Dial & Oatts

Pianist, composer, manufacturer, and instructor Garry Dial and saxophonist Dick Oatts had already come up with impressive réamountés before joining jointly to create the post-bop duo Dial & Oatts in 1990. A indigenous of Iowa, Oatts became a member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra immediately after shifting to NY in 1972. Since that time, he’s gone to utilize a diverse selection of jazz and Latin music artists including Eddie Gomez, Jerry Bergonzi, Lester Bowie, Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell, Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, and Gunther Schuller. An associate of the Crimson Rodney/Ira Sullivan Quintet in the past due ’70s and early ’80s, Dial made an appearance within the group’s Grammy-nominated albums Live in the Town Vanguard in 1980 and Ira Sullivan Will EVERYTHING in 1981. Furthermore to short stints as pianist for Wayne Moody and Gerry Mulligan, he performed on three albums and a video by folk-pop trio the Roches. A longtime college student of Duke Ellington’s piano playing, he was selected by Ellington’s widow, Ruth, to execute and record Ellington’s total catalog for the Ellington family members library. Documenting a solo recording, Never IS CURRENTLY, in 1987, Dial created, composed, and performed piano for Australian duo Wayne Morrison and Ken Done’s recording, Postcards from RIGHT HERE, two years later on. Playing collectively since 1990, Dial and Oatts possess released three unforgettable albums. Accompanied by bassist Jay Anderson, drummer Joey Baron, and a 30-piece string section on the debut self-titled recording, they were supported with a ten-piece brass ensemble on the second outing, Brassworks. They came back towards the jazz quartet format for Play Cole Porter, offering the rhythm portion of Anderson on bass and Jeff Hirschfield on drums. Both Dial and Oatts stay active as educators. Oatts continues to be teaching in the Manhattan College of Music since 1989, while Dial continues to be teaching piano, theory, and improvisation at both New College of Social Study and Manhattan College of Music since 1990. Dial and Oatts collaborated to instruct master classes in the Dutch Conservatory in Amsterdam, Holland, in 2002.