Maine Stream Jazz: The Don Stratton Jazz Band (1981)

Rest in Peace Don. I have the music of a song that Tom wrote for you entitled "A Bough for Don. It's great to see this posted, some of the best jazz in the world comes from Maine. While visiting with Dr. David Wolf at UOP's music therapy dept., Tom suggested we go in to meet with Dean Anderson who told us that "he'd been to Bah Habah and around Maine and was surprise to find such good jazz there, who would have thought?!" He also mentioned the black flies and we all chuckled. He then told us about the then new Brubeck Institute of Jazz and directed us there. A few weeks later J.B. Dyas met us out in the plaza of the Faye Spanos Hall and pointed to a book Tom was carrying and stated "I have that book." We thought he got it from the Dean as we had left one with him. Upon arriving at J.B.'s office he walked over to his library and pulled out the book and stated I've been using this for decades and still use it at The Monk Inst. of Jazz. We were quite surprised and pleased. Tom taught composition to the inaugural BIOJ Quintet. In this way, Maine certainly has an affect on Jazz. Tom loved his colleagues and students and shared that with me more that once. Please do share more of this really good music, it's some of the best jazz in the world. Thank you, Sharon Hoffmann