Junction Boy (2)

The Queen City Leatherworks was alive with the sound of music. Grandpa Lou played violin - he made and repaired them as well. Lou played in the pit bands in Chicago before migrating north to Canada. Harold was a piano prodigy. Billy played cello. Eugene took after his father - he played violin and later became a fine maker in America. My father played clarinet and sax and drums, and played in dance bands. Later, he inexplicably stopped playing. I asked him why a thousand times, but there was no answer. Until his last days though, my father loved the jazz of his youth. "I met Wingy Manone, the one-armed trumpet player - once, years ago - at the Colonial. I bought him a drink, and brought it up to the bandstand. Wingy said, play it boys, I have a sponsor".