Condolences for

I never, as an adult, thanked Dick for the opnortupity he gave me in high school to play guitar in his band. His passing awoke me to this thoughtlessness. I’ll chalk it up to one more little thing I learned thanks to Dick. As a 16 year old who was discovering jazz, playing for Dick’s band was an enormous thrill. I was amongst players far beyond my ability and had to scramble to keep up. It’s the kind of fire all budding musicians benefit from being thrown into, but they all don’t have the opnortupity. I did, and I’ll always be grateful for it. In return for a spot in Dick’s band, he’d ask me to come around his office on Saturdays and re-organize the song books; the numbered sheet music would be out of order after a gig. I’d sit on the floor of his garage, next to his beloved Pierce-Arrow, and try to make sense of the havoc the trombone section wreaked on the charts. I’d bring my guitar along as well. Dick, his saxophone and I would run through a few charts. He’d play me a couple of records. He instilled in me his particular love for Antonio Carlos Jobim. He was the right guy for me to know in a small town in North Dakota where Jazz aficionados are in short supply. I consider myself very lucky to have been his friend. The night after Dick died, my band and I played a show in Los Angeles. I wore my Dick King Classic Swing t-shirt in tribute. We dedicated the set to Dick; I told a few funny stories (and everyone’s got funny stories about Dick)…as I write this, I realize how there isn’t anyone in Grand Forks who will offer people what Dick did. My parents recently sent me a picture of the Dick King Swing Band in action. I saw a lot of young faces in the band. He was educating young people about Jazz right up until the end. I’ll remember him for this, more than anything.

My thoughts and prayers are with HArvey's family at this time. My parents know him best. We all were able to enjoy his garden and handy carpenter wowrk. He his at peace. Sue