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THE VAUGHN MONROE SHOW
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS |
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JEANNETTE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
DEDICATED IN HONOR OF VAUGHN MONROE
JEANNETTE, PENNSYLVANIA |
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Vaughn Monroe's daughters, Candy and
Christina, were in attendance as Jeannette High School dedicated
their new auditorium in honor of Vaughn Monroe, class of 1929. Dan
Gabel played a concert for the occasion.
The plaque reads: "Jeannette High
School Auditorium Dedication Honoring Vaughn Wilton Monroe, Class of
1929, whose legacy as a legendary singer, big-band leader and
creator of both music and lyrics for the Jeannette High School Alma
Mater will be remembered by many generations to come. Jeannette High
School Class of 1969. April 22, 2015."
For more related information on this
website see the following Journal entries:
Jeannette High School
Alma Mater by Anita Howe Binder
High School Days by
Claire Schwartz |
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VAUGHN MONROE TRIBUTE
RADIO BROADCAST
BY DUANE VICTOR KEILSTRUP |
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My program on The
Olde Tyme Radio Network will feature the wonderful Vaughn Monroe
and the Camel Caravan next week beginning Sunday, May 4, including
an interview with Moon Maid June Hiett Bratone, at
www.VintageRadioClassics.com/broadcast Shows are on demand 24/7. |
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VAUGHN MONROE TRIBUTE CONCERT
BY DAN GABEL |
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photo of Dan Gabel from theabletones.com |
Sunday, March 2, 2014, 4:00pm. Brown Hall,
New
England Conservatory. Free and open to the public. Large wooden
dance floor available for dancing, table seating included, and
refreshments available.
Dan Gabel and the Abletones, authentic 18-piece
big band will be featured, along with a full string section, and
introducing "The Lovely Ladies of Song" in tribute to the Moon
Maids.
Music is in part fulfillment of Dan Gabel's
Masters' thesis recital. Original arrangements from throughout
Vaughn Monroe's career will be highlighted, including pieces
featuring the full string section, vocal num`bers written for the
Moon Maids, and some incredibly rare unrecorded instrumentals to
be heard for the first time!! Gabel will also include several
opera selections arranged for the ensemble originally performed by
Monroe collaborator and friend Patrice Munsel. The two pieces the
two recorded together, "Falling in Love with Love" and "With a
Song in My Heart" will also be performed with the original
orchestrations.
The event will be recorded, and video taped as
well, and Dan is hoping to use these materials to promote the
entire show as a Vaughn Monroe tribute!
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THE MUSIC OF VAUGHN MONROE
BY THE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY JAZZ
ORCHESTRA |
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Professor Ken Schaphorst leads the NEC
Jazz Orchestra and presented an evening of The Music of Vaughn
Monroe and Billy Eckstine at the NEC's Jordan Hall on October 17,
2013. Dan Gabel was kind enough to send us the concert
program. An excerpt
from Dan's own email says it best:
Many of you may know that Dan Gabel
is a big Vaughn Monroe fan and who could blame him? That distinctive
voice, the "local guy makes it big" angle, the New England
Conservatory connection, the bowtie, a successful big band. See what
I mean? Who are we talking about- Vaughn or Dan?
What you may not know is that Vaughn Monroe's entire
library of arrangements is housed at NEC or that Dan is in the
process of cataloguing it or that Dan is writing a biography of
Vaughn. For now, the important part is that Professor Ken Schaphorst
will be leading the NEC Jazz Orchestra (with Dan on trombone, of
course) for a free concert featuring the hits of both Vaughn Monroe
and Billy Eckstine.
In reality, this will be the
introduction to Vaughn's music which will be featured in a string of
concerts next Spring with Dan Gabel and The Abletones and some very
special guests. We'll get you those details when appropriate, but
thought you might appreciate this concert. |
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A
TRIBUTE TO VAUGHN MONROE
BY JOHN TUMPAK |
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John Tumpak, jazz historian, L.A. Jazz Scene journalist, and
author of the book When Swing Was The Thing: Personality Profiles
of the Big Band Era, will make a presentation titled "A
Tribute to Vaughn Monroe" who was the most popular singing
bandleader of all time. During his thirty year career Monroe had
seventy one hit records, nine of which made it to number one on the
charts. He also had popular long running radio and television shows,
appeared in four movies, and played to sell out audiences wherever
he and his band appeared. Tumpak will play Monroe's hit records and
talk about little known facts of his personal life. Frank Sinatra's
musical connection to Monroe will also be discussed.
Wednesday, July 24th at 10:30 am
South Pasadena Senior Center,
1102 Oxley St. |
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MUSICMAKERS OF NETWORK RADIO
BY JIM COX |
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Leading radio historian Jim Cox, has chronicled the lives and careers of 24 radio entertainers in Musicmakers of Network Radio:
24 Entertainers 1926-1962, recently published by McFarland and
Company. This volume presents biographies of 24 renowned performers
who spent a significant portion of their careers in front of a radio
microphone. Vaughn Monroe is one of the great musicmakers included
in Jim's book, which is available at
www.amazon.com . Jim is a retired college professor and an
award-winning author of numerous books about old-time radio.
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L.A.
JAZZ SCENE
ARTICLE BY JOHN TUMPAK |
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Vaughn Monroe is the featured bandleader in the December 2012 (Issue
No. 303) of L.A. Jazz Scene the monthly newspaper of jazz
happenings around the Los Angeles, California area.
Thanks to the meticulous work of John Tumpak, the latest issue is
filled with more pages dedicated to the life story of Mr. Monroe
than they have ever published on any other musician in any of their
past issues. Personal interviews conducted with friends and
associates of Mr. Monroe throughout 2012 add a splash of vitality to
this tribute article.
For information on receiving a copy contact us at:
info@vaughnmonroesociety.org
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VAUGHN
MONROE AT 100
ARTICLE BY DAVID LOBOSCO |
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WESTERN
MUSIC AWARDS
ALBUQUERQUE, NM |
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Vaughn Monroe's two daughters, Candice and Christina, accepted the
Western Music Association honors as their father, Vaughn Monroe, was
inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, November
19, 2011. O.J. Sikes, member of the WMA Board Advisors, was also in
attendance and provided a report in his column for The Western
Way magazine. View "A
Musical Note from O.J."
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VAUGHN
MONROE INDUCTED INTO WESTERN MUSIC HALL OF FAME |
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Congratulations on your web site and the important work you are
doing! I wanted to let you know that Vaughn Monroe has just been
elected to the Western Music Hall of Fame. It was by delightful
coincidence that the election fell on the year of his centenal.
There will
be an induction in November at the annual Western Music
Association’s awards event held in Albuquerque.
O. J. Sikes
The Western Way
magazine
can be viewed online at:
http://www.westernmusic.com/pdfs/WWay_2011_Fall_Web.pdf
The article on Vaughn Monroe appears on
page 20.
O. J.
has a western music radio show that can be accessed through the
following link:
http://www.bostonpete.com/station004.html |
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VAUGHN
MONROE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
IN NEW YORK |
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Twelve VMAS members
and guests enjoyed a banquet on Saturday, October 8, 2011 with former
Vaughn Monroe Orchestra trombonist, Joe
Bennett, Western Music Association board member and music
aficionado, O. J. Sikes, and members of Vaughn Monroe's immediate
family. Read
more on the Yahoo Groups board as posted by Herb Wasserman. A full write-up
with photos is posted in
the sustaining member section of the website.
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VAUGHN
MONROE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
OCTOBER 8-9, 2011 |
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Join us for a one-and-only event as we
celebrate the 100th birthday anniversary of Mr. Vaughn Monroe. This
is our 4th VMAS gathering, and we have invited distinguished
international guests and those who knew Mr. Monroe at various levels
both personally and professionally. No need to wait any longer!
RSVP today!
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BUCKY
PIZARELLI AND JERRY BRUNO
THE SALON 10TH ANNIVERSARY EXTRAVAGANZA |
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Bucky Pizzarelli and Jerry Bruno
performed in a tribute to Frank Sinatra on March 11, 2011 at the
Edison Ballroom 240 W. 47th Street NYC.
Watch interview with Bucky and
Jerry on YouTube |
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HAPPY
85TH BIRTHDAY - BUCKY
PIZARELLI
CONCERT AT BICKFORD THEATRE, MORRIS NJ |
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Guitar great, Bucky Pizzarelli, in a
celebration concert at the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township, NJ
on Tuesday January 11, 2011. Jerry Furris forwarded this newspaper
article from his local paper.
Read
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BIG
BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER
MARCH-APRIL 2010 |
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Big Band Jump Newsletter, March-April
2010 edition, featured
Vaughn Monroe in the Bandleader Profile. A nice summary article
and photo is included. To listen to more Big Band online or sign up
to receive newsletters go to:
http://www.bigbandjump.com Thanks to John Tumpak for forwarding
this article.
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LA
TIMES - VAUGHN MONROE
HOLLYWOOD STAR WALK |
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VMAS
GATHERING TO BE HELD IN ATLANTIC CITY
POSTPONED |
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The fourth gathering planned for
members of the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society and all fans of
good music is scheduled to be held at the Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic
City, New Jersey the weekend of May 14-16, 2010. "Still Racing with
the Moon" IV is planned to feature a banquet on Saturday night, with
a visit to Steel Pier and areas of interest in Atlantic City.
--The next gathering to be rescheduled at a later date--
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"STILL
RACING WITH THE MOON" GATHERING
IN NEW YORK
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Eighteen VMAS members
and guests enjoyed a banquet on Saturday, May 30, 2009 with former
Vaughn Monroe Orchestra musicians: Bucky Pizarelli, Jerry Bruno, Joe
Bennett, Dick Bagni and vocalist Tinker Rautenberg. A walking tour
of New York City and viewing of Vaughn Monroe television appearances
at the Museum of Radio and Television topped off the weekend. Read
more on the Yahoo Groups board. A full write-up is posted in
the sustaining member section of the website.
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WHEN
SWING WAS THE THING
NEW BOOK BY JOHN R. TUMPAK
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VMAS member John Tumpak
has a new book out entitled "When Swing was the Thing -- Personality
Profiles of the Big Band Era."
Click here to view
press release and order.
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VMAS
GATHERING TO BE HELD IN NEW YORK
MAY 29-31, 2009 |
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The third
gathering planned for members of the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation
Society and all fans of good music is scheduled to be held at the
Meadowlands Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey the weekend of May
29-31, 2009. "Still Racing with the Moon" III is planned to feature
a banquet on Saturday night, with a tour of the Radio and Television
museum and areas of interest in New York City. A registration package and more
information can be found on the Home Page (now removed).
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HELL ON
WHEELS
PUBLISHES POST-GAZETTE SERIES BY EDWARD P. SHALLOW
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The December 2008 Hell
on Wheels Bulletin, published by the 2nd Armored Division
Association, featured the first of the series on Vaughn Monroe
written by Edward P. Shallow for the Boston Post-Gazette in spring
of 2008 (see May 9, 2008 Bulletin Board entry below). Subsequent issues included the
remaining installments.
View Magazine
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NEW
RELEASE FROM ACROBAT
RACING WITH THE MOON, AN ANTHOLOGY 1940-1956
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Available: August 11, 2008
From England, a 2 CD set covering the
span of Vaughn's popular career. Although he disbanded his orchestra
in 1953, he continued performing as a male vocalist, recording with
numerous orchestras and backup groups including The Sauter Finegen
Orchestra and Perry Como's Satisfiers. |
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BOSTON
POST-GAZETTE
SERIES ON VAUGHN MONROE - BY EDWARD P.
SHALLOW
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MONTPELLIER RE-RELEASE
THE PLUS ONE MOON MAIDS - THEIR 'CINDERELLA' STORY
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Thanks to a tip from Chris Popa (Big
Band Library), we were informed that Montpellier, a recording label
in the UK, is re-releasing the Moon Maids Plus One CD. The link to
the left is of the Worlds' Records listing of it [NO LONGER
AVAILABLE THROUGH WORLDS RECORDS]. See also the Sep 16, 2005 posting below on this page
to link to the Grogan's website. |
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BACK
FROM BOSTON
VAUGHN MONROE SOCIETY GATHERING
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The second gathering of the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society held
in Boston, MA over the weekend (May 17-20, 2007) is now history. Six
members and two spouses attended the event, with two guests joining
in the activities the first evening. Despite the unusually cool and
rainy weather, the event could be described as extraordinary--great
hotel, wonderful people, superb food, exceptional collections, rare
material and unparalleled site-seeing opportunities made for an
unforgettable weekend. A full write-up is posted in the sustaining
member section of the website. |
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GREENSBERG TRIBUNE-REVIEW NEWS ARTICLE
FEBRUARY 9, 2007 |
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Freelance
reporter Marjorie Wertz penned a special interest piece on Vaughn
Monroe entitled "Golden Touch" for the Tribune-Review, a
Southwestern Pennsylvania newspaper. The article appeared in the
Neighborhoods section of the newspaper for Friday February 9, 2007.
The story reminds Jeannette, PA residents that a national talent
once hailed from their small, Midwestern town. Marjorie interviewed
a few of Vaughn's relatives and VMAS co-founder, Claire Schwartz.
Read article
Read comments received |
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VMAS
GATHERING TO BE HELD IN BOSTON
MAY 17-20, 2007 |
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The second
gathering planned for members of the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation
Society and all fans of good music is scheduled to be held at the
John Hancock Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts the weekend of May
17-20, 2007. "Still Racing with the Moon" II is planned to feature
the sites and sounds (thanks to the New England Conservatory)
associated with Mr. Monroe in and around the Boston area, which was
his home base for many years. A registration package and more
information can be found on the homepage (now removed). |
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NEW
RELEASE FROM JASMINE
VAUGHN MONROE: THE MAIN EVENT |
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click image to order
JASCD 444
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Available:
October 13, 2006
Vaughn
Monroe is well remembered for his many achievements as a great
singer, orchestra leader and Hollywood actor of western films. With
one of the most distinctive voices of the 40’s, this great
collection includes his major hits “Ballerina,” “Sound Off!” “That
Lucky Old Sun” and the biggest selling record of his career “Riders
In The Sky.” Many of these tracks have never been on CD
before, along with some rare recordings from the 1950’s that any fan
of Vaughn Monroe simply must have. |
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MEMBER
REPORT
BUCKY PIZZARELLI & MOONMAIDS CONCERT |
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Several of our members attended the April 5 and 6 performances of
the Palm Beach Pops featuring Bucky Pizzarelli and his circle of
friends, including Vaughn Monroe's original Moonmaids.
Read Claire's
report on the April 5 concert.
Read Fran's report on the April 6
concert.
View
Photos from the April 5 reception. |
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THE
MOONMAIDS
STILL IN SYNC |
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Read this newspaper article by John Austin, staff writer for the
Arlington, Texas Star-Telegram:
Still In Sync. See also the bulletin board post of March 4, 2006
for additional information on the Moonmaids' Palm Beach engagements. |
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VAUGHN
MONROE: THE MAIN EVENT
NEW CD (in the works) BY JASMINE
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Robert
Nickora updates us on the status of the CD he is working on for
Jasmine Records of London, England: The CD set will have 58 tracks
of singles from the 1950s, most of which will be debuting on CD and
have never appeared on LP. Only five tracks are from Monroe's major
hit records. This should provide for a really outstanding
compilation of many of Mr. Monroe's lesser known recordings. Robert
gives special thanks to James Stewart (AZ) and Graeme Freeland
(Australia) for helping him with the most difficult-to-find tracks.
Thanks also to Polly Attridge (MA) for sharing with us her
autographed photo of Vaughn in his red RCA-Victor Jacket, which Mr.
Nickora chose for the CD cover/collage. The CD set should be out
later this year.
Also of
interest is another project Mr. Nickora is working on with Jasmine
called "Saluting the Stars." This CD will come out a little later
this year and feature some selections from Vaughn Monroe,
specifically "The Last Round Up" and the early recording of "The
Moon was Yellow." |
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BUCKY
PIZZARELLI AND THE PALM BEACH POPS
A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
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Bucky Pizzarelli will be celebrating his 80th
birthday with "A Circle of Friends." Bucky has two upcoming concerts
scheduled with the Palm Beach Pops at the Kravis Center in Palm
Beach, Florida on April 5 and 6, 2006. Joining him for his birthday
bash will be the Moonmaids--June Bratone, Tinker Rautenberg, Mary Jo
Grogan and Carol Piper. They will be reprising some of the old
favorites performed with Vaughn Monroe.
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THE MOONMAIDS PLUS ONE
CURTAIN CALL II
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Click image to order |
We'd like to
recommend a wonderful CD produced in 2004 by Grogan Music.
You might recognize the name as that of Moonmaid Mary Jo
(Thomas) Grogan. In fact, Mary Jo's husband Harrold Grogan is
the "plus one" in this re-release CD featuring Vaughn Monroe's
lovely Moonmaids in recordings they re-united to produce in the
1980s. As it says in the CD liner notes: "Here, the superb
musicianship of four families and two generations is augmented
by four of Dallas' top studio musicians." The selections and
arrangements hint of nostalgia, but are very fresh and
up-to-date. The Moonmaid harmony is impeccable. |
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"STILL
RACING WITH THE MOON"
GATHERING HELD JANUARY 21-23, 2005
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Twelve members of the Vaughn Monroe
Appreciation Society attended the first organized gathering held at
the Seminole Inn located in Indiantown, Florida. The weekend
provided an opportunity for Society members to meet for the first
time and discuss the music and radio & film work of Vaughn
Monroe. Activities consisted of viewing numerous sites of interest
regarding Mr. Monroe's life. The group was pleased to have in
attendance Ms. Tinker (Cunningham) Rautenberg, one of Vaughn's
female vocalists from the Moonmaids, and Ms. Susan Menke, niece of
Vaughn Monroe Camel Caravan co-star, Shaye Cogan. A more
detailed account can be found at The
Big Band Library website
by Christopher Popa and in the Sustaining Member Section of our
website. |
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BUCKY PIZZARELLI & JERRY BRUNO
BY BOB LYNN
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Bob
sends a couple of photos from the Summit Jazz Foundation party at
the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver, Colorado the weekend of September
25, 2004. (Both were musicians in the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra). Bob writes: Bucky
and Jerry Bruno both played with the all star group. They were
great!
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| Jerry on the bass,
Bucky on the guitar |
Bucky Pizzarelli and
Jerry Bruno |
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LOU
KOHNEN & JOHN PIZZARELLI
BACKSTAGE AFTER CONCERT
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Lou Kohnen
and John Pizzarelli (Bucky's son) after
John's November 7, 2003 concert in
Rochester, New York.
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