ironlips

Lance has submitted A-Level research in referencing my Buglers Hall of Fame brother Jari Villanueva, the world's foremost authority on US military bugle calls. In a couple of weeks a group of us will be attending his National Civil War Field Music School in Petersburg, VA. I'm not sure who qualifies as the most overrated corps of the 1860s, but I would suggest that the bugler from G Company of the 20th Maine is the undisputed I&E champ. It was he who played "Fix Bayonets" and the infantry "Charge" that drove the Rebs from Little Roundtop and changed the outcome of Gettysburg and, quite arguably, the rest of the war. His Bb clairon had none of those new-fangled valves, neither.

Will, Send me a PM. I'd be glad to help. Frank Dorritie

A very good man has left us, a stalwart drum corps icon. My sincere condolences to Ed's family and friends. Frank Dorritie

You may be interested that this show pre-dates DCI by many years. It has its oigins in The May Day Parade, an annual event begun in the 1920s that became a tradition in the Black community of St. Louis. It was connected with the Annie Malone organization which provided housing for orphaned children as well as retired Black Civil War veterans. Corps like the Page Park Cadets and the mighty Spirit of St. Louis were regularly seen at this event. "The May Day Parade" is the title of the new CD and one man show by master storyteller Wayne Harris, Anaheim Kingsmen alumnus and current SC Vanguard CG instructor, who will be performing it next week in St. Louis.

It's not the first time I've been DQ'ed. There was that "Amen" thing with Garfield back in the day. We had a ball. As a kid, I could go to a contest and see one or two of my favorite players perform. At the BHOF, I can rub shoulders with the likes of Jimmy D'Amico, Ace Petersen, Al Chez, Joey Pero, Frank Buscemi, Frank Diliberto, Ray Fallon, Harry Hazelwood, Kenton Clarke, Buzzy Bergdoll, Jr., Ruben Ariola, Donny Allen, ...and on and on, all at the same time. It really doesn't get any better than that. What a night!

And the rest of the story goes like this... Pete's dad, a terrific guy who looked like Ernest Borgnine (but was much nicer than the character the latter played in "From Here to Eternity") decided Pete and his little brother would be less likely to be abused in the Sunrisers, so he squired them to Hempstead. Pete was a fine lead sop, but we had a ton of those so John Sasso gave him a mellophone, despite the fact that he played on a Rudy Muck, which was soon tossed out the window on the Southern State Parkway somewhere in the vicinity of Babylon. Of course, being the phenom he was, Pete was soon a star and the heart-throb of all the girls in St. Ignatius. Today nothing has changed, except all those girls are now grandmothers.

Thinking good thoughts of "The Kid", sent along from all his Buglers Hall of Fame brothers and sisters.

Try sending a PM to audiodb here on DCP

These are re-mastered by Ken Mason. You can be confident they will sound good.

Pete China? The REAL Pete China? I must confess to being skeptical. He's been the subject of the Drum Corps versions of "Cold Case Files" and "Missing" fo some time now. You'll have to verify your identity by completing the following sentence: Bo Bo See Watten Totten...

The horn in question has the look of a Getzen. The Amado keys do not suggest Yamaha. We could, of course, simply take the man's word that it was a Yammy and it's certainly possible, though unlikely.

Hearty congratulations to the inductees. It's amazing the amount of drum corps talent that sprang from this area of the country. These folks had enormous impact on the activity, down to the present.

Rich, Thanks for hosting an event that provided all anyone could ask on a winter's afternoon. My personal thanks to the Skyliner organization for giving us all a chance (an excuse?) for a good old-fashioned drum corps hang. All by itself, the St. Kevin's Quartet was worth all the traffic on the Cross Bronx Expwy.

As the Master of Ceremonies, Andy is the BHOF's version of Cedric the Entertainer, a spectacle not to be missed. If anyone recalls his performances at those traditional "after contest" parties at the local VFW and Legion establishments...well, he's even better now, and he wears a tie. Everyone is invited to this shindig, and a good time is assured. You don't even have to be a bugler. The clientele is reminiscent of the bar scene in "Star Wars", people from all over the galaxy. Details here: www.buglershalloffame.com Just click on "events". Believe me, it will certainly be one of those.

My personal congratulations to all the 2011 inductees. As the great Jim Donnelly once said, "You dont play the bugle, son, you TAME it."

Wayne is sitting here with me. Thanks, for the spell-check! (Freudian, no?) And, "Here's Wayne"... Hey Woman!...it is great to hear from you. I am sitting in Frank's office fondly remembering my Alberta Girl Days! It never got any better than You Guys! -Wayne-

Here's another little tidbit: The original SCV version of "Stone Ground Seven" (penned by Fred Sanford and Ralph Hardimon) included the brass covering the vocal parts. The only recording of this, to my knowledge, is on the mid-season "State of the Art" album, recorded on the stage of the Concord Pavilion.

PAL drum corps were a great idea (still are). Faced with the choice between school suspension (or worse) or playing tenor drum, many of our contemporaries avoided big trouble by making the right move. Bridgeport PAL Cadets are a particularly good example of a neighborhood corps that achieved national stature, along with their cross-town rivals, St. Raphael's Golden Bucanneers. Both corps frequently bested many of the high profile icons.

Jim, I'm glad you enjoyed the program. Out your way there were ever so many community-based groups that made very respectable national showings: The York White Roses (Ritchee Price's alma mater) The Earls of Bucks Philadelphia PAL Finleyville Royal Crusaders...and on and on. In NYC, you couldn't go 5 miles without bumping into a dozen corps: Bronx Kingsmen Knockerbockers Midshipmen Long Island Saints OLC Ramblers Wynn Center Toppers Carter Cadets...etc. Bring back Firemen's Parades, I say.

I extend my deep condolences to the family and friends of this good man who had the unique ability to turn a casual conversation into a friendship.

Sal was one of the great pillars upon which drum corps was built. All who have ever taken part in the activity have felt his influence in some way, even those who never met him or knew his name. We all stand in his debt.

Dorsey's "Getting Sentimental" lays nicely in that horn...begin on "E".

Eric is a fine teacher and arranger. The last time I saw him was several years ago and he was living in MA. We had worked together with the Boston Crusaders in '78/'79, so you might try contacting some of their alumni. Good luck, and when you find him, give him my best. Frank Dorritie

My deepest condolences to Rich's family and his many friends. He was a good man in so many ways. Frank Dorritie

"Is there a category for Trombonium?" Yes, (it's low brass, like baritone/euphonium) and if anyone gives you a hard time, refer him/her to me. I have a proprietary soft spot for that horn. It was ahead of its time.