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As Good as it Gets, Special Thanks to Dan Johnson and others that shared these rare clips! ...My Guitar mentor (Jim Day) wrote: "In 1963 my first Jazz Mentor, Ralph Mutchler gave me a scholarship to the Stan Kenton Clinics in Reno. All I had to do was teach a class of intermediate jazz guitar students and one combo a day and that was it. Johnny Smith was my inspiration and he was going to be there teaching the advanced gtr. class. We were there for 3 weeks and became good friends. He offered to teach me privately every day. For my audition I played his version of Moonlight in Vermont. Amazed that I could reach "His inversions" of the chords, he held up his hand and his fingers were 1 inch longer than mine. I was playing an L-5 at the time and he suggested I buy a Johnny Smith. The JS was 1/2 inch shorter scale than the L5. Brian [Nova], thats the gtr. I sold to your Dad [Pete Nova] in 70? Johnny convinced me to buy a music store like he did. He said you can still go out and play when you want. I bought a store in 66 and thank him forever for the advice! My wife, from Denver a fan of his before we met, and I would visit him at the Johnny Smith Music Store in Colorado Springs in the 70's and 80's. Thank You Johnny for everything. Great memories." - Jim Day