A Cavalier TDY Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I remember them well from 74. You're right, winning W.O. in 75 was their 'coming out party'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrainWreck Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 Why Jazz somebody asked? Carl Jefferson, the person running the Concord Jazz Label was a friend of Jerry Seawrights. The corps rehearsed at Larson's Music store across the street of Jeffersons Lincoln/Pontiac dealership in Concord. Coincidence??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 (edited) No, as Train Wreck well knows, that was no coincidence. The late Carl Jefferson was a major supporter of the Blue Devils. He was a prominent community mover and shaker who supplied the impetus behind the Concord Summer Jazz Festival, organized support for the building of the Concord Pavilion, and founded the Concord Jazz record label. It was he who arranged for the Blue Devils to open for Chuck Mangione, and he passed several of Chuck's LPs to Jerry with the suggestion that the corps adopt that style. At the recommendations of Mr. Seawright and Shirley Stratton, Carl hired me in 1977 and gave me my first audio production experience oppurtunities. One evening I was standing in front of the Blue Devils hornline, the next it was Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The BD jazz style was no accident. Rick Odello, Jim Ott and Wayne Downey began it and the rest of us just aimed to keep it swinging. Edited May 23, 2010 by ironlips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 No, as Train Wreck well knows, that was no coincidence. The late Carl Jefferson was a major supporter of the Blue Devils. He was a prominent community mover and shaker who supplied the impetus behind the Concord Summer Jazz Festival, organized support for the building of the Concord Pavilion, and founded the Concord Jazz record label. It was he who arranged for the Blue Devils to open for Chuck Mangione, and he passed several of Chuck's LPs to Jerry with the suggestion that the corps adopt that style.At the recommendations of Mr. Seawright and Shirley Stratton, Carl hired me in 1977 and gave me my first audio production experience oppurtunities. One evening I was standing in front of the Blue Devils hornline, the next it was Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The BD jazz style was no accident. Rick Odello, Jim Ott and Wayne Downey began it and the rest of us just aimed to keep it swinging. .... and so how did that whole jazz / audio production / Shirley Stratton 'thing' work out for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 It led directly (ok, by a somewhat circuitous route) to "Off the Record" on Drum Corps Planet. To return to the actual topic, the Blue Devils are back in the Stan Kenton vaults this year. So, as in the lyric of Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, "Everything Old is New Again", and this is not a bad thing for drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 It led directly (ok, by a somewhat circuitous route) to "Off the Record" on Drum Corps Planet.To return to the actual topic, the Blue Devils are back in the Stan Kenton vaults this year. So, as in the lyric of Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, "Everything Old is New Again", and this is not a bad thing for drum corps. Indeed! Seems there's been fewer and fewer corps and bands doing jazz over the last sevreal years with a couple of notable exceptions. A HS Band in the NE did a show sarcastically titled "You Can't Win With Jazz" to drive home the point that there were a lot of people out there who seemed to lack an appreciation for well-arranged and performed Jazz music on the field. Their director intimated to me I was one of the few people that supported and encouraged them with what they were doing, which really made me feel like a lone voice in the wilderness out this way. It certainly wouldn't hurt the activity at large to have BD back as a Champion of Jazz music on the field at all. A far cry from the era when everyone was copying the Blue Devils' Uniforms and buying up the "State of the Art" arrangements.... but that's another story- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubeth77 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Now I'm a curious soul, and was wondering what made such a dramatic difference to BD's overall performance from 1974 to 1975. I hear two distinctly different animals when I listen to the recordings. Did they just get good or were there other factors involved? Jim Ott and Wayne Downey were both horn instructors and Jim Ott was the arranger of the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketman Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 That '75 show ALMOST persuaded me to march there in '76. I just loved it from start to finish. RM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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