Celebrating Aging
Gil Rosas Plays On
by Hattie Beresford
Gil Rosas and Beverly Hay at KEYT in 1955. Gil was only 18 years old when he took the job of musical director.
In 1958, Gil played in the Mural Room of the Fiesta Bowl, the bowling alley that once occupied the building on State Street where Whole Foods now resides
I
t was the late 1970s and we were young; playin’ that funky music and doin’ the hustle. But I had grown up with a father who thought he was Fred Astaire and danced me around the living room when he was in the mood. Pops would come home from a long day designing airplanes at Lockheed, take off his hat, remove the pocket protector from his white dress shirt, drop the needle on the album in the Hi-Fi, and off we’d go, jitterbugging or dancing cheek to cheek to fascinating rhythms. T’was wonderful. So, in the ‘70s when my husband and I weren’t (uh, uh, uh, uh) stayin’ alive, we’d get a hankering for some tunes from the ‘40s and head for the Olive Mill Bistro. In the callowness of youth, we had a rather unflattering name for the place since its clientele tended to be a few generations older than we. Now, of course, we’d fit right in. After an evening listening to some of the best and enduring songs of the 20th century, we would say thanks for the memories to the talented and affable Gil Rosas, Santa Barbara’s homegrown and masterful pianist who always plays with a song in his heart. For 65 years, Gil has entertained audiences and kept the music of the Great American Songbook alive. And now, Gil is to receive the Spirit of Successful Aging Award from the Center for Successful Aging, which assists seniors in maintaining their independence and integrity. In a program produced by Rod Lathim, Gil, together with some of Santa Barbara’s top musicians and vocalists, will perform a concert of music from “The Great American Song Book” at the Marjorie Luke Theater on Saturday, April 1, at 2 pm. “I am very honored to receive this award,” says Gil. “Getting old is not for sissies. It is so important that as people age they stay active, creative, and involved in the community.” The Center for Successful Aging
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“It is important that as they age, people stay active, creative, and involved in the community,” says Gil, who has certainly taken that idea to heart
offers programs that are critically important and help seniors realize they can still be valuable to the life of the community. “The programs keep people active through counseling and socialization,” says Gil, and through live events such as the upcoming concert, “With a Song in My Heart.” Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Gil Rosas’s home was always filled with music and song. Long before taking lessons, he had learned to play the tunes he heard by ear. By age 16, he had a job playing at the skating rink, and at age 18 he became the musical director for KEYT TV. “I never used a music score since I was playing live and had to improvise to fill time, to stretch or condense music to fit a small amount of time,” says Gil. Come rain or come shine, Gil was determined to obtain a classical education in music and piano at the University of California, Santa Barbara, so he worked at KEYT and also played for Spanish dance classes and ballet classes while taking courses himself. Afterward, Gil had high hopes and boundless energy. Postcollege gigs included joining a combo
(left to right) Paul and Jennie Vercammen, Gil Rosas, and Otto Berger play a set at the Olive Mill Bistro in 1970
that played at El Paseo Restaurant, orchestra appearances at the County Bowl, and nine months at the Fiesta Bowl (today’s Whole Foods Store on State Street), where in the cool, cool, cool of the evening he entertained to the muted tympanic clatter of falling pins. “Then the Army got me and shipped me to Virginia, where I was a soloist with the Army Concert Band,” says Gil. Upon his return, Gil was hired to play at the Somerset Restaurant in Montecito where he stayed for seven years. In 1968, Gil and two partners opened The Olive Mill Bistro, on the corner of Olive Mill and Coast Village roads, part of the Montecito Inn. Many notable people frequented the establishment, and Gil remembers George Hamilton, Tab Hunter, Ray “If I Only Had a Heart” Bolger, Jane Russell, and Eleanor Powell. “Once, Donald O’Connor came in and asked if he could sing with me,” says Gil. Of course, Gil said it would be fine, and the audience was delighted. Apparently my and my father’s hero, Fred Astaire, came by as well. (Had we but known!)
• The Voice of the Village •
In 1980, Gil and his wife, Susan, moved to Ventura and brought his unique and engaging musical repertoire to such venues as the Port Royal and the venerable Pierpont Inn. With more than 4,000 songs in his heart, Gil could respond when called upon to play anything from Bach to The Beatles. Gil likes songs with strong melodies and memorable words. He banters with his audience between songs and he always accentuates the positive. Time goes by. Gil and Susan, having left their hearts in Santa Barbara, moved back in 2011. Only semi-retired, Gil continues to play for events at clubs, theatres, and in private settings where time after time his performances are de-lovely. On April 1, at 2 pm, I’ll be taking a sentimental journey with my singing, swinging dad in my heart. ‘Til then, Gil, I’ll Be Seeing You. Advance tickets available by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 8383006 or online at www.brownpap ertickets.com or at the door on performance day at the Marjorie Luke Theatre – 721 E. Cota Street in Santa Barbara. $20 general; $10 children. •MJ 23 – 30 March 2017