Last Friday I enjoyed listening to The Poole Brothers, Conner and Chris, as I swam in my pool. I then headed off to catch Poole and the Gang at M R Ducks.  Poole and the Gang is headed by Kevin Poole (Conner and Chris’s uncle). Other band members are John Remy on guitar and vocals, Ryan Mete on bass, Ed Mullens on drums and Joe Smooth on sax and vocals.  
    I noticed Howard Wimbrow (guitar for No Byscuyts) and thought to myself how nice it was for Howard to show up for one of Joe Smooth’s other bands. Next I saw Keith Brooks (drums for No Byscuyts) and then thought this is just too much of a coincidence. Keith told me No Byscuyts was playing next store at the Angler from 8 to midnight. Well, that answered that; Poole and the Gang had originally been booked at M. R. Ducks to play from 4 to 8 and Joe had a double booking that day. Poole and the Gang also played last Saturday night at the Cove (Ocean Pines Yacht Club) after Joe Smooth and John Remy performed as a duo at Coconuts in the afternoon. A quick chat with Joe and a gander at the Who’s Where When CT schedule led me to write this article.
    We who call OC home, and you who vacation here, are so blessed by the quality of our music community; it is very special here and like no other place I have visited.  It’s very difficult to make a living as a musician in a resort town and our musicians work so hard during the summer months. You know the old saying, ‘make hay while the sun shines.’  Joe, like a number of our other musicians, worked doubles Friday and Saturday and has a boat load of bookings the rest of the week. Joe’s regular weekly summer gigs include No Byscuyts on Sunday from 1 to 5 at Caribbean Pool Bar (2nd Street and boardwalk), Joe has a duo with Bob Wilkinson Mondays from 4 to 8 at Coconuts (36th street), 2 Much Stuff on Wednesdays from 7 to 11 at Caribbean, and plays with John Remy on Thursday afternoons at the Hilton. This coming week you can also catch Joe with various gigs at the Casino, The Cove (OPYC), Castaways, Ocean Pines Beach Club in OC; see CT’s Who’s Where When for details.
    Please allow me to tell you just a bit about Joe Smooth. Joe’s Dad got him his first saxophone when Joe was nine after renting a sax for Joe for $2 a month. Joe says his Dad is largely responsible for what you see today. Mr. Jacinto told Joe the sax was a good instrument for him and a lot cheaper than drums. Joe’s parents made sure he practiced daily and Joe received a full scholarship to Berkley in Massachusetts. Berkley has a superb reputation for producing our country’s finest musicians. Outside of the time when Joe was a Navy Seal, he has been pretty much a full time musician ever since his Berkley days. Joe has also worked many other jobs off season to make ends meet and is a wonderful landscape artist.
    Joe and his family use to vacation at Castle in the Sands. Mike Lawson (owner of Barn 34) managed Coconuts at the time and introduced Joe to Bobby Wilkinson, Darin Engh, Harry O and other musicians. Joe liked the music scene here so much that he and son Danny moved to OC in 1995.  Harry O takes credit for dubbing Joe “Smooth” as Joe had a pack of Camel cigarettes in his pocket the first day they played together. Remember the old Camel ads and the camel was called Joe Smooth?  Harry told Joe his name was Joe Smooth for the rest of the day and it took!
    I first met Joe in ’03 at an Autism benefit organized by Michelle Schacter (Full Circle). Joe was one of many local musicians who volunteered their time and talent that day to make the fundraiser a huge success. I so loved Joe’s playing that I made it a point to introduce myself and tell him how much I enjoyed his performance.  Now you know, my friends, Joe Jacinto has got “IT” – need I say more!  Several years ago, Pat O’Brennan wrote a song about Joe entitled “ The Cat’s So Smooth” and I say ain’t it the truth!
    Please allow this music lover to end this piece with a bit of advice and common courtesy tips. When you hear music you like – TIP THE MUSICIANS WITH CASH – not alcohol. Club owners don’t pay as much as you might think. Joe Smooth doesn’t drink and many of our other musicians would also prefer cash to help pay next winter’s heating bill rather than damaging their liver more by drinking a shot with you. Oh, BTW, please note that placing any amount of tip in a jar does not give you permission to carry on and parade in a musicians face and make an idiot out of yourself. Please respect our musicians and don’t place your hand bags and drinks on their stage. If you like what you hear, CLAP – it doesn’t take much effort on your part and means a lot to the musicians! If you want to talk nonstop at a loud level, please sit or stand toward the back of the venue so those of us who are there primarily for the music don’t have to listen to you and the band doesn’t have to up their volume to play over you. Clubs are being fined if the music is too loud and there would be no need for this if folks talked at a normal level. Please appreciate the treasure we have in Joe “Smooth” Jacinto and the rest of our fine musicians here in OC.  Now get out there my friends - support and enjoy live music! Oh Yeah!