International Jazz Banjo Newsletter

It does not seem that long ago, but actually I met Harry Reser in 1958. I was serving in the U.S. Navy at the time and had the very great honor of representing my naval district and appearing on television on the old “Ed Sullivan variety hour” which was broadcast out of New York. Understand that I was only 18 years old at the time.
After rehearsing my number for the show with the Ray Block Orchestra I got talking to the orchestra's guitar player about Harry Reser. Well, as luck would have it, he was a close friend of Harry, even giving me Harry’s telephone number and insisted that I call him. Unaware of the guitar player’s name, he said “tell Harry that Tony gave you the telephone number and told you to call”. Tony Mottola was a jazz legend in his own right. I called Harry Reser and told him that I played the tenor banjo and I was to appear on TV in a few days time. Mr. Reser could not have been more gracious and he was pleased that I had called. Before I knew it I was in the presence of Mr. & Mrs. Harry Reser in their Manhattan apartment. He asked me to play the song I was to do while Mrs. Reser made some cold drinks and sliced some watermelon in the kitchen. He seemed pleased with my playing and advised me to do it exactly the same way each time as the orchestra’s arrangement was built around the song I was to do. We talked for a very long time about the banjo and he liked the old Weyman banjo I had, although it paled in comparison to the banjos he had. I remember Mrs. Reser appearing with the cold drinks and cold watermelon and she said "Young man, you look like you could use something cold to drink by now”.
I made my appearance that Sunday evening on the "All Navy Ed Sullivan show” which was nationally broadcast and the show was extremely popular at the time. Harry Reser watched and taped the show from his home (using the old reel to reel tapes) and sent me the tape also including several of his own numbers. Somehow I always kept in touch with Mr. Reser as I lived in Philadelphia, PA and New York is only 90 miles away. In fact the next time I met him was with my father, who was also a banjo player. My dad and I drove down to Atlantic City where Harry Reser was playing with the old Sammy Kaye Band at the Steel Pier. Again, Mr. Reser was kind, gracious and outgoing to my dad and I. He was not only the greatest banjo player in the world but also a true gentleman and a “people’s person”. I'm a better banjo player for having met him and maybe a better person as well. He told me one very profound thing too- to pass whatever musical knowledge you have along to the next person and keep music and the banjo alive. So, what little knowledge I have I've tried to pass it on. Whether you realize it or not, the International Jazz Banjo Newsletter is doing exactly what Harry Reser would want – passing that knowledge along !
I hope you like this story because to me it showed Harry Reser as not only a giant musically, but his talent was equally matched by him being just a great person, too.

Sincerely,
Bob Mansure