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Butch Berman's life
celebrated in grand style
By Tom Ineck
 LINCOLN,
Neb.—Hundreds of Butch Berman's friends
were on hand March 23 for the six-hour
celebration of the life of the legendary
Lincoln musician and founder of the
Berman Music Foundation.
The main ballroom of The Cornhusker
Marriott Hotel in downtown Lincoln
swarmed with fellow musicians, family
members, associates of the foundation
and other folks who were touched in some
way by the ebullient lover of life, who
died Jan. 31 at age 58. Those in
attendance expressed a mix of joy and
sadness -- joy that they had known Butch
and sadness that he was not able to
share this grand event in his honor.
Both
jazz and rock musicians paid their
respects by participating in the Easter
Day celebration of life. Headliner
Karrin Allyson performed a stunning set
of tunes, including the appropriate
"Live for Life." She was accompanied by
the stellar Kansas City rhythm section
of pianist Joe Cartwright, bassist
Gerald Spaits
and drummer Ray DeMarchi. Saxophonist
Ahmad Alaadeen and singer David Basse of
Kansas City also performed.
Among local musicians
who appeared were singer-songwriter
Charlie Burton, fiddler Dave Fowler,
bassist Dave Boye, drummer Dave Robel,
jazz saxophonist Ed Love, the wonderful
reggae band Ashanti, the Lightning Bugs
(guitarist Steve Hanson, bassist Jim
Pipher and drummer Reynold Peterson) and
surviving members of the Cronin
Brothers, Butch's last band, with
special guest guitarist Sean Benjamin.
Throughout the event,
a photo slide show documenting Butch's
entire life was projected on a screen,
making his presence (in spirit) even
more apparent.
Between
sets of music, friends took the stage to
share stories at the microphone. Butch's
widow, Grace Sankey Berman, thanked
everyone for showing their love and
support -- especially the participating
musicians, who gave the greatest
gift of all. May the music never end.
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