Sheehy...Puccaloist

 Sheehy...Puccaloist

     One of the qualities that made Greg such a loveable guy was his lack of ego. Maybe lack is not the best word but his self-confidence did not require constant compliments for his talents. There were small things of which he was truly extraordinary but he never bragged on them or even developed them. He was a very good cartoonist yet only did a few when I spurred him on with some of mine. As written before he really had a superior command of the English language with a memory for dialogue that was uncanny. He could have been a good actor but was never willing to undergo the grueling process to become a thespian, even a high school cast member. His vocabulary was robust and he never used any word improperly but put little down on paper. There is one talent that he possessed that only a few friends,  his cousin and his family knew about. The man was an accomplished puccaloist! The call for professional puccaloists or puccaloists period has been very small since the first couple of decades in the 20th century but the Puccalo is a listed instrument in Groves Encyclopia of Music. For those who are unaware of the art, a puccaloist is a vocal artist who expertly whistles. Toots Thielemans from the Jazz world was one, Ron McCroby and Michael Dennis  are recording artists/whistlers today. My personal favorite is Whistling Pete who was a vaudville peformer before World War I. Many performers on the music hall and Vaudeville circuits were professional whistlers (also known as siffleurs.)  Well, Greg could whistle a tune with the best of them and his choice of materials ranged from the theme to the TV show Wild Wild West to the South Gate Youth Band Marching Song. Just observing his technique of issuing notes he sent melodies not so much through the lips but more from air pushed past the upper bridge of his teeth. He could turn his mouth into a damn Hemholtz resonator and recreate every genre of music with some force. He might gently produce a sweet "You'll Never Walk Alone" or the more harsh "Love Theme from Ben Hur." You could actually throw suggestions at the guy and he could give you that tune back like when I asked for the theme from L.A. Law or any other Mike Post rocker. Greg Sheehy Puccaloist could do.