Like many people, I was close to my father.  Speaking for brother, he was a truly kind, thoughtful, unselfish and talented guy.  Music and art were a huge part of his life.  He played drums as a young man and often hosted jam sessions at our house on Sunday afternoons.

Sometimes great players like drummers Vinnie Ruggerio and Steve Gadd would show up.  Once in a while, Chuck Mangione, Jerry Neiwood, Joe Romano, and others.  Mostly, it was just locally famous, but other equally accomplished players, like Russ Mazzeri, Sal Sparazza, Nick Zinni and later, well, really too many to name.

Stan never considered himself good enough to play with many of these guys, but he was always too self-effacing, IMO.  “I’m a good, steady drummer and people let me sit in”, was the kindest he was to himself.  And the same for his artwork.  When his little greeting card line was created, some of the designs were purchased by art galleries and, symphony stores and boutique shops across the the country.  Various products like magnets and key rings were also part of the offerings of our early 1990’s musical theme art business, Glassnotes (my mother, the copywriter, with the name).   It didn’t take long, however, to see that competing against  Hallmark, etc. and trying to sell to music shops without the capitalization for sales reps and like was not going be successful. 

Over the years since then and for decades before, Stan drew sketches and finished many pieces, mainly focusing on musicians of both jazz and classical performers.  He extended throughout into other expressions like dance, movement and other most often happy/joyous imagery.  But certainly many depicting curious or deeper conditions, albeit in a seemingly care free style.

Less than a week before he died, we were playing music.  I played a fair rhythm guitar (at best) and Stan played the piano or melodica.  When my brother was home from his home in LA, he played piano and (or) drums and because he is really good, we sounded at least pretty good. 

At 94, my dad was still sharp, still interested and interesting.  In fact, two days before he died, we had breakfast on a 10 degree January day here in Rochester, NY with friends Bill and Christine (some of *my* friends who loved my father probably more :-).  When Bill offered to help my dad up the stairs, he quietly swiped his arm away, probably not wanting to look frail (and at almost 95, he was at this point) to Christine.  He was a proud man  – in a selfless, totally unpretentious, kind of way.

Since my dad’s passing in early 2017, he has stayed close to my family and his friends, mostly younger now of course, who remember him to me with exquisite fondness.  My hope is you enjoy his work…Maybe buy some…Maybe let his spirit touch you today.  That, for sure, would be a very good thing.

P.S. One morning I woke up and thought, geeeeze I could easily (although it’s taken months to learn and put this all together) put the best of his paintings on-line and sell products with his imagery too that would allow for whatever size foundation this sets up in his name to benefit inner city kids wanting to buy musical instruments.  So that what we’re doing.