Traditional jazz virtuoso and pioneer resident of Gate 6 ½, Carl Lunsford, died yesterday at the age of 90.
Born and raised in Ohio, Carl moved to New York City after college to begin his career in music. Self–taught as a boy, Carl became a mainstay of many great traditional jazz bands, including the Red Onion, Red Garter and the Turk Murphy band in San Francisco.
Filmmaker and neighbor Helen Vandeman has posted a 32–minute video of her neighbor, reminiscing about his musical career including important influences and musicians who became lifelong friends.
Besides playing trad jazz, Carl also joined the pit orchestra for the Broadway duration of The Boyfriend and appeared on stage in an off-Broadway musical with Shel Silverstein, who became a friend. Carl was also invited to play for President Johnson in a White House evening with Mahalia Jackson and Robert Goulet.
In the film, Carl recounts how he bought an anchor–out in 1974 and moved it aboard an empty dock that became Gate 6 ½. His initial rent was $30 a month! He lived in it for the rest of his life.
The film ends with Carl playing a banjo solo. You can watch another YouTube video of Turk Murphy playing “Maple Leaf Rag” at Earthquake Magoon’s in San Francisco, with a brief close-up of Carl near the end at 3:08.
Carl is survived by his devoted wife Donna, his stepdaughter Carrie, daughter Christine in Long Island, sons Tony in Connecticut and Michael in Washington state, and three grandchildren.