1920 - The Julius Hartt School of Music is founded on Collins Street in Hartford by Julius Hartt, Pauline Hartt, Moshe Paranov, and Samuel Berkman.

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From left: Aaron Berkman, Esther Berkman, Samuel Berkman, Moses Berkman

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Pianist John Berkman plays Art of the Fugue, Fugue XI at ODC San Francisco August 25, 2010. Filmed by Daniel Berkman from his iPhone.
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Johnny Winn was a natural musician. Self taught from Illinois, John started out in roadhouses like Django Rheinhart. He played with larger bands of the era and was eventually hired by his future wife, Jennie Sheffer to play on her radio show in Indianapolis, where she sang and hosted.

With his own trio, the Johnny Winn Trio, John had a long running television show in the 50's on WFBM. He was a popular local performer in Indianapolis for many years with his group of guitar and banjo players. Johnny was still performing close to the end of his life.

Jennie Winn

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Jennie Winn was a self taught singer with a rich lyrical voice. During The Depression, while holding down a job and supporting her entire family, Jennie still had the energy and heart to perform at every opportunity. 

She sang mostly with bands enjoying an incredible fan base. She was a musician's dream, even though she didn't read music.

Jennie and husband Johnny Winn continued to perform together until their divorce in the mid 50's.

She would find a new outlet for her gift for expression, performing in local theatre.

Jennie had two daughters, Lynn and Nan.

 

Jason Berkman - Photographer/musician

https://www.jasonberkmanphotography.com

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Music video by LA based rock band DEMPSEY for the song "I WILL" from their self titled debut ep. This video was self produced and Directed by the fabulous Mike Sloat in 2004. Filmed locally in Reseda and Chatsworth.

 

A little side story:

Mo's Kay Cello

When I was studying music at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut in the early nineties, I used to visit Aunt Flo's house and she used to tell me many stories, mostly of her life as an art critic for the New York Times and The Hartford Current. She often spoke of Mo. Always with love, always with reverence.

One day I noticed an old faded cello case behind a table. My eyes perked and I asked Flo about it. It belonged to Mo. I asked about it and then asked if I could have it. I think, by this point, Flo was a bit used to my tendency to covet family memorabilia and artifacts and I guess she was putting up a sort of boundary. But I was insistent that if I took the cello I would treat it with utmost care and play it with relish! She eventually let me take it. I had it for almost 15 years, barely played it, except to learn Bach’s Suites. It sat in storage.

finally in 2013 I decided to write a composition with it. That first tune was “The Journalist (for Moses)” and it led to a collection of cello pieces I compiled into “A Cello’s Lament” which I released December 2nd, 2022 on Bandcamp (click on the photo below).

it always reminds me of Mo when I play it, the Mo I never knew, the Mo who grew up with my Grandpa Sam, the journalist, the adored husband, the scholar, a man who I've only ever seen in one picture, in black and white, smoke billowing from his pipe, caught forever in that one photograph, but who's legacy now lives on in an old Kay cello.