Jack "Manny" Bowen was an accomplished musician and friend to many. Click to enlarge.

Fellow musicians and fans of Chattanooga’s local music scene mourn the passing of Jack “Manny” Bowen on March 10, 2007.

Mr. Bowen and his groups performed at countless parties, clubs, and charity events. His Post 95 Legionnaires were on the bill at last year’s Swingfest, held each Labor Day weekend at Coolidge Park. The Manny Bowen Trio performed in recent years at the Silas Marley restaurant in East Brainerd. The group had entertained at a fundraiser for Kids on the Block earlier this month.

Manny Bowen’s musical career spanned several decades. In a 2006 interview for a Chattanoogan.com Memories article on dances held at Cavern Castle at Ruby Falls, Manny recalled performing as a member of the Singing Saxes group. Mr. Bowen remembered that good crowds often turned out for the dances. “We had many people who were regulars,” he reflected. “They set up a dance floor, and we played until midnight. Back then, there were dances everywhere around town.”

Mike LaRoche, leader of the Sweet Georgia Sound band, credits Manny Bowen as a mentor and friend. He recalled, “I first met Manny when I first subbed with the American Legion Big Band in 1996 and then got to know him when I became a regular member of that band in May 1997. I went on four Legion band trips with Manny - Orlando in 1997, New Orleans in 1998, Charlotte in 2002, and Honolulu in 2005.”

“The New Orleans and Charlotte trips were on a bus and several of us always sat near Manny and he would tell stories and jokes the whole trip, I'd always say that I needed to write it all down; unfortunately I never did. In New Orleans, we played several parties at the American Legion post there. Between parties Manny posed on the street outside, playing saxophone with a cup for money beside him.”

Manny subbed with Sweet Georgia Sound on several occasions, according to LaRoche.
“A lot of the things I do with SGS are a direct result of observing Manny during the time I played with him in the Legion band. He was a pro and I never stopped learning from him.”

“Once I was being interviewed by Earl Freudenberg. on WDOD about an upcoming fundraiser for Hospice that SGS was doing. The discussion went on to big bands and saxophonists in general, and Earl asked me who my influences were. I named a few but I told him that more than anyone my biggest influence was Manny Bowen. I said in fact, whenever I stood up to take a solo, I always thought WWMD (What Would Manny Do). When I got back to the office after the interview Manny called me, he had been listening and said he almost drove off the road when I said that.”

Band director and bass clarinetist Don Worley recalled how Jack Bowen acquired the nickname, “Manny.” “He told me that when he was a little boy, he somehow picked up on the words "manny man." He said he would run through the house chanting, "I'm a manny man. I'm a manny man" over and over. Family members began calling him Manny and it stuck.”

Mr. Worley continued, “His mother died when he was a young boy. One day he was in the back yard where he lived, playing ball with some friends. His father came home and called him into the house. He had bought a horn for him and gave it to him, saying, "Your mother always wanted you to play a horn." That's how he got started.”

Manny Bowen served his country during World War II, as did his father. Both were also musicians.

”Manny's father, who was a drummer, ran several service stations during his lifetime,” reflected Mr. Worley. “Manny was working for him. (Band leader) O.J. (Bailey) stopped in one day to have something done to his car. He saw Manny working on a car. It was a cold winter day and the wrench Manny was using would slip and he would bust his knuckles. O.J. said he thought that was an awful way for a musician of Manny's talents to have to work. He told Manny if he wanted to, he could come to work for him at the music store and he would teach Manny how to sell pianos. That's how Manny began selling pianos.”

Manny Bowen had a piano store at Eastgate at one time, and was working for Crutcher Pianos at the time of his passing.

Another of Mr. Worley’s recollections involved a downtown shopping promotion that failed to draw much of a response. “The downtown merchants decided to boost business by staying open late one night. He was hired to set up on a street corner and play music with his combo. They set up in front of the American National Bank as it was at that time. Manny said there wasn't a soul on the streets. The idea was a flop. Downtown was like a ghost town.”

“Finally a drunk comes along with his bottle in a brown paper sack and sits down on the curb by them and drinks from his bottle and listens to the music. In a while, a policeman Manny knew well comes along in his patrol car. He parks on the street in front of the band and listens for a while. He notices the drunk sitting on the curb and tells Manny that he is going to take him in.”

"Man, don't do that," Manny tells him. "You'll take away our audience if you do."

Jack “Manny” Bowen loved his audience, no matter how big or small.

If you have memories of Mr. Bowen, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@bellsouth.net.