[Dixielandjazz] Zep's (orig. posted April 2002)

[Nancy Giffin]

Here's one of the old posts on Zep. It's from a friend of mine who used to
work for Zep at his store in Burbank:

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From: Jack Mootz <mootztown at jps.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 17:25:26 -0700
To: JimDBB at aol.com
Cc: Nancy Giffin <nancyink at ulink.net>, Trumpetom at aol.com
Subject: Zep's

Jim:

Nancy Giffin just forwarded Tom's answer to your query about Zep's.

My dad (Jack Mootz, Sr.)played trumpet in Spike Jones big band with Zep, and
I worked at that infamous store for a couple of years.  It was on Orchard
Rd. in Burbank for years, with Bert Herick next door, and then moved to its
current location on Magnolia.

The picture over the doorway to the supply room is one I took in about
1980.  Zep opened his first store in 1954, or there abouts.  He made
about a fifteen percent profit on stuff; everybody said that he couldn't
do that, but he did.  His hours were Mon-Sat. 1-5, so that his musician
workers could sleep in ,and leave on time for gigs.

Inventory was huge and disorganized.  We did a lot of estimating when it
came to inventory taxes.  We'd clean up every so often, find lost items,
and then say, "looks like a real music store."

Zep, whose real name was Joseph Meissner, played reeds and trumpet.  He
could play the trumpet without a mouthpiece.  His most amazing talent,
however, was his ability to sing solfeggio; any tune, any time, any key.

There's gobs of stories from that store.  Tons of memories.  He used to
let musicians take instruments out on gigs to really try them out.
They'd have to sign a little blue book, with the date and the
instrument.  He had everybody's signature who every played a wind
instrument in L.A. in that book:  Snooky Young, Graham Young, Dick Nash,
even Doc S.

I'm rambling more than organizing thoughts, so I'll close with one quick
Zepism.  This lady called and wanted the price on a Bach trumpet.  Zep
told her, "$450.00."  "Well," she said, "Baxter Northrup sells them for
$430.00."  "Why don't you buy it from Baxter," Zep replied.  "There all
out."  Said the lady.  "Oh!" Zep retorted,  "when we're all out we sell
them for $425; click."

Jack Mootz


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