Donny, met and played with Al in Cedar Rapids; where he lived before hitting it big. He WAS big at the time in the small jazz club there. He was finishing graduate school in Psychology, I think. His dad was the janitor at the Square D factory I worked at every other week.

George Benson worked the same NAMM shows in the early 70's as factory demo dudes. He and I traded licks one session. He ate my lunch!

He got it right. After great success with a limited audience (hardline instrumental jazz....500,000 sales per album), He hit it big with "Breezin"...13 million sales and a much wider audience base. The hardliners criticized him, and he, justifiably just laughed!

I can't think of anyone more deserving!

Russ