The Naples Daily News from Naples, Florida • 44

6D NAPLES DAILY NEWS Sun Fab 4 1973 They Moonlight Fop The Fun Of Making Music NEWS photo by Ntmwa UNUSUALMOONLIGHTERS The Sophisti-Cats get together for a practice session of Dixieland Jazz They are seated left to right Bob Wilkins bass guitar Dr Chester Triplett drums Dr Court Berry piano and standing left to right David Sawtelle clarinet Dr Bryan Nelson trumpet and Bert Gideon trombone By MARY ELLEN HAWKINS Staff Writer In a town where a couple can dine out at a restaurant and find their waiter is their math teacher by day the Sophisti-Cats may well be the most unusual moonlighters in the area Even their reason for moonlighting is different A dixieland jazz band whose six members include three doctors a carpet retailer a retired electronics technician and a school teacher the Sophisti-Cats make music mostly for fun They do charge for engagements however Three hours of such all-time favorites as the Saints Go Marching with a few rhumbas and other danceable tunes thrown in costs $240 a price which bears an inverse relationship to the usual medical fee Where else can one get the undivided attention of three doctors at the same time for three hours for so little? And of course the doctors of the Sophisti-Cats often donate first child in the near future he play music something would be missing" Wives often go along on jobs having dinner with the men and staying to listen to the music The Sophisti-Cats are remarkable individually too Dr Triplett 40 was graduated with a degree in science and a degree in dentistry from Ohio State University and spent five years to boot completing residencies and internships in oral surgery and anesthesiology Recently he also has become interested in forensic dentistry An accomplished deep-sea diver Dr Triplett spends summer vacations diving for sunken treasure in the Caribbean and elsewhere His musical background includes leading a dance band in high school and for nine years during college and he was once a part-time drummer in a burlesque house in Columbus Ohio is the one vice hung onto" says Dr Nelson and formerly of Nebraska He taught himself to play the trumpet from good book that described the technique right" He also played trumpet in high school and at the University of Nebraska Dr Nelson is a member of the Marco Island Flying Club and is currently working on an instrument rating Until recently Dr Berry 61 was county medical examiner in addition to his post as chief pathologist at Naples Community Hospital He received his medical degree from Duke Univestiy and has been in Naples since 1967 A good piano player Dr Berry also likes to play modern cocktail music Gideon has been with the Everglades City schools for 15 years and came here from Kentucky He also teaches adult education at Deep Lake road prison located between Jerome and Miles City The most formally educated in music of any of the Sophisti-cats Gideon has a degree in music and can play most other instruments in addition to the trombone For Gideon playing with the Sophisti-Cats is a sort of holiday but he says to relax and enjoy playing with a dance group Gideon also plays with the Naples 'We are a fun group We all respect each other's talent Chester REALTORS NAPLES SOUTHERN REALTY INC 388 13 th AVENUE SOUTH NAPLES FLORIDA 33840 PHONE (S13) S42-S10S 2 bedroom 2 bath overlooking Moorings Bay beautifully carpeted and draped includes storm shutters oh porch and carport Children and pets permitted $52500 'To me David's playing is a part of him If he couldn't play music something would be missing' David their music as well as their professional services to a number of charitable causes A band without a leader the Sophisti-Cats are for the most part natural musicians who stick to set arrangements When one of the group wants to play a certain number he simply suggests the title to the others and they play it Members of the band improvise and hack up each solos and listeners agree the sound is good are a fun group" says Dr Chester Triplett of Naples an oral surgeon and the drummer all respect each other's talent and we enjoy contributing to each other's pleasure when we Besides Dr Triplett the Sophisti-Cats include Dr Bryan Nelson a Marco Island family physician who plays the trumpet Dr Court Berry of Naples chief pathologist at Naples Community Hospital who plays piano Bob Wilkins of Naples a retired electronics technician who plays bass Bert Gideon of Naples who teaches music band and driver education at Everglades City schools trombone and David Sawtelle Bonita Springs proprietor of Carpet Showcase who plays the saxaphone The band first came into being about two years ago after a couple of the men Dr Nelson and Sawtelle met while playing in a local minstrel show After that Dr Nelson and Dr Triplett who knew each other at Naples Community Hospital discovered their common interest in music and the organization of the band got under way The membership of the band Is essentially as it was originally with the exception that two who started with the group a Marco Island priest Father Sam Delaney and Jim Vann with the band any longer and Gideon and his trombone have been added The name was chosen because someone remarked the band was made up of a sophisticated bunch of and it seemed appropriate The first professional engagement was July 4 1971 when the band performed at the first auto show held at the Marco Beach Hotel Since then they have been going strong playing for many charitable events and for engagements at the Beach Club Hotel Royal Poinciana Port Royal Beach Club Naples Yacht Club Marco Island Country Club Marco Island Yacht Club and other places in the area Naturally they play for all hospital parties gratis An easy relationship is evident among members of the Sophisti-Cats and they toss wisecracks back and forth with almost the same frequency as they produce musical notes They get together a couple of times a month unless jobs bring them together more often and their enjoyment is apparent Only Dr Triplett is unmarried and wives of the other five say they mind the time their husbands spend with the band me playing Is part of him" said wife who is expecting their Municipal Band and he enjoys that too although different he says The only Sophisti-Cat with professional musical experience is Wilkins 59 who was once a member of the famous bands of Bunny Berrigan and Smoky Stover left music and went into electronics and just took it up again about two years Wilkins said He played with the Fort Myers Symphony for a while Wilkins received his training in music from an Italian who had directed the Milan opera company and orchestra He plays the bass horn string bass cello and bass guitar A native of Pennsylvania Wilkins once played with the staff orchestras of Station WXYZ Detroit and Station WGN Chicago and he also played for about six years with the Detroit Symphony The youngest member of the group is Sawtelle 21 A graduate of Naples High School he played the clarinet with the symphonic band and the alto sax with stage band And he was a member of the 14-member Florida All-State Symphonic Band for two years Currently youth and music director of the First Baptist Church of Bonita Springs Sawtelle says music is of a way of with him Apparently music is an important part of the lives of all the Sophisti-Cats Lombardo Plays The Music His Public Wants To Hear PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE Open An Almost FREE Checking Account Everyone knows about the convenience of a personal checking account but did you know that If you're over 62 there's no monthly service charge at all? Or did you know there's no monthly service charge if you maintain a balance of $200? Clever Idea! NEW YORK -Fans of Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians sigh for the simpler days and nights of the past for tunes like Days Are Here Lombardo recently recalled that spent most of Ns life leading bands been successful almost from the start In 1914 as a 12-year-old boy in London Ont he formed a band to play at small local dances played violin but not very he said The rest of his five -piece group was recruited either from his own family or from neighbors A full-sized band was organized before they moved to their first American engagement It was in New York City in 1923 One of the originals was his brother Carmen composer of several hits He also sang and played saxophone before his death two years ago Among the top hits intro-(hiced by the band over the intervening years have been Hoo" "Sweethearts On Parade" and Like Old all written by Carmen Others include Driving Me "Little White and Doesn't Live Here Anymore Through the years Lom bardo and his orchestra have kept the same basic arrangements They keep playing the kind of music they created over half a century ago a mellow sound with syrupy saxophones Lombardo friendly and modest is oblivious to extended fame which also indudes his reputation as a national speedboat racer and former winner of highest prize the Gold Cup The most important proof of his musical success is his feat of selling more records than any other dance band His most recent album was recorded at the TYopi-cana Hotel in Las Vegas The Collier County 1 i.