Hey, Ron:

Oddly enough, you are dead right (not that you always aren't) about this area. New Haven (which is a ten minute drive from where we live) has always been a center of vocal music. The Collectible Label (the pre-eminent company that does re-issues of "Oldies") even has a CD of New Haven Doo Wop groups. You might expect that there'd be a CD of New York, Chicago or Philadelpia groups, but not necessarily of New Haven. The best known groups were The Five Satins and The Nutmegs but there were many, many more. When I lived in Stamford, CT, just 30 miles from here, the Gospel Messengers were the only black gospel quartet in the immediate area. Here in the New Haven area, when groups have their Anniversary, they commonly invite 20-25 area groups. For some reason, New Haven has always been a place where vocal groups have flourished. And then, there's classical music presented at Yale, and there's a strong jazz and rock community as well. Just about anything you want to hear. For all the great music at the Doo Wop concert (3 hours of wonderful singing) the ticket price was just $15. To hear these groups in New York City, it would cost more like $50, plus the expense and hassle of driving into New York and paying a minimum of $20 to park your car.

As a died-in-the-wool folkie, we received a valued compliment for the Director of the Male Chorus on Sunday. He said that of all the groups in the area, we are unique because we present authentic old black gospel... something people no longer hear. Doing black gosp-el quartet music, for me, is no different than doing country blues or southern Appalachian music... I try to do all of it in an authentic style, out of respect for the tradition. It makes me feel good that someone I respect as a gifted musician appreciates that we are presenting the music with authenticity.

And Hello, Colin! Colin had the pleasure of hearing the Gospel Messengers twice, and singing bass with Joe. Hopefully, that will happen again some day, and will with you too Ron... and Elmer and many more of my Catter friends. Maybe we can get the Doo Wop group over here, too and really have a memorable occasion.

Jerry