CINCINNATI, OHIO
Going down I-71 South are our motorcycle gang, I
mean jazz band, The White Angels. They were headed to
Cincinnati, Ohio for their 1st stop on their 2000 tour
@ Riverback Stadium.
After checking in @ a hotel, Frank, Victoria,
Eric & Tina, along with the Romans decided to visit
downtown Cincinnati, while the others rested.
"Isn't there an amusement park?" asked Scott.
"Sure," quipped Liz, "If there was, you'll lose
Dad's sheet music placed in a cylinder container &
he'll end up with a Yogi Bear poster."
"You watch too much Brady Bunch!" told Lou to the
kids as they cried,
"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"
The gang did a little shopping. Then when they
visited a park, they saw a jazz band performing. It's
The Cincinnati Summer Jazz High School All-Stars
consisting of 18 young musicians: 4 trumpets, 4
trombones, 4 saxes, piano, bass, vibes, drummer & 2
guitars.
The 2 guitarists never played together. One
would watch from behind as the other played. The
drummer had a tympani & Eric was amazed he saw a black
version of himself! Frank was amazed that leading the
band's Jay Sherwin, former saxist who played with him
in the horn section. When the show was over, Frank
got reunited with Jay.
"How are you?" asked Jay.
"Cool!"
"You got your own band & made it big!" said Jay,
"My students would love to see you in concert. Meet
one of my trumpet players, Zack. He's a big fan of
yours."
After meeting him, Frank told Jay, "Tell you
what, have your students come to sound check & have
Zack meet me in my dressing room @ 4:00."
Eric got to meet his black clone, Kevin Smith.
Kevin played the snare drum with brushes for Eric.
Joe met Ryan & Homer, the twin guitarists.
"Why don't you play a guitar solo?" asked Joe,
but they told him he doesn't allow guitar soloes.
When they walked back to the hotel, Joe told
Frank that Jay's prejudice over guitarists.
"Joe," Frank said, "Not all jazz bands can have
every instrument solo. Maybe Jay feels guitars are
only for rhythm. Let's go back to the hotel & rest."
Hours later @ Riverback Stadium finds the roadies
setting up for the White Angels/Matt & Phoebe concert.
In a dressing room, we find Frank & Zack playing
their trumpets. Zack watched his hero play a solo &
then Frank watched Zack play a solo. Then they played
together finishing the jam.
"Man that was a cool jam!" said Zack asking, "How
come you don't play trumpet more? You're the leader."
"True," said Frank, "I like the other band
members to shine. I'm only the leader because I
discovered all the members. Were a family."
"You should be in the spotlight." said Zack, "Ben
& Fred take up much stage room in the band, Eric
poisoned Kevin's mind, Bart should stick to sax & Joe
should be dumped from the band. Man if I had a band,
I wouldn't allow guitars. Like Mr. Sherwin says,
guitar soloes are a waste in jazz band, it stinks!"
Frank realized that Joe was right all along.
"Zack, don't let him brainwash you. If it wasn't
for Joe, my band would be a flop."
Hours later, The Summer Jazz All-Stars were
treated to sound check. First, they sang "Mike Check"
checking out the headjack mikes they use when they
sing. Eric had Kevin on stage to join him in jam
session. Eric played tympani & Kevin played the
drums.
The band played a jam session tune to have the
instruments sound right. Vicki played trumpet solo
#1, Frank #2, Bart's sax solo, Ralph's organ solo,
Ben's vibes solo, Joe's guitar solo, Fred's marimba
solo, Bart's guitar solo, Jason's bass solo, Kevin's
drum solo & Eric's tympani fanfare. Then Kevin got
off the drums & played a tympani drum roll with Eric.
"You're the coolest, Eric!" exclaimed Kevin.
"I know." he gloated.
The band was about to go until Joe said,
"Hold it! Ryan, Homer, come up on stage!"
The summer jazz guitarists came up & huddled with
Joe.
"Can you boys solo?"
"Yeah." said Homer, "Ryan & I like to jam by
ourselves."
"Mr. Sherwin would never approve." said Ryan.
"Can you both sing?" asked Joe.
"No."
They broke huddle. Ryan played Bart's guitar &
Homer played Joe's guitar as Joe played Matt's red
guitar to a swing beat. Joe soloed as the boys
chunked. Then Joe said,
"Go Ryan!"
Ryan played his first ever public guitar solo as
the others chunk.
"Go Homer!"
Homer played his first ever public guitar solo &
was super. Mr. Sherwin came up & turned off the amps.
He couldn't stand it!
"My boys don't solo!" he angered, "You
brainwashed them!"
"You're still prejudice?" asked Frank, "Didn't
you listen to them? What are you afraid of? Teenage
girls screaming over them! These boys are great."
"You're prejudice over Bart!" snapped Mr.
Sherwin, "Why doesn't he get enough attention when he
plays the guitar?"
Bart said, "I respect Joe's guitar playing that I
choose to be a rhythm guitarist. But Joe insists that
I get to sing lead & play a couple of guitar soloes on
a few songs. Joe's a very true friend & Frank's not
prejudice. Check yourself."
Mr. Sherwin realized his mistakes & would let
Ryan & Homer solo. As they left, Joe encouraged Ryan
& Homer to take singing lessons. Homer would.
That night, the stadium's packed full of fans.
Matt & Phoebe put on a great show. Near the end of
their set, Joe Roman came out in his white tuxedo &
guitar as fans went crazy.
"Matt & I are gonna do our song from our Triple
Pepperoni days."
Matt & Joe did "Motorcycle Brothers."
Thirty minutes later, The White Angels put on a
concert for Cincinnati.
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