Erich Kunzel is an original. He's an enthusiastic ambassador for music, he has irrepressible energy — and he's unpredictable.

        For 35 years, the Cincinnati Pops maestro has jumped, jived and swung along with his jazzy soloists. His “six-pack” of holiday-themed TV shows have brought Cincinnati to, as he puts it, “the couch potatoes of America.”

        His prolific CDs — now more than 100 — have put the Pops on record shelves from Texas to Taiwan. And he's a champion of young talent. His newest hat — that of education advocate (a new School for Creative and Performing Arts) has won him friends and foes.

        He's given us 35 years of memories, and we want you to share yours.

        The first time I reviewed a Cincinnati Pops concert, Mr. Kunzel was sharing the stage with a tank of live lobsters (for a sailing theme, one of his favorites). Shortly after that, he tried a laser light show — inside Music Hall. It fizzled.

        He packs the house — and the stage, too. “Who else but Mr. Kunzel could put together a slick show with a kick line of chefs, dancing vegetables and University of Cincinnati cheerleaders?” the Enquirer wrote for his Thanksgiving show last year.

        He loves to ham it up with his singers: One schtick is to grab the mike and add a basement note to “There's Nothing Like a Dame.”

        Do you have a favorite memory about Mr. Kunzel — funny, unforgettable or wacky? We'll publish the best 35 memories for the music man's 35th anniversary with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops.

        Send them to: Janelle Gelfand, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202; fax: (513) 768-8330; e-mail: jgelfand@enquirer.com. Deadline is Nov. 15.

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