rayfallon Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 Hardimon (SCV 79-90)Prime (Star 89-93) Hannum (Star 93) Wren (PR for about 100 years) 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. 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. Pls. don't think that this list is exclusive of the truly excellent names listed previously... plus I'm not leaving out Joe Genero or other folks from the eras represented above - I just think that these guys were the ones who got the train rolling (in my era - i.e. early '60s until *I hope* today) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmathis Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I can't believe anyone mentioned him at all. You don't like Key Poulan??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummergirl Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 He actually worked with Boston again this past season. Even wrote the added ending to the show. Not sure what he's up to now.. He is doing the musical arrangments for at least one big high school that I know of this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfpstudios Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 He is doing the musical arrangments for at least one big high school that I know of this season. Did anyone mention Truman Crawford who arranged for the Muchachos, the Cabs, and of course for the Chicago Royalairs. Between Truman Crawford and Hy Dreitzer, drum corps developed its foundational elements. The foundational musical influences on drum corps also included Stan Kenton, Perez Prado,, and of course John Phillip Sousa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legend Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 Whoever, mentioned Herman "Hy" D, thank you! Everyone that all mentioned abviously left an impact with they way they arranged. This is a good subject, as I have notice not many people have even heard of "Hy" and that's just because they weren't born yet! So if you young whippa snappers can ever get your hands on any things "HY" wrote, I promise you ..you will be amazed at his arrangement as well as the performers that played his stuff. Allot of guy's mentioned actually played under "Hy" and then can into there own. Great Stuff, Great Stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOReason Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 (edited) 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. 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. Pls. don't think that this list is exclusive of the truly excellent names listed previously... plus I'm not leaving out Joe Genero or other folks from the eras represented above - I just think that these guys were the ones who got the train rolling (in my era - i.e. early '60s until *I hope* today) What...no John Arietano on your list...frankly I'm shocked!! It WAS of course John Arietano who took us where we eventually went. Edited September 16, 2007 by VOReason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 Going way back to the 60s and 70s, perhaps not the "best" of all time, I think he'd agree with that, but, many of the smaller corps in southeastern PA and South Jersey would have had nothing to play had it not been for the perrenial nice guy, Ray Eyler. I don't think I could list all the corps that played Ray's charts. Believe me, there was a bundle of them! If you were counting number of corps arranged for and taught, (by rote method, no less!), then Ray would be one of the top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 What...no John Arietano on your list...frankly I'm shocked!! It WAS of course John Arietano who took us where we eventually went. You may or may not know (I don't know who you are or who "we" is in your post that John took to the promised land) that Screech and I go way back... My post was not intended to be inclusive... I mentioned that I was not trying to disagree with anyone's nominations. If you have time, ask Screech if he could have gotten you where you eventually went without John's influence... you could pose the same question to Frank Dorritie, or even Wayne Downey... Not denigrating any of the incredible writers mentioned here... just throwing in my 2 cents in addition. Sorry I ruffled your plume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 (edited) (in no particular order)1. JD Shaw - Phantom Regiment 2. Key Poulan - Santa Clara Vanguard (2003-present) 3. Michael Klesch - Carolina Crown 4. Jay Bocook - The Cadets Michael... it's possible that if we have to illustrate what corps each person wrote for... they might fit on another list... like telling a young fan that Babe Ruth played for the NY Yankees... if you don't know it, you might want to study up before jumping in. BTW - I KNOW that you know all of these folks and their contributions... I meant for the less initiated. I just read Frank Dorritie's "Inside the Arc" this morning, so I'm feeling steeped in love of drum corps tradition... I wish that I could influence some of the younger Drum Corps folks (like those who marched with my kids) to dig into the foundation of this incredible activity. If any of this came out as disagreeable or confrontational it's because of my lack of skill as a writer, not what I think or feel... I'll leave the writing to Mr. Boo or Mr. Dorritie. EDIT - I'm soooooo sorry - I was trying to quote and respond to Mike Boo's note, not cmathis'... it must be confusing and aggravating. I'm too old for this stuff... I apologize to the posters that I might have inadvertently offended or confounded. I'll go to my room and stay off the computer for a month. You can dress him up and send him to school... he eats the books.... Edited September 16, 2007 by rayfallon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 What...no John Arietano on your list...frankly I'm shocked!! It WAS of course John Arietano who took us where we eventually went. I'm not sure where Ray would fit on this list of arrangers, but if there is a list of perfect players, he's got to be right at the top with Tommy Martin, Bucky Swan, Frank Dorritie and others that you all are so aware of. If there is a list of drum corps instructors responsible for starting young players and nurturing them artistically and musically, Ray is in a class with few others, including Tommy Martin again, and Bucky Swan... I know the list goes on and on. Additionally, if there is a list of the best, classiest people ever to have graced the activity, Ray is right there. Every group with which Ray has been associated has been enriched by his presence. Whether or not he's in this pantheon of the great DC arrangers, Ray Eyler is unsurpassed as a a DC person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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