I had a request to post some of my Father’s music. He was well known in Jazz circles around the Los Angeles area of California but never became famous. He would refer to his gigs as ”Casuals” and that meant most of the musician’s knew the material and could jam on almost anything. I’m just calling it Saxy Jazz, because the focus here is on the Tenor Sax. He also played a mean Clarinet and even dabbled with the Flute a bit. He became 1/2 owner of an Establishment known as ’The Wit’s End’ in 1965, Studio City, California, which would host Sunday Jam sessions with the likes of Cornet player, Rex Stewart and Clarinetist, Barney Bigard of Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson fame. The place was favorably reviewed by Leonard Feather, a Jazz music critic with the Los Angeles Times. Favorable review or not, The Wit’s End only lasted a couple of years as the Jazz scene was waning. In the mid 70’s, I talked my father into buying a 4 track reel to reel tape recorder, thinking he’d get some great recordings. But it was a 60 pound monster to lug around and the few times he took it to a gig, I discovered he was recording mono, using only one microphone. Too much of a hassle to do more. Well at least these recordings sound pretty good, but there aren’t many. He switched to a cheap cassette recorder not long after and those sound pretty distorted. These first recordings, where he used the 4 track to record in mono, were sort of unique, because he would only take this recorder to gigs that had better musicians and sometimes other horn players too. Unfortunately, Ron passed away on April 4, 2001. But some of his music is here to be listened to and as long as somebody is interested, I’ll post what I can.
Any current Horn players, ... and if you have any living older relatives, like in their 80’s and up, they may really like this.
Ron lived alone for most of his adult life and like many in similar situations from this time period, usually didn’t bother with photographs and as I’ve found out... not a single photo of him playing from the ages of about 22 and up, except one with him playing the Clarinet, at maybe the age of 30 to 35. I cannot find anything on his Restaurant/Night club ’The Wit’s End’ and couldn’t find the review by Leonard Feather in the Los Angeles Times from 1965 / 66.
I heard a story from somebody I can trust, due to his integrity, who said my Father attended a Jam session at the World famous ’The Lighthouse’ in Hermosa Beach, California featuring Ben Webster and this gentleman overheard Ben Webster referring to my Father as being the best white Tenor Sax player he’d ever heard. I first heard this story at my Fathers funeral. But.... all I can give you is hearsay. So... you judge for yourself.

He had many heroes, but I believe Coleman Hawkins was his biggest inspiration and a few others that played a similar style, like Ben Webster and any decent Tenor Sax player.