By Bob Stannard
In 1969 I left home to attend Castleton State College. I was the first in my family to go to college, so this was a big deal. At the age of 6 I started playing the piano. The piano and I didn’t get along, so 5 years later I got a severely funky set of drums. The bass drum came from some school band. It was huge and had a huge sound. The rest of the set was a total mishmash, but they were mine.
For seven years I banged away on these drums and I got to be a half-way decent drummer. I was in a band with Buddy Brooks, Phil and Tom Zandy. Things were going great until I got to Castleton. Upon arrival I set my drums up in my suite and began playing. I was into a great drum solo when the door flew and some angry looking guy was standing in the doorway all red in the face. I stopped playing.
He said, “What the hell are you doing?” Now this was an institution of higher learning and I mistakenly had assumed that everyone here was pretty darned smart. It appeared to me that it was rather obvious what I was doing, but since he asked I replied, “Uh…I’m playing my drums”. That reply did little to calm him down. Steam was coming out of his ears when he shouted, “You do that one more time, you and these drums are going to Vietnam”.
This was 1969, which was a very bad year to go to Vietnam. I packed up my drums and brought them back home that weekend. So now what am I going to do? Music had been in my life from a very early age. I had to play something. I went to Reed’s Music Store on Center Street in Rutland, which was where I had bought my drum sticks. I walked in and looked around for something I could play.
There were a lot of guitars and really nice drum sets on display; the latter was not an option. I was getting pretty discouraged. As I started to leave the store my eye caught a display of Hohner harmonicas. “Well, this thing looks simple enough”, I thought to myself. Plus one harmonica was only $1.75. I could swing that, so I bought a Marine Band in the key of “C”. I had no idea how to play it. I didn’t know anyone who played one. I was totally on my own. I played for 35 years before I ever had a real lesson. That was with the legendary Jerry Portnoy; Muddy Water’s last harmonica player.
For 35 years I bought dozens of Blues albums, many from Toonerville Trolley; a van full of records owned by my former Burr & Burton high school teacher, Hal March. Hal changed my life. He would seek out Blues records for me. I was paying $.69 to $1,25 per record. Off I went listening to old Black guys I had never heard of singing and playing some of the most remarkable music I ever heard. I’m still walking on the path made by giants to this day.
Some of you may know that I retired my band five years ago and stopped producing shows. Retiring from music is harder than retiring from my career. On June 20 at 2:00 pm at the Manchester Community Library I will be producing what I swear is going to be my last production. As the new Chair of the Vermont Blues Society I thought it might be a good idea to raise the profile of this great organization, so we’re going to have a “Blues Benefit Picnic”.
What started off as a small event has now burgeoned into what I would define as a Big Freakin’ Deal! Film producer and Hammond endorsed keyboardist, John Fusco, is coming to play. His teacher and Grammy nominee and 19 times Blues Music Award nominee for best piano player of the year, Anthony Geraci is coming. A fun fact: Anthony was John’s teacher and this will be the first time they’ve played a show together!!
In addition, Gina Coleman will delight her fans with her amazing voice. Plus, renowned author, Stephen Kiernan, will be joining the band. Most people know him as an author, but the man can play and sing.
Sunny Lowdown is going to open the show with a solo performance. After a quick set with my old bandmates, we’re going to have a Blues Jam where local players can try their hand at wooing the crowd. There are slew of other great players, too numerous to mention, who are playing on supporting the Vermont Blues Society’s event.
Admission is free and donations are gratefully accepted. Oh, and amazing food will be for sale by Vermont’s only Burmese restaurant, MOONWINK. As if this isn’t enough, I will be celebrating my 75th Birthday; “75 STILL ALIVE”. Those of you who know me know that I have used past milestone birthdays for the benefit of non-profit organizations. It’s about time I tip my hat to THE BLUES. Hope to see you there.
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The post Stannard: Before his last show, veteran bluesman looks back appeared first on Vermont Daily Chronicle.
