I recently observed that death is something that happens to 100 percent of us. I added that few things can be put forward as so certain. So it is that the reality has fallen upon G.G. Shinn, whose vocal flourishes marked Bill Chase's second album. People my age are bound to be at least familiar with the name of Chase. A little prodding might be needed for the particulars to surface.
Death came to Bill a long time ago in the same manner as for Buddy Holly. He was one of those musicians needing small plane travel to get expeditiously to a new commitment. The plane carrying Chase crashed in southern Minnesota in 1974. It basically wiped out the band. Enough "alumni" of the band remained to make a reunion concert feasible. That happened in 2007. Among those present was Mr. G.G. Shinn who is associated with the group's second album called "Ennea." The album was not commercially successful like the first album had been. Artistically "Ennea" had tons of merit, partly based on a Greek mythology suite making up one entire side. While novel, it was not the sort of thing promoting record sales.
Shinn sounded remarkably similar to the vocalist on the group's first album. That first signer was Terry Richards who not only sang on the group's signature hit, "Get It On," he wrote the song. Richards came out looking like a big disheveled hobo for a TV appearance by the group.
Richards and Shinn were card-carrying members of a whole category of male singers spawned by the success of Blood, Sweat and Tears. These guys sang with a gravelly voice and projected intensity and restlessness. Kenny Rogers found his first success singing this way with the group "First Edition."
Let's point out that the "Ennea" album name is "nine" in the Greek language - the Chase group was unconventional partly because of its size - 9 - but mainly by how it employed trumpets as the defining feature. No wonder the group was my cup of tea, up there with Maynard Ferguson. These guys were hardly role models for high school-age trumpet players, as they were quite bravura. They played high and loud and pushed much everything else aside!
Despite this, many high school band directors including our own John Woell enjoyed such performances as a guilty pleasure - look what these guys can do! Or, maybe it was a case of satisfaction taken from seeing the "nerdy" band instruments morph into something spectacular with those guys, up there with football, eh? (A photo that includes Woell as he looks today as at the bottom of this post.)
Shinn probably made his biggest impression singing "Woman of the Dark" on the "Ennea" album.
I attended the 2007 reunion concert with fellow Morrisite - or as the late Arnold Thompson of Morris would write, "well-known Morris resident" - Del Sarlette. Del and I would have become better-known had we ended up in the Mississippi River that night. Incredibly, the night of the Chase reunion concert was the very night the bridge fell into the Mississippi River. Mercy. All throughout the show at St. Paul's Minnesota Music Cafe, we watched a TV screen where of course constant coverage of the disaster could be seen. But we couldn't catch any of the audio. Instead our ears were filled with all the classic Chase songs or "charts" as us insiders call them (with some pretension). Eric Myashiro was a performance guest.
The concert reached its climax with the classic "Get It On" where the trumpets really sparkled. Truly it was a night to celebrate brass in music. Del and I were most pleased. So was Mike Eul of the Morris hardware Eul family, a Class of '73 member like me who was also in the audience.
Upon arrival, we were aware of the bridge disaster and Del called home to assure our families we were OK. What were the odds this would happen on the same night I'd be in the Twin Cities? I travel hardly at all. I saw Europe (with a music group) at age 17 and feel little inclination to do much more traveling. I was in New York City in 1964 and 1972.
The Minnesota Music Cafe bills itself as a place "where the food is great and the music is cooking!" Frankly, upon checking the customer reviews of the place, it appears that food service is not their forte. I had the basic burger and fries and it was fine.
Del and I brought with us a couple vinyl album jackets from back in the day. I was surprised that several other patrons reacted to these like they were real novelties. Vinyl records have of course landed in the dustbin of history. They were the total norm when my wild and rowdy generation was young.
Besides the actual Chase albums we had a real rarity with us. This was an early G.G. Shinn release put out for "Putt Putt Golf Courses of America." It was probably a key early step in his career. Oh, he was a trumpet player himself! He's pictured on the cover playing trumpet with his group of males and females that had the quintessential 1960s look! Del called the music "precursor music" to the jazz-rock fusion that blossomed later. Maynard Ferguson put out an album like this called "Ridin' High" and it sounds a little crude today. You have to start somewhere.
Bill Chase was a prodigy who brought G.G. Shinn on board for album #2, "Ennea." I recommend it for anyone to listen to.
As for the "Putt Putt" album, a real obscure thing I guess, words could hardly describe Shinn's reaction when I showed it to him. He said in a drawn-out way, "where the hell did you get that?" Well, we could tell he was pleased and flattered to see it, and he generously autographed it.
I only associate Shinn with Chase. Of course he covered a lot of ground musically in his career, and upon his August 7 death he was memorialized as "swamp pop legend." Death was preceded by a long illness. His singing and brass work spanned 50 years. In addition to Chase his vocals graced the performances of the Fabulous Boogie Kings, TSC Trucking Company, Roller Coasters and Hot Damn Band. He would have turned 79 on August 25. The promo material for a music festival described him as "a preeminent vocal stylist and the ultimate blue-eyed soul singer who has the vocal chops, range and phrasing rarely found in one package."
The man's full name was "George Gershwin Shinn." He owned a night club in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was a resident of Monroe LA at the time of his death. Monroe is in northern Louisiana where, north of the city, you'll find the cypress swamps of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, home to alligators and an assortment of birds. Think I'll stay in Minnesota.
G.G. Shinn was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
Del and I can tell you about the time the "Chase" band actually came to Morris. It was noteworthy because the sound was too loud and much of the audience left before it was over, unfortunately. The group had one more album after "Ennea," called "Pure Music," and artistically it seemed totally up to snuff, although once again commercial success was not forthcoming. Shinn was not involved. Vocals were shared by three members.
At the time of Chase's tragic death (Aug. 9, 1974), his band reportedly wasn't doing too hot commercially and there were rumors he might go back to the Woody Herman band.
The Chase band had a clearly innovative style which was likely ahead of its time. Woody Herman was embedded in the mainstream. Chase would have been good commercially for that group. There were rumors that Chase was fired by Maynard Ferguson, a generally nice man not inclined to fire people, in the early '60s. Rumors, rumors, rumors. I don't know. I do know that playing trumpet like these guys is incredibly demanding! Maynard left us for that concert venue in the sky about 12 years ago. He brought his band to Morris MN twice.
I hope Shinn gets to meet his "Woman of the Dark" in heaven. He had to study the sheet music for "Get It On" in the reunion concert, as I'll remind you he didn't sing it in the studio the first time around. He and the rest of us had a great time although he may have imbibed a bit too much! Musicians have this distraction, eh?
Below this post you will find a photo that includes our old Morris High School band director, John Well, the way he looks today - quite healthy I'd say! I think Mr. Woell liked some of the same beverages as Mr. Shinn, but that's just legend! Let's have a toast to big band jazz, jazz-rock fusion and the brass family of instruments! Bottoms up.
RIP G.G. Shinn.
Addendum: I have written about three blog posts recently (on my two sites) reminiscing about the marching band chapter of our school's history. Woell was instrumental in that. He also was the director who kicked Mona Lyn Reese out of practice one evening for a real trifle, I'd say. One of my recent posts is devoted mostly to that infamous incident. Reese today is a highly successful composer of music. Marching band? We don't have it anymore in our community. Too many kids got obsessed with sports and started going to those camps etc. A shame. I drew a caricature of John Jr. that I titled "Outdoor John." He panned it.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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| The Woells in a family spirit |
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