MikeD Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Can't/wouldn't argue with any of the listed names - no DRUM CORPS list should leave out:Hy Dreitzer - who defined what Drum Corps should sound like. Larry Kerchner - who could make any horn line sound good, not to mention the Tonight Show Band, etc. Frank Dorritie - bone up on the Garfield corps of the late '70s - you won't be sorry. John Sasso - dragged us from where Hy took us to where we eventually went. Ray, Frank worked under John with Garfield in 1970, taking over as the main arranger and instructor in 71, his first entire show ever. Frank and I had dinner when I was on a trip to San Fran a few years back, and he told me he wrote the end of our 1970 Peace Sign tune, "White Rabbit"...some awsome mello rips...and just about the entire Garfield 71 show, the Revolutionary War. I loved John's 69/70 Garfield opener, the Gounod "Queen of Sheba" march. I see percussion writers listed (as well they should be) but the three greatest perc writers ever (in drum corps) don't seem to be on the list:Jerry Shellmar - Boston & Sun late '60s until a devastating stroke - brought us from pure rudiments to where we went - including tuned perc. Fred Sandford - taste personified. Dennis Delucia - simply the smartest must musical arranger ever associated with our activity - many of the brass names listed above are better appreciated because we hear their charts played against Delucia written or Delucia inspired percussion. I like to add George Tuthill along with Shellmar, as they paved the way for both Dennis and Fred, IMO. George wrote amazingly musical parts for the 70/71 era, esp his timpani music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Ray, I think that may have been Bucky's greatest skill....taking a bunch of raw beginners and getting them to sound better than thney had any right to sound. To me, the greatest teaching skill of all. Mike Even more than that, Mike is that Bucky started some kids who went on to become WORLD CLASS trumpet players!!!!! I mean like WORLD CLASS. Kids who play like these should learned at Julliard, rather than the Swan Conservatory. As far as that goes, he's in a class of his own. Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Ray,Frank worked under John with Garfield in 1970, taking over as the main arranger and instructor in 71, his first entire show ever. Frank and I had dinner when I was on a trip to San Fran a few years back, and he told me he wrote the end of our 1970 Peace Sign tune, "White Rabbit"...some awsome mello rips...and just about the entire Garfield 71 show, the Revolutionary War. I loved John's 69/70 Garfield opener, the Gounod "Queen of Sheba" march. I like to add George Tuthill along with Shellmar, as they paved the way for both Dennis and Fred, IMO. George wrote amazingly musical parts for the 70/71 era, esp his timpani music. Thanks, for reminding us of the 1971 Garfield show. If only it had been narrated. :P I kid....I kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Priester Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 Ray, I think that may have been Bucky's greatest skill....taking a bunch of raw beginners and getting them to sound better than thney had any right to sound. To me, the greatest teaching skill of all. Mike Mike, Another to add to that particular category ( Beginners to OMG) would be the late Gus Wilke. Just listen to B'men's Mr Clown from the early 70s. Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzEuph Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 JAY BOCOOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SACMellos2010 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Jim Prime - Thank you Wayne Downey Jay Bocock Michael Klesch Someone up and coming Frank Sullivan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Mike,Another to add to that particular category ( Beginners to OMG) would be the late Gus Wilke. Just listen to B'men's Mr Clown from the early 70s. Ray Not to mention the great team of Swan and Wilke. They seemed to teach the entire Garden State Circuit for a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elphaba01 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 That was a great post!!! Remind me never to argue with you. Just to clarify myself - the train that I was referring to was more the one that went on a different course from the traditional rudimental playing (btw I have nothing but admiration for that school and was absolutely thrilled and gaga to work on a staff with Bobby Thompson and worked with a whole bunch of Ray Luedee disciples at the Hurcs. I do, however think that from an arranging standpoint, my tastes tend to run more toward the folks that I cited. Having said that, did you ever hear the Hurcs' drum quartet from the late sixties with all the cross sticking and accelerando??? Whooooo. That to me was like Buddy Rich on a good night!!!OK, I have to stay on your good side a) because you're clearly smarter than I am, and B) because no one in their right mind messes with a green witch!!! "Not to Mess With a Green Witch": Smart, my pretty, very, very smart... Elphaba WWW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 That was a great post!!! Remind me never to argue with you. Just to clarify myself - the train that I was referring to was more the one that went on a different course from the traditional rudimental playing (btw I have nothing but admiration for that school and was absolutely thrilled and gaga to work on a staff with Bobby Thompson and worked with a whole bunch of Ray Luedee disciples at the Hurcs. I do, however think that from an arranging standpoint, my tastes tend to run more toward the folks that I cited. Having said that, did you ever hear the Hurcs' drum quartet from the late sixties with all the cross sticking and accelerando??? Whooooo. That to me was like Buddy Rich on a good night!!!OK, I have to stay on your good side a) because you're clearly smarter than I am, and B) because no one in their right mind messes with a green witch!!! I agree, Ray...the Shellmar/Tuthill ====> Sanford/DeLucia chain is what forged the trail to the later and equally great arrangers up to today. Those four were IMO the drivers of innovation in drum corps percussion from the late 60's through the 70's. Great folks like Thompson were the pinnacle of the older style. Actually, when I was looking to join either BS or Garfield after the 69 season, I went to a lot of BS rehearsals....while Thompson was the instructor, Les Parks was writing the charts, at least for the 70 show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russellrks Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Speaking of people who forged the tracks that the drum corps train has been traveling down (The "Cat" who taught the cat who taught the cat), here is a very interesting read that I found on Santa Clara Vanguard's alumni board. It was written by Curt Moore (Vanguard snare drummer, instructor, arranger) and is about a guy named Anthony Cirone. A must read for anyone wanting to know more about the history of Vanguard percussion excellence. http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/scv-a...i/message/10410 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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