ATOS meeting featuring Jay Mitchell at the Mighty Wurlitzer

The Alabama Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society will host a March chapter meeting March 30, featuring a performance by Jay Mitchell at Big Bertha, the Alabama Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ. Guests are welcome and there is no admission fee to attend.

It will be another visit to a dear, close relative for Jay, as he returns to “Aunt Bertha”, The Alabama Theatre’s big Wurlitzer organ.  Jay grew up on this organ, learning, practicing, and performing.  His earliest performances were rather stiff renditions of jazz tunes he played on the organ for “Teen Time”, a regular Saturday morning talent show for teenagers, during the late 1950s.

Pursuing college studies, playing for church services, directing a church choir and opening two organ teaching studios during the 1960s, took him away from the theatre and the organ, but he returned to the Alabama in 1970 to work with the Southeastern Chapter ATOS (now Atlanta ATOS) in refurbishing the organ. His renewed contact with the instrument led to his appointment as curator of the organ, and with two of his organ students, the beginning of the Alabama Chapter ATOS.

During this March 30th play fest, Jay will be looking for some not to be forgotten old tools he and Larry Donaldson used to use working on the organ during their midnight to dawn work sessions….a homemade volt meter and a couple of old telephone system headsets…sure to be found somewhere close by the old relay room.