It's night with Dan Ray. I'm tell you feazy Boston News Radio.
I'm going to tell you the three communities that are represented on my call screen, water Town, Houston, and Australia. Who are the only people that can draw that type of response, not just from Massachusetts, not just from America, but from all over the world. The Winnakers, Bill and Bow are here if you want to call in, and I'll give you the phone numbers. Do the best you
can to grab it as quickly as you can. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty eight eight, eight, nine to nine, ten thirty Bill and Bow?
How the heck are you guys?
We're great?
How are you?
Morgan?
I'm doing very well. Did you hear the lineup that we have awaiting you?
That actually gave me goosebumps?
I couldn't believe it.
Well, let's I've got somebody spending long distance money from Australia. So let's take Barbara in Australia first, and we'll deal with who you guys are to strangers with a little introduction as we take phone calls.
Barbara. Uh, pardon me for saying it this way, but good.
I goody, goody.
Mike and Barbara when you're a little girl.
Did you watch the exploits of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo?
No, I lived in America.
Oh okay, so why oh there you go?
How do you goletter?
We read the newsletter, so we said we're going to ring in and say hello.
Well, thanks for calling you're first.
This is amazing, Thank you so much. Hi, how are you guys?
Very very well? Barbara is Rodney nearby?
He is, He's right with me.
God, Wow, it's so great to hear your voice. What a wonderful way to start our show tonight.
Yeah.
Well, we, as I said, we read the newsletters, so we said we'd better call in say hello.
Well, we appreciate that so much. We we so enjoyed your visit not so long ago. It's always a treat to see you both, and even more so tonight for you to take the time to reach out to us.
What would you like to.
Tell Morgan and people all over America right now?
Well, I'd like to say that the Winnakers are the best.
If you love swing, is it there though?
Well we all knew that.
Yeah, that's wonderful. Rodney, What would you like to say? These are two beautiful people. And when we visit I'm from Australia, Barbara's originally from America if she's lived here for a long time, and then we visit to Boston, it's always a treat to visit.
Bill and Bow and their mother. Just beautiful people.
Well, thank you for those kind words. Radio.
Yeah, all right, well, I thank you for calling in and being first.
We really be willed.
Thank you so much.
Take a care, great to hear from you.
Good value.
Two lines open A line is available six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty eight, eight, eight nine to nineteen thirty And I'm going to ask either one of you to give your backstory for people who've never heard of Bill Bow Winnaker.
Tell your history. Tell your story.
Well, interestingly enough, when I was ten years of age, I joined my father's band. My father was a very well known band leader in the Boston area, and he had his first band in nineteen thirty nine, and he played all over New England with that band. And he told the musicians in this regular band that someday he was going to have a family band. And the guys in this band, they figured that when Bo and Bill
graduated college, they would probably join his band. But my father was very forward thinking, and when I was ten, he thought I was ready to join his band. And we had been rehearsing for about a year and a half or so, and he had taught us maybe one hundred songs. By then, Bill was bringing on his drums as a young boy, and he knew he was going to be a rummer. I had a lot of hot air, and my father thought that the trumpet would be perfect
for me, and it was. And then sure enough, one Mother's Day, soon after, my father came home with a string base for my mother. Some of your listeners have heard this story before, but it's still a good story. He brought a string base for my mother and she was expecting a washer and dryer and was I don't think. I don't think. She talked to my father for two weeks afterwards because she was so upset, but she learned the base and the four of us played together for
coast to twenty years. We traveled all over New England. We spent two summers on Block Island, two summers on Cape Cod, four summers at a resort in Maine, five summers on the Provincetown boat, and then the biggest break of our life came when we started working at the Parker House hotel, and we would end up working and
performing at the hotel years. My mother and father lived in the hotel, pretending those years they had dinner with mister and Missus Dunphy, the owners of the hotel, just about every single night, and boy, that really sped up us getting known in the city of Boston. People would come from Beacon Hill, you know, they come from the
State House. People would come from all the hospitals. Many people we played at the Parker House from nineteen seventy seven to nineteen ninety one, and many people that are listening to this show tonight. Many people had their first dates at the Last Hurrah and the Parker House and would end up getting married there. And of course we were the house band in the hotel, so we would in addition to playing in the Last Hurrah, my father was leading a band, then my brother Bill was leading
a band. I was leading a band. We would have a band upstairs on the roof of the hotel for the weddings, and then we would have a piano six nights a week in Parker's restaurant and a harvest on Sundays. So the Parker House was really what really turned things up, turn the heat up for us, and it was a great opportunity. But since then, we left the hotel in ninety one and then a couple of years later we went to Washington, DC with the twenty one Orchestra and
we played at pill Clinton's inaugural ball. Aretha Franklin staying with our band that night. That was that was something I'll never forget as long as I live.
All Right, bo bo bo bo bo, I'm going to stop you here, take a break. We've got oh my goodness, Watertown, Gloucester, Houston, and Westwood all calling in to talk with the Winnaker brothers. You want to join the ones on hold six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty, eight, eight, eight, nine, two, nine, ten thirty. We'll get you through two time and temperature here on night Side ten sixteen seventy five degrees.
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
We've got callers coming out of the woodworks to speak to Bill and Bo Winnaker. So let's go to Watertown and speak with Neil. Neil, you're next here on night side.
Hello, good evening. The reason I'm calling is though, because I know one of the brothers, Bill and Bow. I'm not sure which, but they called one night. He called one night and answer the question and who was playing Red Nichols And it was Danny Kay. Is that correct?
That was over the weekend? Yes, that is correct?
All right? So and then I put that in my mind. The brothers knew about Arthur Price Sock, and they knew about musicians on the Art Link Letter Show. But the reason I'm calling is Red Nichols had a guitar player and his name was Luigi Francisco Valaro and he was eighteen years old, and I guess he was. Then he went to the Sammy K Band and he was known
as lou Rolaro. In the nineteen forty two we got booed because Mussolini had just made a pack with Hitler, right, so he's Sammy Kay said no offense, but you have to change your name. And and so he's up there and he's going to make his debut as a singer because he's a good singer. And he says, ladies and gentlemen, Don Cornell and Don Cornell, who's that? And is that story essentially true or am I.
Just well, Don Cornell was got very famous, so I don't know that story. But Don Cornell became a household word in those days.
All right, Okay, Yeah, one of his friends was telling us on a radio show and I was just I wasn't listening critically, but I just it's just a memory that I have, Okay. And one other thing, Morgan, Don Cornell, because I know you talked to Dale Evans's daughter, Is that correct?
Yes?
I did, and he he made a cover of the Bible Tells Me So, which was written by her, and she wrote a letter to and thanked him for putting the song on the map in England.
Okay, O'Neil, you're very well versed in music.
I'm reliable, so I just was hoping, well, thank you.
For bringing it to the table.
All right, thank you very much.
Good night to you, and hello to Gloucester. Let's go to Dana in Gloucester. Hello, Dana, Hi, how.
Are you.
Hi?
Bill?
Hi Bo? This is Dan.
Good evening, Good evening, Dana. Great to hear your voice, and thank you so much for calling tonight.
Sure sure, I thought I would briefly tell the story of how I met Bill and Bow in nineteen sixty eight. Okay, kind of assassinated story. I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and my family decided to vacation up at Point Sebago in Maine. And I was up there, and I was fourteen years old at the time, and figured i'd go to the recreation room to see if they had a ping pong table because I always loved ping pong. I walked in and there's a boy about my age standing there.
I introduced myself and I challenged him to a ping pong game. Little did I know it was Bo Winnaker. And we get to talking as we're volleying, and I asked him what he was doing there. He said he was there with his family band, and I got all excited because I had just taken up trombone and I
had only had a few lessons. I hardly knew what I was doing, but Bo was kind enough to invite me to play with the family band that night, which I thought it was absolutely amazing, and I took him up on the offer, and I ended up playing I'm Getting Sentimental over You with the Winnaker family, and it's something I'll always remember it was quite something.
Yes, And you know what, Dana, I can remember that it was many many years ago. I can't remember exactly when, as you said, we were both yeah, sixty eight maybe something like that, but I remember vividly and I remember how much fun that was having you join us.
It was a blast. I mean, it was just something that I've always remembered and thinking back, that was the start of a fifty six year friendship started that that evening over the ping pong table.
Well, thank you so much for taking the time to be in touch with us, and we really appreciate it. And it's great to hear your voice.
Oh, thank you both. Good night, good night, Thank you you by bye.
Let's go to Houston and speak with Dan. Dan, welcome tonight, Morgan.
How are you. I'm finding you, sir, I'm great. Can you hear me loud and clear?
Fantastic? Well, it's such a treat to be on I guess this is my third time talking with you, Morgan.
Okay, and uh, hey guys, hey Dan.
You know.
Everything that people have said is so wonderful and important, But I I would add a different dimension to this, you know. I uh, I'm a cancer doctor at m. D Anderson Cancer Center and uh, I'm just finishing up my career. I'm going to be retiring end of August. And it's been twenty two years and I'm a Boston kid. I'm going to be coming back to the Northeast. Okay, but I've I've been playing with Bill and both since nineteen sixty seven and we've performed many times together. The
music is is tops. But you know what they bring in addition to that is an honesty and magic from the music that it relates to everybody. You watch these guys play, and everybody's happy. And even people who don't really have musical history musical performance in their in their life, they can see the musicians enjoying what they're doing and bringing entertainment to people, and and and and and honesty and the number of people that we've interacted with in
our lives. The the three of us young people who've learned music, and music is the great equalizer, right. There's no there's no politics, there's no issues about who came from where. It's just the music that unites us. All all the people know.
I'm going to I'm going to give credit where credit is due. Their father Billain. Bo's father taught them not just how to play an instrument, but taught them what music can be when it's done properly in front of an assembled group. Am I right when I say that?
Bo?
Bill?
Oh?
Absolutely?
And you know doctor Yeah, let me tell you this.
So we're talking to doctor Dan carp And when my father was a manufacturer's representative for the Gretz Drum Company, he would have to go to these conventions and Dan would fill in with the family band on piano, and Dan played so much with us. After those years of the family band, Dan would actually became a band leader for us until he had to take a big job down in Texas. But Dan's a great musician, Morgan and.
A great guy.
Well, thank you. We're three brothers. And Edwinaker was a genius and he and his genius was in the way he took music, the big band arrangements and he he made them into a six eight piece ensemble and captured all the magic of that music. But again, more than that, he hired all different kinds of people and it was only because they were They love the music and they
were good. He didn't care who they were. We didn't care who we were playing for it was just all a wonderful emotional high uh and I and and just
it just again. It brings people together. But not only that, we uh, you know, we're I'm gonna put in an old plug for Camp Encore in Maine where we've been and the guys have a beautiful house up in Maine and Naples, Maine, and we've played at this music camp and three generations of kids have come through teaching, learning from Bill and Bill and being mentored by them, and people who've either gone on to be very wonderful professional
musicians or professionals in other areas. One of the guys that we're going to see this week when I come back for a reunion at camp is a guy who went to Harvard Harvard Business School, a guitar player. He was mentored by our dear friend Wayne Glins from Kansas. So we all play together. And the point is the music is it is an incredible platform for learning and
discipline and and and accomplishment. And so we get these young people who come through play the music, love the music, and learn how to entertain, learn how to relate to people, stand up in front of an audience and whether you're a CEO, an m B, A whatever you do, and a doctor. You learn how to relate to people and and all of that is the magic of the music and Ed Ed Ed Winnaker started it all, and then Bill and Bow, you know, improved on it with a net.
So I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful for this experience and for you for the friendship we've had, and it's so much more than the music.
Morgan, Doctor Dan, thank you for your call.
And I hate to I'll show you up so quickly, but I've got a break to take, which will include a commercial to end news here on night.
Thank you, doctor Dan.
Bye, doctor Dan. Thanks time and temperature here on night Side ten thirty one, temperature seventy five degrees.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty, eight, eight, eight, nine, two, nine, ten thirty. If you want to call in and speak with music legends from our area, the Winnicre brothers, Bill and Boa here and I am going to go to Westwood and speak to Tom and Tom you've been holding for almost twenty five minutes. Thank you for your patients.
Oh You're very welcome. It's great to be on and Morgan. I said hello to you recently at the Midway trivia.
Night there every Tuesday.
So Bill and Bow usually refer to me as their manager or their marketing and public relations director. Okay, and I love these guys and I've had the pleasure of knowing them for close to twenty years. And what i can tell you is I've never had a request of them that they've said no to. And I'm going to give you an example of a nice story.
I had the.
Pleasure of being a dear friend to gentlemen doctor Joseph Murray. He was from Wellesley, Massachusetts, and doctor Murray was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. He did the first organ transplant back in nineteen fifty four, and he won the Nobel Prize in nineteen ninety, about about a year before he passed away. I had called over at the house one day and asked if I could stop over and visit and drop a gift off. And when I got to the house, doctor Murray was excited to help me
sit down at the kitchen table. He wanted to tell me a story about a memorial service that he had been to that day and how wonderful it was, and I kept saying, well, what was what was so wonderful about it? He said the music. To him, the music was was terrific. And so the more he talked about it, the more I, you know, sort of understood that obviously
music was important to him. So I said to him, doctor Murray, I said, this is what I'm going to do for you, I said, when you die, I said, I'm going to have my friends Bill and Bow Winnaker come and play at your funeral. And he said, you're kidding. He said, you'd really do that, and I said absolutely. He paused for about a half a minute and he said, well, wait a minute. Is there any way that I can hear them before I die? So I said yes, I said,
we're going to We're going to set it up. So, you know, the following year, he turned ninety and the family had a get together with his six children and several of his grandchildren and some family friends and that sort of thing. So I called Bill and Bow and I said I need a favor. And Bo's answer anytime I call and say I need something is is always yes. So I said, I need you to show up at the Murray house three o'clock on Sunday afternoon with the band and play for a couple of hours and you know,
entertain them and that sort of thing. So they did. The family had just a wonderful, wonderful time. They played, they remembered their wedding songs from nineteen forty five, danced, they just had a great time. And before doctor Murray died he would often say to me, he said, you know, Tom, I've had a very curious and fulfilling life. Met a lot of remarkable people, you know, had dinner with the King of Sweden, and a lot of you know, medical
dignitaries and that sort of thing that he said. I can tell you that having the Winnakers come and play from my family and for my ninetieth birthday was truly one of the highlights of my life. And it's a tribute to these guys. And you know, doctor Dan just used the term magic of the music. But I would say, you know, doctor Murray certainly extended life and happiness to many many people. But Bill and Bow in a sense, they've done the same. And I would say my term
would be medicine of their of their music nicely. They're they're terrific people. I'm just so privileged to know them.
Now.
I want to butt in here for a second. Tom has changed our life in the last couple of months because he's the one that went to this beautiful new restaurant in Westwood called the Rolli and he said to the owner, he says, you've got to have Bill and Bow play here. So Bow and I went there and had dinner just to check it out. And it's a fabulous, fabulous restaurant, and so we set up an interview with an executive out there and she said, let's try having
you guys. We got a room called the Supper Club, and let's let's try it one night. So we went out there and we played that one night. We sent out a noticed newsletter to all our fans and it sold out immediately. And after that first night, they said, why don't you play every week? And we said no, no, let's go gradually. So we're playing there once a month and that's all thanks to Tom Aaron who's on the line right now. And all five times that we've played there,
they're Thursday nights once a month. It's been sold out as soon as we announced the date, it just sells out immediately. The food is out of this world. Tom, you can tell him more about the restaurant.
You know. I love the staff. It's a young staff, but they're very attentive and just very welcoming and gentlemen. Nice. But I want to just Bill had this idea of talking about Nuoli, but I want to talk about Tom for a second and turn the tables on him because he's been our guardian angel for those twenty years. In many ways, I'll leave it at that as the guardian angel. But we've talked about so many different things, and I
poured my heart out to Tom one time. I said, you know, Tom, one of my dreams is to stand on the stage at Symphony Hall and play with the Boston Pop And we talked about that for a number of years and then magically, magically, Morgan, I got the call to conduct the Boston Pops. And I've done it seven different times. And really I went to the New England Conservatory of Music, which is diagonal across from Symphony Hall. Yes, and I will tell you that, you know that one
of the greatest experiences of my life. It's like getting to the top of the mountain to be able to stand on that stage and work with the finest musicians in the world. And I got to do it seven times. And Tom's a big reason for that.
Well, it sounds like a.
Mutual emiration society between you to the Winnakers, and the Winnakers to.
You, no doubt, well, no doubt.
We love We love Tom and his family. And you know he has opened a lot of doors for us. And he's correct because whenever Tom calls, no matter what it is, I've played a few funerals, uh, even his dear fathers, and you know the answer will always be yes for Tom.
And likewise and Morgan. I think what would be great sometime is this is a great venue. But I think I mentioned this to Bow recently. Let's find a venue, a stage where where we where we can do this, you know, live for a couple of hours, you know, talk a little bit, take some questions, have them play some music, do a little bit of trivia with you. I think it would be a really fun night to to put something like that together.
It can be.
All right, You're welcome, all.
Right, Tom, let me say this. We've got three people patiently waiting. I'm about to take a break. One thing I will always advise when I'm on a break. If you hear me say I have full lines, don't let that stop you from dialing the phone number, because people hang up or any number of things can cause a line.
To be available to you.
Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty eight, eight, eight, nine to nine, ten thirty. We are speaking with the Winnaker brothers, part of the music scene not just Massachusetts, but in New England and beyond for over half a century.
They're here.
Jean and Brookline. You've been patient. You've waited about twenty minutes the second with them. With a couple of commercials, I will lead off with you Jimmy in New Hampshire, Glenn and Brighton. You'll get your chance to speak with the Winnakers, but I've got to make a break. Time and temperature ten forty five seventy five degrees.
Now back to Dan Way live from the Window World, Nice Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
I was right.
We did have a drop off, So if you want there is a line available for you if you would like to speak to Oh Whiz Bill and Bo Winnaker. I am now going to go to Brookline and speak to Jean.
Gene. Welcome to night Side.
Thank you for taking my call. It was well worth a way to speak to you and the brothers.
Okay, I have a question them.
We missed you so much. It's been such a long time since we've seen you.
Well, what happened was I broke my kneecap and I was in a brace for like four months, so I couldn't it down my stairs. And at that point you were playing at Cooks and my sister's home from Australia, so I was wondering if she knew where that woman was from Australia. We had gone on a cruise to Canada, which is beautiful, but when you were playing, she's already
going to be gone. She was very upset about that because she really, really really wants to see you guys, because I do not give you guys compliments, and when listening, I will compliment you. But yes, that's what happened. I brought my kneecap and I was in a brace. I couldn't get down that. It's us now, So now you're playing someplace different on once a month and Thursdays in Westwood.
Yes, we are the restaurant is called Naroli n.
E R O l I.
It's at two R L I, Yes, Washington Street in the Westwood, mass In the phone number there is seven eight one.
Uh huh three seven five.
Three seven five yes, two.
Five nine four, and it it's best to make a reservation because the restaurant does sell out.
Okay.
So it was one thing you want to do, yes, go ahead.
Sorry tonight one.
I can't read my scribble.
All right, so we'll do it one more time. Seven eight one seven five uh huh two five.
Nine four seventy eight one. Okay, make a reservation, okay.
Ask for a reservation in the supper club.
That okay, But it.
Is really good gait to hear your voice. We always love playing for you.
Well I didn't.
I mean I listened more than anyways. That lots of times. He just trivy is way beyond an over my head. So it's like, I'm not gonna call. So I try not to make myself look like a complete moron about saying they get to be on some point. They're going to be on some point. So it's n I said, But let me just turn the down, I said, Oh I was, I said, oh, I think I didn't call it right away. I could not remember the number. Too busy, and I was like, oh my god, I got through.
I'm like so psyched. That's great.
I give the number. Approach me every ten minutes.
I know it. I know you do. But it's like if I don't have a pen and a piece of paper, it goes in one ear and write out the other. It's like, I'm clue.
Yes, we've been fourteen thirty.
We've been so worried about you because it's been such a.
Long time, but just a very long time.
Yeah.
Wait, and I'm glad you're recovering and you're ready to go.
Yeah.
I crashed my knee gap in October and I was in embrace until my god, what's March. I think it was like March. I wasn't embraced for a really long time. I totally crashed my kneecap up. It was all my stupid is what happened. So I was just in waiting because I had your phone number. I lost your phone number, so I was just hoping that I would catch up to you guys at some point. But I'm ps like to hear that you guys. I mean, I know you've been doing a lot of private playing, but you're doing
that once publicly, the real least to Washington Street. You know what West was.
The next time we see you, will definitely give you our number. How can we get her our number to her?
Morgan where you were, Rob can do it?
Okay? Good?
All right, So Jeane, we're gonna put you on hold. Okay, put Jeane on hold and give her their phone number.
Yeah, she's already. That would be great.
Let's go to Glenn and make sure I get Glenn on before the news.
So Glenn, you got about four minutes.
That's fine. I'm just glad Jean's not in the Witness Protection program. The last time I last time I took to her was the day after Christmas, Sunday, December twenty six one. Right, it took Yeah, the last time we sat and spoke to each other. And just good to know that she's getting better. Sorry about the kneecap.
Right, Oh, so Glenn, what's up? I want to know.
Where's Westwood because I take the ride.
Westwood is near Norwood the other side. Does that help you?
Well? I hope the ride goes there.
I think it does.
Oh good, So it's called Noli's all right. I thought you were playing at Cooks. No more.
We still play there periodically, but not on a regular basis, just here and there.
Tan Ray and I have a mutual friend who named Ron, who lives in Newton. He's a pharmacist. He works in Westboro. He wants to take me to you guys.
Oh, I hope he's listening.
Yeah, is that wrong?
Goodebt? Yeah, I didn't know if it was. Yeah, I don't know if legal to mention his last name. Yeah, that's Ron Goodebt. Yeah.
Well he's a big, big BS fan.
He's probably listening tonight. But you you, he'll take you, definitely, he'll he'll take you.
Oh no, he's good for a promise. He and I are best friends now.
Guys.
Wait, wait, Glenn, hold on. You are doing a bang out business once a month? Is it conceived that will be every other month or even every week up and coming?
Oh?
Absolutely, it's up to us. But we want to do it gradually at first, and so we're gonna stick with once a month for a while, and then maybe we'll do twice a month. Okay, But I just want to say that if anybody needs their piano tunes. You know, times are tough right now. Glenn is a fantastic piano tuner. So if anybody needs a piano tune, just get in touch with Rob or if you can, give your number and he'll do a great job for you.
Yeah. I tuned for a real estate guy for his birthday party last week, and you make a plane and a guy named Herman Johnson. He knows you. He performed there. He used to play at Ryles. He's a horned player in Cambridge back in seventy four. Yeah.
Yeah, it's getting close to the news, So give your phone number and maybe we can get some piano tuning jobs. You do such a great job.
Should I leave it with Rob?
Well, Rob, you can give it right on the air because it's known. You know, it'll be great people. If they need their piano tune, they'll take it right now, all.
Right, Glenn, just say names with which you can drop.
Like Jordan Rich Yeah, uh.
Steve, Steve, Bob Rowley, Well he passed.
And if you want, you can use my name as well. Glenn.
Oh, thank you right now. I owe you my wife, thanks.
Anything else while you're here.
Uh So it's he's saying it's called Norelli's any r a O wait.
And n e r let me let me spell it for you.
N E r O l I Niroli.
All right, and it's two eighty two Washington Street in Westwood, mass Oh.
Cool.
We see one night you played Thursday nights here, Yeah, Thursday night from six to eight pm.
And you need to make the reservation in the supper cub because if you make it in the restaurant, you won't be able to hear the music, right, all right?
So now Ronde does Ronda Gooddale? Go there, she's my favorite.
There, she was just there the other night.
Yeah, she's she's wholesome, she's my favorite gift.
All right, Well now let me we've done Hall Hail the gangs all here. Let me take my news break.
I'll let you guys.
Go all right, okay, thank you for calling.
All right?
Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty eight eight eight nine two nine, ten thirty one more hour with Bill and bo one open line if you want to grab it. Here on nights time and temperature ten fifty eight seventy five degrees