I was a junior in H.Schl. in 1958. I was of a mindset to see these songs as banal beyond belief. Folk was the remedy I found. Kerouac too. Jack and Woody's reasons for being "on the road" were different, but I sure bought into that mystique. And I must've found something of real value there, because I never, for the most part, ever left that nitch.

Still, the pop songs of the 30s and 50s became classic jazz standards when Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman, Red Rodney, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Bud Powell and so many others used the melodies as fodder in the Be Bop and "cool" jazz mill. There's no better music anywhere---ever.

But 1958 was a special year---with a special lady to date all that summer in Evansville, Indiana on the Ohio River. And there was one pop song that was "our song" then. I still love it. " ALL IN THE GAME" as sung by Tommy Edwards. To this day it makes me think of river bottoms and drive-in theaters with steamed up windows and corn fields like canyons on both sides of the car protecting us from prying eyes until some cop with a flashlight more powerful than a searchlight on a river towboat suggests we come up for air. Nothing can bring back bittersweet moments like the music that was the soundtrack for our personal blockbuster movies.

Amos, thanks.

Art Thieme