The Daily Poop - FRI16JUN17 - The Loadmaster

Now that we're retired, my wife and I do more things together. She's coming to the NMA reunion again this year, something she rarely had time for in past years. We' spent the night in a Louisville, KY motel, 1/3 of the way to Virginia Beach for the Navy Musicians Association  reunion. But even though we now have more time to spend together, there's still one thing we don't do as a team:travel

We don't pack the car together. When we're leaving on a trip, the Loadmaster does the packing. There is no helping. There is no advising, critiquing or complaining. It is not a team effort.

Certainly, much discussion takes place. Luggage that will not be needed until final arrival is identified. Things that will come into motels en route are listed. Personal items that must be accessible at all times are set aside.

But when the packing begins, there is no more discussing. There are only orders. The Loadmaster calls for items in the order in which they must be packed.

I learned from the best. John Derby, loadmaster of Navy Show Band West, demonstrated the art, leadership and firmness that can pack the equipment of a nine-piece band into a trailer the size of a footstool.

And, of course, upon arrival in Louisville, my expertise was confirmed was confirmed. Everything we needed for the night was accessible and the long-distance materiel remained undisturbed.

The Loadmaster has very few other marital responsibilities, but he is good at what he does, a vital task that contributes greatly to domestic harmony.

Onward.

The Daily Poop - THURS15JUN17 - Anchors Aweigh

Now set the special sea and anchor detail. All hands make preparations for getting underway.

I'm packing the car and in a few minutes will leave western Illinois, my course set for Virginia Beach for the 2017 reunion of the Navy Musicians Association. It's a three-day, two night cruise; I'm not nearly as fond of driving 18 hours straight as I used to be. Tonight's first port of call will be Louisville, KY.

"Drive faster, Frank; I can't wait to spend a week listening
to you and your buddies rehash ancient sea stories.".

My wife and I will arrive in Virginia Beach late Saturday for a few days of pre-reunion sightseeing. We won't be alone; a number of NMA regulars always show up early.

I hope you'll be there. If you can't make it, I hope you'll come next year. An NMA reunion is a medley of camaraderie, sea stories and music only MUs can understand.

Anchors Aweigh!

The Daily Poop - WED14JUN17 - Gotta Get a Move On.

"Hurry, dear; I can't wait for you to show me all those
places in Virginia Beach where you used to get bombed."

To put it in family-friendly language: holy smokes; I'm leaving tomorrow for the NMA reunion in Virginia Beach.

I generally like to arrive a few days before the reunion. And my wife is coming again this year, so we're building in a little time for sightseeing. (Our last sight-seeing trip to VA Beach was in 1992, the year before we got married. I took her to the Brass Bell so she could get a feel for how I'd lived before we met. She married me anyway. The Brass Bell is still standing, although my other haunts--Dave's Casino, the Duck Inn and a few other places of that high caliber--are long gone.)

So, because we plan to spend two nights on the road so as to arrive in Virginia Beach sometime Saturday, I have to pack today: Clothes. Camera. Video equipment. Music. Gig bag. Musical equipment. Computer. Computer accessories.

And a mask. The Reef may still be in business, and I wouldn't dare walk into that dump without a disguise. Someone might have a long memory.

TUES13JUN17 - The Daily Poop - Badda Bing!

I enjoy meeting newcomers at NMA reunions. We're all shipmates, even if we've never met before. If you're coming to your first reunion, you might not understand this, but when we're all saying goodbye after the last tune, you'll get it.

Off course, it's good to meet up with old friends, too. I've heard tell that Bing Walden is coming to the reunion next week. I'm happy to welcome him to the growing number of reunion-going, story-telling members of the NMA.

After all, Der Bingle welcomed me to Newport in the early '80s. He talked me into playing with a civilian Monday-night big band that gigged around southern New England. Good guys, good fun, good music. 

On the other hand, Bing also introduced me to jai alai. I spent the rest of my tour in Newport watching, a game in which Portuguese guys whack a ball around while Americans throw their money away.. 

MON12JUN17 - The Daily Poop - First Edition

The 2017 reunion of the Navy Musicians Association is so close you could whack it with a soprano saxophone. It's time to begin the annual pre-reunion run of The Daily Poop, the unofficial, day-by-day chronicle of reunion news, scuttlebutt, hearsay and self-aggrandizement. Mostly the self-aggrandizement.

Although the reunion officially begins on Wed., June 21, my wife and I will depart from Illinois on Thurs. the 15th and arrive Sat. the 17th. Arriving early will give us time to see some sights, rest up for the reunion and meet up with other early birds. Members tend to dribble in over the days before a Virginia Beach reunion. We're expecting a big get-together in our homeport this year--a lot of first-timers have signed up.

Things will get busy on Monday and Tuesday as volunteers start setting things up. We generally have enough folks for a jam session on Tuesday night.

So, on that Tuesday (or maybe even the day before), we'll wrap up this year's series of Daily Poops and switch over to the also-traditional reunion LiveBlog.

The difference between the Daily Poop and the reunion LiveBlog is one of frequency. The Daily Poop is a once-a-day affair, usually a morning presentation. The LiveBlog features reunion events  around the clock, as they happen. Sort of.

So until the festivities begin, enjoy your Daily Poop. Ha ha.

Over There

This is the 100th anniversary of the publication of Irving Berlin's Over There.

It's not only an American classic; it's also the first song I arranged for a Navy band.

I did it for a live Armed Forces Radio broadcast from Treasure Island, a recreation of the days of old radio featuring Bing Crosby, Mel Blanc, Meredith Wilson and a bunch of other fogies.

(The chief told us we were doing this big-deal radio show in the drill hall. He said the theme song would be Over There. "We don't have an arrangement yet," he said. "Maybe Seaman Mullen will do it." He was kidding. But I brought in the arrangement the next morning. He was surprised. So was I.

If it's on the internet, my wife can find it. First she came up with this  hour-long audio track of the show. The band gets a bit of play throughout. Over There  gets it's first airplay at about 3:15, after a comedy routine with Mel Blanc.

Then she found this video clip from the show. At 9:35, the band and cast close the performance with Anchors Aweigh (the modulation at the end throws off even the best) and a reprise of Over There.

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