[Dixielandjazz] Gus Blanchard RIP

[Robert S. Ringwald]

 RIP, Gus! August F. "Gus" Blanchard died peacefully on June 27, 2006 at his 
home in West Sacramento,
where he lived with Joan, his wife of almost 65 years.  Gus's career in 
music spanned
72 years, from 1930 to 2002.
Gus was born in Oakland (December 28, 1916) and grew up in Berkeley, where 
he began
piano lessons at the age of 4, under the tutelage of his mother.  He became 
a bass
player at age 11 when it was discovered that he was the only member of the 
junior
high school band who could read the bass clef.  The tuba followed at age 14, 
and
Gus spent his career with those two large, deeply pitched instruments.  He 
began
to play professionally in 1930, and following graduation from high school, 
he went
on the road with the Hollywood Serenaders, ostensibly from Hollywood Beach, 
Florida
(in fact, no member of the band had ever been out of California). At a 
memorable
gig outside Hangtown, a riot broke out after the cook won a raffle, and the 
members
of the band were forced to escape from their hotel using bed sheets tied 
together.
Enrolling as a music major at San Francisco State College, he played all 
over the
Bay area, with various bands, in night clubs, beer joints, and ballrooms. He 
worked
in the Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band, when it rehearsed at night at a 
joint in
Bear Canyon (East Oakland Hills)-the origin of Big Bear Stomp.
In the summer of 1940, Gus was playing at the Bal Bijou Ballroom, South Lake 
Tahoe,
with Art Rowley and a 14-piece San Francisco band.  There, at a baseball 
game, he
met Joan Finch, whom he would marry in 194l-after having rapidly finished 
his college
degree, at the insistence of her parents.  He played  for some time with a 
quintet
in the Redwood Room at the Clift Hotel-two beat dance music, San Francisco 
style.
After Pearl Harbor, Gus enlisted in the Air Force.  He played with the 
Stockton Field
Band and then went to Warrant Officer Band Leaders School at Fort Myer, 
Virginia.
He directed military bands in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Louisville, 
Kentucky.
While stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, awaiting duty in Europe, he and 
his fellow
musicians would often go to Manhattan, where they frequented a bar together 
with
Woody Herman's band members.  These contacts procured for them many of Woody 
Herman's
charts, which they took to Europe.  Gus was stationed in England and France 
for 2
years (Jan. 1944-March 1946), where he fought the war with a baton, 
directing the
482nd Air Force Band.  (During his last European trip in 2001, he returned 
to Cannes
and visited the grand Hotel Martinez where he had spent some weeks 
entertaining Allied
officers in August 1945).
Back in California after WWII, Gus began his second career, in public 
education,
while continuing as a professional musician.  His first position in 
Broderick was
teaching instrumental music.  He went on to become Principal and 
Superintendent in
Bryte.  Meanwhile, he played with several bands, often at the swank El 
Rancho Motel
in West Sacramento.  Gus recalled: "We played poolside, and we'd all put a 
quarter
on the rail every night and bet what time the first uniformed officer would 
dive
into the pool.  Every night one of us won that $2, as not an evening went by 
that
at least one officer didn't get frisky and take the plunge."  Other 
Sacramento venues
included the Memorial Auditorium and the old State Fair grounds.  Gus put 
his instruments
to rest temporarily, beginning in 1955, in order to devote more time to his 
educational
career and his family (Janelle was born in 1948, Jeffrey in 1951).  In 
1956-57 he
went on the road in a different capacity, working as a field representative 
for the
California Teacher's Association.  Between 1957 and 1963 he held various 
positions
in the Davis public schools, including Principal and Assistant 
Superintendent.  He
completed a Master's Degree in Education at College of the Pacific in 1958, 
with
a thesis in special education.  The final decade of his educational career 
was centered
in the Sacramento City Schools, where he retired as Director of Public 
Information
in 1977.
In the same year, 1977, while pursuing a third career in real estate, Gus 
began to
play his instruments again, after more than a 20-year hiatus.  He played 
with the
Old Sacramento Jazz Band and often booked the band when its leader, Bill 
Borcher,
was in Oregon.  In 1982 he went on tour in Europe with the Oregon Jazz Band, 
playing
at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival and performing subsequently in Holland and 
West Germany.
He played in Jan Sutherland's and Gene Berthelsen's bands, as well as 
Freddie Grosklos's
Bavarian Brass Band at Octoberfests.  Tours with the Sacramento Valley 
Symphonic
Band  took Gus to more distant venues-China in 1993 and Russia in 1996.  In 
recent
years Gus played with Roger Snell's quartet, often at the Jazz Jubilee.  His 
last
performance with the quartet was on July 4, 2002, at the Del Paso Country 
Club.
Gus was active in the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society from 1975.  He 
served on
the Board of Directors and for many years managed publicity and marketing 
for the
Jazz Jubilee.  In 1992 Gus and Joan Blanchard were inducted into the Jubilee 
Hall
of Fame.  For years, Gus wrote an historical column for this publication, 
"Notes
from the Past."  In 2004-2006 Gus and Joan Blanchard were Platinum Boosters 
for the
Jazz Jubilee, sponsoring  the Roger Snell Quartet with which he had 
frequently played..
In Gus's memory, the Blanchard family has endowed The Gus Blanchard 
Scholarship Fund,
within the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society Foundation.  Friends who 
would like
to honor Gus Blanchard by contributing to this Scholarship Fund are invited 
to do
so.  Gus's passions for music and education will be thereby perpetuated.
This brief biographical profile has been composed by Gus's son, Jeffrey. It 
is based
in part on the notes Gus prepared for the Talegate lecture he gave at the 
December
1999 STJS Meeting, and for a presentation to the Rotary Club of West 
Sacramento in
2004.
From:
 Nancy Giffin  [
mailto:NANCYink at surewest.net]
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:45  PM
To: Edgerton, Paul A; Jill Harper; Judy  Hendricks
Subject: AATJ help - please - for Gus  Blanchard
Jill, Judy, Paul - whoever:
Please open this  Word Perfect document and copy/paste its content into an 
e-mail
(or save as a  Word file).
As you can see below, I can open it, but it takes cleaning up  and also some 
things
- little things - seem to be missing. I'd really  appreciate the help. 
Usually, I
ask Slushy to do this for me when needed, but  he left for Mammoth  today.
Gratefully,
Nancy
August F. Blanchard died  peacefully on June 27, 2006 at his home in West 
Sacramento,
where he lived  with Joan, his wife of almost 65 years.  Gus's career in
music  spanned 72 years, from 1930 to 2002. Gus was born in Oakland
(December 28,  1916) and grew up in Berkeley, where he began piano lessons
at the age of  4, under the tutelage of his mother.  He became a bass player
at age  11 when it was discovered that he was the only member of the junior
high  school band who could read the bass clef.  The tuba followed at age
14, and Gus spent his career with those two large, deeply-pitched
instruments.  He began to play professionally in 1930, and following
graduation from high school, he went on the road with the Hollywood
Serenaders, ostensibly from Hollywood Beach, Florida (in fact, no member  of
the band had ever been out of California).
[AH! I GIVE UP. HOPE  YOU GUYS CAN HELP HERE]
At a memorable gig outside
Hangtown' ,  a riot broke out after the cook won a raffle, and the members
of the band  were- forced to escape from their hotel using bed sheets tied
together.   Enrolling as a music major at San- Francisco State College, he
played all over the Bay area, with various bands, in night clubs, beer-
joints, and ballrooms. He worked in the Lu '_ Watters'_ Yerba Buena Jazz
Band, when it rehearsed at- night at a joint in Bear Canyon (East Oakland
Hills)?! the origin of Big Bear Stomp.- In the summer of 1940, Gus was
playing at the Bal Bijou Ballroom, South Lake Tahoe, with Art- Rowley and  a
14Ñpiece San Francisco band.  There, at a baseball game, he met  Joan Finch,
whom- he would marry in 194l?! after having rapidly finished  his college
degree, at the insistence of her- parents.  He played   for some time with a
quintet in the Redwood Room at the '_ two beat  dance music, San Francisco
style.- After Pearl Harbor, Gus enlisted in the  Air Force.  He played with
the Stockton Field Band and- then went to  Warrant Officer Band Leaders
School at Fort Myer, Virginia.  He  directed military- bands in 
Fayetteville,
North Carolina, and Louisville,  Kentucky.  While stationed at Camp '_ 
Kilmer
_ New Jersey, awaiting  duty in Europe, he and his fellow musicians would
often go to Manhattan,-  where they frequented a bar together with Woody
Herman? s band members.   These contacts- procured for them many of Woody
Herman? s charts,  which they took to Europe.  Gus was- stationed in England
and France  for 2 years (Jan. 1944ÑMarch 1946), where he fought the war 
with-
a baton,  directing the 482Ú Air Force Band.  (During his last European trip
in  2001, he returned to- Cannes and visited the grand Hotel Martinez where
he  had spent some weeks entertaining Allied- officers in August 1945).- 
Back
in California after WWII, Gus began his second career, in public  education,
while continuing- as a professional musician.  His first  position in
Broderick was teaching instrumental music.  He- went on  to become Principal
and Superintendent in '_ .  Meanwhile, he played  with several- bands, often
at the swank El Rancho Motel in West  Sacramento.  Gus recalled: ? We 
played-
poolside'_ d all put a  quarter on the rail every night and bet what time 
the
first uniformed-  officer would dive into the pool.  Every night one of us
won that $2,  as not an evening went by that- at least one officer didn? t
get frisky  and take the plunge.? Other Sacramento venues included the-
Memorial  Auditorium and the old State Fair grounds.  Gus put his 
instruments
to rest temporarily,- beginning in 1955, in order to devote more time to 
his
educational career and his family ('_ Janelle'_ was born in 1948,  Jeffrey 
in
1951).  In 1956Ñ57 he went on the road in a different  capacity,- working as
a field representative for the California Teacher? s  Association.  Between
1957 and 1963- he held various positions in the  Davis public schools,
including Principal and Assistant- Superintendent.   He completed a Master? 
s
Degree in Education at College of the  Pacific in 1958,- with a thesis in
special education.  The final  decade of his educational career was centered
in the- Sacramento City  Schools, where he retired as Director of Public
Information in 1977.   - In the same year, 1977, while pursuing a third
career in real  estate, Gus began to play his- instruments again, after more
than a  20Ñyear hiatus.  He played with the Old Sacramento Jazz Band- and
often booked the band when its leader, Bill '_ Borcher'_ , was in Oregon.
In 1982 he went on tour- in Europe with the Oregon Jazz Band,  playing at 
the
Edinburgh Jazz Festival and performing- subsequently in  Holland and West
Germany.  He played in Jan Sutherland? s and Gene  Berthelsen'_ bands, as
well as Freddie '_ Grosklos'_ s Bavarian Brass Band  at '_ Octoberfests'_ .
Tours with the- Sacramento Valley Symphonic  Band  took Gus to more distant
venues?! China in 1993 and Russia- in  1996. In recent years Gus played with
Roger '_ s quartet, often at the  Jazz Jubilee.  His last- performance with
the quartet was on July 4,  2002, at the Del Paso Country Club. - Gus was
active in the Sacramento  Traditional Jazz Society from 1975.  He served on
the Board of-  Directors and for many years managed publicity and marketing
for the Jazz  Jubilee.  In 1992 Gus- and Joan Blanchard were inducted into
the  Jubilee Hall of Fame.  For years, Gus wrote an- historical column for
this publication, ? Notes from the Past.? In 2004Ñ2006 Gus and Joan-
Blanchard were Platinum Boosters for the Jazz Jubilee, sponsoring   the 
Roger
'_ Quartet with- which he had frequently played..- s  memory, the Blanchard
family has endowed The Gus Blanchard Scholarship  Fund, within- the
Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society Foundation.   Friends who would like to
honor Gus- Blanchard by contributing to  this Scholarship Fund are invited 
to
do so.  Gus? s passions for  music- and education will be thereby
perpetuated.- This brief biographical  profile has been composed by Gus? s
son, Jeffrey. It is based in part on  the- notes Gus prepared for the '_
Talegate'_ lecture he gave at the  December 1999 '_ Meeting, and for a-
presentation to the Rotary Club of  West Sacramento in 2004.