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The South Florida Music Scene
 The South Florida music scene in the 60s and 70s was a hotspot for all kinds of music, especially jazz, with clubs such as The Beowulf, Bogart's, Porky's, the Rum House, and for the late-night scene, Casey's. Some of the performers who are of particular renown include Cannonball Adderly, Jaco Pastorius, Blue Mitchell, Mike Longo, and Flip Phillips
Kurt Walter grew up in Florida and returned there after being discharged from the army. Once Ike was discharged as well, Kurt convinced him to come to Florida and play in the Ben Champion Trio. Ben Champion is still a fixture of the South Florida jazz scene, with his band, the Jazzberry Patch. (See the Links page for more on Ben.) Lori was the house singer, which is how Kurt and Lori met. Recalls Kurt: "Before I joined the Ben Champion Trio, I would come into the Cottontail Lounge after my job at the Polynesian Room in the Yankee Clipper Hotel. Ike and Lori performed with the Ben Champion Trio there. I would always ask Ike to have the singer (Lori) sing "Pretty World" as recorded by Sergio Mendez, Brazil 66. Then one night Ike introduced me to Lori."
Kurt: It's worth noting that most of the musicians that played gigs that ended fairly early in the evening (such as mine at the Yankee Clipper Hotel and also when we had the 'Trilogy') would hang out late at a local club called Casey's that was open till 4 AM. At that time the drummer (who later joined me for my last professional gig at Lighthouse Point Yacht Club for 11 years) had a jazz trio with my friend, Alex Darqui, on piano and a friend of mine from high school, Bob Schultz, who played bass.
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