February 2016

Here’s my dad’s group playing “Indiana” in September of 1988 in Ft. Worth.  Neil Slater-piano, Dr. Gene Hall-clarinet, Jack Rumbley-drums, Jack Petersen-guitar, Perry Sandifur-trombone, unknown bass player.

They were playing for a gathering of UNT people in Ft.Worth, and my dad asked me to video the band.  This was one tune they played that day.  They played two hour long sets without any music, and this group had never played together before this day. My dad and Gene Hall were 75 at this time.  Gene Hall died in 1993, and my dad died in 2008.  They were soul mates, having been best friends throughout their lives. My mom was always in the audience to hear him play.

My dad would put together a band every so often to play for groups.  They played for free, although my dad would pay the musicians, because it was usually for a good cause.  Here he is introducing the members of this particular band that played in September of 1988.  The thing that made this group interesting was that it included the first director and founder of the Jazz Studies Program at North Texas, and the third director of the program.  I think they were playing for a North Texas group that day.  He brought me along to video because he knew it would be an all star band.  The drummer was the only full time musician of the group, however.

This was recorded on a vhs video tape recorded which was not too great in low light.  However, it was convienent and cheaper than hiring a professional to record it.  Years later I transferred it to dvd, then onto my computer where I could edit it and put it onto YouTube.  I’m glad it has survived.