Sorry to hear of Mike Montgomery's passing.  His piano playing
on the many recorded sides of the Boll Weevils Jass Band is the
very best!

The leader of the Boll Weevils, trumpeter Dan Havens, was
a professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and for
many years also fronted a university bunch known as The Old Guys
Jazz Band.  Mike came our way every year headed for the Goldenrod
Showboat Jazz Festival in St. Louis, and they (the Boll Weevils)
always had a pre-festival afternoon session in Dan Havens' back
yard in Edwardsville, Illinois, where the fun would go on for hours.
As a "not very good" professor-trombonist, I was allowed to "play
along" from time to time.

The Boll Weevil CDs are still available, I believe, where Mike's
piano will continue to be "heard" for a very long time.  I may be
mistaken, but I believe that Havens is now the only living member
of that great band.  One could write a fairly long book on Mike's
piano roll collection and knowledge in that area!

Deane Wiley
Las Vegas, Nevada