The band stayed for 6 months, and Valerie and I married less than a year later. We moved to the Catskills where I played in the house band at the Raleigh Hotel. In 1974 we moved to Phoenix and in 1977 to Chico, California.
I had always been a fulltime musician since I graduated Temple University in 1970 (BS). In 1980 I went back to school and earned a BA, an MA, and my teaching credentials. After teaching instrumental music 5 years, we headed overseas--1 year in Bolivia and 7 in Turkey where I was Chairman of the Music Department of an English speaking university Prep School. While in Turkey, I played with group called Soul Brothers”, an R&B/Rock and Roll band named the after the band we had in Weequahic, "Ronnie and the Soul Brothers" with Ronnie Scruggs.
After Turkey, we lived in Lake Tahoe for 2 years and have finally settled in Sacramento where I am currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Jesuit High School, a college prep school. Funny place for a nice Jewish boy to wind up.
All these years I have remained a professional musician and have toured (and still do) all over the world with famous and not so famous jazz artists and pop stars, Reggae and blues bands, symphonies, chamber ensembles, and bluegrass bands. I have been on TV, radio, on recordings and on stage on four continents and in most of the capitols of Europe (more about my career on google.com).
Valerie and I are still happily married (the best thing I ever did) and we have 2 kids who are now 36 and 35 and a 9 year old grandson, all of whom live in the same area. In addition to playing and teaching, I swim, ride my bike along the American River (across the street from our place), swim, and hang out with Valerie. I still dream about the old neighborhood often. I'd love to hear from any of you who want to write. alanginter@hotmail.com. Since it's a hotmail, please put a reference to Weequahic in the message.
