What I will never forget was the Middlebury Winter Carnival of 1952 -- this was a traditional Sultans' gig, and 1953 was equally memorable, but for different reasons (bandleader Ray McKinley being one of them -- ask Jack Morgan about that one).

In 1952 we did a Sunday morning punch party at some fraternity. You [Wheaton] were there, as was Frank Amick, Poog, Payson and I, and of course, Strap. Some of us didn't get to bed Saturday night, consequently the Sunday AM gig was a bit phlegmatic, to say the least. Strap took particular offense at some Middlebury guy for some reason or other, and was growling on the stand like Walter Matthau that when the set was over he was going to "punch him out."

When we broke Strap bolted out the front door, and we didn't see him again for 30 minutes. He returned with bloody hands and a proud smirk on his face. "We won't be bothered by that jerk again," he growled.

Later, a Middlebury coed I was talking with outside asked me about our trombone player. "He's really great, but what a strange guy," she exclaimed. I asked her why she would make such a statement. "Well, when you guys were through playing, he rushed outside and started boxing the snow statue in front of the house; he literally bloodied his hands trying to knock the statue's head off."

I never related this to Strap, but Frank Amick might have, since Strap got awfully pissed at Frank after we got back to Hanover. You might check with him. [Any comment, Frank?]

I saw a lot of Strap in the summer of 1954, when I was stationed at Quantico, VA and he was in the U.S. Navy Band in Washington. In fact, my brother Tony (also at Quantico) and I stayed with Strap and Jean overnight once, at their home near Bolling AFB. Strap played in numerous combos at the time -- we went to hear him at the Naval Gun Factory in Dahlgren, VA in October 1954 and he was playing more like Carl Fontana than Lou McGarity. Jack Shenefield (stationed at Aberdeen, MD) was with us for that gig and he was also amazed at Strap's improvement. Strap even played a Bob Brookmeyer solo on SLIDE trombone (Bob as you know played valve). He also sat in regularly with Muggsy Spanier at a DC dixieland club.

In 1966, when I lived in NYC for six months while training at Scudder, I ran into Strap in Grand Central Station. He insisted I accompany him to his home in Wilton, CT for the evening, which I did. I met his new wife (can't remember her name), a redhead like Strap, and their three red-headed kids. He told me he got his MBA from the University of Michigan in 1958, the same year I got mine from Stanford, and that he had been accepted by Stanford but elected to remain in the eastern half of the country. He was working for McGraw Hill and had not played for some time. Nonetheless, after a few scotches, out came the trombone. I repaired to the piano and we played until 3:00am. I never saw him again.

According to Pete Bogardus, the one person who might have kept up with Strap was his roommate, Steve Mandel, whose son is now a well known analyst for Merrill Lynch. Since all my Dartmouth records are in storage, and will be until we move to Placerville in late January, I don't know how to get in touch with him.

I hope this is of some help. Do get in touch with Frank Amick, Bob Ringstad and Bob Pilsbury, whom I last saw on Memorial Day 20 years ago at the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Festival, with the New Black Eagles.

I've got more, but let the others come forth. You Happy Acres guys must have tons.