Baltimore Radio Legends Still On The Air

The following information was received from Joe Vaccarino, who received it from John Pepsin of WTTR Radio in Westminster:

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Legendary Baltimore DJs, Jack Edwards and Johnny Dark, are both on the air again. Known in their heyday for their work at WCAO Radio in Baltimore, MD, they now broadcast for WTTR AM 1470 in Westminster, MD, a station owned by Pat Sajak. Jack is on the air Monday thru Friday, from 9AM-Noon, and Johnny is on Noon- 3PM. They still play a lot of the music they did back in the day. WTTR is only 1,000 watts, but they stream online at www.wttr.com.

Legendary radio personalities, Jack Edwards and Johnny Dark, return to broadcasting at WTTR AM 1470 in Westminster, MD

R.I.P. Ivan Eugene Bowser Jr.

Ivan Bowser, from the 1963 Parkville High School yearbook

We learned over the Thanksgiving holiday of the death on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, of Mr. Ivan Bowser . We write here often (and unfortunately) of the passing of our peers in the Baltimore music scene. Sometimes we write of educators, mentors and influences on our shared ability and desire to make music. Ivan Bowser was all of these.

Mr. Bowser (I could never call him Ivan, even as an adult) was a major influence on the entire Parkville contingent of Baltimore musicians of our era. If you don’t believe me, add up the number of trumpet players within a 4 mile radius of Parkville who double on flute (as Mr. Bowser did). It’s a surprising number. I even doubled on flute, and I was a trombone player.

Mr. Bowser was my band teacher, first at Parkville Jr. High, and then all through Parkville High School (1961-64). He was the coolest guy I knew. He was passionate about the school band sounding good, even when it was just a rehearsal and the venue was a smelly cafeteria, and shared his insights on music and other things in small impromptu groups … like improvisational teaching. He held orchestra rehearsals daily, even when the orchestra totaled 6 people, and led by example as a working musician in addition to teaching. Oh, and he also coached the very successful school golf team–just to add to his cool factor.

Random Ivan Bowser memories:
• he knocked Miles Davis as a sloppy trumpet player
• he admired the work of Stan Freeberg and his musical collaborator, Billy May
• he could keep perfect time with his foot while holding a conversation
• he owned the first VW Beetle convertible I ever saw (and which I and a few friends proved could be lifted onto a sidewalk — he was neither impressed nor amused)
• he was very happy that Parkville H.S. did not have a marching band, and shared the band’s reticence when we had to pull one together for the occasional requisite community parade

Thanks to Mr. Bowser I was introduced to Hank Levy, Stan Freberg, Mozart, jazz, the double bass and German bow, the possibility of a brass player doubling on flute, the value of good meter, the value of diverse living. He was the “un-teacher” … teaching not always through instruction, but also by just offering something interesting to pay attention to.

The last time I saw Mr. Bowser was 40 years ago … I ran into him on break at a country club where we were both gigging, with different groups for different audiences. That seemed right somehow. Peace, Mr. Bowser.

Ivan Bowser Jr. (right) representing City College with the Baltimore Inter High School Orchestra, 1946 (from The Baltimore Sun archives, thanks to Donald Barto Sr.)

Mr. Bowser playing flute at the Parkville High School Jazz Night, 1964, with a combo from Hank Levy's band. (from the 1964 Parkville High School year book)

Bluesette Reunion 2011

The Bluesette is reunioning again in 2011. Learn the details and follow it here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121941901244980

When:

Saturday, November 5 – 9pm-1am
Sunday, November 6 – 12am-10pm

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Where:

Frazier’s on the Avenue & LIVE STREAMING
919 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211-2414
(410) 662-4914

http://fraziersontheavenue.com/

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Featuring:

Urch Perch
Woody Lissauer
The Happys
Tall in the Saddle
Blues Deluxe W/ Denise Dicey
The Stonebridge Blues Band
Howdy Duty
Max Ochs
Fred Tepper
Spike Settles
Joe Buccheri as special guest MC

R.I.P. Tom Fillmore

Thomas Scott Fillmore
Oct 20, 1950 – July 18, 2011

It is with a special sadness that we note the passing of Tom, younger brother of BaltimoreJam co-founder, Randolph Fillmore. After a couple days of no contact he was found in his apartment on July 18, having died of an apparent heart attack. Tom had battled a combination of health issues, including heart disease, for many years.

I had known Tommy literally all his life, as our families were friends. He wasn’t a musician, but music was a family affair for the Fillmores and Tommy worked as roadie for the Mello Men. It was through Tommy that I tracked brother Randy down in 2000, and it was from that reconnection that the first Baltimore Jam was born. Tom attended a couple of the Jams, bringing with him a framed photo of Celebration, the last band that his brother and I played in together. Despite his poor health he was always in great spirits when I saw him. He loved those musical get-togethers, he loved the music, and he loved his brother the trumpet player.

R.I.P. Stella

Stella died suddenly yesterday from a heart ailment. She died in the back seat of my 2006 Nissan Sentra on the way to the University if Minnesota emergency veterinary clinic. She loved to ride in my car because she could stretch out on the back seat, and because it usually took her to the Minneapolis off-leash dog park by Minnehaha Falls where she could romp with the other (always smaller) dogs, and wade out into the Mississippi River to buoy her 135 pounds. She was my daughter’s dog but I’ve known her since Ingrid brought her home as a puppy 8 years ago. She often stayed with us for short periods. I live in an apartment, and Stella was like having a small pony in the house.

In my household there have always been cats, as there are now (2). I’m not what is commonly described as a “dog person,” but we all adored Stella. She was a sweet sweet spirit unlike any I have ever known, and our entire family will miss her terribly.

 

Stella

R.I.P. Dave Fultz

This information received from Rody Barthelmes …

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David Fultz passed away on June 21. He played with Second Coming and was a great freind. He was young … only 63 or 64. Many fellow musicians knew Dave. He was a super guy who had much faith thru all of his health issues — always kept a positive attitude.

Dave Fultz (pictured center, with full beard)

 

Club Venus Memories

Mark Mihalos has provided us with a wonderful video tribute to her late father George’s nightclub, Club Venus. Opened in May 1966 in the Perring Plaza Shopping Center by owner George Mihalos and  his partner, Michael Athas, Club Venus presented some of the top entertainment of the day — from Rodney Dangerfield to Marvin Gaye, from Totie Fields to Ricky Nelson.

The video was beautifully produced by Mark’s friend (name to follow). It opens with an ariel shot of the entire Club Venus staff on the parking lot, and in a slide show of stills presents photos, autographs, and ads from the club’s line up. The soundtrack tracks the talent, using the music of the acts being presented.

It’s on YouTube, but in the opinion of YouTube’s servers the soundtrack violates copyright law – so it automatically stripped it out. I think it’s fair use … but they didn’t ask me. We’ve made it available as a downloadable file in three standard formats from the Club Venus page at BaltimoreJam.org. We thought it was important to make it available because it’s a great tribute to a great club and a significant Baltimore club owner, and on our site there’s no question that it’s not being used for profit. Many thanks to George’s daughter, Mark. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.

TV & Echoes Reunion – UPDATE

Plans continue to solidify for the much-anticipated August 20, 2011 first-ever reunion of the original Tommy Vann & the Echoes. Members of the Mihalos family are planning to attend in honor of George Mihalos, owner of Hollywood Park and Club Venus, and long-time manager and producer of Tommy Vann & the Echoes.

IMPORTANT: The official website for tickets and information for the reunion is: http://www.sankonis.com/id58.html.

Phone numbers for tickets are:
Walt Anderson 410-254-7530
John Sankonis 410-967-6376

The Tommy Vann & the Echoes Reunion is a production of:
The Entertainment Network
P.O. Box 5852
Timonium, MD 21094

 

R.I.P. Harmon Killebrew

This is a personal salute to a quality human being. It has nothing to do with  music in Baltimore, except, perhaps, for the reverberations of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as Hoyt Wilhelm takes the mound in the bottom of the 7th with Gus Triandos as his battery mate, to propel Paul Richard’s Orioles to another victory. The man who will forever hold the record for the longest home run ever hit at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, Harmon Killebrew, died today of esophageal cancer at the age of 74.

I had friends at the shore who were Washington Senators fans, and the games were available on WTOP if you adjusted your rabbit ears just right. The trajectory of their move to Minnesota in 1961, and my migration to Minnesota in 1971, seemed to follow the same arc. I knew the names of Killebrew and Bob Allison, Jim Kaat and Zoilo Versalles. I was surprised to find those same names transplanted 1,300 miles away.

In a world where baseball might be the last remaining thread connecting what was to what is, Harmon Killebrew was a tailor. A feared hall-of-fame hitter, he sits #11 on the all time home run list. Take away chemical hitters Mark McGuire, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, and he rises to #7. In fact, as baseball reflects the progression of society itself, Killebrew may be the last gentleman of the game. He’s been a fixture of the community here in Minnesota ever since his retirement in 1975. He didn’t make big bucks as a player, and his Idaho upbringing didn’t put him in the league of self-marketed athletes, so he lived a modest life as a modest yet well-known Minnesotan. Without exception, the remembrances of Harmon broadcast throughout the day have been only half baseball or less, and instead a series of tributes to a quality human being. As a fan of the game and an admirer of the rarity of quality human beings, Harmon Killebrew’s loss is particularly sad.

 

R.I.P. Sonny Robbins

This just received from Doc on the west coast …

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Thought you would want to know.  Sonny Robbins passed on May 10th in San Diego CA after a long illness.

He played with many groups in Baltimore in the 1960′s and was a fixture in the San Diego music scene for years from the 70′s on.