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It all began in 1962 when Cecil took three of his friends
from the Claude Gordon Orchestra into Gold Star Recording
Studios in Hollywood to do a demo for the Capitol Records
album planning committee of six of the current days favorites.
The Old friends were Bob Piper, pianist - arranger, Ron Robertson
on drums and Lyle Ritz on bass. The Engineer was Herb Alpert's
Favorite, Larry Levine. Bobby Piper dubbed the results as
"A Saxy Affair". Nothing resulted from the
effort at Capitol.
Old Man Time gets involved and
the tape is misplaced. The owner of Gold Star remembered that
Larry had so appreciated the "work" that he had
a copy at his home. Larry was located and graciously offered
the tape.
My old enemy "TIME"
gets in there again as I spend several years at the Professional
Musicians Association as a Presidents Assistant.
Now, thirty years
have passed and for no apparent reason I send a copy of "the
tape" to an old sax player friend, Dick Fisher, who had
made his living at music in Lake Tahoe for the past thirty-three
years. His comment, "If you don't put that out as a CD
I will come to your house and kick your little @&#".
So, with that kind
of threat I went to work. I contacted the fine pianist - arranger,
John Rodby, from 23 years with Dinah Shore, Wilfred Middlebrooks,
on bass, from years with Ella Fitzgearld, and Lloyd Morales
on drums from years with Les Brown and Bobby Vinton. We went
to the best engineer in town, Wayne Cook, and turned out what
had become a lifetime of work and love.
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Dedicated
to Robert W. Piper and Richard Fisher, my two dear
friends in heaven.Thanks
to a lot of nice people and my dearest friend in heaven,
Robert W. Piper for the title and the first six. Thanks
to my other dear friend in heaven, Richard Fisher,
for the faith in my ability and shame for leaving
before I could finish. I love you both. CH