The guy on the right is doing a demo of the 1st Yamaha Vocalizer. You sing into the tube and it matches the chords played.

Not much has changed sound wise.

That ole Melodica was made by Hohner...I had a couple of them back in the day...that should date the photo to the late 60's or mid 70's, or around there.

Russ's guitar ( if that is indeed, Russ? ) looks like a Gretsch or Mosrite double necker. Pretty rare beastie that would be, especially if it is the latter.

Captain Russ, again if that be him, is even more rare...there's only ONE Captain Russ.

Ian

Yep Russ has said in The Bar it is him 45 years ago. Fantastic photo !!!!!! And you were absolutely right Ian it is a Mosrite guitar.

I had a good idea the guy on the left was Russ, as Russ (or someone else) had uploaded a photo (or video - I can't remember which) some time ago, and I vaguely recalled how he looked and that he was a right handed guitarist, but I initially figured Donny was looking for the identity of the man on the right, since he was the one with the keyboard...and this is a keyboard forum.

I wonder who is the guy on the right, and did he also play other keys besides the Melodica?

Russ would probably know.

I suspect that Mosrite guitar would be pretty valuable today, Nigel, especially in that configuration.

I wonder what amp Russ was using it with at the time?

Ian

That's Russ on the right in 1970, at the Midland Tavern in Frankfort, Kentucky, With his long-time partner Tommy Johnston.
The guitar is a double Mosrite.

"If I had it today, it would be worth about $2,500.00. DAMN! Notice the sleeves."Russ and Tom" was the act. We were" top of the game" around here for about 10 years, until Tom got sick and had to retire. I was 26 at the time, and Tom was in his late 40's. He was a police judge and a blacksmith.He was my teacher and best friend.
He played a B-3, which I still have, along with his old Wurlitzer piano, and a Honer Clavinova.. "

As nostalgic it is for all of us, it must be a bittersweet memory for Capt. Russ.

Ya CAUGHT ME, IAN! This is a photo of me and my long-time partner and teacher in 1969-1970. I intentionally chose one with Tommy, because I thought the Melodica would throw everyone off.

Ian, I was playing guitar through a huge Gretsch amp with two 15's and a neat built in echo...rare for those days. Bass was played through an old Sunn. PA was a Standel...4 channels.

The double was played through a Leslie split with the Gretsch.
Lonnie Mack, a guy from Cincinnati, had a hit "Wham", which was played through a Leslie.

Later, when Tommy passed, I played a single with a drum machine and a 335 through a Leslie, playing the bass lines on the E and A strings with my thumb.

The shirts were really cheezy....all one piece, even though they were meant to look like a shirt and a vest.

Tommy made the national news when, as a police judge in Paris, Kentucky, he picked up a busload of guys at an illegal cock fight. First guy on the buss was his DAD! AP picked up the story and ran it nationally.

Our act was simple; Tommy on B-3 and a small Wurlitzer. I played a wall of string instruments, plus vibes and, as Tommy's hands began to slow down, various synths, string machines, etc. We eventually switched my string machine with the Wurlitzer, and I played the piano leads. I was "front man" and did all the vocals.

String instruments included A tenor banjo, a slide steel, a mandolin, a nylon string, a steel string, a telly, L-5, the double, a Fender Jazz bass, a Strat and an Ampeg upright.

All show! Must have thought I was Barbara mandrel(LOL).

We had the best lounge jobs and backed all the folks who came thru town, including Ike Cole, Nat's brother and lots of others.

Tom is gone, but I have a lifetime of memories. He was my teacher (played like a sophisticated Jimmy Smith)and best friend. We were terrors, often removing troublesome guests manually. I still visit his widow weekly. My old Yamaha Electone, which i loaned to Tommy when he got sick, is still in her front room.

Thanks for letting me reminisce. And, Donny, thanks a lot for helping out with this little trip down musical memory lane.


Russ

P.S. Nigel, I did the photo with an old Rolliflex and a bulb shutter release, which I operated with my foot. Had been working as a corporate photographer for 10 years or more.

My pleasure Russ....
Good stuff!

A correction! Looking at the background of this photo, I know that it was taken at the Holiday Inn West, in Lexington in mid, 1970. We moved from the Midland after years as the house band when a new owner wanted it to be a rock club. It was a supper club when Tom and I worked there. There was a dress code and we played a lot of Sergio Mendez, Jose, Jimmy Smith (favorites were tunes from the Dynamic Duo album with Wes Montgomery), Three Dog Night, Joe Williams and the like.

When I got there I was a musical "baby". Tommy and others said that there had been an administration change (Frankfort is the state capital) and that Democratic ladies were lots more "liberal" than the previous Republican girls.

A plan was developed for me to go up on the roof once an hour with a different lady. The roof was set-up with a mattress, small table, etc.

The whole place was in on the scheme. The "event" was re-scheduled several times. When the night arrived (a Wednesday-normally, a slow night), the place was packed (a sure sign I was being set-up).

I was the "front man", but scheduling participants was still way easier than it should have been.

When the time arrived, I anxiously climbed the latter and settled into the lawn chair, waiting for my first young guest.

THEN THE DAMN LADDER DISAPPEARED!

Every 15 minutes or so a sweet young voice from down below would say, "honey, I'd love to be up there with you, but I can't find the ladder".

At the end of the night. Tommy's Mustang was the last car to pull out. Before he left the lot, he hollered back at someone downstairs, "Hey, someone let that silly little SOB off the damn roof".

That was my glorious intro to "loose" women, Tommy Johnston and the famous Midland Tavern.

At the Holiday Inn, I was the bar manager and Russ and Tom entertained at night. In the summer, we moved to the dining room with a drummer. I went to Graduate School in the afternoon and worked as a photographer/writer in the remaining time.

There were lots of valuable instruments on the bandstand. As always happens, people often went up and picked one up. Imagine the surprise when the bar tended yelled, "Hey. Get your hands off my axe"!

The Holiday Inn West was home for Russ and Tom until early 1973. The chain took us to Australia a few times for grand openings. The Holiday Inn South, just 2 miles down the road was home of Grammy Award winning banjo player J. D. Crow...still a very good friend. We would visit each other on breaks...sometimes sit in.

Got started and couldn't stop!


Sorry,


Russ (blabbermouth) Lay

wow Russ what an interesting story about this segment of your life. Thanks for sharing.
Bebop Bill