Remembering Drew’s Crew

After watching a story about a group of senior citizens, all of whom were retired professional musicians who still get together to play dance music from the "Big Band" era, I began reflecting on my own encounter with this music when I was in high school in central Ohio.  (I guess reflecting on one's high school years is inevitable when classmates are preparing for our fiftieth class reunion, in this case the Westerville [South] High School Class of 1962.)

Remember Drew's Crew?  "Drew" was Phil Pearson, a friend and classmate given the nickname by our high school math teacher, Bob Short, who named him after muckraking newspaper columnist and radio personality, Drew Pearson (1897-1969).  Phil was a clarinetist and conductor of this small dance band comprised mostly of members of the Class of '62.  I was one of its trombonists.  We played for high school dances and proms in the central Ohio area during the 1961–62 school year.

Westerville High had had an official dance band led by our high school instrumental music teacher, Forrest Becker.  I played trombone in this high school band alongside fellow trombonist J. B. Armstrong, who went on to become a professional musician.  (Needless to say, I did not!)  For whatever reason, Mr. Becker disbanded the WHS dance band after the 1960–61 school year.  Some of us, led by Phil Pearson, approached Becker about continuing on our own, and he was kind enough to turn over to us the school band's complete library of sheet music.  Drew's Crew was born, so-named, as I recall, by Richard Lauer, lead trumpet player.

Two memories from my short-lived "career" as a member of Drew's Crew stand out.  One was the Friday night that we played for our own high school's winter homecoming in 1962.  We had been explicitly told by our high school principal, John Mowder, that dancers would not be permitted to do the twist, a rock-and-roll-inspired dance craze in the early 1960s (remember Chubby Checker?).  About halfway through the evening's playing and without telling anyone in advance, Dick Lauer rose from his seat and, carrying his trumpet, walked to the microphone.  He leaned forward and, in a low voice (as if the dance's chaperones would be unable to hear him!), asked if anyone wanted to do the twist.  There followed a resounding "Yes!" from the dancers.   Smiling sheepishly, Dick took his seat, and Phil lead us in played the only song in our repertoire that was suitable for doing the twist, Glenn Miller's famous "In the Mood."  (As far as I can recall, no one in the band ever got into trouble over this.)

The other outstanding memory was the night we played a senior prom somewhere in southern Delaware County (I don't remember the name of the high school), and once again Dick Lauer was at the center of things.  As the evening wore on and dancing couples began disappearing to do who knows what (!), Dick became increasingly worried that we would not be paid.  Between numbers he kept whispering to Pearson to "Get the check!," "Get the check!"   We finished the performance, were handed our check without incident, and drove back to Westerville in the early morning pleased to lead the life of professional musicians, if only for a few fleeting months.