Because of my love of sports...but equally because I just couldn't see myself in one of those pompous marching band uniforms...I abandoned my trumpet and chose P.E. over Band when I started high school. I was in rock bands during those years, but I never thought seriously about playing in any of the McGill-Toolen bands. Then, in my senior year, somebody asked me if I'd like to play bass in the school's Jazz Ensemble. It might've been guitarist Robbie Fleming or drummer Pete Wehner, but I can't remember exactly who it was. Anyway. I said yes, and before I knew it I was also playing the upright bass (bowed and plucked) in the McGill-Toolen Symphonic Band. That was a great musical year for me...we had a really decent Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jimmy Andrews, and a great Symphonic Band under the direction of Holcombe Pryor. I got to travel to festivals with the Jazz Ensemble and to New Orleans with the Symphonic Band to play at the beautiful Rivergate Convention Center. I made quite a few lifelong friendships, and especially enjoyed bowing the upright bass. That year, 1973, we recorded an album called "Two Spheres Of Excellence" featuring both the Jazz Ensemble and the Symphonic Band. It consisted of live performances of a number of the classical and jazz compositions we had played throughout that year. If you'd like to hear the album, just click here or click the MUSIC link above the pic at the top of the page. I really enjoyed that year, and we were really a good bunch of kids...though I was gleefully among the "rule breakers" who might've partied just a bit more than band rules allowed in Gulfport, Birmingham & New Orleans. Sincere thanks to Mr. Pryor and Mr. Andrews for taking their jobs seriously, but also for making it fun to be in those high school bands!