Woody Shaw and Carver

[gsksun4]

Stumbled upon something about the late jazz trumpeter Woody Shaw recently. Read where he was a member (Bugler) of the Washington Carver Drum and Bugle Corps in Newark, New Jersey when he was around 9 or 10 years old. This would have been around 1953 or 54.

I’m wondering if this unit is the precursor to the Carver Gay Blades senior corps from Newark, N.J.

Woody had quite a career in jazz, playing with greats such as Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Max Roach, and many others.

Miles Davis once said of Woody, "Now there's a great trumpet player".

And it most likely all started on a bugle with a drum corps in Newark.

Edited May 8, 2013 by gsksun4

[ironlips]

I'm sure this is correct. I recall reading this myself some time ago. As to specifics regarding Carver, I suggest you check with our mutual friend, Gene Bennett. He should know the history.

Coincidentally, I have recently been corresponding with the iconic Clark Terry, trumpeter with Basie, Ellington, NBC orchestra...et al, whose recent autobiography "Clark" carries an account of his playing the bugle in the Tom Powell Post D&B Corps in the late 1930s. They were the predecessor of the great Spirit of St. Louis.

As you probably know, Clark is a member of the Buglers Hall of Fame, to which he refers in his book.

[gsksun4]

I'm sure this is correct. I recall reading this myself some time ago. As to specifics regarding Carver, I suggest you check with our mutual friend, Gene Bennett. He should know the history.

Thanks FTD. I seem to have answered my own question with a little research.

This link shows Shaw and Ray Dandridge (1963 rifle extraordinaire for Skyliners) pictured with The Masonics, an early rendition of Carver. I recall my first visit to Carnegie Hall, EWTC and seeing Carver light up the room with Temptation. Lots of talent and history in that corps including one of their first instructors, Hugo Evarelli. Interesting site I just found and need to look into.

http://www.geocities.ws/dabjazz/page9.html

Edited May 10, 2013 by gsksun4

[Ray Priester]

Thanks FTD. I seem to have answered my own question with a little research.

This link shows Shaw and Ray Dandridge (1963 rifle extraordinaire for Skyliners) pictured with The Masonics, an early rendition of Carver. I recall my first visit to Carbegie Hall, EWTC and seeing Carver light up the room with Temptation. Lots of talent and history in that corps including one of their first instructors, Hugo Evarelli. Interesting site I just found and need to look into.

http://www.geocities.ws/dabjazz/page9.html

Glenn,

Thanks for posting that. Ray also marched with us in '68 or '69 (can't remember exactly). I always wondered if he was related to the Baseball HOFer. Got his Dad's autograph at a signing by Negro League players way back in the early 90s at a mall in Jersey City. Ray may have been there with his Dad but neither of us made the connection.

Thanks again.

Ray

[JimF-LowBari]

Thanks FTD. I seem to have answered my own question with a little research.

This link shows Shaw and Ray Dandridge (1963 rifle extraordinaire for Skyliners) pictured with The Masonics, an early rendition of Carver. I recall my first visit to Carbegie Hall, EWTC and seeing Carver light up the room with Temptation. Lots of talent and history in that corps including one of their first instructors, Hugo Evarelli. Interesting site I just found and need to look into.

http://www.geocities.ws/dabjazz/page9.html

Please pass any more links you might find. Carver was from before my time but heard about them and interested in anything on "ethnic corps" (OK - most PC term I could think of). Interesting that Clark Terry was in another corps like this and guessing the Tom Powell Post was a "Black" AL Post in St Louis. Harrisburg still has one that I didn't know about until a few years back. Kind of what sparked my interest.

[TomPeashey]

Please pass any more links you might find. Carver was from before my time but heard about them and interested in anything on "ethnic corps" (OK - most PC term I could think of). Interesting that Clark Terry was in another corps like this and guessing the Tom Powell Post was a "Black" AL Post in St Louis. Harrisburg still has one that I didn't know about until a few years back. :doh:/> Kind of what sparked my interest.

lol you aren't THAT young Jim... I remember Gay Blades well...

I also met Clark Terry when he came to Oswego to play a concert for the Jr. High Band of Fulton Gaucho's Brass Instructor and soloist Hugh Burritt. Some might remember Hugh's work playing Java with Gauchos a la Al Hirt. Hugh was an alumnus of the Tonight Show orchestra and Doc Severinson and a close friend of Clarks (who also did the Tonight Show orchestra). For many years after that, Hugh was head of the Music Department at SUNY Oswego... anyway... you're right, Clark was quite a personality...

[gsksun4]

Please pass any more links you might find. Carver was from before my time but heard about them and interested in anything on "ethnic corps" (OK - most PC term I could think of). Interesting that Clark Terry was in another corps like this and guessing the Tom Powell Post was a "Black" AL Post in St Louis. Harrisburg still has one that I didn't know about until a few years back. :doh:/>/> Kind of what sparked my interest.

Jim, found this that you might find interesting:

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=9fc7acc4-6285-4104-a661-04ba16f7a380

Also, I just found this on CorpsReps for Spirit of St. Louis:

http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpshist&corps=101&corpstype=Senior

Edited May 10, 2013 by gsksun4

[gsksun4]

Glenn,

Thanks for posting that. Ray also marched with us in '68 or '69 (can't remember exactly). I always wondered if he was related to the Baseball HOFer. Got his Dad's autograph at a signing by Negro League players way back in the early 90s at a mall in Jersey City. Ray may have been there with his Dad but neither of us made the connection.

Thanks again.

Ray

You're welcome Ray.

Brings back a memory from 1963 when Selden was in Rochester for the Legion States. We were way up top in the back stands next to the edge and down below were the Skyliners, waiting to proceed to the field. Felton Owens (Sonny in Sky) yelled down to Ray Dandridge, "Hey Ray, Give Em Hell!". He looked up and flipped that rifle so high, it almost got lost in the night sky. He was a one man show for sure.

[JimF-LowBari]

lol you aren't THAT young Jim... I remember Gay Blades well...

:tongue:/> Well I did start late in life discovering drum corps when I joined a Sr corps (I was 16). Made up for it by riding with some of the BoD members who must have been *gasp* around 30 or so. Then rode with the 60ish drum truck driver who had the 1952 VFW Nats trophy in his bedroom :blink:/> . Lots of stories, history and the big feeling that I missed out on a lot that went on before 1974.......

Thank goodness for the Internet and cleaned up releases of older corps shows.....

And thanks for the DCI article gsksun4. Been looking at Nancis History Blog and this fills in the details on bunch of the corps. Never knew there were so many.

Edited May 10, 2013 by JimF-LowBari

[gsksun4]

:tongue:/>/> Well I did start late in life discovering drum corps when I joined a Sr corps (I was 16). Made up for it by riding with some of the BoD members who must have been *gasp* around 30 or so. Then rode with the 60ish drum truck driver who had the 1952 VFW Nats trophy in his bedroom :blink:/>/> . Lots of stories, history and the big feeling that I missed out on a lot that went on before 1974.......

Thank goodness for the Internet and cleaned up releases of older corps shows.....

And thanks for the DCI article gsksun4. Been looking at Nancis History Blog and this fills in the details on bunch of the corps. Never knew there were so many.

Jim, I edited my post with another link for Spirit of St. Louis. We competed against them at Am. Legion Nat's. in 68 down in New Orleans. Forgot about them.

There's also several junior corps on CorpsReps, Carter Cadets, CMCC Warriors, Manhattanaires, WynnCenter Toppers, etc. from the NYC area.

Glenn