Dixie Stinger

[NYSkyliner]

I did PM Gary to let him know we're planning on attending the Sunday breakfast... (he's not replied yet)

I'm sure he'll have you on the list. Just pay at the door. I'll check with him.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again in 11 1/2 days!!

[TennTux]

I'm sure he'll have you on the list. Just pay at the door. I'll check with him.

I've sent a PM to you....

*edit to add*

THANKS Mike!

Edited March 31, 2010 by TennTux

[GaryD]

Anyone there that can give a review or supply some photos? Those in exhibition and those that missed it are curious. Thanks, in advance.

(To appear in the next issue of DCW. Your are encouraged to subscribe: www.drumcorpsworld.com)

Alumni Drum Corps Shine at 20th Dixie Stinger

by Gary J. Dickelman

Baltimore, MD March 27, 2010 With Spring 2010 just six days old, alumni drum could no longer wait to make an appearance. For the 20th consecutive year, the Yankee Rebels kicked off the unofficial alumni drum corps season with a power-packed show that featured ever more interesting, polished and familiar brass and percussion units. The lineup included the Archer Epler Musketeers from Upper Darby, PA; Swing House from Penns Grove, NJ; Lancers Senior Alumni from Hanover, PA; Buccaneers Alumni from Reading, PA; Yankee Rebels from Baltimore, MD; Bridgemen Alumni from Bayonne, NJ; Reilly Raiders Alumni from Willow Grove, PA; and the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni from Hawthorne, NJ.

Remarkable this year was the polish evident in each performance. Back in the day, we would be rough around the edges in March, not ready for prime time. On this cool Spring evening every unit was hot! You may notice that I am saying “unit” rather than corps, as Swing House isn’t a drum corps. It is a brass and percussion ensemble that includes G-bugles and a variety of traditional brass in their native keys, and the repertoire includes Swing, Jazz, Fusion and more. Swing House is the brainchild of former Blue Rock member Bill Rasmussen, who enlisted the genius of Larry Kerchner to reach beyond tradition and pave a new path. More on Swing House later.

The Archer Epler Musketeers kicked off the show, true to Dixie Stinger tradition. Drum corps classics filled the Parkville, MD auditorium, including “Abide With Me,” “We Are the Musketeers,” “Black Saddle,” “Woodchoppers Ball,” “South Rampart Street Parade, “ and “I Have Dreamed” - the latter reminding us of Archie’s innovative “King and I” field presentation in 1957. The corps also dazzled us with aria “Nessun Dorma” from the opera “Turandot,” true Archer Epler’s tradition. Duke Terreri does a terrific job with the brass, with Dennis Marta writing an impressive percussion program. We saw drum corps legend Ray Eyler on stage with Archie, along with a host of dedicated alumni like Bob Ellis. I had to smile as I rushed to the auditorium to experience Archer Epler (between my own performance preparations), and was greeted by “We Are the Musketeers.” Thanks for the memories, Archie – and thanks for a great 2010 show!

The Hanover Lancers were a new addition to the Stinger after many years. I have crossed paths with the Lancers in parades throughout Maryland and Virginia and have always been impressed with this group. From their impeccable green cadet uniforms to a very impressive book of music, it was wonderful to experience Hanover up close and personal. The repertoire includes “Georgia,” “Aztec Fire,” “Patriotic Medley,” “Lame Duck,” “Get It On,” and the corps theme song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Rudimental drumming legend Bob Zarfoss (remember the 1958 Air Force drum quartet?) handles the drum line, while Brian Moul and Rick Anderson arrange and instruct the horns. The corps repertoire includes arrangements by the late Truman Crawford of Marine Corps, Yankee Rebels and Royalaires (among many others) fame. Later in the evening I ran into a few Golden Knights colleagues who were able to enjoy the show as spectators this year, as the Rebels rotate participants and the gold and black sat this one out. “Hanover was GOOD,” said original Blessed Sacrament “Cadet” Bill Semanek, who also marched with Bob Zarfoss in the Air Force years ago. The Lancers have a solid and clean program, and they look every bit the classic drum corps. Great job!

Another addition to the Stinger was the “Buccaneer Alumni Association” corps. With such a proud Buccaneer history (DCA World Champions 1965, 1968, 1979, 1980, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009), this alumni unit boasts 23 years of continuous operation. The corps draws on 50 years of tradition for its program, which includes “Navy Hymn,” “Land of Make Believe,” “Bellavia,” “Russian Christmas Music,” and “Beyond the Sea.” I have always enjoyed the Bucs alumni, from the very first Dixie Stinger I attended. 2010 was no different from a mid-1990s edition, where one of the few corps to not assault my eardrums indoors was the Buccaneer alumni. The corps was musical, dynamic and interesting. I am happy to report that this is still the case today. Thank you, Bucs, for an enjoyable and nostalgic journey thorough five decades of drum corps excellence.

Concluding the first half of the show was Swing House, a hybrid with shades of drum corps, big band and jazz ensemble. “Did I hear trombones,” asked a fan after Kerchner’s original “Bloogle Blues?” Indeed, you did, as Swing House includes those classic valveless Bb instruments. The remarkable thing, however, is that the many G baritones in this capable brass line mimic the big band trombone sound by themselves. The brass includes Bb trumpets, baritones, trombones and tubas; a CC tuba and a G contrabass; and the standard fare G sopranos, mellophones and baritones. Kerchner has all he can do to keep these folks in tune, but he somehow pulls it off. John Rozum is the “drum line,” commanding a drum set in a manner that rivals the best of the best. Tonight’s repertoire included “Bloogle Blues,” “You and the Night and the Music,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” “Spiderman,” and “Birdland.” Did I mention that Swing House includes drum corps alumni well into their 70s and a range of ages to high-school students? It is quite a mix, and quite a tribute to Rasmussen’s inspiration. Somehow he has attracted his 17 year-old daughter Kay to Swing House, where she dazzles us with her Birdland tuba solo. George Headley, Curt Hawkins, Jamie Hawkins, Bob Gaff and Joe Silverstein contribute to the dazzling solo work. In its second year, Swing House is featured at jazz festivals in addition to drum corps stage shows, and has recently concluded a recording session. Watch for the CD at www.swinghouse.org (as well as links to recordings of this evening's performance) !

The Yankee Rebels kicked off the second half with a show that is 100% southern. The true-to-Rebels-form Kerchner repertoire includes “Are You From Dixie,” “Bound for the Promised Land / Shenandoah,” “Southern Nights,” “Rebel Rouser,” “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South,” “Lazy River,” and excerpts from the corps’ classic “Requiem for an Era.” The corps was large and musical tonight, with an amazing drum line by legend John Flowers. When the Rebels play the southern book, the audience sways and smiles. It is that kind of show. The book reminds you of gospel, includes strains of Dixieland jazz, and provides vivid images of the historic Civil War. “Battle Hymn” is perhaps the most performed song in drum corps history, yet the excerpts from Truman Crawford’s arrangement included in Kerchner’s rework never fail to evoke deep emotion. As always, there was great solo work by Ricardo Gabriel and Danny Fitzpatrick to round out the show. Noteworthy was the Rebels’

Honor Guard. To quote an observer, “…the Honor Guard…instilled a feeling of pride to

all present. In an activity where so many corps have abandoned the idea of displaying and guarding our most cherished symbol, this section serves as a reminder of not only the patriotic roots of drum corps, but of how fortunate we all are to able to enjoy our way of life.” That Honor Guard proudly displayed the colors as the corps concluded with “Grand Old Flag.” Nice work!

According to its charter, the Bridgemen Alumni’s goal is to “ENTERTAIN AUDIENCES!!!” Saturday evening in Baltimore was another example of how this corps achieves its goals. I must say, I was fortunate to be in back of the auditorium during the performance, for the Bridgemen is a huge corps that plays with passion and has fun doing so. The repertoire includes Bridgemen classics “In the Stone,” “Spanish Dreams,” and an excerpt from “The William Tell Overture.” “Lombrero” and “Rainbow Connection” were also performed this evening. I recall competing against St. Andrew’s Bridgemen circa 1970 when the corps had the audacity to feature triple-tonguing sopranos on “William Tell.” It is not surprising how the corps rose to the top of the DCI heap over the following decade. Kerchner, DeLucia, Hoffman and others introduced some amazingly entertaining things over those years. This year’s Stinger performance reminded me that the Bridgemen are a transition corps, one that bridged (pardon the pun) between more traditional drum corps – military bearing, military uniforms and the like – and a stage show form of entertainment that is characteristic of DCI. During my era (1970 and prior), one did not lean back, sway or smile. “Class” manifested itself in a rigid coolness while playing with feeling. The Bridgemen helped to let a spirit suppressed by years of military and quasi-military tradition out of its confinement. Some might argue that an evil genie was let out of its bottle, but so be it. Thank you, Bridgemen, for sticking to your goal and entertaining the hell out of us!

Reilly was absolutely stunning tonight: Clean, polished, exciting and entertaining. Bill Pusey is doing a superb job of maintaining tradition while opening the door to innovation. “Bally Hoo March” is an example of Reilly stepping out of the box (remember the 1965 Royalaires?) “Celtic Symphony” drags us back to Reilly Raider roots, but “When a Man Loves a Woman” has us swaying with delight at something different. The medley of “America” and “My Buddy” was impressive – a great arrangement, competently performed by excellent soloists. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed “Savilla” as well. I sat with a fellow who marched in Reilly circa 1960, who both enjoyed the current book but longed for some of the more traditional tunes. My feeling is that tradition is clearly there. First, the number of authentic Reilly Raiders in the ranks is amazing. The uniform speaks volumes of who they are, and the Irish themes are never more than a few measures away. But the instruments have changed, the performances are primarily indoors, and the number of people who remember Reilly on the field is dwindling. I therefore admire the balance in the program, which is a commitment to tradition and a promise for the future. Thanks, Reilly Raiders. Great show tonight!

The last corps to perform this evening was the venerable Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni. We missed Jimmy Russo leading the corps tonight, and pray for his speedy recovery. Jim has been hospitalized and will likely be absent from the Cabs for some time. So the maestro himself stepped in. From behind me, I thought it was Russo giving commands and conducting. Larry was, I am sure, delighted to be leading his pride and joy – and it showed in the Cabs’ performance. I have to admit that I enjoy this amazing corps much more in the great outdoors than I do inside. The Hawthorne Caballeros drum corps is built for industrial strength performance, with its massive horn and drum lines, and huge Latin sound. But this evening I sat front-and-center, and was literally blown away by more than sheer volume. It was evident that these guys and gals really know their parts and played their hearts out. Let’s face it: This style of music was invented for big brass and percussion. From the opening “Chorale” and into the 1970s off-the-line “Man of LaMancha,” it was pure excitement! “Rio,” “McArthur Park,” and the “Evita” pieces were magnificent, as was the classic, haunting closer. I was just a little boy when I first saw the Cabs on the starting line at the Dream in Jersey City. The corps evokes the same amazement and excitement today that it did fifty plus years ago. I love the way the soloists stand with class, those waiting their turn facing back and those finishing their amazing solos marching humbly back into line. Classic championship drum corps! Wonderful job, Cabs. You put the icing on a delicious cake that was the 2010 Dixie Stinger!

For those readers craving more alumni drum corps, check out The Serenade in Brass (Harrisburg, PA, April 10th), The Brass Reunion (Havertown, PA, April 17th ), Spring Preview (Elverson, PA, May 8th ), JamFest2010 (Cinnaminson, NJ, May 15th ), the Cavalcade of Music (Secaucus, NJ, May 15th ) and the Shamrock Festival (Horsham, PA, August 15th).