Jean Stillwell performed with the Jive Kings at the Indian River Festival in 2001 to the second sold-out crown in two years. It was the same concert that we performed George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with Robert Kortguard on Piano, conducted by Peter Tiefenbach.
At the end of the song it was explosively received by an audience on their feet and there was a special feeling in the air - Everyone knew it...everyone knew that it took a lot of work, and Peter wanted to acknowledge it so he starts pointing to the differnet people in the ensemble who played important roles, from Bob Nicholson doing the arrangement, to Barrie Sorensen playing that very familiar Clarinet opening, to the Arthur LeBlanc String Quartet fitting in with an 8 piece swing band, to Robert playing that amazing piano part, such skill, and ...
"Oh my", I say to myself..."Peter is pointing at me"! I mean I just played the bass part but...yes...yes I was important too....yes...he's pointing at me and the audience is applauding even louder now...I stand up and wave my wave of Thank You and out of the corner of my eye I see Jean Stillwell standing behind me receiving the applause that I thought was mine
And then I start to sweat. More than I ever have before.
One of my finer moments.