ajlisko Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) Does anyone know if Vinnie Ratford was teaching the Queensmen in '61 or '62? I know he also taught Blessed Sac at about the same time.When he taught us at St. Joe's in 1962-64, it was an incredible experience. He taught the same style "leg lift" the Queensmen used-- instep to the knee, with toes pointing down. Hmmm ... Vinnie Ratford taught a lot of corps (even a blind drill team once) but I'm not sure about BS ... Frank Kubinak was their main drill guy ... :-) Bonus trivia: Ratford and Kubinak both marched with the Skyliners in the early years ... Edited January 24, 2009 by ajlisko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Allen Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Hmmm ... Vinnie Ratford taught a lot of corps (even a blind drill team once) but I'm not sure about BS ... Frank Kubinak was their main drill guy ... :-) Bonus trivia: Ratford and Kubinak both marched with the Skyliners in the early years ... Vinnie Ratford told us that he started in the Phoebe Hearst Post corps and most if not all of them went to Skyliners (Gabarina Post) after the WW II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Vinnie Ratford told us that he started in the Phoebe Hearst Post corps and most if not all of them went to Skyliners (Gabarina Post) after the WW II. Correct ... the original Skyliners (Raymond A. Garbarina AL Post #1523) were a combination of two pre-war junior corps: Phoebe Apperson Hearst Post and the Grand Street Boys. Vinnie played the tenor drum. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravham Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Just listened to Off the Record Ah, those french horns! That sure brought back memories of my early drum corps days. Andy, yes, Vinnie Ratford taught BS drill before Frank Kubinak. I heard many Vinnie Ratford stories from my BS buddies. He was one heck of a character! I look forward to the next installment of Off the Record! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rap48 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 What a neat clip, Thanks Frank and DCP. I am already looking for the next installment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Just listened to Off the Record Ah, those french horns! That sure brought back memories of my early drum corps days.Andy, yes, Vinnie Ratford taught BS drill before Frank Kubinak. I heard many Vinnie Ratford stories from my BS buddies. He was one heck of a character! I look forward to the next installment of Off the Record! Hi Rose ... and thanks for that tidbit of historical information ... how are you? So ... there ya go ... so ... the Queensmen and BS not only had the same horn and drum instructors but, M&M as well ... wonder what they said to BS when St. Catherine's started beating them late 61/early 62 ... especially in the first round of DCN's 1962 standstill championship series where they beat both BS and Garfield the same night ... IN NEWARK, NJ!!! ... WOW! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1G-G Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 that was a great clip.....Frank shows the old time passion . unfortinuatly that era is gone. Lost is the small 30 horn 9 man drum line that was so the norm then. Lost is the PAL and the CYO and parocial schools. Lost are the ethnic neiborhoods that made up the corps membership. When I sit in the stands and try to explain how it was to DCI fans ...they look at me like I m nuts. I cant argue that the present DCI corps are so much more superior but I still love watch the alumni corps "march off the line". It can send a chill up my spine. Listening to the clip ....that drum solo sure sounded like SAC's really great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joesilver Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Thanks for your memories Frank! My first introduction to The St Catherine Queensmen was the Brass By Night Album. Thanks for remembering Rick Nardelli of Blessed Sacrament. And for those who remember, Rick was the kit drummer in the 1963 and 1964 jazz concert of Let's Face The Music and Dance/Give Me The Simple Life. For a picture of Rick Nardelli and the rest of BS's drum line please go to the link below. Rick is in the front of the picture, bottom left snare. http://www.bsgoldenknights.org/album/1960/60dms_gd.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Great stuff . . .can't wait for the next one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 "Brass By Night" was my introduction to St. Catherine's Queensmen also. Soon after, I found out that the Queensmen rehearsed their drill on a local shopping center parking lot. Several warm summer evenings were spent listening to that horn section and drumline in person. This was my first experience hearing a live drum and bugle corps, and it happened to be one of the very best at the time. Frank Dorritie, John, Ted and Fred Sasso, Billy Cobham, Orus Cavnor, Jack McQuillan, Bill Hightower -- These were names I heard and people I watched (and in some cases met and got to know personally) were my newfound heroes. They were the 'stars' of my favorite drum corps record! I was already in a parade and standstill corps, but wanted to play a drum like they did, and march in that corps. Unfortunately, I was witnessing their last season, and it was not to be. However, the impression they made on me was indelible. I may not have marched with them, did not follow many of them to the Sunrisers (which I always thought I would do, but that's another story!), but my life-long love for drum and bugle corps can be traced to those people, that summer, and that wonderful corps. Thank you Frank, thank you Glenn, and thank you John Donovan for this great feature. I know I will enjoy many more, but this one has special meaning for me. It was a great way to start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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