A group of Tacoma musicians who sheepishly refer to themselves as the “old farts club” get together once every month for lunch to tell stories and talk over old times. One day, one of these musicians, Bud Schultz, said it would be neat for everyone to pose together for a photo portrait.



“I misinterpreted that, and I thought he meant everybody, all the professional musicians in Tacoma,” says Gary Aleshire, former business agent for the Tacoma Musicians Union.

So the idea grew to include other musicians who have made significant contributions to the music scene in Tacoma throughout the last few decades. This photo idea was semi-inspired by the famous photograph, “A Great Day in Harlem,” shot by photographer Art Kane on the steps of a New York apartment building in 1958, showcasing the legendary jazz musicians of the era.



Aleshire put together a committee — himself, Mike Mitchell, Lance Buller, Don Miller, Steve Sarandos and Sheryl Clark — to seek out legendary Tacoma musicians. The committee came up with a list of 350 people and set out to contact them.



Originally the idea was to take the photo at the Washington State History Museum, but they soon realized they needed a much larger space.



“We started discussing it, and I said, ‘Why don’t we find someplace bigger like the Tacoma Dome or Cheney Stadium where there is more space and more parking?’” explains concert promoter Mike Mitchell. “I became involved in the logistics of the thing.”



Mitchell says Sunday, Aug. 26 was selected as the gathering date as not to interfere with the schedules of musicians. He says the construction at the Tacoma Dome and a Rainiers’ game at Cheney Stadium eliminated the two large venues.



Mitchell’s contact at Cheney Stadium suggested contacting the Broadway Center venues in downtown Tacoma. Theater on the Square, Tacoma Actors Guild’s former home, was selected.



Approximately 150 musicians came down to be photographed. Little Bill Englehart couldn’t be there that day, so he was later Photoshopped in. Sarandos, saxophonist with The Statesmen in the ’60s, happened to be a photographer so they arranged for him to both pose for and take the picture.



“A lot of these people hadn’t seen each other for years,” says Aleshire. “For an hour or so before the picture was taken we got to mill around and socialize. It was a nice reunion.”

The group’s goal is to have the photograph blown up to 2-feet by 3-feet, matted, framed and then be hung at the Washington State History Museum. The Museum hasn’t given the go-ahead yet. For the time being, 11-by-17-inch copies of the photo are available for purchase at Ted Brown Music in Tacoma for $4.50. Copies are going fast. One hundred were made and more than 50 have sold already.

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Pictured in the photo above are: Grover Jackson, Hank Furrow, Randy Bennett, Julie Ernesti, Mike Ernesti, Dan Harrington, Mark Willis, Ted Dortch, Mitch Reems, Loose Gravel Luhtola,  Trevor Hall, Tim Hall, Phil Matison, Lem Hale, Ray Hildreth, Tim Coleman, Ray Heinzman, Sonny Schaaf, Mike Slyvka, Jay Mabin, Ed Seymore, Mark Runions, Steve Cooley, Bob McNamara, Dennis Perry, Dave Dorning, Bud Schultz, Walt Lewis, Loraine Lewis, Jim Ranes, Kurt Kolstad, Jho Blenis, Nick Nickolas, Jim Johnson, Karl Ronning, Joe Wheeler, Jay McCament, Bill Ramsay, Eric Stevens, Chet Hastings, Keith Gorsuch, Dale Strickland, Cappy Demiero, Jim Stevens, Laurence Gray, Donny Benston, Melanie Vail, Tom Edwards, Morris Northcutt, Judy Lantz, Nick Prasch, Michael Vebber, Bob Elliottt, Ray Hadachek, Buryl Hunter, Bob Lind, Terry Ward, Dean Babbitt, Dave Croston, Mike Burk, Neil Andersson, Dave Cross, Tom Hume, Tom Hume III, Kareem Kandi, Sylvia Kandi, Jeff Berghammer, Terry Smith, Peter Pendras, Jimmy Webb, Pat Bukrke, Tony Buhr, Bill Dean, Mike Kinder, Clifford “Buck” England, Robert Richholt, Rex Amburgey, Everett James, Mike Coucoulus, Kris Knowlton, Johnny Burgess, Gary Marcello, Steve Stefanowicz, John “Buck” Ormsby, Kent Morrill, Art Mineo, Gene Mineo, Will McLain, Gary Crooks, Bob Koch, Dick Norton, Virg Harwood, Lynn Graciano, Rayna Garciano, Dean Tsapralis, Pete Lira, Cindy Dale, Bob Dale, Rich Neighbarger, Jack Buob, Randy Viers, Art Centoni, Larry Austin, Gary Davis, Roger Calhoun, Richard Powers, John Veal, Little Bill Englehart, Don Anderson, Wally Giffin, Gary Hadachek, LeRoy Brigge, Shelly Ely, Billy Stoops, Lorraine Hart, Joe Marino, “Speedy” Price, Rich Wetzel, Lance Buller, Bobby Ostrom, Steve Johnson, Richard Howes, Rick Adams, Susie Miner, Eric Bauer, Ken Elhard, Larry Hill, Nikki Lamkin, Allen Lynn, Michael Mitchell, David Jackson, Don Miller, Morris Kenton, Mick Crosby, Gary Aleshire, Evelyn Aleshire, Sheryl Clark and Steve Sarandos.