Rod & Jan Tuttle, s/v Apparition

There was a crowd of close to three hundred people at the third and last Taste of Carnival, sponsored by The Boca in late January. It was there that Smitty and the Blond Bombshells was introduced to the cruising public. His rendition of "Call Jessie" brought the house down and probably could have made the Soca Road March Champion if it had been introduced at the Savannah. It had rhythm, originality, a great beat, and outstanding lyrics that had the crowd sing along with the chorus.

The obvious question on everybody's mind was, "How can a cruiser show up in Trinidad, compose and play calypso so well and so easily?" The answer is "He had a Dream". Smitty is not your prototypical cruiser. Yes, he does live on a sailboat at TTYC and yes, he is an American but the pattern stops there.

Smitty was born in Trinidad as Sylbert Jackson-Smith. He was raised here and attended the local schools. However, in 1962 he left Trinidad and went to the United States. There he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He received his university education in the States with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas and a Masters degree in Business Management from Troy State.

He became an American citizen while in the service and also met and married Susanne, an American. Smitty served a thirty- year enlistment and then retired from the Air Force to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. That was in 1993 and it was there that he had the time to pursue two dreams that he had had.

One dream was to sail a boat back to Trinidad although he had exactly zero sailing experience at that time. The second was to learn to play pan and be with one of the major pan bands in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, although he had no experience there either.

The first itch to scratch was the sailing and he began to make acquaintances with the local yacht clubs. His experience in crewing on both racing and cruising boats gave him a good knowledge of sailing and led him and Susanne to look for their own boat to buy. They found their "dream boat" and her name was "Sarah Noble". The name fascinated them. The original owners wanted to name their new boat after the ship that had brought their ancestors to the United States. They could not find that name, but they did uncover that their ancestor had a daughter named Sarah Noble. They had migrated to America in the land rush to the west in the mid-eighteen they settled in the west, Sarah's parents had a need to return to the East Coast and did not want to subject their child to the ardors of that trip. Hence, they boarded the child with an American Indian family. Her life story in that experience has been entrusted to history in the child's book, " The Courage of Sarah Noble". That kind of adventure caught their imagination and they kept the name.

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The first itch was about to be satisfied as Smitty and Susanne left the shores of Florida to achieve the dream of sailing their own boat back to his native country. They did. They arrived here in time for Carnival 2000. It was then that the authors had the fortuitous opportunity to meet Smitty in one of their wanderings, talking to locals and, in this case, players at the Silver Stars Pan Band. We had asked a Maxi to take us to Tragarette and the Silver Stars so we could listen, talk with people, and sample some of the food. (We did have a little problem getting a Maxi back to Chaguaramas but one of those many friendly Trinis, picked us up and she gave us a ride.)

That brings us to the second itch. Smitty had never played pan until Carnival 2000! He started with Silver Stars and made all of the cuts. This year he moved to the prestigious BWIA Invaders.

So here is Smitty and Susanne, living out a dream at TTYC, stick fighting at the second Taste of Carnival, composing and singing calypso at the third, and living on their boat in Trinidad. That varied and explorative background was the catalyst for "Call Jessie." That is what dreams are all about. It is no wonder that he "walks de walk and talks de talk."

CAl.L JESSE

As a cruiser, traveling from here to there

We make friends; some become very dear

We made a friend, right here in T&T

We all know him; he drives the Member's Only Taxi

If you need to go to a show … Call Jesse

If your groceries are running low…-Call Jesse

If you want to go for a swim…-Call Jesse

If you need to do anything … Call Jesse

When a fellow cruiser had a real nasty fall,

He was there, making the doctor's call.

He stayed with another, right up to his dying day.

And got the Camaraderie Award from SSCA.

If a doctor you need to see … Call Jesse

If your wife having a baby … Call Jesse

If your bone breaks and it needs to mend …Call Jesse

If all you need is a friend …Call Jesse

As a man, Jesse is full of charm

But ladies be warned, for he's a married man.

He's often seen with a lovely gal by his side

That's Sharon Rose, his partner and loving bride.

If you want reliability…Call Jesse

If you want fairness and honesty …Call Jesse

Just call for Member's Only Taxi…Call Jesse

On Channel 68 or 73…Call Jesse