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Author: Chris
Date: 2002-03-27 20:23
I recently played a concert with Keith Brion's New Sousa Band, and had a blast!
In a follow-up email, I asked Mr. Brion about the woodwind soloists who appeared with the group. I figured that with him being a Sousa scholar, he might know. Indeed he did. Hope that someone might be interested in the email reply:
"I talked about clar. solos with Sousa's principal clarinet Eddie Wall who told me they were very rarely used. I think he said he did solos once or twice and kind of dismissed the notion. Most likely the Bassi Rigoletto Variations. After Sousa died Eddie was principal clar. for NY City Ballet for a zillion years. He came to my first Sousa concert at Yale.
Have also discussed this with Tim Foley who conducts the Marine Band and is a super clarinetist. Tim does a wide variety of these solos, more than any other conductor, but not too often.
I have no info about oboe or bassoon solos with Sousa. Matthew Guerwich did many sax solos with Sousa in the 20's. Sousa sometimes did these solos on the summer residency at Willow Grove. He also did flute solos there...once with Meredith Wilson.
Piccolo solos were fairly common at the turn of the century and the Sousa Band sax octet was featured in the mid 20's...often playing novelties alone."
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2002-03-28 16:00
I played with them 5 years ago and it was a real gas!
Hope Mr. Brion tours to Michigan again. There was a problem: his booking agency went bankrupt. Sounds like this has been resolved.
Regards,
Ralph
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