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John Sasso


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Been reading on FB that John Sasso, the legendary brass arranger and instructor for the Long Island Sunrisers in the 1960s through the mid-1970s, has passed away.

So sorry to hear the news. He was a Sunriser icon.

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17 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Been reading on FB that John Sasso, the legendary brass arranger and instructor for the Long Island Sunrisers in the 1960s through the mid-1970s, has passed away.

So sorry to hear the news. He was a Sunriser icon.

Johnny Sasso wrote for my fathers corps, the Wanderers back in the mid 60's. He was WAY ahead of his time, AWSOME stuff even today. RIP.

Jay

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12 minutes ago, HBD said:

Johnny Sasso wrote for my fathers corps, the Wanderers back in the mid 60's. He was WAY ahead of his time, AWSOME stuff even today. RIP.

Jay

I hear ya, Jay.

"An American in Paris"... "Procession of the Nobles"... and other music he arranged for Sun... that was some pretty high-rent stuff for that era.

He was a huge factor in putting the Sunrisers on the map in the 1960s and beyond.

 

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Most here may never have heard of John Sasso, but if you watched last night's DCI Finals, you witnessed his legacy.

John taught the great Wayne Downey in the late '60s, and his DNA is all over countless drum corps today. His students went on to teach the Cadets, St. Lucy's, The  Queensmen, Anaheim Kingsmen, Skyliners, Hurricanes, Bridgemen, Crossmen, Bushwackers, Sunrisers, Wanderers, Carver, Bluecoats, Santa Clara, Blue Devils, 27th Lancers, Westshoremen, Madison, Cavaliers, Freelancers, Reading Buccaneers, Hawthorne Caballeros, Colts, LI Kingsmen, Boston Crusaders, Mandarins,... and countless others.

John may be the only instructor to win 2 National Championships on the same day, when the Sunrisers and St. Lucy's Cadets took home first place in the Senior and Junior divisions in New Orleans in 1968.

He was the first to bring truly "professional" standards to drum corps brass playing when he studied with Joe Singer, Principal Horn of the NY Philharmonic in the '60s, applying those techniques directly to the horn lines he was instructing, long before anyone else had those insights.

It's no co-incidence that today's finest brass instructors emulate that approach. Many of them were either taught by John or played his music. Still more received instruction from his students. Virtually all of them were touched by his talents in some way.

When Isaac Newton was praised for his great accomplishments, he said, "I stood on the shoulders of giants."

John Sasso was a giant and, even if you didn't know him, you owe him great respect.

Edited by ironlips
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1 hour ago, ironlips said:

Most here may never have heard of John Sasso, but if you watched last night's DCI Finals, you witnessed his legacy.

John taught the great Wayne Downey in the late '60s, and his DNA is all over countless drum corps today. His students went on to teach the Cadets, St. Lucy's, The  Queensmen, Anaheim Kingsmen, Skyliners, Hurricanes, Bridgemen, Crossmen, Bushwackers, Sunrisers, Wanderers, Carver, Bluecoats, Santa Clara, Blue Devils, 27th Lancers, Westshoremen, Madison, Cavaliers, Freelancers, Reading Buccaneers, Hawthorne Caballeros, Colts, LI Kingsmen, Boston Crusaders, Mandarins,... and countless others.

John may be the only instructor to win 2 National Championships on the same day, when the Sunrisers and St. Lucy's Cadets took home first place in the Senior and Junior divisions in New Orleans in 1968.

He was the first to bring truly "professional" standards to drum corps brass playing when he studied with Joe Singer, Principal Horn of the NY Philharmonic in the '60s, applying those techniques directly to the horn lines he was instructing, long before anyone else had those insights.

It's no co-incidence that today's finest brass instructors emulate that approach.

When Isaac Newton was praised for his great accomplishments, he said, "I stood on the shoulders of giants."

John Sasso was a giant and, even if you didn't know him, you owe him great respect.

Bravo Frank!

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From the East Hampton Star, Thursday, August 17th:

A funeral Mass will be said by the Rev. Tom Murray at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church in Montauk tomorrow at 11 a.m. The family has suggested memorial donations to the Montauk Community Food Pantry, care of St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, 67 South Essex Street, Montauk 11954.

John Sasso was a member of the Buglers Hall of Fame and the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

 

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Knowing he didn't use the internet, I called John's first bugle instructor this morning to tell him of his student's passing.

Bill Hayes was one of the most prominent soloists, instructors and arrangers in drum corps in the 1950's. Many of us remember Frank Ponzo playing the "Cherry Pink" solo in the Cab's Alumni, as a kind of tribute  to fellow Buglers Hall of Fame member, Jimmy D'Amico. Both of them nailed it in their turn. But it was Hayes who introduced it with Hawthorne in the '50s.

He also taught and performed with the Skyliners,  and arranged for St. Catherine's Queensmen and the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights among many others.

"Johnny Sasso", he said, "he was a great kid and a wonderfully talented horn player. I always knew he'd amount to something."

"You have no idea", I replied.

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