BST Jerry Hyman

BST Jerry Hyman

BST Jerry Hyman

Happy birthday
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Woodstock alum
BST Jerry Hyman
Dr Jerry Hyman and his trombone
BST Jerry Hyman

Brooklyn born

Jerry Hyman was born on May 19, 1947 in Brooklyn.  I suppose some other people were, too. And I suppose some of them became musicians.  I’m pretty sure that none followed the same path, though.

BST Jerry Hyman

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Jerry Hyman joined Blood, Sweat and Tears after their first album, Child Is Father To the Man in time for their second album, the 1968 Blood, Sweat & Tears.

He played trombone for them from 1968–1970, a time period that enabled him to play at the  Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

As broad and deep (and questionable) as the internet is, Jerry Hyman’s story is a seemingly well-kept one. And that’s fine.

BST Jerry Hyman

Accordian

Luckily, there is a long interview with him that is also linked to from Dr Jerry Hyman’s page [Dr Jerry]. Yes, I said “Dr” and that’s another part of the story.

Hyman’s first musical instrument was the accordion.  In my 1950s grammar school I remember that classmates that played an instrument often played the accordion. I suppose it was viewed as a portable keyboard before there were portable keyboards.

BST Jerry Hyman

Trombone

In any case, Hyman moved to the trombone, another less-than-popular instrument but one he had a facility for. It was that instrument that led him to salsa bands and believe me there aren’t many more fun events to be at than a party with a salsa band.

Jerry became friends with Dick Halligan, another trombone player, and Halligan offerd Hyman a spot in a new band, Blood Sweat and Tears. Hyman wasn’t ready for that scene and declined. He didn’t pass on the second offer.

Life became a much busier one. Besides attending the famous Woodstock Music and Art Fair, there were Grammys, hit records, hit albums, and touring. ““We traveled 250-plus days a year doing one-nighters.”

BST Jerry Hyman

Redirection


From the outside such a life my seem like one happy glorious continuous party and likely one of those adjectives was sometimes true, but such a life takes its toll and if one has the strength it takes a strong will to walk away.

“I think I had had enough,” he says. “I had seen the experience for what it was. I had learned about, shall we say, the art of artifice. It was time for me to follow my heart and my nose. That was a grand experience because it enabled me in essence to get here.”

BST Jerry Hyman

 Dr. Jerry Hyman

After BS & T, Jerry worked in a Pennsylvania antique shop and later LA studios.

Then Bell’s palsy hit. Three times in 10 years. The disease prevented him from playing the trombone.

Luckily he hurt his back and went to a chiropractor. Luckily because as hesitant as he was at first to try methods outside the traditional medical school science, the treatment he received helped.

In 1983 he was graduated as a doctor of chiropractic from the Cleveland Chiropractic College-Los Angeles.

BST Jerry Hyman

Helping musicians

In the early 2000s he began working with musicians whose muscle pain issues he could relate to.

While attached to the life that LA offered, he and his wife Carol wanted something different. After searching they found New Hampshire in 2002, its coast, its art scene, and a way of life that appealed.

In  2017 to they moved to Brevard, North Carolina where he currently practices and Dr Jerry Hyman, chiropractor, helps heal.

For him, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a long time ago (“…shortly after the first Crimean War, yes?“) and royalties from his music don’t seem to know he moved.

As Jerry Hyman says, ‘Vive Bene, Spesso L’amore, Di Risata Molto’

BST Jerry Hyman

13 thoughts on “BST Jerry Hyman”

  1. Jerry Is a distant cousin of mine, and he grew up a few blocks away from me in Brooklyn. I remember one day in the fall of 1969 he came to our old high school (Samuel J.Tilden) to say hello to his band teacher. I was playing the saxophone at the time…great memory!

      1. I had Jerry as a teacher at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles in the mid 1980s. I was surely impressed to lean that he had been a part of BST. I remember him as a very kind, soft-spoken and intelligent teacher.

        I was only 13 in 1969 but I can still remember saying to my friend that on Spinning Wheel it sounded like the drummer had thrown his set down the stairs lol!

        I’ve drifted far afield from chiropractic since the 80s. I am actually the author of a book on the Zodiac killer of the Bay Area. But I’ve never forgotten getting to meet Jerry, or Dr. Hyman as I knew him.

      1. Not so sure about that…here’s the first album’s personnel:

        Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
        Bobby Colomby – drums, percussion; backing vocals (tracks 4, 10)
        Jim Fielder – bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
        Dick Halligan – trombone
        Steve Katz – guitars; lead vocals (tracks 3, 8); backing vocals (tracks 3); lute (track 6)
        Al Kooper – organ, piano; lead vocals (tracks 2, 4-7, 9-12); ondioline (track 8)
        Fred Lipsius – piano, alto saxophone
        Jerry Weiss – trumpet, flugelhorn; backing vocals (track 4)

  2. Met Jerry in 2018, he is still helping musicians and still playing a mean horn. He is also one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

  3. I presently own the house in South Serling Pa that was previously Jerry’s. I have raised 4 children there and have enjoyed the beautiful property/creeks/waterfalls for 47 years.

  4. Hi Jerry, Rosie here, Linda Rose (Schelin)I was in the band with Jerry at Samuel J Tilden High along with another multi Grammy winner Elliot Scheiner who I am still in contact with.
    I played the flute and led the marching band at football games. Great music teacher Mr Stracher and so much fun in the band room..
    Great memories

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