On December 31, 1971, I played my first professional, “nightclub” gig. It was at The Emerald Room at the Sound View Hotel in Milford, Connecticut. I was a 15 year old drummer playing in a small combo that was alternating sets with the house band, The Frank Charles Quartet. Their bass player, Nick Cousins was my guitar player’s father. What captivated me and impressed me most about Mr. Cousins (AKA “Big Nick”) was that he played bass and trumpet at the same time, hammering fre