Page 4 - Boca ViewPointe - November '22

Page 4, Viewpointe November 2022
The Rippling Rhythms In My Gene Pool

By William A. Gralnick Very hard-working, Fields wanted to find a sound that home at six, dinner at seven, family sitting around
would distinguish him from the other smooth jazz bands of the radio afterward—there are certain professions she
The radio comedienne the day. When you were trying to find a niche amongst such shouldn’t marry into. One was a bandleader. Bandleaders
Jane Ace had a signature names as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, are on the road a lot. They get home late at night and their
line. When surprised by and many others, something distinctive was needed. Fields body clock has different times than the family’s. Even
something she’d announce, met with his arrangers. They studied the sounds that made when playing gigs in New York, Shep would often not get
“You could have knocked these bands popular and adapted the sounds to different home until two or three in the morning. When he came
me over with a fender.” Such was my reaction to finding instruments. For instance, one orchestra used glissandos through the door, he was usually ravenous. On the kitchen
out that my second cousin, band leader Shep Fields, was a on the trombone. His viola section would do those. Peter counter would be that night’s dinner waiting for him. One
Brooklyn boy. Surprising too, was that Fields was born a Duchan’s right-hand embellishments caught Field’s fancy. night it wasn’t in its usual place, but something else that
Feldman. I won’t run you up and down the genealogy tree, That technique went to the accordion. Triplets on the looked enticing and smelled delicious was. He scarfed
but we have Jewish Maginess’ hanging from a branch. I trumpet went to his clarinets and flutes, and the rolling it down, and as he often did, he left a note of thanks for
knew we had some celebrities attached to my mother’s sounds produced in Ferde Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite his wife to see when she got up to start the day. He said
side of the family. My grandfather’s cousin was the became another mark of his band. His band was already hot the corned beef hash was a nice change and very tasty.
vaudevillian known as the “Mad Russian.” His signature and heard coast-to-coast on the radio playing in the finest They never told him that it was the dog’s food that they
line was challenging someone to a duel and saying in an hotels in the country. The name that made him famous came had forgotten to put away. Ba da boom!
afterthought tone of voice, “If I’m not there on time—start from a contest held in Chicago. Listeners were asked to Shep Fields’sounds were popular from the ‘30s to the
without me.” There was a cousin who was the OB-GYN to pick a name for his band after listening to selections that early ‘60s when the Big Band era ended. He died of a
the stars, having delivered Buddy Hackett and many other used the new sound. The word rippling came up several heart attack on February 23, 1981 with his place secure in
well-known name brands. There was Eddie Fields, the times. Fields then decided on Shep Fields and His Rippling the annals of that era’s music. He rests at the Mt. Hebron
carpet king. Remember the old commercial, “A name on Rhythms. A star was reborn. cemetery, and I am on a campaign to get “The 40’s Junction”
the door, rates a Bigelow on the floor?” If you lived in the There was only one thing missing. He wanted a light, on Sirrius XM to play his music. If you remember the band,
greater NY area and were rich, you went to Eddie Fields for fun sound to be the calling card for his introduction. His remember to drop me a note about your memories.
your carpet needs. Freddie Field was the theatrical agent mind wouldn’t stop but it also wouldn’t come up with
to the stars. Amongst his clients was none other than Judy something. One night, having a bite to eat in a soda shop Columnist and author Bill Gralnick was born and
Garland. But as my mom used to say, “That and fifteen with his wife, he was still grumbling about his inability to raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is writing a three-part
cents will get you on the subway.” come with something. His wife, Evelyn, my mom’s Aunt humorous memoir. The first is “The War of the Itchy Balls
Fields wanted to be a lawyer, but his father’s death at Evie, whom I adored, quietly slipped a straw into her drink and Other Tales from Brooklyn.” Just published is the
age 39 sent him back to bandleading, which he had given and started blowing bubbles. Bingo! The sound of bubbles sequel, “George Washington Didn’t Sleep Here.” Both are
up to study the law. That wasn’t unusual. My father wanted became the indelible intro to the Rippling Rhythms. available on Amazon. You can find his writing at https://
to study the violin, but as the oldest boy of five children, he If a woman wants a traditional home life—husband www.williamgralnickauthor.com. 
saw it wouldn’t provide an immediate living. Interested in
science, he chose medicine. The Depression hit. He became
a dentist because it was a shorter course. Board Of Directors

Attention May 2021 – May 2023 Officers/Executive Committee

Boca Pointe Chairman and President Barry J. Haberman District 5 Howard Weinstein (El Dorado)

Residents! Vice Chair Steve Retzer Esplanada, Caravelle, Palomar, La Corniche,
and El Dorado
King
Steve
Secretary
Treasurer Harvey Kaplan District 6 Connie Murray (Villa Flora)
Flatten All Your Boxes! Villa Flora, Montego Bay, Villa Del Sol, and Palladium
District Directors District 7 Alan Markoff (The Plum)
Our recycling trucks do not pick up your District 1 Mary Ann Frazier (Palms) The Plum/Cortina, Villa Sonrisa and Pointe 100
cardboard boxes if they are not flattened. Instead, Encantada, Valencia and The Palms District 8 Robert Cornell (Costa Brava)
they go to trash and are burned with regular refuse.... District 2 Steve King (Imperial Royale) Costa Del Sol and Costa Brava
lost revenue for residents of Boca Pointe.  Promenade, Imperial Royale, Imperial, Regency District 9 Robin Gliboff (Edgewater)
and Panaché Edgewater Pointe Estates and Stratford Court
District 3 Harvey Kaplan (Meridiana)
La Mirada and Meridiana At Large Directors
District 4 Michael Ehrentreu (El Viento)
El Viento, La Paz, and Southwinds Through 2023 Through 2023
Chandra Stewart-Keith (Panaché) Barry J. Haberman (Encantada)
Bob Greenstein (Lakes of La Paz) Marvin Lazarowitz (Villa Del Sol)
25+ years industry experience Steve Retzer (La Mirada) Carsten Bethge (Valencia)

Beth S. Sigel

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