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Great Drum Corps Solos


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It's true that the "Stardust" solo was written for Gene Bunting, arranged by Bobby Adair.

According to my sources in Reilly, Gene had to miss the show at which the Fleetwood "Off the Line" recording was made, and it was Bobby who played it that day. There seems to be some question here which will be resolved via phone calls to both men. It's important to get the history right.

There is NO question that both are legendary buglers.

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This past Sunday we (Reilly) had marched in the Baltimore St.Patrick's Day Parade...Gene Bunting was marching directly behind me. "My Romance" was the 1st tune we played & afterwards I turned around to Gene to let him know that he sounded great. After the parade, Gene was sitting in the front seat of the bus & as I was getting on he stopped me..."Hey, I really appreciated you telling me I sounded good, thanks man"....Gene is a better person than he has ever been a horn player, & that my friends is a mouth full...

Kevin,

As you passed I was tempted to yell "McDermott!!"..... :smile:

Here are a few pics my daughter-in-law took Sunday in Baltimore, MD at the St Patrick's Day parade.

3-15-09 St Pat's Parade, Baltimore - Reilly Raiders

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundm/sets/72157615357848797/

3-15-09 St Pat's Parade, Baltimore - Yankee Rebels

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundm/sets/72157615358009523/

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I'm really surprised no one has mentioned this yet.....

But one of the best duets in the history of drum corps....heck, in the history of music.... was the Sunrisers' mellophone/French horn duet in "Late in the Evening" in 1981.

Mike Fitzpatrick was the mellophone player. The French horn player's name cannot be disclosed at this time.

The duet came at a critical time in world history. The United States was mired in a recession, and the Cold War was showing no signs of easing.

However, the day the duet made its summer competition debut, the Dow Jones Industrial Average began a long, steady climb upward, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product showed its first quarterly gain in a couple of years, and the nation's unemployment rate fell for the first time in many, many months. It was the start of one of the longest peacetime economic expansions in the history of industrialized nations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. defense buildup began picking up steam, forcing the Soviet Union to spend more money to try and keep up... money the Soviets did not have. That, plus the formation of the Solidarity labor union in Poland and the popularity of Pope John Paul II and the power of religious faith in his native land, marked the beginning of the end of Soviet communism and thus, the end of the Cold War.

Public opinion polls taken in the United States before the "Late in the Evening" duet made its debut showed a solid majority of Americans were worried about the direction in which their country was heading. But after the duet was first played, the polls showed a sharp rise in American confidence about the future of the nation.

So..... the record clearly shows that the drum corps solos/duets mentioned so far in this thread, while all great, did not have nearly the impact of the "Late in the Evening" duet.... not only on the drum corps activity but also on the world stage. Yes, my friends.... that duet, indeed, changed history.

Fran

Fran,

Get this duet in a car and play in front of the New York Stock Exchange, and then road trip to Washington. DC and serenade the Capitol Building with a quick trip over to the White House. Millions of people will remember the day "Late in the Evening" changed history. :smile:

I mean, somethin's gotta work. :blink:

Edited by Mellofello01
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Jim Angarola and Chris Ferrara, 1965 Royal Airs

I guess it was one of these two that played the opening of the concert "Birth of the Blues". What a horn line, what a corps!

If you have access to the 1965 VFW Nationals recording at McCormick Place, give these guys another listen. Some amazing stuff. My personal favorite corps from back then.

65 Royal Airs, not DCA, but did/do have an alumni corps.

Edited by gsksun4
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Getting back on topic --

The Glassmen's Kevin Creasy played some of the tastiest flugel you ever heard back in 2001 and 2002.

And how many can remember Dave Lang playing baritone as a soloist throughout practically the entire Colts show back in 1984? He was a superb player.

I still aspire to Kevin's and Dave's sound in my own playing.

And I was totally blown away by Joey Pero's "People" solo in 2007. Of course, anything he does is amazing.

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Getting back on topic --

The Glassmen's Kevin Creasy played some of the tastiest flugel you ever heard back in 2001 and 2002.

And how many can remember Dave Lang playing baritone as a soloist throughout practically the entire Colts show back in 1984? He was a superb player.

I still aspire to Kevin's and Dave's sound in my own playing.

And I was totally blown away by Joey Pero's "People" solo in 2007. Of course, anything he does is amazing.

I'm rather fond of your "solo" at work on the one PBS broadcast a few years back!!

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The entire 1963 and 1984 Skyliners shows!

As well as 1975 Royal Crusaders in Amazing grace and Old Time Religion... still dont know who those were on sop and bari.

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Frank Dorrite "Little Brown Jug" Sun 1965 (?)

Mr Fallon,

I'm shocked! How could you miss that one? "Little Brown Jug" was 1966 and it was played by Ted Sasso. Or do you mean the soprano lick done right before LBJ, "Kalamazoo". If ao, that was Bob Murphy.

Speaking of Ted Sasso, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Ted's solo in "Ballin' The Jack". It was only ten eigth notes but it started with a CHROMATIC run from "F" to "C" with a quick stop on Bb. Man, if you were within twenty yards of him when he played it you could hear that tuning slide slamming back into place. The man had to have cast iron lips and double reinforced othodontia to get through that run. Classy guy, too.

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Someone with knowledge of the Hurricanes, please help me out here:

1976....who was the mellophone soloist in the corps' "I Got Rythm" opener that year? What a great sound!

Fran

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