Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Jane Jarvis

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Memories of
Jane Jarvis

Jane Jarvis

Luella Jane Nossett Jarvis
Born: October 31, 1915 at Vincennes, Ind.
Died: January 25, 2010 at Englewood, N.J. Obituary

Non-playing roles with Mets

Musical Director 1964 - 1979

Share your memories of Jane Jarvis

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Ray
August 4, 2008
When I hear the junk that's played at Shea these days, I long for the sweet organ music that Ms. Jane Jarvis would entertain me with whenever I got a chance to see my Mets. I guess I'm just getting old.
P.S. There's only 2 places I want to hear organ music: in church and at the ballpark.

Christopher Hagee
August 10, 2008
My favorite memories about Mrs. Jarvis' Met organ- playing tenure in the soon-to-be-demolished Shea Stadium was her playing the "Star-Spangled Banner" (the U.S. National Anthem) in A Major at the outset of most Met Shea Stadium home games mainly throughout the 1970s when they were televised live. I can rememeber well her the crowd join in the singing of Mrs. Jarvis playing the "S.S.B." in some televised Met home games in the 1970s, one in particular in a Mon. evening Met home game vs. the Pirates carried live via the NBC-TV Network (at least on a regional basis).

shelly
January 30, 2010
Jane Jarvis died 1/25/10 at the ripe age of 94. Memories of Meet the Mets and the Mexican hat dance during 7th inning stretch are forever etched in my memory. She was the first mistake the new Wilpon regime made when they purchased the Mets in 1979 by not renewing her contract. Definitely wasn't their last mistake.

john kane
January 31, 2010
It makes me very angry that money must talk so loud today. Shea was home, Jane was the music. My memory can't be bought by money. Shea organ, Mets, let's play ball!

Quality Met
February 2, 2010
I'm sorry to hear of Jane's passing. The music she provided at Shea were great memories. Before switching to the Mexican Hat Dance, she would play the Hand Clapping Song during the 7th inning stretch. It was the tune of this song that was heard in the background on TV while Lindsey Nelson would do a live ad for the Mets Yearbook.
RIP, Jane.

Lendog
February 2, 2010
It's a sad night in Metville.
I have the tune of "Caberet" in my head - the Jane Jarvis organ version played between innings.
I also am hearing that little flourish she added to the Star Spangled Banner right before the line "oh say does that ssb yet wave..." began. Can't describe it in typed words but maybe you remember it.

Ernie
February 2, 2010
Have been a Jane Jarvis Mets fan since 1965. Jane Jarvis should be put into the Mets Hall Of Fame. I have suggested in the past that Mets management put an organ with the initials JJ next to the retired numbers. Jane Jarvis is a NY Mets icon. I was outraged when they closed Shea there was not a Jane Jarvis night. My favorite memories of Shea:
Jane Jarvis and the Thomas organ.
Banner Day
The "sign man".
All my great memories from on-the-field play, including the Mets beating Sandy Koufax for the first time and of course the Championship run in 1969 had Jane Jarvis at the core (not that apple) providing great entertainment. R.I.P Jane. You will be missed.

John L.
February 6, 2010
One of my first memories as a Mets fan was listening to Miss Jarvis playing the Thomas organ. And as mentioned in an earlier post, one of the first decisions by Wilpon/Doubleday was to discontinue the wonderful harmony that was once heard from Shea. I guess Fred's tin ear started almost immediatley. Rip Miss Jarvis.

Shickhaus Franks
February 6, 2010
So sad to hear about the passing of yet another childhood figure in my life. In the Woody Allen movie "Radio Days"; she played a "dance palace musician" playing the piano/organ (of course). As Casey said, you could look it up!

Christopher Hagee
February 6, 2010
Mrs. Jarvis will be sorely missed. Her live organ music in the ol' Shea Stadium had been a tradition for a decade and a half. Her playings of "Let's Go Mets", the Mexican Hat Dance music during the 7th inning stretch and most of all, the "Star-Spangled Banner" (the U.S. National Anthem) had been a vital part of her association with the Mets and their Shea Stadium home games from the mid-1960s through the late-1970s. May her soul R.I.P.

Michael K
February 17, 2010
I remember when she played the theme song from Bonanza when the grounds crew dragged the infield.

Mook
March 3, 2010
Does anyone know the name of that ditty Jane played just as the Mets would take the field? My friends and I used to call it "The Mets take the Field Song."

Rick Lehman
April 15, 2010
On April 10 I went to Citi Field for the second time to see if the Mets truly made this park more Mets friendly. Yes, it was great to see the Apple outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda but while viewing it I was so happy to hear Jane Jarvis' rendition of Meet the Mets being played.
When I went inside and into the Hall of Fame, I was happy at what they did but a bit sad that Jane Jarvis was not included anywhere among the pictures or plaques.
When I went to my seat I was pleasantly surprised to not only hear her rendition of Meet the Mets again but also her very own Let's Go Mets being played on the sound system. I was now hoping they would play her rendition of the National Anthem with the PA Announcer urging us to follow along and sing the words on the scoreboard like they did at Shea. No such luck.
C'mon Mets. You are moving in the right direction but dropped the ball when it came to honoring Jane Jarvis. Please include her in the Hall of Fame on August 1st when Doc and Straw are inducted.
BTW, if anyone knows how we can get a CD of Jane Jarvis playing Meet the Mets, Let's Go Mets and the National Anthem please let me know. I would love to play this time and time again on my way to and from work.

Fred Winther
August 9, 2010
Love to find a CD of her songs played at Shea. Someone out there must have it. Please help us let her music live on forever.

Jonathan Stern
January 30, 2012
At some point in the 90's, the Mets gave to fans a CD of four versions of "Meet the Mets." The last one on the CD was Jane Jarvis's version. Always nice to hear.
I'm with some of the above posters: get rid of the crap that is blasted in Citi Field and hire an organist!

Doctor Worm
May 23, 2012
To address Mook's question, the ditty that Jane Jarvis played when the Mets took the field was called "Let's Go Mets". It had words, although we never heard them. Here they are, as provided by Howard L on www.loge13.com:
Three cheers for all the boys who play
Let's Go Mets
The team that soon will have its day
Lets Go Mets.
Amazin' yes they are
Each player is a star
The best in the land by far they are
Let's Go Mets
(then a key change and repeat lyrics).

Eddie Farrell
October 17, 2012
My first time game listening to Jane Jarvis was and always will be embedded in my brain. 23 innings with the Mets losing 8 - 6 was a birthday game gift my parents gave me. My dad and I arrive at Shea Stadium as the Giants won the first game 6ies of my first Mets game with my dad!

VIBaseball
April 3, 2013
I happened to read a few other facts about Jane Jarvis lately. She had a background in jazz and played around clubs in New York for quite a few years after her Mets career was over.
She was organist for the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium from 1954 through 1962. Then she moved to New York and worked for the Muzak company, giving their elevator music a bit more jazzy flair.
She helped keep the Shea crowd happy when the blackout hit on July 13, 1977.

Cliff W.
October 28, 2015
I've been playing her rendition of Meet the Mets a hundred times since yesterday prior to the Royals WS Game 1.
Brings back so many memories of fun with family members no longer around! Wish I could share her stadium tunes with my two sons now in their 20's

bob sef
November 2, 2021
Ya know what memory of Jane Jarvis has never left me?? Jane playing something between innings to be immediately followed up by Jack Lightcap's booming voice "now batting for..."