|
 Guy
Lombardo’s Royal Canadians
A New Years Eve Trip Back
in Time
Article and Concert Review by TG
On Saturday December 6, 2008, Homestead
Community Concerts presented as its first program of the
2008-2009 season, Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians.
Countless people remember with nostalgia the tradition of Guy
Lombardo with his Royal Canadians at New York’s Waldorf Astoria
on New Year’s Eve. Since the death of Guy Lombardo in 1977, Auld
Lang Syne has continued to be performed by various bands before
enthusiastic audiences throughout the world. We look back and
remember the distinctive recognizable style: the exaggerated
saxophone vibratos, the clipped brass phrases, and a vocal-like
styling that immediately identifies the orchestra as Guy
Lombardo’s.
If you could move your legs at all, you could dance to his
music. It was also the kind of band that you could just sit and
listen to with friends. It never was so loud that you couldn’t
hear someone say something or ask a question. The most important
ingredient was its consistency. A patron standing in the hall
asked me what she would hear. I answered: “A warm homogenous
band sound”.
Al Pierson, the group’s leader for the last 20 years, protects
this Lombardo style. During warm-up, the drummer got a smidge
rambunctious and was immediately warned to calm down. No one
“sticks out”. The percussion and bass were always there but
never “drove” the group as many less sophisticated bands do
today.
Of the eleven performers on stage, tenor trombone player Wally
Post is the only musician from the original band. He left the
band in the late 1960’s and played Las Vegas with his own band.
Al Pierson heard him playing on the river boat “Mississippi
Queen”. The meeting resulted in Wally and his T-bone rejoining
the Royal Canadians. Mike Brignola, baritone saxophone and
clarinet, became a fan as a teenager. He recalls fondly dancing
with his girlfriend to the Lombardo sounds. A historical comment
to you younger readers: before rock & roll we actually held our
partners and snuggled as we danced. The original band had only
four players: percussion, bass, Guy on violin, and brother
Carmen on banjo. Carmen, who died in 1968, was also the group’s
singer and arranger.
The program opened with a short version of Velia, the band’s
original theme song. Next was “Boo Hoo”, one of the 101 hits
written or arranged by Carmen. We were told we could sing along
and sing we did! From different places in the auditorium all
evening, we joined in with: Enjoy Yourself, Fascination,
Coquette, Puttin’ On the Ritz, Blue Tango, and a Sentimental
Journey Medley including Sentimental Journey, Harbor Lights,
Whipperwill, and My Blue Heaven. Two historical notes: 1) Enjoy
Yourself was played in 1977 by the remaining Royal Canadians at
Guy Lombardo’s funeral, 2) Puttin’ On the Ritz was a reference
to the Roosevelt Grill owned by Ritz Carlton. The band moved
from Ontario, Canada to Cleveland, Ohio in 1918, then on to
Chicago in 1923, and eventually settled in New York City in 1928
where it thrived for the next 37 years.
The set continued with more memories and singing: Memory (from
Cats), Johnson Rag, Frankie and Johnnie, Never On a Sunday,
Tennessee Waltz, Little Girl, Star Dust (my personal favorite),
and It Seems Like Old Times. Wally (T-bone and only original
band member) ended the set with Lassus Trombone. If you are a
Lombardo fan, the above list of hits is overwhelming.
The second set started out with Christmas carols. I think I
counted a dozen of them. Two of the pieces, Deck the Halls and
Away in a Manger were premiered. Al passed the arrangements out
during the warm-up. The band read, Al made some corrections and
gave a few directions, they played a bit more, and then went off
they went to their dressing room to get a bite to eat. Pros! You
gotta love ‘um!
The evening ended with George Gershwin’s Begin the Beguine, then
New York, New York, and ended with the up tempo South Rampart
Street Parade. The audience clapped and tapped to this last
piece. Because of the Christmas section, many possible
selections listed in the program were not played. These included
such great tunes as Bye Bye Blues, Blue Moon, Canadian Sunset,
Ain’t She Sweet, Little Girl, I’ll See You in My Dreams, and
others. I wanted to cry. These last titles alone were worth the
price of admission. We collectively ended the evening with Auld
Lang Syne. Wow! An evening of “The Sweetest Music This Side of
Heaven”.
Put the following on your calendar: Three Swingin’ Tenors,
Friday, January 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m. at the new South Dade Senior
High School auditorium. You will hear tributes to The Big Apple,
the Mills Brothers, songs of WW II, and the Rat Pack. For season
tickets call 305-235-8818 or 305-253-6620 or go to
www.homesteadconcerts.com. |
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