Jazz great Fischer got early musical start

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

Michigan State University in East Lansing probably would not leap to mind when one thinks about a hotbed of Latino music. But that's where jazz great Clare Fischer gained his appreciation for the musical style.

"My roommates were from El Salvador and most of my friends turned out to be Latinos," Fischer, 73, explained recently during a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home.

Fischer was a 19-year-old freshman when he entered the university as a music major. He already was a professional jazz musician.

"I started composing at 12 years of age," Fischer said. "I also started playing in jazz clubs at age 12. One of my first exposures to music was black bands in an American Legion Halls."

Fischer and multi-reed player Gary Foster will perform a concert Sunday at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, sponsored by the Las Vegas Jazz Society and the city of Las Vegas' Cultural Affairs Division.

Fischer has won two Grammys, one in 1981 for his album "Salsa Picant plus 2 + 2," and the other in 1986 for his album "Free Fall."

He is active as a performer, educator and composer. Since launching his professional career he has recorded more 45 albums of his own and has arranged, composed and performed on more than 100 albums for other artists.

Fischer composed the bossa nova standards "Pensativa" and "Morning."

But Latin sounds are not the only ones coming from the creative genius, who has made a career out of diversity. He is equally at ease with classical, jazz and boogie-woogie music.

Fischer began playing the cello in junior high school in Grand Rapids, Mich., and almost immediately began composing.

"My mentor, Glenn Litton, gave me theory and harmony lessons for nothing because I couldn't afford them," Fischer said.

Litton also gave him instructions in the French horn, trombone, baritone sax and other instruments.

"Right from the beginning he exposed me to a lot of concert music," Fischer said.

While learning classical music in the classroom he was learning jazz on the streets. The piano became Fischer's main instrument in college.

"I was playing four-part harmony on the piano at the age of 8," he said. "I can't remember when I wasn't doing what I'm doing now."

While his interests crossed all musical genres, Latin music remained close to his ear after college.

"The first thing I did when I moved to L.A. in '57 was go to a barrio (neighborhood) in East L.A. and play with Afro-Cuban groups," Fischer said.

Fischer began a correspondence with a musician in Brazil. "Through this fellow I was exposed to Brazilian music," he said.

Two years ago Fischer finally made it to Brazil, where he performed at a festival. While there he learned to speak Portugese. Fischer said he discovered he has an ear for languages and speaks several, including German.

Fischer said understanding a language is important in understanding the music of that language.

"But most musicians don't pay any attention to the language," he said.