Mike Thaman -- Tuba & String Bass -- The Shingle Shakers
Imagine Dan Kelley and Mike Thaman in Kindergarten together. Not difficult to picture, really. . . some things never change. Mike says it all began with Mrs. Brown, their school's likeable and loveable music teacher. Dan and Mike's class enjoyed music with Mrs. Brown every day during grade school, singing the classics of days gone by. In the early years, poor Mrs. Brown was always perplexed, because she would consistently hear harmony coming from her grade school class, even though harmony was not yet part of the program. During those grade school years while Dan was studying piano with his mother -- and wow, was he learning! -- Mike was saying no way to his mom trying to teach him piano (or perhaps Mike's mom was saying no way!). But then along came instrumental music teacher Dean Chard, who wrapped a baritone and later a tuba around Mike, and the rest is history. Mr. Chard had other, more notable students, including one young Chris Smith, the real proof that Chard knew what he was doing, at least with the trumpet!
Mike later moved to a different school district, where he continued with the tuba and learned to sing barbershop harmony with young Steve Pendleton. Steve and Mike together enjoyed all of the music opportunities available in junior high through high school, including special groups like barbershop quartets, musical productions, and plays. Picture the melodrama "The Drunkard" with Steve playing the part of the Drunkard, and Mike accompanying the play on the ivories with a very melodramatic set of piano tunes. Mom didn't do too badly after all.
Mike picked up the upright bass during high school, with some formal lessons but mostly by ear, and teamed up with others to form small combos here and there, playing anywhere they would let him, from Mike's basement to Gaslight Square. You have to wonder how many times the Bethel Methodist Church congregation, including Dorothy and Rusty Pendleton, had to listen to the famous rendition of "Indiana" performed by a trio of Steve on the trombone, friend Lonnie on the baritone sax, and Mike on the bass -- strange combo-fellows, but their parents loved them.
Being one of the 200+ party animals called Marching Mizzou for three years was a terrific learning experience. . .and they played music too! Marching side by side with real musicians like Tom Gassaway and others, M2 performed in a number of great venues, including the Gator Bowl and the Orange Bowl, and put on a lot of miles, in a number of ways besides travel. . .
While at Mizzou, Mike played bass with a number of jazz groups around town, with stints at Jack's Coronado and other venues. He was part of the folk-rock trio The Basically Sound (or the "BS" for short), performing original Roy Beck tunes and other popular music of the day in all kinds of venues, including coffee houses, keg parties, the Rollins Lounge, homecomings and other parties for smaller Missouri colleges, church services, and on and on. The best thing about the BS having its own album and 45 (remember those?) on sale around town was that folks could finally control the volume. . .
One fine day in 1968, Mike received a call from Dan Kelley suggesting that he join Pete Kersten and Dan for Dixieland at Shakey's. Mike showed up at Shakey's with his bass on a Thursday evening, played a couple of sets, and he’s delighted that Pete and Dan actually let him stay – for about 36+ years now!
All of Mizzou knew in 1968 that Larry Garrett was a crazy man, but Mike knew it for sure when Larry decided to run for Mizzou student body president that year. They drummed up a lot of votes, but (fortunately for Larry) it was a narrow margin for the other guy. Larry and his fourth-floor Hudson Hall gang were generally the life of the 24-7 party at Rollins Group. That one afternoon when Mike was playing his (very limited) piano repertoire (probably about 20 minutes worth max) in the Rollins Lounge and Larry showed up with his clarinet, it became clear that Larry was also a Pete Fountain of clarinet talent. "Come sit in with us at Shakey's" – more history in the making.
Mike's tenure with the Shingle Shakers ended in May 1971 when he graduated from Mizzou and moved back to St. Louis to start his business career. He continued with Dixieland Jazz in St. Louis, playing with several groups over the years, including stints at Shakey's in St. Louis and on the Mississippi River excursion boats with Chris Smith, Dan Kelley and Steve Pendleton. During the late 70s and early 80s, Mike was playing about four nights per week with Chris Smith and the St. Louis Sinners at various jazz spots on Laclede's Landing, the Michelob Jazz Series, and elsewhere. As careers and families grow, opportunities to play become fewer and further between, but that burning desire to play continues on.
Mike lives in St. Louis with his wife, Lori; son Michael, Jr. (17) who spends most of his time at prep school in Tilton, New Hampshire; Liz (13), the young pianist of the family; and nieces Lexie (11) who is studying violin, Hannah (8), and Emma (6). His eldest daughter, Katie (28), also a pianist, lives in Vandalia, Illinois, where she is the Features Editor of the Leader-Union newspaper.
Mike is President of Frontenac Financial Group, Inc., a St. Louis-based investment banking firm he co-founded in June 1994 which serves the capital needs of early-stage, emerging growth companies nationwide primarily through the institutional venture capital market. He also serves as President of Frontenac Builders LLC, a custom home development and construction company he co-founded in January 2002.
Those were incredible days for the Shingle Shakers back at Mizzou, playing four nights a week and getting paid well for it, plus many times all the beer and pizza you could consume. Today, the band provides great opportunities to make the music every member loves, but most important to all is the continuing growth of friendships that began so long ago. Mike believes the best is yet to come.