Happy Memories - But a Sad One, Too

Glenn Stuart, lead trumpeter for Don Ellis and Stan Kenton.

Happy memories:

• Glenn (Uncle Glenn) in SMHS Band, taking whole periods to rail to us about the School Board's plans.
• Band Parties at Glenn's house in Arcadia.  Swimming in his pool that (the story went) Bill Cosby had once fallen in and had "signed" the bottom.  Once for Glenn's birthday the band bought him a pogo stick.  He took it out on the driveway to try out.  Hopped on it ("Po").  and it stayed down.  the springs weren't strong enough to pop ("Go") it back up at all.
• Learning Glenn's recipe for clam dip. 
  
  
• 

• Another fun memory:  in Band class, Glenn once did his impersonations of various trumpet players:  Herb Alpert, Doc Severinsen, and Al Hirt.
  
•  I contacted Glenn via email in (around?) 2000 or 2001 to 1) say hi, and 2) inquire about digital copies of some Don Ellis pieces, specifically Glenn's signature piece, "Child of Ecstasy".  The album "Autumn" had been released in the US on vinyl only in 1968.  Glenn said that it had been distributed on CD in Europe and he burned me a copy along with some of his Stan Kenton work.
  

• I was glad to have made contact to tell him how he had positively affected my life.

Sadly, in 2002, Glenn took his own life.