Personal Message for Musicians from Dr. Leffler
Featuring Links From His Musical Pursuits:
During my nine years as a guitarist in with the Air Force Bands I traveled extensively in the US, Caribbean, South and Central America and Europe. Saturday night 7 May 2022 was my first opportunity to play with an Air Force band in my own hometown at the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts. Shades of Blue Air Force Band graciously had me sit in on this one: “The U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America’s Shades of Blue jazz ensemble with guest Dr. David Leffler” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnd1wLBX5NM
The full concert is available at this link: https://youtu.be/OzPpT0XB49U
Besides making many friends with members of the military, my musical talents still come in handy making new friends.
For example, in Seoul, Korea I presented my scientific paper about Invincible Defense Technology (IDT) at the “International Sociological Association Research Committee 01 Seoul National University & Korea Military Academy International Conference on Armed Forces & Conflict Resolution in a Globalized World.”
While meeting with military leaders and scientists at the Officers Club in the DMZ, I sat in playing the bass guitar. Here is a YouTube video titled: Dr. David Leffler Jams with South Korean Army Divisional Band.
MY ROMANCE JAZZ DUO starring David Leffler & Arlene Leffler invited their friends for a night of American Songbook classics featuring bassist Bob Wilson, Air Force (Ret.) and Fairfield musicians. This concert was held on Aug 22, 2019 at the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts. Below this webpage is an archived webpage My Romance Jazz Duo & Friends taken from the Sondheim website with links to the videos taken during the concert.
On Thursday night 20 August 2020 I performed with my wife Arlene Schar Leffler, jazz violinist and band leader of MY ROMANCE at an online live concert live-streamed from the Steven Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfield, Iowa.
We were joined by special guest bassist George Foster and former Berklee College of Music student and former Emily Remler and Larry Coryell drummer Phil Marks.
Since the auditorium had no audience members due to the Covid-19 restrictions, based on the Sondheim Center’s seating capacity of 522, as a theoretical construct we had a standing room only crowd, since the total views on both our Facebook livestreamed video and the edited high resolution video have well exceeded that number.
A 49 minute edited version of our concert is available here on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1gIyJkzeUU&t=2s
Arlene Schar Leffler and I attended the Jamey Aebersold’s® Summer Jazz Workshops. Afterwards we returned to Fairfield, Iowa to put on reunion concerts of the Dave Leffler Quartet (DLQ). Click here for an online video from one of our concerts.
I do not expect band leaders interested in hiring me as a sideman to listen to all content of this video as well as the many others listed below. To save time, I am listing parts where I solo. My piano solo on “Autumn Leaves” starts at 2:29.
The DLQ was an opening act at FAIRfest. Here is a fifteen second clip (our group appears at 1:55) of us playing the song “Wave” by the Brazilian composer Carlos Jobim.
I play mostly keyboards and sometimes guitar with the DLQ. I have played other instruments and have brought in guest artists to fill in:
Dave Leffler Quartet with Phil D’Agostino piano, Dave Leffler bass guitar, Steve Jeffries drums, Bill Vesely flute. Selection: “On A Clear Day.” I have a bass solo on this tune at 1:45 into the selection.
Combined Dave Leffler Quartet / Ron Dean Trio at FAIRfest with Ron Dean piano, Dave Leffler bass guitar and vocal, Ira Goldberg drums, Steve Jeffries soprano sax, Bill Vesely flute. Selection: “Nature Boy/Girl.”
The Dave Leffler Quartet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkSOa9T5LhM (guitar single line and chord solo at 3:15) played at the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts after a David Lynch (the movie maker) Foundation Veterans seminar and also for a Veterans’ Benefit Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NfU8kZ6d2U (my piano solo at 2:12). My Dad Bob Leffler, who played drums with US Army Bands during World War II is on drums.
I am also available at last minute to fill in on drums. When I was a guitarist with various US Air Force Bands, I sometimes played auxiliary percussion in the concert band and for this reason it was justified for me to study percussion (mostly vibraphone) at Uncle Sam’s expense with John Lindberg, the principal with the Norfolk Symphony.
Here are some videos from a MIU gig with Doug Daller on keyboard, Bill Vesely on Flute, Tim Laughrin on bass, my wife Arlene on violin, and me on the drums:
My wife Jazz violinist Arlene J. Schar and I have a jazz duo we call My Romance. On 2 April 2019 we were interviewed on a local radio station here in Fairfield, Iowa where we live. After our interview they played a cut from our My Romance promo CD.
Please listen to our radio interview and hear us play “Summertime.” This song is available by clicking on this YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSRP-YbuHg0&feature=youtu.be
Our radio interview starts at 01:30.
Back when my wife and I lived in PA, we used to go to the Elm Street Jazz Workshop every Friday morning at 9am at the Active Life Senior Center. During the Covid times I had the opportunity to take part in this group rendition of an original composition by one of the members. I am on piano, bottom row 3rd from left – enjoy. It was quite a project, organizing all the musicians to learn, time, and record their parts at home, and then for our Maestro Allan Meyerson to piece it all together like a jigsaw puzzle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFfNZ4b60SE&feature=share&
I earned a Master of Music from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and I am a multi-instrumentalist who plays keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, and percussion, When not lecturing or writing about Invincible Defense Technology (IDT), I may be able to sub for musicians in the Fairfield, Iowa area. If interested, please email me at: drleffler [at] hotmail [.] com
My Romance Jazz Duo & Friends
This event was held on Aug 22, 2019
Featuring Bob Wilson, Air Force (Ret) & Fairfield Musicians
Free Concert | Donations Accepted
Benefit for the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
MY ROMANCE JAZZ DUO starring David & Arlene Leffler have invited their friends for a night of American Songbook classics featuring Bob Wilson, Air Force (Ret.) and Fairfield musicians.
Senior Master Sergeant Robert E. Wilson, USAF (Ret.) joins the Lefflers as their guest artist, performing on bass. Wilson has performed with various USAF bands during his 28 years in the Air Force, including the prestigious USAF Academy Band in Colorado Springs. He has toured in South Vietnam with Bob Hope, has played with Doc Severinsen, and has performed for several US presidents. Bob also jammed with renowned jazz guitarist Johnny Smith, who was so impressed with his musicianship that he gave Bob one of the first Fender bass guitars.
Dr. David Leffler has performed worldwide as an instrumentalist for nine years with the US Air Force Bands. He has a Master of Music from New Mexico State University, and has been the bandleader of the popular Fairfield jazz band the Dave Leffler Quartet for several years. While assigned to the Air Force Band in the Republic of Panama, David toured Latin America with Bob Wilson, making appearances on national TV shows. Prior to that, David and Bob had toured the East Coast together while stationed at Langley AFB.
Recently moving to Fairfield, Arlene is an east coast violinist and has been playing the American Songbook jazz tunes she loves for 30 years.
Joining My Romance and Wilson on stage is Fairfield drummer Fred Swartz, who expressed his love for drums at an early age, joining his first band when he was 10. During high school, he played in the Greater Boston Youth Symphony at Boston University and the Greater Boston Youth Jazz Band at Berklee College of Music, in addition to various jazz, rock, and show bands. After college, he performed with several jazz bands in the Boston area. In Fairfield, he has played jazz with Steve Hillis, Doug Daller, and Jonas Magram, as well as in various musical theater productions.
MY ROMANCE would like to give a big thanks to all the musicians involved with this benefit concert, as well as Jesse James for an outstanding job on sound; Glenn Chumley for the excellent video footage; the ushers, behind the scenes folks, and especially Rustin Lippincott for all they have done to ensure this to be a hugely successful benefit concert.
Dr. David Leffler, former Air Force Bandsman, musical director, on piano and vocals
Arlene Schar Leffler, bandleader, on violin
Fred Swartz on drums
Special guest artist Senior Master Sergeant Bob Wilson, USAF (Ret.) on bass
SET I
“All of Me”
“Summertime”
“Girl From Ipanema”
“Fly Me To The Moon”
“Nadia’s Theme”
“Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars”
“Angel Eyes”
“My Romance”
“Norwegian Wood”
“A Taste of Honey”
“Take Five”
SET II
“Emily” and “Have You Met Miss Jones?”
Dave Leffler Quartet
Bill Vesely, flute, bandleader
Tim Laughrin, bass
Dave Leffler, piano
Fred Swartz, drums
“My Funny Valentine”
“Georgia on my Mind”
Paul Squillo, trumpet, flugelhorn, bandleader
Dave Leffler, piano (vocals)
Bob Wilson, bass
Fred Swartz, drums
Arlene Leffler, violin
“My Favorite Things”
“Black Orpheus”
[Videos not available]
Carrol Hillis, piano, bandleader
Arlene Leffler, violin
“What a Wonderful World”
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin”
Jonas Magram, vocal and saxophone
Steve Hillis, piano
“Yesterday”
“Take the A Train”
Fred Hucke, trumpet, flugelhorn, bandleader
Dave Leffler, piano, vocals
Bob Wilson, bass
Fred Swartz, drums
GRAND FINALE
“Route 66”
Jonas Magram, vocal, saxophone and band leader
Fred Hucke, trumpet, flugelhorn
Dave Leffler, piano
Bob Wilson, bass
Fred Swartz, drums
Paul Squillo, trumpet
Arlene Leffler, violin
ENCORE
“St. Thomas”
Fred Hucke, penny whistle, flugelhorn and bandleader
Dave Leffler, piano
Bob Wilson, bass
Fred Swartz, drums
Paul Squillo, trumpet
Arlene Leffler, violin
