Honeybucket
Rodger Schueler, Director
1963
I picked this record up because of the vintage plane featured on the cover image. On quick glance the jacket looks reasonably professional for the period and I was surprised to find no label.
On closer inspection, this group of 15 year olds (average age), turns out to be a high school swing band from The Dixie Heights High School located not too far from me in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
I have to say, this is one upscale high school album. 90% or more albums of this nature feature stock pre-printed covers of some nature.
Credit for "original charts" goes to Dick Fenno, composer and arranger from Santa Ana, California. There are no google returns on the name.
The jacket notes suggest that the group had been performing for about 12 years. There is little information to be found online, but another blog entry suggests that this might have been the last year (1963) for the group. And that the group produced four recordings altogether.
There is no suggestion on the jacket as to where the Colonels went on tour (by plane), or if this was just a set up photo, for fun, to illustrate the gigs they may have played around this area.
Mark, I am the lead trombonist from the On Tour album. And you are right, it is a set up picture at CVG. The group did gig extensively - pretty much every Fri. and Sat. night after football season. Fenno died soon after the album was cut. His family lives now in CA and TX. Schueler went on to a career at Milligan College. All in all, it was an experience of a lifetime. Gary Johnston. http://local.cincinnati.com/share/news/story.aspx?sid=130376&cid=100028 Also see the Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link Gary!
ReplyDeleteJames Fenno here, son of the writer and arranger of all the tunes on the "On Tour" album - I am a band leader in Austin, Texas. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteenjoyed playing your dads music.
DeleteTed Piercefield (trumpet) went on to tour with Chase and has a new CD out. He can be reached at his website and has a Facebook page as well.
ReplyDeleteI was the bass player in the band. only there my freshman year. was a great experience. 1963
ReplyDeleteI was the bass player my freshman year. was a great experience for all of us. and yes the cover is a photo op. we pretty much stayed local playing weekends after football season. I moved that summer. but I still have my album.
ReplyDelete