Dick Kroeckel, Ragtime Pianist (September 6, 1945 – October 11, 2020)

Hey all. I received late word that Colorado ragtime pianist Dick Kroeckel passed away, back in October.  

Dick was a well-known entertainer, mentioned in the same breath as Max Morath and Danny Griffith. Born in Indiana, at the age of six, his family moved to Colorado. His piano playing was influenced by musical family members, along with Little Richard. He started playing professionally, at the age of 16 years old, at the Screwball Bar, in Kittredge. He soon became part of the Central City Colorado Summer Fun, playing at the historic Tollgate and Glory Hole Bars. 

After completing his military service, he moved to Georgetown, where he was hired as a bartender at the Silver Queen, where he spent the next five years. In the 1970s he moved to the Cherry Creek Inn, Red Slipper Room in Denver.  He soon took to the road, performing in the southwest and Midwest states.

 

The New Mexican (Santa Fe) - March 20, 1974

 

La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wisconsin) - September 5, 1975

In 1976, Dick was asked to perform on an episode of ‘On The Road’ with Charles Kuralt on the CBS Evening News. That same year, he appeared in Estes Park with the Al Fike Show. 

In 1977 he released his album Echoes From Lulu White's Mahogany Hall. The album also features drummer Steve Ashton, who was a music teacher for Denver Public Schools (he now performs in the polka trio, The Rhinelanders).

I have another copy of this record, showing a little girl on the cover.

In his later years Kroeckel performed nightly at the Diamond Belle Saloon, at the Strater Hotel, in Durango.  

During the 1980s, he took a job as a brakeman on the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad. He soon returned to Central City, and in 1987, was back to entertaining audiences again.

In the 1990s he was found playing for audiences at the Phenix Club, in Cripple Creek.

Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph - October 4, 1991

According to the liner notes of his album, Dick would end each show with the song "Three O'clock in the Morning," signaling that the show was coming to an end. "I hope this record will be your ticket to happy listening," he writes.

Listen to "Three O'clock in the Morning"

Willie Nelson, Durango-style

Most of you know I spent a good chunk of my life in Austin, TX, before moving back to Colorado, in 2015. While in the Lone Star State, I filled my ears with Robert Earl Keen, Slaid Cleaves, James McMurtry, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Bob Schneider, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, etc... I won't lie, I do miss being around that wealth of music (and good Mexican food).

Of course, you can't call yourself a true resident of A-Town without genuflecting to one musical name in particular, Willie Nelson. In Austin, the man walks on Town Lake. A street is named after him, a statue has been erected, and no doubt, when he passes, the city will lower flags at half staff.

So, imagine my shock when I discovered a Colorado-related Willie Nelson LP. An album so bizarre, you'd swear it was made aboard his beloved bus, while enjoying the braided one's favorite ground herb. I literally have no clue how the idea for this recording was even conceived. 

Released on the Soundmark label, out of Denver, Willie Nelson Family Album is credited as coming from the brain matter of The Sandpiper Agency, out of Durango. Willie Nelson voices a portion of the disc, with a biographical account of his life and career - through spoken word and song.

Darn it, so much for being a better blogger (blush). Yeah, yeah...

The album starts off with an intro from an unknown narrator, which segues into the same intro heard on his 1971 album, Yesterday's Wine - give a listen.

Side One:
Let Me Be a Man
Family Bible
Summer of Roses
Hello Walls
Crazy
Funny How Time Slips Away

Side Two:
I've Got a Wonderful Future Behind Me
Stay Away from Lonely Places
Remember the Good Times
Me and Paul
My Own Particular Way
Pick Up The Tempo
Heaven and Hell
December Day
Yesterday's Wine

Adding to the mystery is the large NOT FOR SALE - FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY across the back cover. So how many of these albums were pressed, and who received them? A quick Google search finds nada on "The Sandpiper Agency" of Durango, so that was a dead end.

The liner notes on the back offer absolutely no explanation:

This album is designed to guide the listener through the Willie Nelson Family Album in Willie's own words and music. The album is presented in four segments: Willie's early life in Texas, his first years in Nashville as a songwriter, the later years in Music City USA,  when his music and singing first became popular and his decision to move back to Texas, with a whole new sound.

As Patsy might say, "Crazy."

The Mesa Verde Story

Lots of great memories going to Mesa Verde National Park, as I'm sure everyone does. However, I never climbed the Balcony House ladder, nor do I recollect seeing Esther the mummy - not sure how I missed that experience. Guess it's time to go back for a visit.

Eva-Tone red flexi on "The Mesa Verde Story."  Runoff shows 61071AXT, so guessing this is a 1971 recording. No indication who is voicing "Ranger Bill," or who is providing the Native American chants in the background. Cool little souvenir.

Listen to an audio sample

Bala-Sinem Choir

Organized by Mark Romancito, a Fort Lewis College student from the Pueblo of Zuni, the Bala-Sinem Choir serves as the campus Native American choral group. Bala-Sinem is the Hopi word for red people.

Each Fort Lewis College student member makes a contribution of traditional music from their tribes.  The group, which celebrates its 44th year in 2014, performs for social and ceremonial functions throughout the year.

Located two LPs recorded by the group - American Indian Songs and Chants (1973 – Canyon 6110), and the pictured at the top Walk in Beauty My Children (1976 – Canyon 6149).

Also found this 45 single EP, on the San Juan Silver record label.  There is no date on the recording. The name Leroy Watts appears on the record runoff (and is listed songwriter of the four cuts). A quick Internet search finds that Leroy Watts was a local cowboy poet, who also held a trademark on the name San Juan Silver jewelry (1976). He passed away in 2011. Record is narrated by local disc jockey Doug Benton.

Listen to a sample of "The Sleeping Ute"

Side One:  The Sleeping Ute / Las Animas

Side Two:  The Sand Painter / The Anasazi

4 Corners Four

I'm usually not a fan of square dancing records, as they all seem to sound the same to me - that is, until I heard this happy little single from the 4 Corners Four, out of Durango.

Love their take on this Lesley Gore hit (instrumental on the flip side).

Listen to a sample of "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows"

Pressed on the 4-Corners label (not to be confused with the Kapp Records subsidiary).  I came up empty on any additional information.  No notation on a year, and there is absolutely no mark on the runoff.

Address shows 970 Main Street, which is now home to the La Plata Abstract Company.

Highway Robbery

Rob Stokes interview conducted March 2012.

Rob Stokes found his way to Durango, via Louisville Kentucky, after he joined up with several friends who moved to town to be ski bums.

 "I moved out there with that wave and was working one day a week at the ski area. I was playing guitar in some bands in Kentucky (the rock band Live Bait), and I wanted to see if I could play here. I thought I could make money doing music."

 "They were having an open mic night at this bar in town, and that's where I met up with R.B."Stoney" Stone. He was playing there, we hit it off, and thought we could get a band together. So we hired a bass player and then we were a trio. Then we hired a drummer and it took off."

 It was Rob Stokes who came up with the name of the band. "We were sitting around thinking about what we going to call ourselves, and I thought of it--because it had “Rob” in it. And it stuck."

 Stone took charge as the band's leader, booking gigs, and writing songs for the group, which would include Jeff Boyden on drums, Jimmy Candelaria on rhythm guitar, and Andy Janowsky on bass. After several months of playing around town (mainly at the local Sundance Saloon), the group decided to record an album.

 (Click on photo to see entire band)

"We went up to Paragon Sound in Fort Collins, mainly because it was inexpensive."

They titled the LP Keep on Ridin' (Wild Stallion Records 12237 - 1984).  The cover art was taken from a painting by Durango artist Jeff Ellingson.

"Listen to a sample of Keep on Ridin'"

The group's co-producer, Steven D. Geier provided liner notes:

Highway Robbery, a group of talented men who have chosen music as their life, their beginning.  These men have done so with the need to give you happiness, a smile, that distant tear, and a longing in your heart to hear more..."

 "It had some local airplay and somebody took my song (the instrumental "Joseph M. Jones"), and used it for a radio advertisement for a Farmington muffler shop. We had a little fan club, and we'd sell the album at gigs."

 Highway Robbery would go on to open for Charlie Daniels, when he came though town, but they never achieved fame outside southwestern Colorado. Soon tensions arose between band members.

 "It was a little bit intense because I owned the P.A., and I got a little extra money for that. That always seemed to upset some members of the group, and one of the guys got so pissed off that he took a swing at me, and that was it. I quit."

The band would only be together two years.

 According to Stokes, Stone still performs around town.  Andy Janowsky went on to be a policeman, and plays bass in the band High Rollers, while Jeff Boyden works with his family in Montrose.  He said Jimmy Candalaria passed away.

Stokes would find success as a sound engineer, working for Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, in Nashville.

 "Being in Highway Robbery--that was just one chapter of my musical life."

The Narrow Gauge Line

Tom MacCluskey interviewed March 2010.

On July 4 1961, The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was designated as a U.S. National Landmark. To commemorate the authorization the city fathers hired Ernie Kemm - who would later pen "Here's to Colorado," the state's official centennial song.

"We began performing together as a duo in Denver with Al Fike," said Tom MacCluskey. "Ernie was playing piano, I played drums, and sometimes piano."

When Kemm received the call to write the Narrow Gauge record, he had a regular gig at the Back Door in Denver. He enlisted the help of MacCluskey to arrange the recording, and put together a group of studio musicians.

"I actually hired some of the best jazz musicians in Denver to play on it," MacCluskey said. "I had Neil Bridge on piano, and Derryl Goes on drums, who later toured with Stan Kenton."

Recorded in Denver, at Western Cine Recording Studio, the record features the vocal stylings of 10-year old Becky Ann Todeschi, of Durango.

"I never even met her," said MacCluskey. "We laid down the instrumental tracks and she overdubbed her voice - she wasn't in the studio."

Listen to "The Narrow Gauge Line"

The b-side of the single - "The Sound of Silverton" - features sound effects of the train.

"...authentic on-the-spot sounds recorded at departure time at the D&RGW depot in Durango, will capture your imagination as you hear the train actually whistle, the drumbeats and bells of the dancing Indians, plus the call of "all aboard"....

The single was later re-released on the Durango label (Durango 101-year unknown).

Tom MacCluskey, who had previously never been to Durango, moved to the town in 2000, and is now a regular performer at the Mahogany Grille. He also hosts a Sunday morning classical music program on KDUR radio.

Visit MacCluskey bio on Mahogany Grille site.

Shortly after the release of the Narrow Gauge disc, Kemm released another record on the Spur label, "The Trail They Call the Navajo / Songs of the Navajos." He would also go on to record for the Denver-based Band Box label ("Here Kitty Kitty" / "Larimer Square" - Band Box label 369).

In 1965 Kemm left Colorado for New York City. He is now a regular cruise ship performer. He was unavailable to comment on this story.

Attempts to locate Becky Ann Todeschi were unsuccessful.

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