Tally

AMONG THE NEIGHBORS

When Judge John N. Keeney of Rockville wrote to us recently, in a remarkable example of old style shaded penmanship, telling us he had experienced "the real pleasure of reading your splendid paper" he informed us that his son, Jack, and family of 13 Lexington Road, were "confirmed Wethersfield boosters."

Jack, a professional musician, who has toured about every state in the Union with road bands, supports his Dad's statement "that he wouldn't trade Wethersfield for any spot on the map."

Now a member of Otto Neubauer's radio band on WDRC Shopper's Special program and teacher of saxophone and clarinet at the C. G. Conn studios on Trumbull Street, Jack formerly played with Tony Pastor at Club Hollywood, with Bill Jones at Poli's Capitol and was at the Hotel Bond eight years. He fills in his spare evening hours these days with Al Gentile's dance band.

Among his prized souvenirs of earlier band years is a telegram from Fred Waring offering him a spot with the famed Pennsylvanians.

Jack's musical career began, oddly enough, through the good graces of a manual arts teacher when he was in high school. He picked up the teacher's sax one summer day, and soon found himself playing "Tea for Two", his first tune. From that he went on to study with Merle Johnston and Joe Allard, well known reed instrument teachers in New York.

It was while playing at Club Hollywood in Rocky Hill that he met his wife, then Arline Conlin of Hartford.