High School
Playing rock 'n' roll was big fun and offered an outlet for a lot of teen angst. It was a great way to earn a little money, as well.
Guitarist Dan Thompson had very supportive parents who endured our weekly rehearsals and transported us to gigs before
any of us could drive. Dan and I served as the nucleus of this group from 1968 through 1974. Pictured (L to R) are
Dan, Chuck Allen (vocals), myself and, Doug Beeler (drums).
I started on guitar but quickly moved over to a Farfisa mini-compact organ, which had a marvelously cheesy sound.
Bass players were hard to find, so I usually played left-hand bass. Eventually, I moved up to the big time with
a Hammond organ complete with Leslie speaker, and a dedicated key bass. This shot is from a "Battle of the Bands"
competition. Dig the matching outfits!
The original name of the band was "Soul Dimension." Being from a small, all-white town in the Oregon woods,
our conception of the word "soul" was roughly equal to "cool" or "groovy." That worked for a while, until we
were booked into the basement of the YMCA in Salem by some folks who thought we were a black band. When the
all-black audience found out we didn't know anything by James Brown, some of them, who were musicians, came
up on stage and taught us "I Feel Good" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" right in the middle of the gig! We
learned a lot bit about soul that day. The name of the band changed within the week. From then on, we were
"Lost Dimension."
Several
musicians passed through the band, most notably drummer Brian Willis, later of 80s pop band "Quarterflash."
Pictured here is Bill Elliott, a talented trumpeter and bass player. When I finally left the northwest to
join the Stan Kenton band in early 1975, I was replaced on keyboards by Dian Hegna, who was a visual artist
as well. The band took on a softer style and renamed itself "Myst."
The McMinnville High School Jazz Band was directed by John Dulaney, a local boy who had studied at North Texas
State University under Leon Breeden. A fine trumpeter in his own right, he elected to teach, and he was an inspiring
teacher. Holding back was something he never did, and he insisted that we "blow man, blow!" Our most memorable
performance was with Don Ellis, who was excited that this band from a small town out in the woods could play an entire
concert featuring his most sophisticated arrangements.
This picture was from my sophomore year.
The Twilighters are a pop/jazz vocal ensemble at McMinnville High School, with a long history of excellence and a
shelf of trophies to prove it. I was lucky enough to be part of the group when they traveled to Europe. To pay
for the trip, we had to raise over $20,000 - in a town with a population of 10,000! Not easy, but we sold chocolates
and light bulbs, had car washes, sang at every kind of function imaginable, and even had a call-in radio show where
we would sing any song or perform any function for a donation to the trip fund. A barbershop quartet to sing for your
Kiwanis luncheon? You bet!
Jimmy Lyons invited the Twilighters to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival after hearing them perform at Hal Malcolm's
Vocal Jazz Festival. I wasn't a member of the Twilighters at that time, but I had written a few arrangements for them.
Jimmy Lyons asked the Twilighter's director, Doug Anderson, if the group would mind adding a second performance, as
backup singers for Carmen McCrae. Of course Doug said yes, and then he called me and asked if I was busy - he needed
charts fast! We got hold of Carmen McCrae's latest album and I wrote out some vocal backgrounds to match - that's how
I spent my summer vacation in 1971. Of course, I wrote some sax parts as well. The all-star rhythm section was: Joe
Pass - guitar; Nat Pierce - piano; Louie Bellson - drums, and; Ray Brown - bass. When Dizzy Gillespie decided to join
us for a few numbers, it made a memorable experience into an unbelievable one.
Glad somebody took some pictures.
Would you buy a used
recorder from this man? Musical obscurity and anachronism were sources of endless fascination for me and my friends, and
so we started a recorder ensemble. Before long, krummhorns, shawms, and sackbuts were added to the mix. Phil Neuman and Mack
Ramsey took it to further levels, becoming featured artists at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival for several years. Mack
works at Harvard and remains very active in the early music scene in Boston. Phil is well-known as a builder of renaissance
instruments, and is a much sought after performer. I am occasionally called upon to play recorder in show pit orchestras, so
I maintain a small collection.
Playing rock 'n' roll was big fun and offered an outlet for a lot of teen angst. It was a great way to earn a little money, as well.
Guitarist Dan Thompson had very supportive parents who endured our weekly rehearsals and transported us to gigs before
any of us could drive. Dan and I served as the nucleus of this group from 1968 through 1974. Pictured (L to R) are
Dan, Chuck Allen (vocals), myself and, Doug Beeler (drums).
I started on guitar but quickly moved over to a Farfisa mini-compact organ, which had a marvelously cheesy sound.
Bass players were hard to find, so I usually played left-hand bass. Eventually, I moved up to the big time with
a Hammond organ complete with Leslie speaker, and a dedicated key bass. This shot is from a "Battle of the Bands"
competition. Dig the matching outfits!
The original name of the band was "Soul Dimension." Being from a small, all-white town in the Oregon woods,
our conception of the word "soul" was roughly equal to "cool" or "groovy." That worked for a while, until we
were booked into the basement of the YMCA in Salem by some folks who thought we were a black band. When the
all-black audience found out we didn't know anything by James Brown, some of them, who were musicians, came
up on stage and taught us "I Feel Good" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" right in the middle of the gig! We
learned a lot bit about soul that day. The name of the band changed within the week. From then on, we were
"Lost Dimension."
Several
musicians passed through the band, most notably drummer Brian Willis, later of 80s pop band "Quarterflash."
Pictured here is Bill Elliott, a talented trumpeter and bass player. When I finally left the northwest to
join the Stan Kenton band in early 1975, I was replaced on keyboards by Dian Hegna, who was a visual artist
as well. The band took on a softer style and renamed itself "Myst."
This picture was from my sophomore year.
The Twilighters are a pop/jazz vocal ensemble at McMinnville High School, with a long history of excellence and a
shelf of trophies to prove it. I was lucky enough to be part of the group when they traveled to Europe. To pay
for the trip, we had to raise over $20,000 - in a town with a population of 10,000! Not easy, but we sold chocolates
and light bulbs, had car washes, sang at every kind of function imaginable, and even had a call-in radio show where
we would sing any song or perform any function for a donation to the trip fund. A barbershop quartet to sing for your
Kiwanis luncheon? You bet!
Glad somebody took some pictures.
Would you buy a used
recorder from this man? Musical obscurity and anachronism were sources of endless fascination for me and my friends, and
so we started a recorder ensemble. Before long, krummhorns, shawms, and sackbuts were added to the mix. Phil Neuman and Mack
Ramsey took it to further levels, becoming featured artists at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival for several years. Mack
works at Harvard and remains very active in the early music scene in Boston. Phil is well-known as a builder of renaissance
instruments, and is a much sought after performer. I am occasionally called upon to play recorder in show pit orchestras, so
I maintain a small collection.