ictrumpet Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Amen to all of the above! Al is as good of an educator as he is a player. He knows exactly how to fire you up and get you where you need to be. I'm all for the Chez man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubajoe Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Eric, THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubajoe Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) Al lives and breathes drum corps. In addition to being a great performer, educator and friend, he is also an untiring advocate. If there is ANY person in the entire activity as a whole who has 'drum corps in their blood' its AL! He gives to this activity unabashedly. He is amazingly impartial and is never in it for score or reputation, simply to share the experience with every member. He always reminds me that drum corps is about the members, and that this activity is not about the music, or the designers, or the score, or personal gain, it is about the PEOPLE. Bravo AL! Edited February 12, 2008 by tubajoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njthundrrd Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 Joe, please write something to DCI on Al's behalf. A few words here are great, but a letter to DCI would also do wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE ORIGINAL Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Al lives and breathes drum corps. In addition to being a great performer, educator and friend, he is also an untiring advocate. If there is ANY person in the entire activity as a whole who has 'drum corps in their blood' its AL! He gives to this activity unabashedly. He is amazingly impartial and is never in it for score or reputation, simply to share the experience with every member. He always reminds me that drum corps is about the members, and that this activity is not about the music, or the designers, or the score, or personal gain, it is about the PEOPLE. Bravo AL! DITTO. Met him in Cali. I wanted to talk Letterman and Tower of Power. He wanted to talk drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobk9258 Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 (edited) I have known Al “Chez” for a majority of my life. My memories go back to the infamous Saints DBC and their “Bill Chase” show back in the late 70s. So many talented soloists came from that corps and went on to other corps, including the Bridgemen and the Garfield Cadets. Al was one that made the transition to Garfield.Al was also part of the reason why I left the Royal Brigade DBC of the Meadowlands, NJ and came to Garfield. I sat in the stands in Birmingham, AL in 1980 and just laughed at how he worked the crowd. I needed to be a part of the corps that could entertain like that. So, in Fall of 1980 I joined the Garfield Cadets and spent the next 4 years there. Back in those days, drum corps were local groups and to leave one for another was almost like leaving one street gang for another. You paid the consequence for going to another corps. So it was at a January winterguard show at Passaic County Vo-Tech (April Gilligan’s former school), that during a break my former corps members came to the middle of the gym floor and were “calling me out” to come down and take my beating. I was sitting with about 14 or more Cadet members and Al stood up and said, “If you want to fight Eric, you have to fight all of us…. He is a Cadet now!” I grew up in a pretty rough town in New Jersey and needless to say, I thought this was going to get out of control, but cooler heads prevailed. Al had a way of letting people know that you belonged. I was now a “Cadet” and understood what it meant. Over the years as the Cadets “morphed” into their new identity, the designers made sure that Al’s special talents were on display. You just need to hear the solos in 1982’s Cuban Overture to hear him killing the audience. You knew the second solo was Al, just because of the pure volume of sound. Another great story was in 1982, after that same solo, the lead sopranos and the lower euphoniums (which I played) were folded into each other. Al always had a flick of the horn to my funny bone when he came back to the form after the song. He always missed, with the exception of DCI Finals in Montreal…. Where he hit me perfectly and I played about 45 seconds into Concerto in F with my right arm hanging at my side numb. Needless to say, after the show we laughed about it. I will not mention the infamous 1982 “Porta Pottie” incident after prelims in Whitewater, but needless to say, it was “pure Al.” Al also made his attempts as a visual instructor after that year. He would come and attempt to teach the baritone line. Out of respect to him, we only hassled him a little bit about his marching knowledge, since he spent most of his marching years on the front sideline, waiting to play his next solo. After he aged out, I would go hang with him in his early band days and go to showcases in Staten Island or NYC with him. I remember clearly some of the groups he was with. Later, I had to see him with Tower of Power and visit him on set at the Letterman show. Al was meant for the spotlight. He was and is a perfect fit. Al is long overdue for this honor! What he has given to the Cadets, the Crossmen, YEA!, marching band programs across the country, clinics, college bands, and the Letterman show all come from his roots in NJ drum corps and primarily the Garfield Cadets. Drum Corps International has been seen by many people because of Al Chez. His body of work is one of the greatest achievements by a drum corps performer in the entertainment industry! Al should be inducted into the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame at the earliest opportunity. Just because a person goes out and makes a very lucrative life for themself from being a former member in a Drum & Bugle Corps & because of their talents just does not deseve to be in the Hall Of Fame! 1. What has this person done to further the Drum Corps Activity? 2. Has this person done anything to further The DCI Activity itself? What Al Chez has given to the Cadets, the Crossmen, YEA!, marching band programs across the country, clinics, college bands, and the Letterman show all come from his roots in NJ drum corps and primarily the Garfield Cadets. Drum Corps International has been seen by many people because of Al Chez. Then I think Al should be nominated to the YEA Hall Of Fame, not the DCI Hall OF Fame. To me he has not proven himself in the DCI Arena it self to be called into The DCI Hall Of Fame. There are and have been hundreds in this activity who have given of thier talents just like Al, they work with bands, they run music education clincs, they even work with College bands yet no one ever calls for them to be into the DCI Hall Of Fame. To me the person who deserves to be in the DCI Hall Of Fame, DCA Hall Of Fame, The Drum Corps Hall Of Fame itself is Moe Knox former photographer for Drum Corps since the early 1950's till the mid 1980's. Yet as an elder statesmen for the activity people just see Moe as an old man who they could not be bothered with. The Drum Corps Activity itself has never given Moe his due Accolades. This to me is so very shameful of the activity! Edited February 13, 2008 by bobk9258 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetPeters Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Wow are you off-base... I'm sure the thousands of Non-YEA Drum Corps kids that have been influenced by Al would disagree with you. He is an inspiration to anyone marching today both as a teacher and performer. He gives freely of his time and NEVER fails to give the Drum Corps Activity full credit for his success. Sorry your problems with YEA have blinded you to the HOF qualifications of Al Chez. (BTW: If you check out the senior corps forum you will find many posts from Al calling for the induction of Moe Knox.) Just because a person goes out and makes a very lucrative life for themself from being a former member in a Drum & Bugle Corps & because of their talents just does not deseve to be in the Hall Of Fame!1. What has this person done to further the Drum Corps Activity? 2. Has this person done anything to further The DCI Activity itself? What Al Chez has given to the Cadets, the Crossmen, YEA!, marching band programs across the country, clinics, college bands, and the Letterman show all come from his roots in NJ drum corps and primarily the Garfield Cadets. Drum Corps International has been seen by many people because of Al Chez. Then I think Al should be nominated to the YEA Hall Of Fame, not the DCI Hall OF Fame. To me he has not proven himself in the DCI Arena it self to be called into The DCI Hall Of Fame. There are and have been hundreds in this activity who have given of thier talents just like Al, they work with bands, they run music education clincs, they even work with College bands yet no one ever calls for them to be into the DCI Hall Of Fame. To me the person who deserves to be in the DCI Hall Of Fame, DCA Hall Of Fame, The Drum Corps Hall Of Fame itself is Moe Knox former photographer for Drum Corps since the early 1950's till the mid 1980's. Yet as an elder statesmen for the activity people just see Moe as an old man who they could not be bothered with. The Drum Corps Activity itself has never given Moe his due Accolades. This to me is so very shameful of the activity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobk9258 Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 (edited) Wow are you off-base... I'm sure the thousands of Non-YEA Drum Corps kids that have been influenced by Al would disagree with you. He is an inspiration to anyone marching today both as a teacher and performer. He gives freely of his time and NEVER fails to give the Drum Corps Activity full credit for his success. Sorry your problems with YEA have blinded you to the HOF qualifications of Al Chez. (BTW: If you check out the senior corps forum you will find many posts from Al calling for the induction of Moe Knox.) There are and have been hundreds in this activity who have given of thier talents just like Al, they work with bands, they run music education clincs, they even work with College bands, They also teach, yet no one ever calls for them to be into the DCI Hall Of Fame. NO Apparently you do not get it!!!!!!! I have no Issues what so ever with YEA! Edited February 13, 2008 by bobk9258 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedford Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 There are and have been hundreds in this activity who have given of thier talents just like Al, they work with bands, they run music education clincs, they even work with College bands, They also teach, yet no one ever calls for them to be into the DCI Hall Of Fame.NO Apparently you do not get it!!!!!!! I have no Issues what so ever with YEA! Leave it to Eric. He missed that scrap in NJ so he wants to witness one here. Relax boys!!!!!!!! BoSox has an idea (and I didn't see him slammin' YEA either) Chez for Cadets/YEA HOF and DCI HOF in the same year. Eric - you still roll stepping in those NJ hi cuts. Gardiner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njthundrrd Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 Eric - you still roll stepping in those NJ hi cuts.Gardiner I actually go barefoot or in my sandals whenever I can. Ahhhh the Nike hightops only laced halfway. The ultimate rollin' machines! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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