Posted by richard on January 08, 2004 at 19:41:10:
In Reply to: Re: Please let me know abou John Fletcher. posted by David Carter on January 08, 2004 at 16:37:57:
This may be one of those "you had to be there" things but once on a New York visit with the LSO, John just happened to mention that in playing Walton's 1st, he liked to play the big Holton with his "Lucky Guy." "What is a 'Lucky Guy?'" someone asked. And he regaled us with this story of how the LSO had been at Ravinia the summer before, and the CSO brass were hanging our with the LSO brass. John had expressed a frustration to Arnold Jacobs that he hadn't found a mouthpiece that entirely satisfied him on the Holton. So Jake said, "Here, try this." It was a vintage Conn-Helleburg. John sat down and started working with it, and after few minutes said, "Yes, this works!" Jake says, "Well, why don't you keep it then?"
Then John, in telling the story does this perfect impersonation of Jay Friedman (Robin Williams couldn't do it better) jaw down to his ankles in total amazement exclaims in perfect Chicagoese, "Jeez!! Are you ever a lucky guy!!"
And that was the story of the Lucky Guy mouthpiece. I wonder who has it now.