Jack's sister, Kay Fanning, and Jack duet here at the Family Table restaurant. She sang with her brother for about 10 years before she died in June 2007.

Continued: Fanning

"That evening we had a sumptuous dinner in the El Rancho hall with the Jazzberry Jazz Band (later High Sierra) playing. An open bar was well utilized," he recalls. "After dessert, Borch opened a door, blew a blast on a police whistle and ordered everyone to 'follow the band.' We did, up a ramp into a refrigerator trailer. There was a large barrel full of iced beer and picnic benches up the sides and down the middle.

"The band set up in the nose of the trailer, and we went around to pizza joints where the band would lead us in, usually playing 'Saints.' At one place, a lady and I danced on a table, and management ordered us off. So, what's wrong with that, or with hauling a bunch of drunks and a Dixieland band around Sacramento in a reefer truck? But it never happened again."

The Jubilee began in May 1974 and soon grew to be the nation's largest festival of its type. Fanning helped organize bands the Monterey club sent to Sacramento and developed their monthly sessions. He was busy avocationally for service club dances with his own group or as a sideman.

Coming to Florida

Fanning's parents moved to Venice Gardens in the 1950s, and Jack and Billie visited there often. In 1992 they bought a house in Warm Mineral Springs near North Port, Florida's fastest-growing city. His first weekly gigs were at Snook Haven, a rustic restaurant on the Myakka River that still has daily music in season. He invited dual saxman Ron Drischel to sit in, and Drischel's trio succeeded Fanning's later.

In 1993 Fanning began applying computer programming skills to build his Shadows shows, which can emphasize musical themes or use a big variety of tunes. He uses Band-in-a-Box software to create arrangements, then a Finale program to tweak them. The resulting MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) files are loaded on a laptop computer that Billie operates to back him on vibes and vocals.

There is a poignant love story here. The Fannings married two months after meeting in 1974. Now Billie has been in a wheelchair for over a decade because of an inoperable aneurysm on an artery. But her mind and sense of humor are sharp, and friends enjoy her witty e-mails. Jack is devoted to her and takes her everywhere, even to Germany, in a van that also carries his vibes.

Fanning's Shadows played the Venice Day's Inn three nights a week in the mid-`90s. He has also performed at North Port's Family restaurant, Jewish Community Center fairs, Books A Million in Venice and Sarasota, residential communities and churches. His current gig is on Friday and Saturday evenings at La Stanza Ristorante in Englewood.

At a 1998 St. Patrick's Day party his sister, Kay, volunteered to sing "My Wild Irish Rose." She then became a regular with Shadows as a soloist and duets like"Hit The Road, Jack" with her brother. As Kay was dying of cancer last year, Jack sang "Lida Rose" to her, and she mouthed the final phrase.

Fanning has been studio manager since 1993 for Dick Hyman, Venice's renowned pianist, composer and musical producer. One task is building a data base of about 1,000 Hyman-recorded tunes, arrangements and soundtracks for films. He also deals with publishers, does mailings and organizes files. "He is a wonderful friend, like a family member, and very capable assistant," said Hyman.  

The trio Fanning led at Senior Friendship Center Monday dances for 10 years was often expanded by guest players. Leaders of other bands at these memorable sessions included German reedman Peter Buhr, who wintered on the Suncoast for 15 years. This led to forming a quartet to play private parties, club dances, retirement homes and weekly concerts in the downtown park in Venice. The group became Peter Buhr and his Florida Friends, with Fanning on vibes, Tony DiBianca on accordion and MIDI bass and Dane Hassan on drums.

Buhr brought them to Germany for tours for four years, and the group will play the Ludwigsburg Jazz Festival on a tour in January. The band has played almost-daily concerts and drawn enthusiastic audiences. It has made two CDs and a demo DVD from 2006 video in Germany.

A German tour last year was led by pianist Johnny Varro with Fanning and Buhr and local rhythm players. They will repeat this tour October 17-27. Varro is one of Florida's musical giants as a world-class all-star, leader and member of famous bands and the 2004 Sacramento Jubilee Emperor. He and Fanning play other area gigs and have excellent musical empathy.

A select group of musicians and fans enjoy Thursday luncheon meetings in Sarasota that began about 15 years ago. Fanning made reservations for awhile at the lively gatherings where many musical "war stories" are told.

One of Fanning's close friends and an inspiration is famed Canadian vibist Peter Appleyard. He plays many Sarasota jazz festivals and with Dick Hyman's allstar groups. Appleyard uses Fanning's Musser pro vibes for some of his Florida dates.

Jack Fanning is a modest man, and one has to probe to learn about his achievements. He makes friends easily, and "good vibes" can describe his relationships as well as music. He stands tall among many fine musicians who enrich the culture of the Florida Gulf Coast area.

Here, Peter Buhr and His Florida Friends perform a concert at a school auditorium in Unterweissach, Germany, in May 2006. The musicians are Buhr on clarinet, Dane Hassan of Venice, Fla., on drums, Tony DiBianca of Sarasota on accordion and MIDI bass and Jack Fanning on vibes. (Author's note: My wife, Ruth, and I went to Germany and heard four PB&FF concerts and were amazed by size and enthusiasm of crowds.)

October 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.