Request for info about Jack Schroer

We have a request for info if anyone can help. Please respond directly to Brian. Thanks.

"Hi John. Here is my message about Jack Schroer for you to post...

Hi. My name is Brian Toscano.

I am doing research on saxophonist Jack Schroer, who passed away in 1995 at the age of 51. Jack is best known for playing in Van Morrison's band from 1969-1974.

Jack played saxophone on all of the Van classics from that era, which include "Moondance", "Into The Mystic", "Domino", "Wild Night", "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)", and countless other songs.

My goal is to get something published about Jack, although at this point, I don't have anyone interested in publishing anything.

I have already been in contact with many people who knew Jack, which include musicians, family members, childhood friends, etc. I am trying to get in contact with as many people as I can who knew Jack.

Jack was born in Ohio, but his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when he was 9 and he lived there for the remainder of his chilhood.

Jack graduated from Sandia High School in Albuquerque in 1963. During his time at Sandia, he played saxophone in the All-State Symphonic Band.

I believe Jack started at Sandia in 1958, but he missed a year of school because of
rumatic fever.

Jack played in a few bands during his early years in Albuquerque. Those bands may have included a keyboardist friend of his named Pat Rhodes.

Jack also had a friend in Albuquerque named Mike Tackitt, but I don't know if he was a musician.

After graduating from Sandia, Jack began attending Berklee College Of Music in the fall of 1963. During his time at Berklee and in Boston, Jack played saxophone with such bands as...

*Randy And The Soul Survivors
*Dario And The Rainbows (later changed to Dario's Inferno)
*Roger Baker's Pink Panthers

These bands also included musicians such as...

*John Klingberg (trumpet/bass)
*Al Leto (bass)
*Steve Hall (guitar)
*Tom Hall (drums)
*Jim "Bat" Kaddy (drums)
*Mitch Schear (saxophone)
*Paul Gilmore (bass)
*Joe Silva (drums)
*Richard Samone (bass)
*Don Renfro (drums)

Randy And The Soul Survivors was an R&B cover band led by singer Randy Madison (also see my post at soul music blog Soul Detective http://souldetective2.blogspot.com/2007/10/question-two-randy-soul-survivors.html)

John Klingberg first met Jack Schroer at Berklee. John was from McHenry, Illinois, and was originally a trumpet player, but he switched to electric bass in late 1960's.

John and Jack joined Van Morrison's band together in 1969. John played with Jack on Van's "Moondance" and "His Band And Street Choir" albums.

Jack was a member of The Colwell-Winfield Blues Band in the late 1960's, and he plays alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone on the group's 1968 album "Cold Wind Blues" on Verve Records.

The other members of The Colwell-Winfield Blues Band were Bill Colwell (guitar), Mike Winfield (bass), Collin Tilton (saxophone/flute), Chuck Purro (drums), and Charlie "Moose" Sorrento (vocal/keyboards)

Besides Albuquerque, New Mexico and Boston, Jack also lived in Woodstock, New York (late 1960's/early 1970's), Marin County, California (early-mid 1970's), and I believe he spent some time in Texas and Phoenix, Arizona in the late 1970's.

Jack returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico in the late 1970's, and began working as a truck driver. Jack was still involved with music, but to what extent I am not sure.

At the time of his death, Jack was living in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. Jack's wife, Connie Hirth, had passed away from cancer about two years before Jack died.

Jack is survived by his two children, daughter Paris (born in 1969 from his first marriage to Ellen Conrad) and son John, Jr. (born in 1985 from his second marriage to Connie Hirth)

For many years, Jack was close friends, and worked with, singer/keyboardist Rob Robinson, who passed away from kidney failure on August 6th, 2007.

If anyone on this forum knew Jack Schroer, or knew any of the other musicians I mentioned, I would love to hear from you!

If you know any of the musicians I mentioned, but you didn't know Jack, I would still like to hear from you. I want to find out as much as I can about the people Jack knew.

You can reach me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care."

Brian