[Dixielandjazz] From the Kenton Chat List

[Steve Barbone]

For the Trombonists on the List.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone


From: <mikesuter at adelphia.net>
Reply-To: Kentonia at yahoogroups.com
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:16:24 -0800
To: Kentonia at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Kentonia] Umemoto Scholarship

Hi,
-----
I just sent the following message to the Trombone Forum, the Trombone List,
and the Basstrombone Forum.
-----
<<Dave who?

You might¹ve never heard of him, but he was a great friend of the trombone
and trombone players. He lived in the San Francisco area. He had 37
trombones, and upwards of 6,000 records ­ most all of them jazz - mainly
trombone and big band.

He passed away January 3rd. We celebrated his life this past weekend in San
Mateo with a beautiful Buddhist ceremony. He was a wonderful friend who Liz
and I will miss tremendously.

But he left something behind for student musicians anywhere in the United
States. The Friends Of Big Band Jazz (http://www.bigbandjazz.net) will be
overseeing the "Dave and Emily Umemoto Scholarship Fund." It will fund an
ongoing scholarship that will be given, each year, to a graduating high
school senior who is pursuing jazz studies in college. I urge all student
trombonists to check it out. The criteria will be published soon.

I¹m not on the board of FBBJ. Nor am I on the selection committee ­ yet. But
I intend to be there when the first selection is made to insure that
trombonists ­ who were Dave¹s favorite players - are given a (maybe more
than) fair opportunity. After all, Mike Vax, the Chairman of FBBJ, is a
scrawny, old, fella who thinks he can take me only because I¹ve allowed him
to believe so.

All The Best,  
Mike (left jab, right cross, kick Œem in the shins) Suter
-----
Boy, it's a good thing Vax is no longer a member here. He'd really be pissed
about those last couple of sentences.
PS: DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP!!