January 29, 2007

  • The Spring Concert 2005

    Spring Concert 2005

     

    June 1 – I arrived at the Embassy Suites in La Jolla around 4:40 pm.  Shortly after checking in, I headed out for Mandeville Auditorium on the campus of UCSD for the last concert of the UCSD Jazz Ensemble of this school year. 

     

    This concert is different from all others because this is the final one for retiring band director Jimmy Cheatham.  A month or so ago I got a phone call from a Jenn Stouffer with the Music Department here saying that Jimmy requested that I be performing for this final concert.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

     

    Upon my arrival at Mandeville Auditorium, I noticed signs reserving parking spaces for Jimmy Cheatham and selected crew, Charles McPherson (yes, that Charles McPherson), and little ol’ me.  It’s quite flattering for me to have a space next to these two distinguished gentlemen but I’ll take it.  I can forever say that I had a parking space reserved next to Charles McPherson.  It’s exciting to know that he will be here tonight.  It’s also the first time ever that I had any sort of space reserved with my name on it.

     

    When I went backstage, I saw many familiar faces from a decade ago.  They ranged from faculty to former classmates when I was a student.  I warmed up for a bit.  One by one, another and another familiar face showed up.  We greeted, caught up a bit on old times, and so forth.  Seeing this, we knew this was going to be a one-time-only night to remember.  There were also these neat red and black caps that say “JIMMY CHEATHAM” being given to the performers.  I got one, too.

     

    Finally it’s 7 pm.  This is the largest audience ever to attend a concert as far as I can remember.  Normally the number of audience members and the band are about even.  This time the audience greatly outnumbers the band by many times over which is the way it should be.  It’s thrilling to see a large crowd.  All are here to attend The Tribute Concert to Jimmy Cheatham. 

     

    It began with students and some alumni performing in various combos.  There were 7 of these acts in total.  This was then followed by performances from faculty, alumni, and friends.  I have become acquainted with some members of faculty but have not seen many of them perform.  I knew this was going to be a real treat.  This part of the program included saxophonists Chris Klich, David Borgo, and Charles McPherson, pianists Anthony Davis and Marshall College Provost Cecil Lytle, bassists Kristin Korb, Bertram Turetzky and Mark Dresser, and trombonist George Lewis.  You can find out plenty about these musicians on the internet.  As a trombonist, it’s always a treat to hear George Lewis.  Jimmy once said that there might not be a better one on the planet.  It’s hard to argue that.

     

    After all of these masterful performances, there was a 10 minute intermission for the UCSD Jazz Ensemble to take the stage.  Most of us donned the “JIMMY CHEATHAM” caps including yours truly.  Throughout this evening Cecil Lytle served as Master of Ceremonies.  Finally it’s showtime for us.  We opened with Moten Swing like we always do.  We followed it up with Lil’ Darlin’ and Things Ain’t What They Used to Be. 

     

    Then there was a special performance which was truly special.  Introduced to the stage was Jimmy Cheatham’s wife Jeannie.  Jeannie got on the piano.  She played and sang one tune with bassist Kristin Korb and drummer Richard Stellar.  I had never heard Jeannie Cheatham perform live before.  Just hearing the first notes she played was clear indication this was something magical.  She is fantastic.  At the end of her song, all of us gave her a standing ovation.

     

    The band wrapped up things with Four, Five, Six.  There was a long ovation from the audience and we band members alike for Jimmy.  It was a bittersweet moment for us all as Jimmy left on his own terms with an absolute blast and thus ends an era that lasted 27 years.

     

    This concert ended about 11 pm.  Admittedly we were all quite hungry.  Food was not as plentiful for the band but this night was not about the food.  Audience and performers all wanted to offer some kind words and thanks to Jimmy and Jeannie.  I guess I’m not the only one who had to trek for this concert.  Both Kristin Korb and I came down from Los Angeles.  She was studying to get her masters when she played with the band when I was a student.  Like many, I hadn’t seen her in a decade.  She’s in Glendale; thus, not far from me at all.  Pianist Frank Chang and alto saxophonist Pat Weill both flew down from Northern California.  Both were in the band with me.  George Lewis was a professor of creative music when I was a student.  Now he is a professor at Columbia University in New York.  All of us, among others, made our way for this one special night. 

     

    At the end of the night, we all said our final goodbyes to Jimmy, Jeannie, other guests, and each other.  It’s sad that there is such finality to these things but like the old adage, all good things must come to an end.  Jimmy called me over and whispered to me that I need not worry about the trombone that he lent me to use…that it’s a gift “from me to you”.  It’s like he read my mind because I wanted to buy it off of him.  During our last embrace I told him “You’re the best, Jimmy”.  I gave him a gift as a token of my appreciation for all that he has done for me.  It is a little display piece featuring a little landscape with a house, trees, and birds.  All of this is sculpted from cork.  This piece is from China.

     

    I had a late dinner at TGI Friday’s.  I just had something light this time (fish and chips).  That ends this magical evening.

     

    June 2 – I checked out of my hotel at 10:30 am.  In all my past visits to the UCSD Jazz concerts, I had pretty much seen all of San Diego so this time it’s back to a place I hadn’t visited in a long, long time…Sea World!

     

    The day was overcast throughout but since the sun teases me about trying to break though here and there, I wore the Jimmy cap just in case.

     

    First up was the Dolphin Show.  It’s really something to see how high they can get.  There were also two pilot whales.  I avoided the Soak Zone but little did I know how useless this will be.  There were other shows here but I deferred.  I seen the Seal and Otter Show before and felt it was made for small children.  I had an eerie suspicion about a show called Pets Rule!  I also skipped Cirque de la Mer.  I figured it was a Cirque du Soleil style acrobatics show.  Though it’s amazing what they can do, it’s really not my thing.  “Acrobatics by creatures from Amphibia” they call it.  Uh huh!

     

    I decided to take advantage of the new attractions that weren’t around when I last came here.  There was a 4-D movie called R.L. Stine’s Haunted Lighthouse.  It’s basically the same as Shrek 4D at Universal Studios Hollywood and It’s Tough Being a Bug at Disney’s California Adventure.  If somehow you had never been to any of these, it’s a 3-D movie plus other things like water squirting, air blowing, and other things to simulate effects.  This one left me and others quite wet.  A spit take resulted in water sprayed at us.  A prank with a hose had droplets fall like a spit wad.  Lastly there was “Catfish Surprise”.  These catfish stick their heads out of a pot and spit at you resulting in water sprayed at us one last time.  I’ve never gotten so wet after a 4-D show.

     

    Another attraction was Shipwreck Rapids.  It’s a circular raft ride like Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Grizzly River Run at Disney’s California Adventure, and Bigfoot Rapids at Knott’s Berry Farm.  If somehow you have never ridden any of these at all, well, what can I say?  It’s a round raft with seats all around that goes on a waterway though white water here and there.  As I rode on I got wetter and wetter.  First, it was crashing into white water.  Then there is this area where kids can fire water cannons at you.  Then there are these hoses that spray passing rafts.  Soon after are these buckets that travel on lines overhead.  It’s convenient that these buckets are leaky.  If somehow one had avoided all these wet traps, there is the unavoidable.  There is a tunnel at the end of the waterway for the raft.  The mouth of it is a waterfall that completely engulfs the width of the waterway.  We all uttered “Oh no!”  We were completely drenched.  My formerly baggy clothes clung to me like peanut butter to a dog’s tongue.  Some kids in line love asking that question “Hey, did you get wet?”  I refrained from replying “Why don’t you come over here and ask me again?”

     

    I checked my camera.  At least it was still working thanks to whatever protection the camera case gave it.  As I was walking, my left shoe squeaked from the wet sock.  I heard other tourists thinking about whether or not to ride Shipwreck Rapids refer to me.  For example, “You wanna be soaked like that guy?  He does not look happy at all.”  I tried to disguise it with smiles and laughs but my primary concerns were my possessions – camera, wallet, film, map, cell phone.  When I got to the tide pool, I checked everything and they all still worked.  I was in the process of wringing out my left sock when a woman saw my water-saturated map draped on a fence like a cloth on a clothesline.  She offered me a new map.  I was reluctant but she insisted that she had an additional one.  I thanked her and took it.

     

    I went to every aquarium they had.  There was the World of the Sea and the Freshwater Aquarium where I got to see the notorious piranhas and electric eel.  I also went to see Shark Encounter where you walk through an underwater acrylic tunnel completely engulfed by the shark-filled aquarium.  Species I recall are black-tipped, nurse, sand tiger, and hammerhead.

     

    At Rocky Point Preserve, there are sea otters and dolphins that people can feed.  I did not feed the dolphins but this area allowed me to get pretty close to one.

     

    Next was the Manatee Rescue.  I saw four manatees.  They were all very large.  I think a man could easily ride one like a horse.  I was reminded of myths how some sailors back then mistook these behemoths as mermaids.  I’m thinking either these sailors were heavily stricken with the scurvy, missed seeing a woman for a very long time or the women back then were really well fed. 

     

    Penguin Encounter should have been neat because who doesn’t like penguins?  However the exhibit is quite dim and they don’t allow flash photography.  It’s hard to see all the penguins due to this plus the window that separates us from them is misty.  At least the alcids (puffins and murres) area was well lit.

     

    Next is Wild Arctic.  Basically it’s where they have polar bears, belugas, and walruses.  To get there, you have to go through a simulated helicopter ride.  There’s the non-motion one and the exciting one.  I obviously chose the exciting one.  It’s a flight simulator like Star Tours at Disneyland and Back to the Future at Universal Studios Hollywood. 

     

    My pants were still completely wet.  My T-shirt is starting to dry off when I got on their newest attraction Journey to Atlantis.  It’s a roller coaster that supposedly takes you to the legendary lost city of Atlantis.  It’s pretty short compared to anything at Six Flags Magic Mountain.  The first drop results in water splashing all over me.  There went my partially dry T-shirt.  As our vehicle proceeded, there were these water mines or something that went off on either side of us further raining more water on us.  After an elevator lifted us to a higher level, it was some roller coaster action with a drop here, a turn there, and ending with another splash down into water.

     

    Once again I was completely wet.  I checked all my gadgets – all still functional.  I discarded the map because it was soaked.  I figured I didn’t need it anymore.  I decided to sit for a while and allow my stuff to dry off.  It’s really something when everywhere you sit you leave a watery impression of your butt.  I wrung out my left sock for the last time.

     

    I also rode the Bayside Skyride which is a gondola on cable ride.  It provides a good view and a steady breeze which I liked because I wanted to dry off some before embarking on the Penguin Encounter. 

     

    I liked Forbidden Reef.  It’s the aquarium of moray eels and bat rays.  While walking through here it hit me.  I noticed some people wearing swim wear – swim trunks, bikini tops, beach shorts, sandals.  At first I was wondering about them but based on how drenched I was, I understood now that these were the people who were truly prepared for Sea World.

     

    Lastly I went to Shamu Stadium to take pictures of the killer whales.  Can’t come to Sea World and not see the killer whales now!  I called it a day after this.  I decided not to catch the Shamu Show.

     

    I took off from Sea World around 5:30 pm.  I arrived in Tustin about an hour or so later.  I was getting tired so I decided to stop here and eat while getting some rest.  I went to Black Angus for some crab-stuffed chicken smothered with Alfredo sauce.  My T-shirt was dry from my neck to my stomach.  My pants were dry only from my knees down.

     

    I arrived home around 9:30 pm.  The best feeling was to change into some comfy dry clothes.  The wetness did do some damage.  The tan-colored inside of my black belt rubbed off onto my pants leaving a yellow streak all around.  And I just had these dry cleaned!  Oh well.  Hopefully they can do it again.

     

    To me, most of Sea World’s attractions are aimed at the kids.  If I go next time, it’ll probably be accompanying a visitor there but I’ll remember to wear quick-drying clothes.  I refuse to buy a $6 poncho.  Thank goodness it wasn’t cold that day.  Phew!

     

    With Jimmy Cheatham’s retirement, I honestly don’t know when I’ll return to San Diego again.  This ends our career with the UCSD Jazz Ensemble for a lot of us.  I am forever honored and privileged to be part of the final hurrah.  The curtain closes amidst a standing ovation.