We lost Al Barthlow on 7/27/10. He was a terrific guy to know, to play beside, and to hear on trombone. Here is a video of Al from a special program about Jelly Roll Morton. We won't ever see the likes of Al again but were so privileged to have him with us for a while. Below the video is a short autobiography by Al.
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH BY CHARLES ALLEN (AL) BARTHLOW
I was born in a log cabin in Crittenden County, Ky, May of 1931, floated north to Evansville, In. during the big flood of January, 1937, and enrolled in that year in the public school system.
During 5th grade, all students were required to enroll in either music or art classes. Having no interest in art, I opted for Tonette, and survived the year. At the beginning of 6th grade the band awaited.
The public school system's approach to the arts was very enlightened, and fortunate, for the sake of music, to be under the direction of Claude B. Smith. He, together with Paul Yoder and others, was the author of the "Smith-Yoder-Bachman" primary instrumental study books. Smith's program was so enlightened that each elementary school had its own band and orchestra program, with its own director, instruments, etc. My grade school band director was a German expatriate who came to the US after the First World War, and brought with him all his brass band music. Albert Venneman was a great teacher, and his first words to me were that I would never be able to play a brass instrument because of "overbite", but, seeing the disappointment on my face, he did hand me a trombone, knowing full well that my short arms would mean that I would always have gtrouble reaching 7th position on the slide. My right-of-center embouchere is testament, to this day, to his very astute observations.
I learned the horn well enough to be chosen to perform at "war bond" assemblies in the "Little German Band", which started me on the road to my status as a "life-time ham." My fellow students who purchased a 10 cent stamp for their "war bond books" each week were able to attend these Delaware Elementary school functions.
I was booted into Central High School a year early due to overcrowding, and learned there were so many trombonists in the band that I was asked to learn to play euphonium in the concert band and to lead the dance band on trombone. I benefitted greatly from the abilities of Burnell Smith, Harry Hart, and Wesley Shepherd furing those years, and was awarded a full scholarship to Evansville College, a wonderful music school under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd.
Graduating Central High School in 1948, I was deeply honored to have been chosen "Mr. Evansville Teenager of 1948" by the Community Center, and to have earned the trip of a lifetime to New York City, with a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, a national radio show sponsored by Coca-Cola, dining at "21", Sardi's, The Stork Club, etc, meeting band leaders Dick Jurgens and Blue Barron, dancing at the Hotel Astor Roof, the Carey Limousines, photographers, etc. All in all, quite a heady experience for me. During 1947, I had started playing a few dance jobs in town, and had joined the musician's union (by special dispensation of the board of directors as I was under-age). I had also joined the 5th Infantry Division Regimental Band, Indiana State Guard, so I could play music under Captain Harry High, an alumnus of John Philip Sousa's band. For the privilege of lying about my age, I was given a uniform, and was paid for playing my horn.
During my first two college years I played in some area dance bands, and had been very privileged to be asked to join Art Johnston's 7 Aces Dixieland Band, staffed by some of the best jazz men one could hope to meet, such as Dr. Albert Stocker, Roger Kinkle, Ralph Corum, Red Asbell and others. They took me under their wings and taught me to play jazz.
I had completed 2 years of college, working on my BMED degree, and was at the Union Hall one Saturday afternoon, when the trombonist for Art Kassel's "Castles in the Air" band ran in, needing a substitue for that night at Club Trocadero. I took the job, he never came back from Florida, and I left town for the summer with the band. Kassel's band was out of Chicago, and at the end of the summer the band was headed back to its home base, so Art paid me off in Cincinatti, but told me to stay close to a phone if I wanted to work on the road with "name bands."
At home, only a few days later, Clyde McCoy called, and asked me to come to Chicago to audition for his "Sugar Blues" Band. I did so, earned first chair with that band, on the road, making more money at the age of 19 than I had ever dreamed of earning.
I met my wife-to-be while on that band, we were married in Miami 2/51, and the draft started taking a special interest in me. The Korean conflict put me into the 89th Army Band at Fort Sill, OK, for 2 years, and very likely saved my life. I had taken both infantry and artillery basic training, and 60% of the guys I went through basic training with did not survive Korea.
When I was discharged I found that Big Bands were dead, swing bands were not in demand, and most of the ballrooms were, by then, parking lots. The era of "Bill Haley and the Comets" was upon us, and these groupls had two things in common--mostly bad music and no trombones. So, we returned to Evansville with our young daughter, and I took a job in the mortgage lending business, stayng at it for 25 years. During that period I played the horn, also, at every opportunity. The credit business took the family to Kansas, Illinois, and finally to Kentucky, where I became active in Scouting at all levels, where we built a home, and made every effort to provide a nourishing environment for out 3 children.
Taking early retirement, after 25 years, we relocated to the New Orleans area so I could play a little music while I still had my health. I started playing with a number of jazz bands there, then joined the Delta Queen Boats during the Fall of 1981. My wife was managing the gift shop on the boat, and we, at first, enjoyed the boats very much. After 6 months on the boats my company asked me to come back to work, which I did for another 7 1/2 years.
My wife became very ill and fought cancer for 3 years before her untimely death, but she gave me 40 wonderful years, and three beautiful children. Not too bad for a 3 week romance.
While in New Orleans, I was able, with the loyal support of my wife, to live my dream in music. I have recorded with 16 or 17 groups, have played with the likes of Al Hirt and Pete Fountain, have been music director for Harry Connick, Sr., enjoyed 3 plus years with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, have spent 3 plus years with the "Dukes of Dixieland", playing all over the country, including Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Skitch Henderson, the Smithsonian Institute, Europe, South America, Canada, and Asia. As of this date I am 79 years old: medically, the years have been quite rough, and most of the better music jobs I have had I lost due to those problems, including 4 ear surgeries, eye surgeries, a very bad throat cancer surgery, and a quadruple by-pass (including a replacement of the aortic valve). The one catastrophe which took me out of the game was the loss my teeth, which occurred following Hurricane Katrina. As a result of that I am back in the Ohio River Valley, pursuing rehabilitation, and have joined the Owensboro Community Band, the Newburgh Old Dam Community Band, and the Hadi Shrine Temple Brass Band. Most recently, I have joined the Bend in the River Brass Band, which will be most enjoyable because of its scope, and I continue to help with other efforts when asked.
Life goes on, and I go with it.
Al Barthlow