Dave Loeb brings jazz music to Las Vegas

Vegas Voices is a weekly question-and-answer series featuring notable Las Vegans.

Most people get out of college and start looking for a job.

Dave Loeb had his first job offer before he even finished grad school. More than three decades later, he’s still got that job, serving as Tony winner Ben Vereen’s pianist and conductor.

Loeb’s had plenty of other jobs since then, from jazz pianist to session pianist. (You’ve undoubtedly heard his playing on TV themes from “Hill Street Blues” to “Family Guy,” or on the soundtracks of such movies as “Ted” and “Pocahontas.”)

As a keyboardist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, he’s worked with luminaries from Placido Domingo to Herbie Hancock. His Vegas gigs include stints with Shirley MacLaine and Dionne Warwick, among others. He’s composed songs (Dolly Parton recorded one) and scores (for PBS documentaries).

These days, Loeb spends most nights at Wynn Las Vegas, where he leads the 31-piece onstage orchestra for “Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers.” (The show was initially expected to close in September, but Loeb says it’s been extended through December.)

Despite his professional credits, however, Loeb’s still got a college connection — as director of jazz studies at UNLV, where he’s taught for 13 years.

He’s on faculty development leave this semester, but he’ll still be working, visiting other colleges and universities with jazz and commercial music programs to implement modifications of existing courses to better reflect the professional music industry.

When it comes to music, there are so many styles, he says. “This is what you have to be able to do … to re-create almost any style, from Gregorian chant to country. It’s fun for me.”

We caught up with Loeb, 63, in UNLV’s jazz studio, where he took a break from playing piano (working lilting, jazzy variations on standards from “Night and Day” to “Luck Be a Lady”) to reflect on his musical life.

Review-Journal: What was your first Las Vegas gig?

Loeb: It was probably with Ben Vereen at the Riviera in the ’70s. … The opening act was either Joan Rivers or David Brenner. One night, Sammy Davis Jr. came up onstage and sang with the 25-piece orchestra.

RJ: How, and why, did you first get interested in music?

Loeb: I was about 6 or 7 years old. I could always hear it and had an idea of what notes were. … In school, I was tested on my musical ability and I got everything right. The music director at the Lutheran church we attended was interested in having me be a church musician and so I studied Bach and classical music. … Outside of those lessons, I had friends who liked all kinds of music: R&B, popular entertainment, jazz. I assimilated what I was hearing and would be able to play it.

RJ: UNLV’s jazz program has been winning awards for decades. What makes it so strong?

Loeb: The students, of course, and we have a world-class faculty. And it’s also the opportunities here. We’re in the entertainment capital and there are many times for students to perform. … We try to push (students) out in the professional world as soon as possible.

RJ: How do you keep jazz, and the musicianship it requires, relevant in a digital/electronic age?

Loeb: That is a great question. Fortunately, the jazz genre requires spontaneous composition in performance. Technology enters into it in many aspects, but performing … it’s musical improvisation. … I marvel at how jazz musicians create jazz melodies. … It’s an American art form — it’s vibrant and it’s always changing. Some people say it’s a dead art form — no, it’s not.

RJ: Do you worry about the future of jazz as a viable musical form?

Loeb: Yeah, I do worry about it. I’m concerned that all the other influences receive so much attention. … The problem with jazz is, it’s very old and (requires) a very high level of musical artistry. Sometimes it’s hard for the average listener to assimilate. … It’s like watching a sporting event. You don’t know what the outcome’s going to be. … In the ’30s and ’40s, jazz was the popular music. Rock is what pushed jazz aside and it’s simpler melodically. … Jazz music requires a high degree of sophistication.

RJ: What’s your most memorable Las Vegas gig?

Loeb: Conducting for “Sinatra 100” (a CBS special saluting Frank Sinatra’s centennial). That was one of the most memorable experiences for that whole lineup (including Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Usher, Harry Connick Jr., Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, John Legend and more) … . That was a real highlight in a very compact period of time.

Read more from Carol Cling at reviewjournal.com. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.