many nights with Dad going to different jazz bars in the West Village when he visited me in New York.

Here's video of dad playing his arrangement of the theme to "The Flintstones" at the @balconyclubjazz in Dallas, which I really, really hope will reopen when this plague ends. Dad sounds great for a guy who survived 3 strokes.

Here's one of many pieces I've written about my relationship with Dave Zoller, titled, "A Hard-Hitting Investigative Look at my Dad." Full story here: https://www.rogerebert.com/mzs/a-hard-hitting-investigative-look-at-my-dad

Here's a piece from @dallasobserver_ about a 2014 event celebrating my dad's legacy at the Dallas Museum of Art. It ended up being about how we bonded through art (his music, my film writing, our knowledge of the respective histories of our art forms). https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/dallas-jazz-pianist-dave-zoller-to-be-celebrated-tonight-at-dma-7053356

Here's a link to a 2017 Dallas screening of STRAIGHT, NO CHASER, the Thelonious Monk documentary, that happened 3 years ago. Dad's group performed Monk tunes after the screening. Dad loves that when I go home I am "son of noted musician Dave Zoller" etc. https://www.dmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2017/10/things-to-do-in-dallas-this-week-oct-10-12/

Here’s a tidbit from the project I did last summer, which is going to take a long time to see the light of day: Solitude, a documentary about my father recording the same-titled album, a solo collection of his favorite pieces. Here’s “Georgia on my Mind.“

I should also add parenthetically that my dad did well for himself with investments in the 80s, choosing stocks wisely based on extensive reading, then spent nearly all of the money he had erasing other people's debts late in life. A standup motherfucker, as he would put it.

Dallas/Fort Worth followers: my dad needs a wheelchair, preferably very light weight because he and & girlfriend both have physical limitations and can’t lift a heavy one. All the places to rent one are closed. Any suggestions? Anybody have one that he could just borrow?

I am being contacted by people who want to know how they can help my dad, which is incredibly generous given the present crisis. The easiest way is to buy his album (Link below). But he’s a gigging musician so I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down money. DM me & i’ll give you his info. https://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1248057492178944000

An update on the health situation of my dad, composer Dave Zoller. Dad originally decided to forgo cancer treatment but changed his mind when he got an idea for an album of all original Duke Ellington arrangements performed by a big band. 1/2

Dad has been doing radiation for a couple of weeks and has four weeks left on the regimen. If his health improves, he’s going to start work on the album. I love this indestructible artist, my father.

I am re-upping the thread I wrote about Dad’s life/career. Thank you to those who have bought his music. We are in the process of ripping all of his previous albums from CD and will make those available electronically at some point. https://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1248057492178944000?s=21 https://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1248057492178944000

I’m in Dallas visiting dad. He gave gifts to me and his grandchildren. He gave my daughter her step-grandmother Genie‘s wedding band. He gave my son the wedding band that used to belong to his own mother Martha, who died of cancer when he was 16, the same age James is now. 1/2

He gave me a ring that his father gave him on his 50th birthday in 1991. It was cannibalized from the diamond engagement ring that once belonged to his mother Martha. My hands are too big for it to fit my ring finger but I think I might keep it on the pinky. Always. 2/2

My dad taught me a lot of important things but one of them is, if you’re going to give a gift, make sure it means something. He outdid himself tonight.

We spent several hours talking about the Duke Ellington album he wants to do. He said “I don’t know if I’m gonna live to see it, you can’t get a big band together because of the pandemic.” But I wonder if you can record a big band in dozens of locations over Zoom?

It’s important to dad that the album be recorded live, in the sense that all the musicians are responding to each other in real time. He doesn’t want to record tracks separately and have people add to it. “I wanna be able to see faces and respond to people“ he said.

I just dropped my dad off at radiation. It is upsetting that I’m not allowed to go in there with him, but I understand. He is very frail now and can’t eat solid food. The dream of this Duke Ellington album is keeping him going. I hope he can figure out the technical part.

My dad keeps a daily calorie count – the goal is 1000 per day.

Dad sitting out back just now, having a brandy.

My father continues to surprise me. We watched jazz videos of concerts from the 60s and 70s for a while and then suddenly he announced “I need to see some Prince.”

One of my great regrets is that I never did a podcast with my dad. He doesn’t have the energy for it now. But his analysis of the roots of the musical style of performers like prince, the band, and Miles Davis are really something.

“How are you feeling right now, dad?“

Dad has a track list for his new album, which will be recorded 6 weeks from now. Daybreak Express: The Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

Dad said that he wants to record the album six weeks from now. He named the five other musicians he wanted and said he wouldn’t do the album if they weren’t available. The original tracklist had nine songs, but he added another for symmetry. He knows exactly what this is.

I asked him if he would consider just conducting/producing, or designating an understudy, in the event that has health deteriorated to the point where he couldn’t play. He said if that happened there wouldn’t be an album.

This is the second time this year that somebody in my family has been staring death in the face and demanding a deadline extension.

Good news: we are proceeding with the recording of my father’s Dave Zoller’s latest and probably final album, consisting of his own arrangements of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn classics. It will be recorded in Dallas in two weeks. 1/2

It’s going to be a complex process because of the pandemic but we are doing it. My dad has been practicing diligently and says he’s ready to roll. 2/2

Update on my dad’s next album: recording has been postponed for two weeks because one of the musicians fell off a ladder and broke his shoulder. Apparently it’s not as bad as it sounds, though, and he expects to be fully healed by then.

Dad is in good spirits and is happy to have an extra two weeks to practice.

My friend Judith has been hanging out with my dad and sent this picture. I think he looks like he’s having a good time. He got a haircut, which is cool. Looking forward to seeing him in a couple weeks.

I don’t know, folks, this kind of feels like the record sleeve art for the next album.

Life rarely gives you the inspirational movie ending you wanted. Dad is close to the end and the family is gathering to say goodbye to him. The Duke Ellington album is not going to happen. He finished another album last year, though, and I will put that out as soon as I can.

Info on dad’s work below. We don’t have stuff available for download because of some glitches with the distributor, but his 2-disc Thelonious Monk album Evidence is available on vinyl. All profits go to his partner, Liz. https://www.dpzrecords.com/shop.html 

As my son said a couple of months ago when I told him about his grandfather’s terminal diagnosis, “This is how it goes. This is how it goes for us.“ Calmly. Philosophically. As in: you’re not in control of any of this. We get it.

Family converging on Dallas now. Hope we’ll all get there before dad goes but obviously, like everything else, this is out of anyone’s control.

Spoke to dad briefly on the phone. He asked me to bring him a chocolate shake when I arrive.

All right, hold the phone: I’m over at dad’s house and he’s up and in great spirits and he says he’s doing the album.

A message from my father.

As if to underscore the momentousness of the pledge, Dad immediately pretended to be afflicted with a coughing fit just to fuck with us. "I'm kidding, I'm fine."

So the arrangement we have between now and July 19 is, Dad is Rocky Balboa and I'm Mickey. Except instead of him punching raw meat and jogging up steps, he's going to be playing the piano a lot and drinking Ensure.

I’m over at my dads house, making him a smoothie.

Dad’s workspace.

Dad is practicing.

Here’s dad practicing while my Uncle Matt, my namesake, listens.

Dad and I had a long conversation about his legacy, which I am in charge of now (no pressure or anything). I learned he has 2 complete, unreleased albums, one from the 80s and one from the 90s. I asked why they weren’t released. “I didn’t have the money!” he laughed.

Dad on perfection.

Dad on how his playing has changed as he’s gotten older.

Here’s dad telling a story about his pot smoking days with my mother in the early 1970s.

On the way to visit my friend @sarahhepola, I passed my dad’s favorite bar & realized how appropriate the name was, on a couple of levels: The Old Monk. https://www.oldmonkdallas.com 

Day 3 of practice.

Here’s Dad and Uncle Matt watching one of Dad‘s favorite films, Being There (1980).

Jeffry Eckels, who played bass on my dad Dave Zoller's Thelonious Monk album EVIDENCE, died today. A wonderful player, hell of a nice guy. Dad is devastated. We had a drink in his honor.

In honor of Jeffry Eckels, bassist and friend of my father's, here's a link to the Monk tribute album Evidence, which he played on. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiEb_tu9FwhWBWcN2HNiLo1_Y-1C7cwEr You can order Evidence on vinyl at my dad's website, here: https://www.dpzrecords.com/shop.html 

In other news, my dad is sitting here working his way through a sleeve of Ritz crackers.

“Life is a fucking tragedy a lot of the time, but I’m still grateful for the music.”—Dad

Dad awoke at the crack of noon and commenced the first part of his daily routine, drinking hot tea while reading the day’s New York Times. (A two-hour process.)

One of Dad’s mugs.

Great news: yesterday, for the first time in four months, my dad ate solid food. Three sausages, a piece of fried chicken, and a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream. Here’s a video of him eating and talking to his girlfriend Liz.

Asked my dad how he's doing. He said, "I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here."

Please enjoy footage of my dad eating half a dozen scrambled eggs while listening to Weather Report.

Dad is done with eggs and has moved on to leftover andouille sausage.

Had a little scare this evening when my dad got a little too into his salmon steak and mashed potatoes and choked a bit. But then he rallied and attacked it like Jaws tearing apart the Orca.

No suspense movie in history is more exciting than watching my 79-year old esophageal cancer patient dad working his way through a big plate of food.

Dad's reading the New York Times from start to finish, his daily ritual. Will cook him some eggs soon. Asked him what music he wanted to listen to. "Everybody Digs Bill Evans," he said.

"This is an album from early in his career," Dad says. "Bill Evans's style changed a bit after this. He left more space between his phrases later on."

Here’s Dad eating a three-egg salmon and spinach omelet.

Here’s a teaser from my new horror film THE HOUSE OF JAZZ.

“I thought you sounded pretty good.“ “That’s because you’re you, man.“

Slight misquoting of my dad in the preceding tweet, I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of it.

Dad practicing late at night.

Dad‘s getting his chops back. Watch till the end, it’s worth it.

Dad has requested edibles. Shit just got real.

Thanks to @megajolmes for this wonderful drawing of my dad, which makes him look like he’s about to run into a burning building to save a dog.

And here’s a poster version by @mgrady69

Your honor, let the record reflect that my dad ate a pot cookie and proceeded to sleep for six hours with a smile on his face.

Update: Dad was specifically instructed not to eat an entire pot cookie, but he insisted, and let’s just say that it made him very happy. He had a smile on his face for a full day.

Dad and I spent four hours watching jazz videos on YouTube tonight, mostly Duke Ellington. Amazingly, no pot cookies were involved.

One thing that always puzzled me was how Duke Ellington was able to make a 16 piece touring orchestra financially sustainable. The answer, according to dad, is that he put all the money he made from record sales and royalties into the band. It was never profitable after 1960.

Yes, I’m doing a documentary about dad.

I am posting this mini thread here because that’s where it should’ve gone in the first place. Dad choked on some food and had to be taken to the hospital. https://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1282439259186757635?s=21 https://twitter.com/mattzollerseitz/status/1282439259186757635

Update: I just got off the phone with Daf, I think he’s going to be OK. He had water and a cracker and didn’t cough it up. That might mean that piece of food has passed. They may discharge him soon, we don’t know yet. 1/2

I told him on the phone “Dad, it’s not your time.” He laughed and said “I hope you’re right.”

Who the duck is Daf

Dad just called back and said “Get me the fuck out of here.“ He’s being discharged.

When we pulled up into the garage, Dad looked around and said “I have a question. Where are my music stands?” Liz had cleaned out the garage recently and put them in a different place. We pointed them out to him.

Liz laughed. “I thought you were asking about something important!” Dad: “Those are important.” Liz: “I was just fucking with you, Dave.”

Update: Dad has been scheduled for “balloon surgery” on Thursday. We have been assured that there won’t be much recovery time. So at this point I feel pretty good about his chances of recording his final masterpiece. Hell, knowing Dad, he’ll squeeze in one more.

Here’s me telling dad that I bought him some Brandy. He practices a little bit at the end.

So, folks, I found out from my dad’s girlfriend Liz that not only did he get around, he has girlfriends ranging back over four decades who continue to call and write to check in on him during his final days. Let Liz tell you about it.

He’s Dad eating ice cream.

I’m not gonna be on here very often in the next few days because dad is recording his Duke Ellington album, and I am doing a documentary about that. Here’s a clip of us planning out the recording of “The Mooch” at his kitchen table.

^The Mooche, sorry. Another typo that I’m never gonna hear the end of from Dad. Duke Ellington is rotating in his grave.

When dad was getting ready for bed tonight, I asked him why he always listens to such hardcore, challenging music while he sleeps. This was his answer.