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Great chefs and musicians have one thing in common: the desire to create harmonious beauty that delights the senses. So, it’s no surprise that we easily uncovered several chef-musician hybrids who were willing to tell us their story. Whether in the kitchen or on the stage, these talented amalgams are orchestrating their passions one measure at a time.
Chef Kyle Ketchum, of Newport’s Chanler Restaurant, has had a love of the trumpet since age eleven. “I had joined my middle school band and played the baritone, but I realized that the trumpets were the main group in the back that you could hear above anything else. So, two weeks later, I told my teacher and I transferred over,” he said. That decision was only the beginning of a long love affair between Ketchum and the unmistakable brass instrument. He began purchasing sheet music of his favorite composers, and also playing familiar tunes that he heard on the radio. It wasn’t long before he started composing music, for himself and others. “I used to write solos for the marching band to play on the field, and for other members of the band as well,” he remarked. His drive for music continued into adulthood, until an accident on his bicycle knocked out his two front teeth, rendering him unable to sustain the embouchure to play the trumpet. Ketchum took some time away from music, and during that period, fell in love with another art form: cooking. “When you play music, you play with your heart and your creativity, but at the same time, those emotions also go into cooking. With every plate I create, I try to have a high, a low, and a crescendo. That’s why I define my food as being in harmony,” he proudly admitted. Although Ketchum now only plays as a hobby, music has never ceased being a major part of his life.
Gabriel Bremer, of Salt’s Restaurant in Cambridge, also considers music to be an integral part of his identity. But, a bold move in refusing a full scholarship to The American Conservatory put his passion for percussion on the back burner. Having played a slew of percussion instruments ranging from the timpani to the marimba, Bremer was poised for a bright career in music. “Cooking was something that I was always doing, and I had never even considered that I could get paid for it since I was always studying and focused on music. I looked at the future of my music career, and the chances of getting into an orchestra, which is very difficult. I had always worked in kitchens to support my music career, so I stayed in the kitchen because I was having fun making food and I hoped that I could still continue music on the side,” he said. Since then, Bremer has truly combined his two loves and still performs occasionally with fellow musicians. His influences range from traditional West African drumming to classical, but he was careful to add “anything Miles Davis.” His musical upbringing reflects his behavior in the kitchen, as well. “My rigid structure of classical training shows in the way I run my kitchen. But I consider creating a menu to be my free form. Sometimes, I refer to it as kind of our jazz riff, our chance to break away from the menu structure and play around a bit,” he exclaimed. Nowadays, Bremer’s home looks like a music store with the amount of instruments he owns. His love for music and food perfectly accompany his theory that both art forms allow him to, “express the moment.”
Will Gilson, of Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge, is a newcomer to the world of musicianship, but is tackling his first instrument, the harmonica, with hopeful enthusiasm. “I started back in January mostly because I’m a listener of blues. When I went to college in Providence, I would hang out at Trinity Brewhouse and there was a great blues band that would play on Wednesday nights. They had this amazing harmonica player, and I always said that if I had the time and energy to do it, I would learn how to play like that,” he said. Luckily, Gilson has found the time to take lessons from one of his fellow restaurant workers who shares his same appreciation for blues, funk, and soul. He also claims that the harmonica is the perfect instrument for him due to its convenient size and portability. Gilson practices every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. “What’s nice about the harmonica is that you don’t necessarily have to know a lot about music to play it. It’s more about numbers and keys, and listening to music and finding out what key it’s in by playing it on your own. The great thing is that it can be as professional or amateur as you want it to be,” he remarked. Similarly to Bremer and Ketchum, Gilson feels that music is an expression of the self, and a way to “release the blues in your soul.”
Each of these multitasking chefs illustrate the ability to balance all of their life’s passions without compromise. If music is the world’s language, and food is the way into a person’s heart, then these chefs could just about make it anywhere and be perfectly in harmony.
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