Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians

WCCAC welcomes back Wayne Choralaires

The Wayne County Creative Arts Council is pleased to welcome back the Wayne Choralaires who will be presenting their Summer Concert 2011….”Pride of America!” in Central Park, Honesdale, on Monday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m.  The “Pride of America!” will serve as a tribute to American Composers and to members of our Armed Forces.

Songs such as “Stomp Your Foot” by Aaron Copland, “Oh! Susanna!” by Stephen Foster, “Clap Yo’ Hands!” by George Gershwin, a selection of African American spirituals, and also music from Broadway featuring the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Jerome Kern and George M. Cohan will be performed by the 55 voice choir.

A specialty song ,”Dry Bones!” will pay tribute to Fred Waring, a Pennsylvania native who brought choral music to the forefront in the middle part of the 1900’s.  Waring’s group the Pennsylvanians, sang on radio and television and had a very positive effect on choral music as we know it today.

The same program will also be performed on Sunday, June 26th at 6pm in the Dorflinger Suydam Sanctuary ampitheater.

The chorus is directed by Patricia Spoor and accompanied by Martha Curtis.

Back by popular demand, the Gypsy Jazz Quintet will perform on Thursday, June 30. Their unique sound of “hot club” jazz and high-energy swing is a tribute to gypsy jazz guitarist Diango Reinhardt and Parisian violinist Stephane Grapelli,. This is the high-energy  swing music played in the dance halls of Paris from 1934 to 1930.  Organized by guitarist/music arranger, John Curtin, the Gypsy Jazz Quintet has performed at music festivals, taverns and resorts.  The band is made up of five players from very diverse backgrounds, coming together to make this special music.

John Curtin is a life-long student of the guitar.  He has been an on-staff music arranger for Warner Brothers Music in New York City.  He is now the music director for the theme shows at the Woodloch Pines Resort. Guitarist, Vince Marrone, out of Dunmore, cites influences ranging from straight ahead jazz through funk, fusion and R&B.  He recently began to explore the music of Django Reinhardt and the Gypsy Jazz style.  He is also teamed with bassist Bob Wilson as the Jazz Assassins.

Bob Wilson, from Honesdale, took up the acoustic bass ten years ago after many years on the electric bass.  His primary influences are Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and Frank Zappa.

RAY'S BLOGGING AGAIN: Old-time music: Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians....

In a previous post (about Flying United) TC and I got going on about YouTube videos we've found, and she asked me about the tune called "Goodbye Broadway, Hello Montreal" which isn't easy to find, because it commonly leaves off the first two words of that title, and goes by "Hello, Montreal"..... so after a long and anxious search ( at least a minute!) I found the Fred Waring version - in which old Fred himself does the vocal they say..... so click this link please.... Yep - saw those pictures - and one of them I think is an almost nude shot of the famous vocalist Ruth Etting, who was said to be involved with a famous gangster of that era. Don't know who he was, but she was a great-looking gal with a terrific voice. Her version of "Love Me Or Leave Me" beats the hell out of Doris Day's more recent imitation.

Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians

Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, a photobiography

Billboard

The Fred Waring discography

Official report