Who is Al Cass?
Darin Harada
other "brand name" products with real people behind them. For instance,
a friend of mine met Tom Crown at last year's ITG conference. Finally,
does anyone know where I could contact the Al Cass company? I'd like to
suggest that they make a larger bottle (economy sized) for frequent
users and institutions... perhaps that would cost too much overhead?
Darin Harada
Gary
I never met Mr. Cass but he started making the oil in his garage
over in Milford, Ma. I would say around 1963. The Boston area
trumpet players BSO guys and students were the very first to use the
stuff. Blew everyone away. Cost 1.25 for a eyedropper bottle. From
there it spread to the world.
Gary
The clock is running .......
BlastMaster
In article <3A656D4E...@hawaii.edu>,
Darin Harada <dar...@hawaii.edu> wrote:
> Who is/was Al Cass? Perhaps one of you know?
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
jazz...@my-deja.com
And don't forget his evil twin... Jack.
Mark
http://jazztrpt.freeservers.com
trumpetg...@my-deja.com
machinist and amateur trumpet player, began
making custom mouthpieces and valve oil in his
garage in Milford, Massachusetts. His mouthpieces
were used by Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry
Edison, Lee Morgan, Blue Mitchell, and many other
trumpeters. Cass also made doubling mouthpieces--
Stan Kenton's mellophonium section, for example,
used Cass trumpet-to-mellophone mouthpieces.
After Cass's death in the mid-1960s, his widow
took over the valve-oil business; but
unfortunately, there was no one to take up the
mouthpiece business. Cass's son Steve, who also
makes valve oil, has recently been selling the
remaining stock of mouthpieces on eBay--try
searching on his eBay user name of funnymaniac to
see what he has up for sale currently. You can
then link to Steve's About Me page on eBay for
information on how to contact him directly.
funnymaniac
sons(stephen(after his father Stephen) b.1968, Joseph(after his mother
Josephine) b. 1977, Alfred 2(the second after himself) b. 1982) who he
intended to carry on his legacy. However his wife saw to it that they
would have no part in carrying on his dreams. Al Cass died with no will
thinking that the laws of intestate would apply and they would all have
a share in the company. However his wife's name appeared on the tax
returns 4 months before his death giving her sole ownership of his
company(unknown to Al because he was deathly ill (died Aug 1989)).
Today, none of his heirs have any ownership of the company that has his
name. All 3 sons would have liked to carry on the business. However the
wife had 2 children from a previous marriage that she felt deserved as
much ownership as his 3 children. Yet she never let Al adopt them, thus
Al did not treat them as equals on paper through a will, his wife did
all she could to prevent any from inheriting. She felt that she should
be the only heir. She felt that since she gave birth to all 5 children
that she should have full control and did all she had to to make sure
it happened her way. His wife did everything she could to "steer" the
children off into other interests. When the eldest of the 3 did not go
into the direction she wanted him to, away from the company, she simply
ousted him(1997). When this oldest son challenged his mother in probate
court not believing the course of events happening as they did, the
mother did everything imaginable to make the son look like a
dis-interested bum & drug addict in the courts eyes. Thus sealing the
fate of his legacy.
Dave Lee
There was some disagreement as to the bottling and labelling. I wonder how
he made out. I actually have a bottle.
"funnymaniac" <stev...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1104130334.0...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
El Lippo
wrote:
When I was a student at Berklee, I spent almost nine hours in his shop
being 'fitted' for a mouthpiece. This was the normal routine when
purchasing one of his pieces. I remember his pretty funky shop which
was shared with an electrical appliance repair shop. He had an
impressive array of machinery and plating vats that was the basis of
his business. At the time, he drew his oil bottle by bottle from a 55
gallon drum. I don't know what where the drum was originally filled,
but I do remember that drum (and its distinctive odor. Throughout his
area, on every wall were autographed pro shots of some real biggies
that use(d) his mouthpieces. Included was none other than John Berks
who played on Al's creations. Even on TV, Dizzy's MP was Al's. There's
no mistaking what one of his MPs when you see one.
Despite Al's outbursts of gruffness, beneath it all, he was a really
good guy. When I finished up and paid him, he told me that if I'm
short (being the college kid I was) I could pay him a little bit at a
time. Whatever terms were decided on, he then reached behind the
counter and pulled up a bottle of Four Roses and told me that I
deserved a good snort or two. Following that, he bummed a ride home
where on the way all he did was tell me to never get married. 8-) My
couple of meetings with him were sure ones to remember. Not only was
the event itself memorable, my father gave me a month of memories
when he lifted my driver's licence for coming home under the influence
of three slugs of Four Roses. 8-)
Greg Evans
> When I was a student at Berklee, I spent almost nine hours in his shop
> being 'fitted' for a mouthpiece. [snipped for brevity]
Great story!!
El Lippo
And those three slugs were straight from the bottle. I guess Al didn't
like to waste time filling glasses. 8-)
funnymaniac
by late 1981. Thereafter, until his passing, he sold/modified old
stock to his top clientel.
funnymaniac
mouthpieces that work, why not make an oil that works". And so, after
18 months of testing, Diz put the final OK on the oil that we've come
to know today as FAST.
El Lippo
wrote:
After reading this (among many other similar stories), it reinforces
the need to sign a pre-nup. HOWEVER, if you love someone enough to
marry him or her, isn't that a sign of distrust? I thought that TRUST
was a key basis of marriage. There remains a tug of war with wisdom
and the start of the heart on either end of the rope, a war that I'd
have to think twice (or more) about participating in. Perhaps that's
why I remain single after the passing of my wife. I can screw myself
royally without the help of a second wife and her lawyer. 8-)
funnymaniac
> After reading this (among many other similar stories), it reinforces
> the need to sign a pre-nup. HOWEVER, if you love someone enough to
> marry him or her, isn't that a sign of distrust? I thought that TRUST
> was a key basis of marriage. There remains a tug of war with wisdom
> and the start of the heart on either end of the rope, a war that I'd
> have to think twice (or more) about participating in. Perhaps that's
> why I remain single after the passing of my wife. I can screw myself
> royally without the help of a second wife and her lawyer. 8-)
I think most mothers and fathers, put their children first. Don't let
the few ruin it for the many.
.....I don't sense any of this selfishness in my wife. She puts our
daughter first. Before myself and herself. You have to be a good judge
of character. Or at least make your wishes known. Don't leave it up to
the establishment.
DizzysBluz
the current Jazz Improv mag has a great interview with Jon Faddis. Jon talks
alot about his association and fascination with his idol.