For Ron Pirtle, Music's Not a Living
--It's a Pleasure

By Joan Bixby

If you arrive after the set has started and spot the bassist’s flat hat and note the head-down concentration, you’ll know right away that Ron Pirtle is playing and you know you are in for a treat.

Pirtle is not a full-time musician, but he stays busy on the weekends. Heidi’s has featured him in a trio on Sunday nights for the last nine years and the rest of the time he might turn up anywhere from Fort Pierce to Titusville.

Growing up on a farm in northeast Ohio, Pirtle seems to have developed an agreeable attitude that lets him find pleasure in today but look forward to tomorrow. Although he expected to make his living as a musician, he realizes that "if you have a family, it is hard." For 17 years he has worked as a rural mail carrier. "One day I will retire," he says, "and I can play as much as I want."

He is married to his childhood sweetheart, petite and pretty Joyce, and is proud of their two children, Katie and Ronny. Sunny, an appropriately named spaniel dog completes the family and provides diversion for the children when they return from fifth and seventh grades, respectively.

Pirtle’s contentment extends to playing the bass, a supporting, rhythm instrument in the groups in which he plays. He explains, "Some guys like to be in charge and other guys just like to be part of the group. The leader has to worry about the other people making the gig, about them being there on time - calling the shots - calling the tunes. Being a sideman you just show up, play the job and then you leave. You don’t worry about all the other stuff." He’ll be in charge when his group appears at the JSOB Sept. 9 meeting. See details on next page.

His parents’ gift of an electric bass when he was about 12 started him on his musical career during the rock era. His brother was given a guitar. "We just started playing away," he says. Pirtle found that most hopefuls were playing guitars, not basses, and there were many opportunities for him to join with local bands.

By the time he was 18 he was traveling and playing in local clubs in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In a few years he became interested in jazz and for the first time, took private musical instruction. Before long he "hooked up with Spencer Thompson, an old Black guy in his sixties, a piano player who had played with everybody. He was a real entertainer – a Jackie Jones kind of a guy who sang and played. Sang a lot of blues, too. He just said, ‘Come and play with me.’ And I did." Pirtle says, "I worked with him for about three years and I really started to learn how to play."

Afterhe and Joyce were married, they moved to Melbourne in the early 80’s to live near her retired parents. Pirtle scouted the clubs and dissxcovered his first jazz group at the Banana Boat in Vero Beach. Paul Vincent, Johnny Powers, Ellen Wayne and Ron White let him sit in and they spread the word about the talented young jazz bass player.

A few months ago 48-year-old Pirtle provided the pulse for the Carl Hendrix’s group at the Brevard Museum of Art & Science that received a standing ovation. When asked what made that such a special night, Pirtle replied, "That was a fun night. The audience was a big part of it. You feed off the audience. If you get a response back, you want to give more."