First timers

So much of the joy of attending a Navy Musicians Association involves new relationships. I'm looking forward to seeing Dennis Bear, Ralph Hasty, John Branam, Jim McConnell and scores of others, none of whom I knew in the service, but all of whom have become my shipmates in the last few years.

But there's a lot to be said for old buddies, too. Two shipmates from my first band, Navy Band San Francisco, in the mid-'70s, will be attending their first reunions in a few weeks.

Guitarist John Derby and I played together in Showband West. In fact, many would say we were Showband West. Well, I can think of two people who would say that.

(I hope you caught the magic word in the previous paragraph: "guitarist." It's been years since we had a real, Navy guitar player in attendance. I suspect we've all pretty much had enough of me and my E7 chord--see video, below right).

John is starting to play again after years of being away from the guitar. He blogs about this at Who Moved My Chops?

Dave Whitaker was the drummer and singer with San Francisco's Big Band. I'm glad Dave is coming, though I'm deeply hoping that he has given up the habit of reciting lengthy Richard Prior routines. Deeply hoping. Very deeply.

My advice to Dave and John is the same you'd give to any newcomers reporting aboard your Navy band:
Check the gig board regularly.

Still the best damn showband in the fleet

I said so a year ago and I'll say it again: Newport's Northeastern Navy Showband is the best. If I'm wrong, if this is an average Navy ensemble, then the Navy's Music Program is in even better shape than I thought.

Here's my old unit (okay, some of these players weren't born when I led the group in the mid-80s), once again in Times Square for Fleet Week.

My San Antonio Trombone

For a Shipmate

I've been thinking a lot recently about Musician Second Class Gerald Cox.

Jerry was a guitarist who lived in East Moline, Illinois, only a few cornfields away from my current home. He enlisted in the Navy as a musician, and, after boot camp and music school, reported to his band in Hawaii. I never heard him play, but he must have been good; his band had a reputation as the best military band in the Pacific.

Jerry's time in the Navy was short. He and his entire band died at their battle stations on USS Arizona as horror rained from the skies over Pearl Harbor on that date that still lives in infamy.

MU2/c Gerald Clinton Cox died at the age of 19, 33 years before I enlisted as a musician. Yet, he is my shipmate. He and I--and all who have served in the U.S. Navy as musicians--share a bond of service and sacrifice that is unbreakable, permanent and, to those who have never served in uniform, incomprehensible.

Memorial Day is set aside so we may remember those who gave their all. In our eyes, they are giants, but, in their times, many were kids. Arizona's Band 22 was made up of Midwestern farm boys and New York city slickers. The average age of the bandsmen was 21. They called each other "Brick," "Swede,""Mad Russian," "Flatfoot Floogie."

Yes, they were young, but the boys in the band were men at their battle stations in Arizona's ammunition hold.

Sleep peacefully, Jerry. You too, Swede, Brick, Flatfoot.

We remember you.
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Honors for a 61-year-old MU

Every year, on a Friday afternoon in May, a year since it happened last, it catches me by surprise.

It happened again today. I was sitting at the computer, windows open to let in the breeze of a warm spring day, when I heard a drum cadence. When the roll-off began, I'd reached the front door.

And by the time I reached the front yard, a 50-piece marching band was formed up in the street in front of my house, playing "Anchors Away."

Just as it does every year, the local high school marching band was practicing for the Memorial Day ceremony. Since I live behind the school, I am the audience, reviewing stand and guest of honor. And every year, the band's first piece is "Anchors."

Maybe it's random. Or, maybe it's because the band director knows I'm a former Navy musician.

But, every year, the sudden concert surprises me.

It also surprises me how I snap to attention without thinking.

Who moved John Derby's chops?

John Derby is practicing diligently for his first Navy Musicians Association reunion. So diligent is he that skipping a day brings on godlike visions of damnation and retribution.

Read about it at Who Moved My Chops?