THE 1974 L.A. HIGH ROMAN TRACK & FIELD TEAM

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

The 1974 LA High Roman Track Squad May Have Been One of the Best in The City’s History – But We Will Never Know

Forty years ago, Los Angeles High School fielded a track and field team for the ages – an incredible collection of wonderful athletes and solid young men that made other schools green with envy.  The team was talented, with depth in every event.  It had great sprinters, fine distance runners and a super-deep field events team.  They were champions of the Southern League, and the Romans were poised to make a run at defending city champs Gardena High.

But it was not to be.  Fate intervened.  But we will get to that later.

First, let’s put 1974 in perspective.  With the publication of All the Presidents Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Richard Nixon was hanging on to the presidency by his fingernails as the investigations around the Watergate break-in and cover up intensified.  Bread was 26 cents per loaf.  A gallon of gas cost 55 cents.  The Los Angeles Lakers traded Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers to the Milwaukee Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who do you think got the best of that deal?).  The U.S. was in the final phase of its pullout from Viet Nam.

Meanwhile at L.A. High, the school was in the third year of its transitional period.  Gone was the classic collegiate gothic brick building with its famed tower; a victim of the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and subsequent arson fire.  It was replaced temporarily by a series of boxy yet fairly comfortable bungalows at the east and west ends of campus.  Where the building once stood, there was a parking lot, volleyball and basketball courts.  The gyms, cafeteria, shop building, Harrison and Memorial Halls and the Housh Field (including the east bleachers which are now gone) were all that remained from the old school.  In 1973, ground was broken for the new building and the campus during 1974 - my senior year - was, well…..a mess, with construction fences closing off half of the campus.  With all of the distractions going on, L.A. High was still a beacon of academic and athletic excellence.  At that time, L.A. graduated 98% of its seniors with many of those going on to four-year colleges and universities.  Compare that to an abysmal 55% graduation rate at the school today.  But that is for another discussion.

And then there were the sports.  In the winter, first-year coach John Watson guided the football team to the league title behind all-city receivers Ricky Odom and Homer Butler, quarterback Baron Farwell and a host of others.  Hank Pollard’s tennis team, Robert Carey’s swim squad and Jim Panger’s cross country teams also won league titles.  We also had a pretty damn good girls’ basketball team staring the amazing Anita Ortega that finished third in the city playoffs.  But this was long before Title IX and girls’ sports got little recognition back then.

And then, there was our track team. Between 1930 and 1970, L.A. had been a traditional city power.  The 1969 Romans were the California state champions.  They were led by Albert Hearvy and Ronnie Welch who helped set the city record for the 440-yard relay with a time of 41.8.  That same year great Robert Pullard set the city record in the pole vault of 16-7 (a record that I believe still stands for the city section).  If that name sounds familiar, Robert’s brother Hayes (class of ’69) was a terrific basketball player at Rome and Hayes son - also named Hayes - is currently an all-Pac 12 linebacker at USC.  After a couple of mediocre seasons, L.A. came back with a vengeance in 1973, taking the Southern League title from the favorite Fremont and finishing third place in the state meet.  The ’73 team was a veteran squad that featured senior sprinters Charles Clement and Cornelius Pryor, hurdler and pole vaulter Jack Mosby, junior shot-putter Edwin Lewis and many more. 

But the unquestioned star of that team was junior Randall Jeffrey.  A freakishly gifted athlete, Jeffrey made the varsity in 1972 as a 10^th grader (rare in those days) and despite battling back spasms and an ankle injury was still among the city’s best hurdlers that year.  In ’73, a healthy Jeffrey literally tore up the competition, winning each and every race he competed in that season.  Although we was terrific in the 120 high hurdles, it was 180 low hurdles where he became a legendary.  The 180 lows (which is no longer run in favor of the 300 intermediate), was a tricky event.  It was long for a hurdle race, a 180 yard straightaway all-out sprint that took both speed and endurance.    You would see runners just crumble halfway through the race and barely have enough energy to finish.  Randall was the exception in that he would get stronger during the later stages of the race.  He had it all.  He was great out of the blocks and had perfect form.  But it was his speed between hurdles that set him apart.  More often than not when the race was finished, he was five or more yards ahead of the second place finisher.  He ran and won with a flair, often raising his arms in triumph or sometimes much to coach Jackson’s chagrin, would turn and point at those trailing him before crossing the finish line.  This was the track equivalent to trash talking.

After L.A. shocked Fremont to win the league title, Jeffrey, Mosby, Pryor, Lewis and others competed in the state meet.  Jeffrey finished third in the 120 highs and then won the 180 lows in a time of 18.7, the best in the nation that year.  With his victory along with Mosby’s 5^th place finish in the 180 lows, the Romans finished 3^rd place in state, L.A.s second-highest placement ever.  Jeffrey’s victory was the first individual state championship for a Roman since the great Cornelius Johnson in 1932. 

The euphoria of the great showing at the state meet was tempered somewhat a few days later when it was disclosed by the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner that Jeffrey, an 11^th grader, was already 18 years old.  This was not a problem, but it did mean that he would not be able to defend his title as a senior because he would then be 19, exceeding the age limit.  Age is no longer an issue in high school sports these days as there are parents that purposely hold kids back a year (a practice which I am totally against), but back then it was strictly enforced.  When the 1973-74 school year began, Randall Jeffrey was not there.  No one seemed to know where he went. With the assistance of my Blue & White advisor Mr. Strumpf, we put out feelers to some of the sports agencies at the time and got word that he was running track at Delta Junior College in Northern California.  Randall Jeffrey is one of those intriguing mysteries; a talented athlete whose star shone brightly over the Roman horizon for a brief time and then, just like that, he disappeared.  But for those of us lucky to have seen him perform, we were part of a privileged minority.  He was spectacular.

With Jeffrey gone along with the graduation of Clement, Mosby, Pryor, Lawrence Washington among others, 1974 shaped up to be a rebuilding year for the Roman track team.  Coach Charles Jackson, whose favorite line was “Don’t go sellin’ wolf tickets,” had a lot of work to do.  Surely this would not be the year of the Romans.

Somebody forgot to tell that to the team itself.

Despite the personnel losses, a mixture of experienced seniors and talented underclassmen were ready to take L.A.s track & field baton and run with it.  Fleet-footed junior Tony Brown stepped into the void left by Charles Clement and became L.A.s lead sprinter.  Seniors Darryl Moss, Wyatt Smith were also outstanding runners who added depth.  In addition, the team sported quarter-milers Glenn Davis, Rene Sims and Derrick Cox, middle distance runner Larry Ford, miler Bernard Brown; two-miler Tim French; high jumper Thomas Webb, shot-put specialist Ed Lewis, and pole vaulter Kelvin Black.  Then the Romans received an unexpected gift with the addition of Fremont transfer James Perry.  James was a brilliant all-around sprinter and hurdler.  Not only was he fast, but he was also a quality long jumper.  He would take the place of Jeffrey in the 180 lows.  Tony Brown that got most of the publicity that season, and it was well deserved.  Tony could flat-out fly, and with that silky-smooth running style of his, he never looked like he was moving fast.  That is until he blew by you.  Although Brown got the lion’s share of the press, this was not like ’73 when the team relied on a handful of stars.  This team had multiple leaders and you never knew from week to week who would step up. But someone always did.

Tony Brown (left) and Darryl Moss finish 1-2 during a 1974 meet at Housh Field

The season got off to an uneven start, with L.A. losing two league meets – one to rival Fremont and the other to Washington.  We barely beat an inferior Manual Arts team (and their strange rectangular running track).  But the dual meets are nothing more than a prelude to the league finals.  It was there in the finals that you made your mark.  In 1973 for instance, Fremont ran roughshod over everyone (including us) during the regular season.  But in the league finals, the Romans beat the Pathfinders 64-56 for the championship.  Fremont of course thought it was a fluke and there was no way that L.A. would beat them again especially with all or the personnel changes.  But as the season progressed, the Roman track team slowly but surely gained steam.  Perry, Brown and the sprint team were clicking.  The distance runners were improving with each meet.  Lewis, Black and Perry led the field events.  Even a little known mediocre senior pole vaulter who kept bouncing between varsity and the Bee team was having a decent year.  That mediocre senior pole vaulter was me. 

And under the radar, there was one member of the Roman track team that that came out of nowhere and gave L.A. an unexpected boost while epitomizing the never-say-die Roman spirit.  His name was Homer Butler.

Homer was already a well-established star athlete at L.A.  He was an all-city football player and all-league in baseball.  With the departure of Randall Jeffrey and Jack Mosby, we were short on hurdlers.  The coaches were so desperate that they even tried using that mediocre pole vaulter in a few races.  The results weren’t good, so Coach Jackson enlisted Butler to come try out.  The first day of practice, Homer hit every single hurdle.  I mean he hit them hard.  And his form was bad.  But he never got discouraged and kept working.  I had never before or since seen this type of determination.  Homer was the first one on the track each day and was the last to leave.  His hard work paid off.  By the end of the regular season, he was one of the league’s top hurdlers in the 120 highs, running times comparable to that of Jeffrey and Mosby from the previous year.  As the Southern League Finals approached, the Romans were firing on all cylinders.  

It was showtime, and L.A. High was ready for its close-up.

The Southern League was a rugged and sometimes brutal six-team division featuring L.A., Fremont, Manual Arts, Jefferson, Washington and our geographic rival Dorsey, although for some reason Dorsey was never much for a threat to us in track.  Our track rival was Fremont.  They were big, strong and like L.A. had a great history.  The fierce league competition helped us and by the time of the league finals, we were ready physically and psychologically.

The league finals as always, were held at East L.A College.  Fremont was still under the impression that our victory over them the previous year was a fluke and based on the fact that they beat us in our dual meet, they came into the finals pretty confident.  They definitely had a swagger to them.  I remember jogging around the infield and they would pass you and give you a look, trying to intimidate you.  I didn’t work with me or my teammates.  We had a relatively quiet team.  But we were confident in our abilities.  We didn’t believe in talking.  No selling wolf tickets.  We were all about getting it done on the track.  And we knew that like ’73, Fremont underestimated us.  They overlooked our hearts and the overlooked our will.

Coach Jackson told us that if we could score between 66 and 70 points, we would win.  No easy task.  Even though Fremont was who we were focused on, you had to be careful because someone like Jefferson or Washington could sneak up on you.  One bad day by you and a good day by them would tilt the meet in their favor.  But we were definitely up to the challenge. 

The first race was the 440 relay.  Tony Brown had been a little banged up during football season and was having a little trouble finishing with his usual explosion.  Coach Jackson and sprinters Coach Ronnie Welch (an L.A. High grad) made a strategic decision to move Tony from the anchor leg to third and had James Perry run anchor.  It worked as L.A. breezed to victory in a season best time of 42.6.  That race set the tone.  The rest of the day was surreal.  Everyone was putting up PRs (personal records), and we seemed to be winning event after event.  Perry and Brown went 1-2 in the 220; Derrick Cox defeated James Lofton in the 440 – yes that James Lofton who went on to a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Packers, Raiders and Bills.  Derrick Cox and Larry Ford placed in the 880; Bernard Brown won the mile with Tim French finishing fourth; my buddy and mentor Kelvin Black finished second in the pole vault, Homer Butler placed second (by just inches) in the 120 highs: James Perry won the 180 lows with Butler finishing third; Big Tom Webb finished second in the high jump; Perry finished third in the long jump and Ed Lewis continued his competitive dual with Fremont’s Curtis Yarborough, finishing second in the shot put.  After our mile relay finished second in the final event, we had to wait or the official scoring.  It seemed like an eternity.  Personally, I felt we won, but there was no way of knowing.  Did we score between 66 and 70 points like coach wanted?  Had another school sneaked up on us?

Then, I got the word.  Distance Coach Jim Panger called me over.  Pager had been my 10^th grade English teacher and we had a great relationship; he was one of those teachers you just really like.  He also knew that I was the sports editor for the Blue & White and would want to know the final tally.  Panger was a very soft spoken guy, in fact, he almost spoke in monotone.  He then told me in his typical very soft spoken manner,

“Glenn, we scored eighty-three points.”

I must have looked at him like he had two heads.  “Eighty-three points?  Are you serious?”  I asked.  “What did Fremont finish with?”  His reply was “forty-eight.  Go spread the word.”

That’s all he had to say.  I yelled to anyone and everyone:  “WE SCORED EIGHTY-THREE POINTS GUYS.  EIGHTY-THREE POINTS!”  Kelvin Black grabbed me by the shoulder and asked, “What did you say?” To which I replied, “Eighty-three points, man.  We kicked their ass!”  And suddenly, the stands were a smiles, whoops and hollers.  Everyone was slapping fives (no high fives in those days).  Eighty-three points were a new Southern League finals record.  Jerry Wiener, who covered prep sports for the Herald-Examiner (and he was a former journalism teacher at Rome) called it “One of the most dominating performances in city history.  With a little good fortune, this could well go down as one of the best track & field teams ever.”

The bus ride home was wild and crazy.  Usually when the bus got too noisy, a coach would tell us to quiet down.  Not on this day. They let us be as loud and we wanted and we let our emotions flow.  Someone, I don’t remember who, shouted:

We came, we conquered and we swooped!!

And then someone started the Hey L.A. chant.

Well I had a little rooster….

HEY L.A.

I put that rooster in a boat

HEY L.A.

I heard him talk about the Romans

HEY L.A.

And I cut that rooster’s throat…

Oh man, it was so much fun.  We were at the top of our game and things could only get better.  That Monday when I got back to school, I was trying to figure out what my headline for the Blue & White would be Romans crush Pathfinders or L.A. Wins in a Runaway or Southern League Champs….Again!

And then I asked myself, what would say more about this track meet than the score?  What would demonstrate our dominance that day more than a simple and clear headline?   Here is what I came up with.  Thank you to Edwin Lewis for saving this forty year-old Blue & White clipping:

As great as our performance was at the league finals, we still had work to do.  Now we took dead aim at the city championship.  The city competition was divided into three sections; the quarterfinals, the semi-finals or “Prelims” and the finals.  You had to qualify in one section to move onto the next.  For instance if you qualified in the quarterfinals, you moved onto the prelims.  The defending city champs was Gardena most of the so-called experts were picking them to win again.  But with the way we were performing, we knew could beat them.  There was no doubt in my mind or my teammate’s minds.  And I got a nice little surprise from Coach Jackson.  Coaches in those days were allowed to take one or two extra people to the quarterfinals.  It was mostly so the events could be filled out.  Although I had not qualified by finishing in sixth place, I did PR and coach rewarded that by taking me to the quarterfinals.  I was honored that he did that for me.  

The quarterfinals I think were held at Chatsworth High (although I could be mistaken) and L.A. picked up where they left off in the league finals.  Tony Brown, Daryl Moss and James Perry qualified in both the 100 and 220 yard runs, Derrick Cox and Rene Sims and did the same in the 440, Cox and Larry Ford moved on in the 880 and Bernard Brown advanced in the mile.  James Perry qualified in the 180 low hurdles and Homer Butler did the same in the 120 highs.  Kelvin Black qualified in the pole vault and Ed Lewis moved ahead in the shot put.  And the icing on the cake was the 440-relay team which ran an amazing 42.0, just a couple ticks off of L.A. High’s school and city record of 41.8.  The stage was set for the prelims.  Gardena was in our sights.  And then, fate intervened. 

We had all heard about an all-comers track & field meet being held at Cal State L.A.  Many of the area’s top athletes from high schools and colleges would be there.  It was great because you could compete against some of the best and stay sharp leading up to the prelims.  My high school career had come to an end at the quarterfinals when I finished eighth in the pole vault, so this was an opportunity for me to compete one more time.  I really wanted to go but I had to work that day (at Pup N Taco, my first job).  I don’t remember if it was Monday or Tuesday of the following week, but rumors began circulating around campus about the track team.  No one was talking, but something had happened.  I ran into Kelvin Black and I asked him what was going on.  He just shook his head and kept walking.  What the hell was happening?  I was about to find out. 

I was summoned from my first period class to Mr. Roulette’s office.  Going to Mr. Roulette’s office usually meant you were in some sort of trouble, so I had no idea what this was about.  Mr. Roulette, Coach Jackson and Mr. Strumpf were there and asked me if I had competed in the all-comers meet.  I told them no.  I wanted to, but I had to work.  Mr. Roulette then informed me that the all-comers meet had not been sanctioned by the city, therefore making it an illegal event for high school athletes.  Because of this, anyone who competed in that meet is ineligible for any further meets this year, including the upcoming city prelims.  My first response was well, I didn’t qualify for the prelims anyway so this doesn’t even affect me. 

And then it hit me.  I asked Coach Jackson, “Wait a minute.  Who was there?”  He looked at me and said on word that I will never forget.

“Everyone.”

“So, we won’t have anyone going to the prelims?” I asked.  Mr. Roulette replied “It looks that way.  We haven’t talked to everyone yet, but from what we have heard, most of the team was there.”

My heart sank.  I felt as if there had been a death in the family.  Then Mr. Strumpf, my journalism teacher and Blue & White advisor spoke up.  “Mr. Roulette and Mr. Jackson have asked us not to publicize this in the Blue & White and I agree with them.  There is nothing to gain by doing this.” 

Mr. Strumpf was big on reporting and writing the truth.  He encouraged us to be honest, even if it meant hurting some feelings.  But here, was telling me not to even go there.

And I agreed with him.  After all, these weren’t only my teammates, they were my friends.  Even more devastating was that fact that we a shot – a real shot - at a city championship.  And just like that, it was gone.  Up in smoke like a David Copperfield illusion.

Then the questions started to be asked.  How did this happen?  Why didn’t our coaches warn us about it being a non-sanctioned meet?  Who snitched?  When something like this happens, someone has to be held responsible.  There has to be a villain.  Everyone seemed to point their fingers at Roulette.  It was he who called the City Athletic Commission (forerunner to the CIF City Section) and blew the whistle on us.  But in reality, and hindsight being 20-20, he was just doing his job.  If he had this information and did not disclose it, it could have meant sanctions against the entire track team for the following year.  It would have come out at some point.  What if we had won city and then been stripped of the title?  That probably would have been worse.  But either way, it was disastrous.  The one piece of positive news was that shot put specialist Ed Lewis did not go to the all-comers meet. 

Ed would go to the prelims and finals as the lone representative from L.A. High. 

“We had a good team. We had a shot at City that year, says Ed Lewis.  “But a bunch of guys went to a non sanctioned meet at Cal State LA and were deemed intelligible. I stayed home and was the only member of that team that went on to the City prelims and finals. Barring that event, we had a good shot at Gardena and the City title.”

Larry Ford agrees.  “Definitely could have competed for the city title that year.  It was a great team.”

Forty years have passed since that magical spring of 1974.  For the seniors like myself, we went onto college or began working or both.  For the underclassmen, they would continue the Roman track & field tradition with fine teams the next few years.  But never again would the Romans come as close to a city championship as they did in 1974.  So what was it about that team?  What made it so special?

First, there was the legacy.  It was around us every day at L.A.  We knew that we were following in the footsteps of great Romans of the past and we had a responsibility to uphold that tradition, like the 1969 state champions and the 1973 team that finished third in state.  We wanted to equal and surpass what they had accomplished.

Second, we had very good coaches.  Charles Jackson was a guy that I appreciated more after I graduated.  He was sharp, highly organized and funny.  But he was about discipline which I related to.  Terrell Ray, Ronnie Welch, Fred Ealey, Jim Panger and although he wasn’t there in ’74, I would be remiss if I did not include the late great Ollie Matson who I had the privilege of working with my first two years.  He had a tremendous influence on me.  How many people can say that they were coached by a pro football Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist?

Last but certainly not least were the athletes.  The 1974 Romans.  We had some fabulous athletes on that team.  If I close my eyes I can see Tony Brown and Daryl Moss – afros flying in the breeze – going 1-2 in the hundred yard dash.  I can see James Perry and that great acceleration motoring through the 180 lows.  I can see Ed Lewis pushing that shot put with all his might.  I can see my friend Kelvin Black clearing the height with ease in the pole vault.  And there were so many others.  As good as they were as athletes, they were even better as young men.  It really was a great group of guys.  I don’t remember there being any issues or infighting.  Everyone pulled for each other and we really were a team.  And it did not matter if you were varsity, bee or cee, you were part of the team.  

One school, one team.

No one will ever know what this team could have achieved.  A city championship?  Certainly a possibility.  A state championship?  Perhaps.  But one thing is certain.  This was indeed a special group.  Maybe the best in L.A. High’s storied history.  My guess is that current L.A. students and coaches know nothing about 1974 Roman track team.  And that’s a shame.  They should.   For this was a truly great team of talent and integrity.

We came, we conquered and we swooped.

And, we didn’t sell no wolf tickets….

THE 1974 SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPION ROMAN TRACK AND FIELD TEAM

James Adams, Derrick Allen, Michael Anderson, Mark Andrews, Kelvin Black, Chris Brake, Bernard Brown, Mark Brown, Tony Brown, Wayne Brown, Kim Burton, Tony Butcher, Dwayne Cannon, Lloyd Carter, Marty Coleman, Harvey Conley, Curtis Conner, Derrick Cox, Glenn Davis, Larry Ford, Timothy French, Eddie Glenn, Willie Griffin, Paul Hiramoto, Hanlon Holmes, Gregory Jacobs, Gregory James, Jerry Jefferson, Kevin Johnson, Sterling Johnson, Carl Jones, Causey Kascadre, Robert Lacefield, Eddie Langford, Peter Lee, Anthony Leslie, Edwin Lewis, Raoul Loring, Mark Lott, Kevin Manor, Anthony McClain, Darryl Moss, Lyle Nixon, Graylin Patin, James Perry, Dearryl Rabb, Walter Ricardo, Allen Robertson, Gregory Robinson, William Shields, Shinji Shinfuku, Eugene Sims, Rene Sims, Roger Smith, Wyatt Smith, George Spell, Robert Taylor, Frank Warren, Quinten Washington, Thomas Webb, Anthony West, Glenn Wilson, Toran Wright

Dedicated to Lloyd Carter, Kevin Manor, Tony Brown, Kelvin Black, Coach Ollie Matson and Coach Charles Jackson. Rest in peace.  Romans Forever!

Top Notch Performances Mark 30th Annual Harmony Sweepstakes

2014 HARMONY SWEEPSTAKES NATIONAL FINALS – May 17^th 2014

The fact that the Harmony Sweepstakes was celebrating its 30^th anniversary, you knew that the evening would be special.  What few knew is that this year’s competition would not only be special, but it would be a scintillating show that would bring the crowd to its feet on more than one occasion.  On the way out of the auditorium, I heard one veteran Sweeps watcher state, “That is the best nationals in quite some time.”

On a typically brisk San Rafael evening, a sold out crowd of nearly 2,000 a cappella enthusiasts packed the Marin Veterans Auditorium to witness the national finals of the influential singing contest that has been the launching pad for such groups as M-Pact, Groove for Thought and Sing-Off kings Home Free.  At 8:00pm sharp, the lights dimmed and the stage spotlight focused directly on center stage where three microphones stood.  Then the public address announcer stated:

“Please welcome the 2013 Harmony Sweepstakes national Champions.  The Honey Whiskey Trio.”

The Los Angeles-based group consisting of Courtney Gasque, Ann Louise Thaiss and Christina Wilson who would serve as hosts this evening walked onto stage wearing comfortable looking yet fashionable dresses and their now trademark boots.  Appropriately, they opened the show with These Boots are Made for Walking in their unique foot-stomping style.

Tonight’s Mistress of Ceremonies is veteran singer Angie Doctor.  She was stunning in her blue full-length sparkly gown (I am sure there is a technical term, but we will go with “sparkly” for the purposes of this review).  She took care of the welcomes, explanation of the rules and introduced the five individuals who had the difficult task of judging this competition.  The judges were Bill Hare, Raz Kennedy, Craig Knudsen, Stephanie Lawson and Annie Stocking.  She also took a moment to mention the passing of long-time Sweeps photographer and friend Chris Cochems.  After the brief tribute and warm applause, Angie turned to his widow Helen who was on hand and said, “I know he could hear that.”

Catatonic began the competition - Photo by AcaFanBase

Now, it was onto the competition.  Christina Wilson announced the first group, Mid-Atlantic champs Catatonic.  The Atlanta-bred sextet opened with the swinging Love Gun with the soulful Tye Tavaras singing the lead.  The set continued with Tammy Parkinson and John Robinson’s arrangement of Never Close Our Eyes.  They then transitioned into the lovely ballad Pretty Hurts with alternating lead vocals between Parkinson, Tavares and Carrie Leonard.  They closed with a rocking and rollicking rendition of Lucky Strike.  Although the ladies were front and center, the guys – John Robinson, Steve Ryan and Andrew Leonard provided great backing vocals.  A darn good opening act by Catatonic that was well received by the audience.

PNW Champs SeaNote - Photo by AcaFanBase

Next to perform was SeaNote, winners of the Pacific Northwest Region.  This group made up of friends from the University of Washington who happen to be all basses and second altos.  An odd combination but it works.  They came out with member Shaheer Aftab mimicking the sounds of radio static in search of a station, briefly stopping on the overly-covered Royals before settling on a fine arrangement of I Knew You Were Trouble.  They continued with a beautifully executed All of Me, complete with fine leads and lush harmonies.  SeaNote finished their set with Dark Horse, arranged by bassist Michael Kibbe.  The group’s vocals combined with their sunny personalities wowed the crowd.

3AM performs Thank You - Photo by AcaFanBase

The third act was – ironically - called 3AM, a gospel/R&B group out of Florida that took the Chicago regionals.  These dapper gentlemen in matching blazers introduced themselves with their original We are 3AM.  Next was a strong, rich treatment of R&B hit Thank You that had the audience tapping their toes.  3AM then took the audience to church with the gospel Have a Talk.  You could hear the distinct influence of groups like Take 6 and Naturally 7 in their sound and style.  The beautiful Bless This House was next, showcasing the group’s harmonic ability.  They closed with Pharrell Williams mega-hit Happy that got the audience to clap along.  All-in-all, a solid performance by 3AM.

Women of the World close out first half - Photo by AcaFanBase

Now taking the stage was Boston champion Women of the World.  The quartet who met at the Berklee College of Music represent four countries - Italy, Japan, India and Haiti and combine world, folk, classical and jazz.   They wore colorful, ethnic gowns that looked gorgeous under the house lights.  The group began with the jazzy and playful Walkin’ Down The Street, complete with simultaneous scat solos.  Their performance continued to elevate with their renditions of Iyo Siwelele, Kafal Sviri and the original Samba in G.  Their final songs were the beautiful Sakura Sakura, and Rhy-dhun which began slowly and then built to a marvelous vocal explosion.  When they sang their final note, the audience poured out its emotion, giving the quartet a well-deserved standing ovation.  The singers looked a bit stunned by the response as they walked off the stage, waving to the crowd.

**********INTERMISSION****************

And not a minute too soon, as an exhausted audience had to gather itself after a breathtaking first half.  As I made my way around the lobby eavesdropping as always, everyone was talking about the stunning performance by Women of the World.  “Wow,” was the most used adjective, and that is interesting as “Wow” is what the group uses as part of its twitter handle.  But all the groups got kudos and I overheard one woman say, “Whomever performs after intermission has their work cut out for them.  All the groups have been amazing.”  I bumped into SeaNote at the Honey Whiskey Trio table in the lobby and they were on top of the world, saying that this has been an incredible experience and they were having the time of their lives.

Bay Area Champs Prime Time - Photo by AcaFanBase

With intermission over, Ann Louise Thaiss of The Honey Whiskey Trio introduced the home-town favorite – Prime Time, winners of the Bay Area Regional.  If there was one thing that Prime Time seemed to be intent on accomplishing was to let everyone know that they are versatile.  The veteran group immediately brought energy to the stage as they sang the Hall & Oats classic You Make My Dreams Come True that was a whole lot of fun.  They moved onto a lovely arrangement of Mia Makaroff’s Butterfly, showcasing their musicianship.  Very innovative vocal technique was evident in their performance of Katy Perry’s Wide Awake.  As bassist John Rae-Grant explained that the group had to figure out how to sing a song and not to go over the Sweeps time limit (while he was explaining, the bamboo pole appeared signifying the one minute warning).  They concluded with a brief and comical take on Everything is Awesome from the Lego Movie. Nicely done, Prime Time.  You did the Bay Area proud.

L.A.s #FOURTYFOURB - Photo by AcaFanBase

Courtney Gasque introduced Los Angeles Champions and HWT protégés #FourtyFourB.  The seven-member group who has its origins at the University of California Irvine was playful with the audience, even teaching us a UCI cheer (ZOT....ZOT....ZOT!)  They opened with a superb delivery of Adele's Rumor Has It, striking just the right balance between vocals and vocal percussion.  Next was a Stevie Wonder mashup of Isn’t She Lovely sprinkled with My Cheri Amour.  This was a nice bridge between the first and third songs and appealed to the older members of the audience.  They finished with a smooth as silk rendering of John Legend’s Heaven that had heads bobbing throughout the audience.  Besides their obvious talent, #FourtyFourB has an easygoing confidence about them that made them very relatable. 

Pride of the Republic of Georgia Quintessential Five

The last performers of the evening were Quintessential Five.  They were perhaps the most intriguing act in the competition.  The New York Regional Champions are from The Republic of Georgia and they are young.  And when I say young, I mean really young, falling between the ages of 13 and 17.  But on the stage, there is nothing childlike about them.  They opened with a beautiful and highly complex Georgian folk song Krimanchuli.  The group flawlessly executed its rapid-fire lyrics and the audience was immediately blown away.  The amazement continued with the jazz standard Senor Blues.  I had never heard this song vocalized before, and these kids knocked it out of the park.  And just when you thought it could not get any better, they performed an original song called Tales of War, and dedicated it to the victims in Ukraine, the home country Georgia and to the lives lost on 9/11.  The song is indescribable.  The performance was remarkable.  And the audience rose to its feet in appreciation. 

2013 Champs Honey Whiskey Trio 

The competition was compete.  Now the judges had to deliberate and the audience would get its turn to vote for its favorite.  After a brief 15 minute break for the voting, everyone settled back into their seats and The Honey Whiskey Trio took the stage for the final time as national champions.  They performed songs from their just release LP Honey Whiskey Trio: Stories of Love, Death and Spirits, including My Love, Courtney’s gorgeous arrangement of the Everly Brothers All I have to do is Dream (which earned them their first standing ovation and the crowd’s ultimate tribute of thunderous stomping), and It’s a Sin To Tell A Lie, featuring a vocal trumpet solo by Ann Louise.  HWT did a little tribute to last year’s hosts and 2012 national champs Six Appeal by performing 500 Miles.  But Christina warned everyone, “We are out of shape, so there will be no running or jumping….”  Instead, the Honeys sang a gorgeous, almost unrecognizable version of the song that earned them their second standing O.  They closed their performance with the upbeat Wine Blues.  A third standing ovation and more stomping ensued.  The Honeys had been charming hosts.  What an incredible Harmony Sweepstakes swan song for the Honey Whiskey Trio!

Angie Doctor returned to the stage and it was time to announce the results.

Audience Favorite……WOMEN OF THE WORLD!

Huge applause as the ladies from Boston come out for the encore.  I am sorry that I don’t know the song they sang, but it was beautiful as their entire performance had been.

Angie now brought out all of the performers in show order.  Catatonic, SeaNote, 3AM, Women of the World, Prime Time, #FourtyFourB, and Quintessential Five.  They formed a semi-circle upstage and waited for Angie to announce the winners.  All of the work, audition tapes, winning of the regionals.  And it all came down to this.

Here we go……

Best Arrangement……GRAYSON VILLANUEVA FOR HEAVEN BY #FOURTYFOURB!

This is what I was hoping for and the judges in my opinion made the right choice.  Perfectly arranged for the group’s voices

Best Original Song…..BUKA KARTOZIA FOR TALES OF WAR BY QUINTESSENTIAL FIVE

No question about this. A stunningly beautiful song that although in a different language, you really got the gist of what the song was saying.

And now, the placements:

Third place goes to…………SEANOTE!

I was actually a little surprised by this selection, but pleasantly so.  They had performed beautifully and were very deserving of the placement. 

Second place goes to……………….QUINTESSENTIAL FIVE!

On one hand, I was so happy for these kids because their performance was near perfect and in this environment in front of this audience, it was an incredible feat.  On the other hand, they finished second.  Nothing to be ashamed of.  But I am sure they wanted to win.  Who doesn’t?

First place, and the 2014 Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions……..WOMEN OF THE WORLD!

The four women walked to center stage with their arms around each other and took in the applause, and the standing ovation.  They were beaming, with that feeling that only a national champion can feel.  Once the applause died down, it was time for the traditional group singing of the doo-wop classic Goodnight Sweetheart.  One thing that is very unique about the Sweeps is that many in the audience are singers.  And when the crowd joins in for this song, it sounds pretty good.  People are even harmonizing!

Goodnight Sweetheart - Photo by AcaFanBase

With that, the 30^th Annual Harmony Sweepstakes is a wrap.  It was a wonderful and diverse competition, with many style and genres represented.  Oddly, for one of the few times in Sweeps history, barbershop was not represented.  But consider the night consisted of indie, pop, gospel, R&B, world music, classical, jazz and folk.  Amazing.  Congratulations to all of the participating groups for putting on a wonderful show.  A special tip of the hat to Women of the World.  For the second year in a row, an all-female group (and rather non-traditional ones at that) has taken top prize.  Enjoy the ride, Women of the World.  Well done……

And to my friend and fellow writer Stacy who could not make it this year, thanks for allowing me to fill in for you.  Until we meet again next year, I am signing off.

Glenn Wilson

Corona, CA

MUSICAL DIVERSITY FRONT AND CENTER AT BCCM ALUMNI RECITAL

Clockwise from top: Arf, Down 4 The Count, Karl?, Love4Chello

If there was one thing that could be taken away from last Sunday’s Alumni Recital at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music is that BCCM and its students cannot and will not be pigeonholed or singly defined as a type. The key words on this on this afternoon were MUSICAL DIVERSITY. On a nearly perfect afternoon at the Daniel Recital Hall on campus, six acts featuring alumni and a few current students strutted their stuff in an electric and eclectic two-hour show.

Indie-rock band Squarefish featuring singer-songwriter-guitarist Maggie Boles kicked off the recital nicely thanks in large part to the able backing of Mike Amico (bass and backup vocals), Lauren Pennington (keyboards) and Anthony Vezirian (drums). The band has an edge, but is not overpowering therefore providing an intimate relationship with the audience. Each musician blends with the other and no one gets overshadowed. Vezirian is a solid and consistent drummer that gives Squarefish a good foundation. Pennington quietly does her thing on the keyboards, providing the band with a sound that is larger than the sum of their four components. Amico is a fine bassist who does that tricky thing of playing bass and providing backup vocals. Every band member got a chance to shine and no one was overshadowed. Nevertheless, the center of attention is Boles, whose vocal style is a cross between Nelly Furtado and Joni Mitchell. This is a very good band. Check them out at www.squarefish.com or at ReverbNation.com. I especially like the songs True Romance and Plan B.

Next to the stage was Love4Cello. Seeing this quartet come on stage and setup their cellos, you would have assumed there would be a little Bach, maybe some Mozart. And, there was. But after opening their set with a beautiful classical piece, the group showed its amazing versatility when as the broke into Coldplay’s Clocks. They continued with the Beatles classics Hey Jude and Let it Be and then closed with a rousing rendition of Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance. Love4Cello showed remarkable musicianship, combining their big, lush sound with the terrific execution of their snappy arrangements. I can see this group performing at weddings or at the Hollywood Bowl. Yes, they are that versatile and yes, they are that good. Love4Cello is Lucia Cahuantzi, Chris McCarthy, Claire Mehm and Ben Coyte. Their website is www.love4cello.com

Long before a cappella became cool (BPP – Before Pitch Perfect), Down 4 The Count was wowing audiences with their smooth and jazzy vocal stylings. And like fine wine, this amazing quintet gets better with age (and that is not to say that they are old. They’ve just been doing their thing for years). Colleen Keene, Penny Watson, Christine Tavares, Jason Lingle and new bassist Gregg Haueter sound better than ever. Their set on Sunday included a swinging arrangement of Don’t Get Around Much Anymore with Tavares providing the lead vocal; the Colleen Keene original Perfect Crime and the hilarious and wonderful Can’t Get Abducted, E.T. Don’t Dig Me Blues featuring Haueter on solo. Watson’s alto and Keene’s soprano blend beautifully with Tavares’ mezzo and are supported by Haueter’s solid bass. Lingle is a superb vocal percussionist and a steady timekeeper. As good as they are as individuals, they are terrific as a group, crescendoing and decrescendoing as one (and I don’t even think those are real words much less proper English, but you get my drift). I love this group and you will too. www.down4thecount.com

Karl? Is a group that defies categorization. But there are three adjectives that I can use to describe this wonderful band. Hard-driving. Explosive. And sickly talented. Even their warm-up tune sounded cool. Consisting of singer-violinist Rebecca Lynn, lead guitarist Daniel Chavez, percussionist-vocalist Alex Mastrovito, drummer Michael Malinowski and bassist Nick Gonzalez, Karl? ripped through their four-song performance that showed aspects of many artists and genres, but sounded completely original. Karl? is probably one of those bands that lose about ten pounds per performance as they put so much energy into it. The vocal back and forth between Lynn and Mastrovito was not only a joy to listen to but a thrill to watch as they seemed to drive each other to new heights. Though the sound is hard, they never lose their musicality. Chavez lead guitar is powerful. Gonzalez keeps the bottom strong with his smooth bass line. Malinowski fine drum work is a perfect complement to Mastrovito on percussion. And then there is Lynn, whose violin work and singing are only surpassed by her wonderful stage presence. I don’t know the names of the songs they played Sunday, but check them out on SoundCloud and Facebook. Listen to the contrast between Grand Old Party and Where I Must Be.

While Karl? can be considered original, Arf featuring Genevieve Artadi can be called innovative. Singer-songwriter Artadi composes original music for Arf among her other projects (most notably with Knower and her collaboration with Louis Cole). I first saw Arf at this year’s Harmony Sweepstakes and it was great to see them perform again. Joined by some fabulous musicians in Alexandra Domingo, Jessica Freedman, Katherine Hoye, Andrea Calderwood and Sean Fitzpatrick, Arf began their set with the electronic sounds of Cupcake5. They then left the electronics behind to sing the beautiful and mesmerizing From 2 Sides (this won Best Original Song at the Harmony Sweeps this year) I think From 2 Sides is one of the coolest a cappella vocals that I have ever heard and Arf performs it so well with Genevieve on lead vocals and Sean providing excellent vocal percussion. Just about as brilliant was their next tune, the incredible Screen Images. There are no words to this composition. Arf does the entire song by humming. I cannot explain it. You just have to hear it. It is simply remarkable. They finished up with hyper-techno You Know A Place Where I Won’t Feel Dead. Check out their Facebook page. They will be playing The Elastic Hour at Curve Line Space on October 24th.

Honey Whiskey Trio closing out BCCM Alumni Recital

Closing the show was Honey Whiskey Trio. After a whirlwind year that saw them win first place and audience favorite at the Harmony Sweepstakes Nationals, HWT returned home to Cal State Long Beach for their first performance at their alma mater. Strutting onstage in their trademark boots, Courtney Gasque, Ann Louise Thaiss and Christina Wilson opened with their arrangement of Bob Dylan’s He’s Been On The Job Too Long. They continued with one of their sweetest songs to date – Courtney’s original composition If You’ll Be The One For Me, with Ann Louise on guitar and Courtney on mandolin. But it was the vocals that made this song stand out, three-part harmonies that are reminiscent of The Wailing Jennys. The toe-tapping Long Hot Summer Day was next, with all of the girls getting a chance to solo. I felt like the audience was ready to clap along with this song, but this crowd made up of mostly students did not want to detract from the performance. So they listened and enjoyed. The trio closed with one of the signature songs, Freight Train Blues. Not only do they sing this song well, but they perform it with so much style and panache that you can’t help but love it. www.honeywhiskeytrio.com

Honey Whiskey Trio encouraged students to seek out others, develop friendships and begin collaborations. All of the acts began at BCCM. There was something for everyone at this alumni recital. Indie-rock, classical, jazz, alternative, techno and folk. And to think, all of this incredible talent began and was cultivated at the music department of California State University Long Beach. Now more music and more talent is being cultivated at what is now known world-wide as the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.

2013 HARMONY SWEEPSTAKES NATIONAL FINALS



The 962-seat Marin Veterans Auditorium, site of the Harmony
Sweepstakes National Finals - Photo curtosy of The Rainbows



I know I had promised a recap of the Harmony Sweepstakes within 48 hours of our return, but it’s been a busy week and I caught a case of severe writers block.  So, this may not be all that good, but here are my recollections on the last weekend.   But first, let’s go back to April 6^th. 

My wife Nancy and I attended the Harmony Sweepstakes Los Angeles Regionals.  Among the acts performing that evening was Honey Whiskey Trio, a newly-formed group featuring Courtney Gasque, Ann Louise Thaiss and our daughter Christina Wilson.  We had not yet heard their music.  There was nothing on their Facebook page other than pictures and messages, and the website was not yet up and running.  But that night, they blew us away with their tight harmonies and stage presence.  They shocked many – including themselves - by winning first place and audience favorite over some very seasoned competition.  Their victory earned them a spot in the Nationals in San Rafael, California on May 18^th.

Nancy and I along with our son Bryan traveled to the Bay Area to meet up with my mother-in-law Elizabeth, sister-in-laws Mary and Linda who call came down from Washington State, and sister-in-law Jan and her new husband Mark who live in nearby Livermore.  We had lunch with Christina and her husband Jesse on Friday, who were finishing up their honeymoon.  We didn’t talk about the competition.  I figured within the next 24 hours she would have plenty of that.  The next day, it was off to San Rafael where we had dinner and a few drinks to take the edge off (I highly recommend Napoli Restaurant if you are ever in Downtown San Rafael).

The event was taking place at the Marin Veterans Auditorium, a beautiful venue in a lovely setting.  As nice as it was, it was cold, so they let us in early.  The auditorium is stunning.  It was constructed perfectly so there is no bad seat in the house.  We ran into the trio at their table where they were selling CDs, stickers and handing out business cards.  They appeared calm, but a little anxious.  I bought a couple of CDs (or maybe it was six), and told them good luck and that I would see them after.  We also caught up with Jesse’s parents Shelly and Hubert who were equally excited about the performance.

The crowd filed in and by 7:55, there was not an empty seat in the place.  We turned our phones off as it was now curtain time.  MC Angie Doctor does her welcomes and acknowledgments and explains the rules.  She then introduces the evening’s host - 2012 winner and reigning National Champions Six Appeal who opens the show with a head-bobbing rendition of Listen to the Music.

First group to perform is Pacific Northwest Champs Rezonate.  It is a tough thing to be first act in an event such as this, but the sextet from Eugene, Oregon who finished third in the 2009 Nationals handled it like pros.  They opened with a cute song called Got No Rhythm.  They also sang a very good Queen medley that started off with the infections We Will Rock You.  This is a group that has opened for The Bobs, so you expect greatness and they delivered.  I thought their set lost a little steam near the end, but they were very good.

Next is Fermata Town from Boston.  This was a big group.  I mean, a really, really big group.  They

Fermata Town - photo by Christopher Cochems

 brought twelve singers with them but per Sweepstakes rules are only allowed eight on stage at a time (their website states they actually have fourteen singers in the group!).  So between songs, they shuttled singers out while bringing new singers in.  It kinda resembled a hockey line change or tag-team wrestling.  But with all the switching of singers, they never lost their cohesiveness.  Vocally, they are excellent.  They do mostly original stuff and their harmonies are multi-layered (I even heard a little Eric Whitacare influences in one of their pieces).  Fermata Town is part pop, part jazz, part rock.  They have a good blend although to an untrained ear, their harmonies may have sounded a bit busy. 



The fabulous Lustre Quarter - photo by Christopher Cochems



Next in line was the Baltimore-based Lustre Quartet, winners of the Mid-Atlantic Region.  First, I have always loved barbershop style singing.  It really is the original a cappella singing and when it’s done right, it can be amazing.  And these ladies definitely did it right.  Gliding onto center stage in their flowing blue gowns, they took their places behind the mikes, got their pitch and let it rip.  Let me just say this……and I believe this to be a technical music term.……….they blew the doors off the place!  Lori Crouter, Lori Dreyer, Jenny Harris and Kate Morrical rocked the house.  Their voices were so strong and harmonies so tight that the audience showed their appreciation by clapping, cheering and stomping their feet.   An absolutely thunderous ovation.  Their bio states that they are the 2013 Sweet Adeline’s International 7^th Place Finalist.  I told my sister-in-law Mary, “No way there are six barbershop groups better than these gals…” 

I felt sorry for whomever had to follow Lustre, but it was in the capable hands of the Bay Area’s own Ro Sham Bo.  They came out in 1960s/1970s garb and a board that read “The Dating Game,” referring to the old game show of the time.  One singer acted as the host, one was the bachelor and three were the bachelorettes.  Well, one of the bachelorettes was a male singer in drag, but there are only two females in the group.  So what could they do?  Anyway, they used the bachelor questions to launch into their set that included “All of Me, Feeling Good,” and “Kissing My Love.”  They sounded great.  Good soloists, sharp harmonies.  The guy in drag (sorry I don’t have his name) was an especially good soloist.  I did think the skit aspect took away from their vocals a bit.  But overall, I thought they were very good.

****INTERMISSION********

It’s time to catch our breath, stretch our legs and you know….go to the restroom.  The first half of the show had been fabulous.  We still do not know when the girls are going to perform.  But it will be soon as there are only three groups left.  Coincidentally, the remaining groups are from the nation’s big three cities: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.  During the break, the buzz in the men’s room (the place where all a cappella intellectuals gather), was about Lustre.  One gentleman said, “They were fabulous.  I don’t see anyone beating them.”  Meanwhile, I continued my eavesdropping in the lobby.  One woman loved the big sound of Fermata Town.  A teenage girl thought the boys of Rezonate were cute.  A man found the Dating Game skit by Ro Sham Bo “hilarious.”  But the consensus was that The Lustre Quartet had won the first part of the show.  And I could not disagree with that.

Intermission is now over, and we are ready for the home stretch. 



The Rainbows - photo by Christopher Cochems



First up was The Rainbows.  Although they were the New York Regional winner, they are actually from Quebec City, Canada (by the way, QC is one of our favorite places on earth).  They each wore different color shirts (hence the name “Rainbows”), and opened with a sassy arrangement of the James Brown classic “I Feel Good,” with the powerful Genevieve Pare on lead vocals.  “Soul Man” and “I Thank You” were also part of their performance.  Nicholas Grynzpan performed some nice solo bass work in the middle of the set.  Their harmonies were outstanding and the effervescent Pare did a great job fronting the band.  I liked them a lot.  I thought they were fun, and I got the feeling that they were genuinely happy just to be competing in this event. 

Honey Whiskey Trio singing Freight Train Blues -
photo by Christopher Cochems

And now, the moment that we were waiting for.  Representing Los Angeles, the Honey Whiskey Trio. 

After all of the beat-boxing, big sounds and big-throated soloists, would the audience and judges respond to HWT’s quiet performance and their subtle but complex harmonies?  We were about to find out. 

HWT came onto a stage that looked way too big for their small group.    They appeared relaxed, although Christina admitted later that she was very nervous.  After taking hold of their microphones, Courtney, Ann and Christina launched into Courtney’s hauntingly beautiful arrangement of “House of the Rising Sun.”  You could hear a pin drop.  I knew at that point they had the audience’s attention.  As their set continued, the trio seemed to settle in and gain confidence.  They sang Bob Dylan’s “Freight Train Blues” with style and personality.  And they surprised the audience with a ballad version of “You’re the One That I Want” from the movie Grease.  As they left the stage, the Honey Whiskey Trio received a sustained applause.  Not the raucous one Lustre had, but this was a knowledgeable audience and it was definitely a response of both respect and admiration.  One their Facebook page, Ann Daniels wrote: “You completely blew me away this evening. Your version of House of the Rising Sun moved me to tears”

I exhaled, proud of what the girls had accomplished.  I watched this performance – as I always do – from two angles.  First from a technical perspective, they were spot-on.  I am sure they will find fault with parts (perfectionists always do), but the harmonies were sharp, and their execution was flawless.  Then there is the emotional perspective.  I had seen them at the Regionals so I knew what to expect from them.  By now, I knew the songs and it was still an emotional performance.  No matter what happens with the judging, they could be very proud that they went out there and left everything on the stage.

Oh, there was still one group left to perform.

The final act was Chicago’s The Cat’s Pajamas.  With their television appearances (The Sing-Off), their 200-plus bookings in Branson, Missouri and boy-band good looks, they came into the competition the heavily-hyped favorite.  The group ran to center stage and tore into Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kinda Wonderful.”  They were full of energy, and were in constant movement.  Then, a near disaster struck.  While singing and dancing to their second song, member Mike Hilliker came down awkwardly on his right leg and went down in a heap.  He tried to get up, but went down again.  Obviously in pain, he finally (and bravely) rose, stayed in character and finished out the rest of the set.  The Cat’s Pajamas were good.  They sang and danced like professionals.  But the act was a little too night-club like for my taste.  The vocals were fine, but they were nowhere near the groups that had performed before them.

The competition was over.  While the judges deliberated, the audience voted for their favorites.  My son Bryan kept an eye on the ballot boxes – just to make sure there was no tampering.  Didn’t want to have to take this to the Supreme Court for a recount.  No hanging chads here…



2012 Champions Six Appeal - photo by Christopher Cochems

Upon returning to our seats, Angie Doctor introduced the 2012 champions Six Appeal, who were by the way spendid this evening.  The high-octane group left no doubt as to why they were last year’s winners.  They were engaging, charismatic and most of all, they could sing their butts off.  They opened with Circle of Life from the Lion King.  Their set included a lovely treatment of Ordinary People (solo by Trey Jones) and a comical send-up of the disco classic I Will Survive.  They closed with funny and energetic dancing, running and jumping version of 500 Miles to which they received the highest compliment – a standing ovation!  For the record, Six Appeal consists of Jordan Roll, Michael Brookens, Trey Jones, Nathan Hickey, Ruben Hushagen and Andrew Berkowitz.



After the crowd settled down, Angie Doctor came to the podium to announce the results. I grab Nancy’s hand, and here we go..

“Your vote for Audience Favorite goes to…….

Honey Whiskey Trio!”

Audience goes wild!  Nancy and I go wild!  Family around us goes wild!  Wow!  What an honor from this audience.  What a super honor.  The ladies come out for an encore and sing their gorgeous take on Grace Potter’s Nothing But The Water.  Again, you can feel the emotion in the audience for HWT.  Huge applause.

The MC brings out all of the groups to the stage and they form a semi-circle.  Angie Doctor continues..

“Best Original Arrangement…..

The Rainbows – I Feel Good”

I am good with this.  It was a fun, and as I mentioned before, sassy arrangement.

“Best Original Song…..

Fermata Town – Starting Line”

Yep, no doubt about this one.  Well deserved.

And now, the placements.  Inhale…..exhale….

“Third place……We have a tie.  That’s a good thing.

Fermata Town!”

And

“The Rainbows!”

Big applause as both groups step forward, exchange hugs and then take a bow as one.  It was a beautiful thing to see.  My heart is starting to beat faster….

“In second place…..

Lustre”

Three of the four ladies come to center stage beaming with pride (one had to leave early).  They were so, so good on this evening.  Once Lustre was announced as the second place winner, I turned to Nancy, but she was in a zone.  When she’s in a zone, I know not to bother her.  I then turned to my sister-in-law Linda who was to my right.  I told her, “I think our girls just won.”

And now, first place and winners of the 2013 Harmony Sweepstakes…….

Honey Whiskey Trio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I have been going to performances for years and I pride myself on restraint.  But on this night, I totally lost my composure.  I don’t even remember, but the next thing I knew I was on my feet jumping up and down like a damn fool.  I was so proud of them.  The ladies came to center stage and looked stunned.  As the applause continued, they had their arms draped around each other, taking it all in.  The smiles on their faces were priceless.  Once the applause died down, Angie Doctor gave her closing remarks and as is with the Harmony Sweepstakes tradition, all of the groups and the audience would join together to sing the 50s Doo Wop classic “Goodnight Sweetheart.”

 Unbeknownst to them, HWT became the first L.A. champs to win the nationals since the legendary Moira Smiley and VOCO won in 2007.  And they were only the third trio in the history of the event to win.  The others were Plumbers of Rome in 2010 and Pastiche in 1987

 At the regionals, they had shocked Los Angeles.  Now, they had shocked the nation. 

The Honey Whiskey Trio – 2013 Harmony Sweepstakes National Champions!

Honey Whiskey Trio - 2013 Harmony Sweepstakes
National Champions - photo by Christopher Cochems