George C Marshall High School - Columbian Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

Page 21 text:

Opposite page, top: A solo from one of Buddy ' s sax players sounds great, and a good change in the beat. Bottom: Drums and brass make a good combination as the band plays on. This page, above: A humble monologe from Buddy Rich draws a few laughs from the crowd. Left: Greg Gabriel, Cathy Brock, and David Woods seem pleased with the well deserved applause. Activities 7

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I Change broke a tradition of sorts at Marshall in 1973. In the previous two years, Maynard Ferguson was the moneymaker for Marshall ' s band department. This year, howev¬ er, Buddy Rich stepped in, bringing a different interpretation to the jazz medium. These performers are not hired solely for their ability to draw crowds. Mr. John La Cava, band director, tries for a variety of talent to serve as examples to his students. He believes a number of benefits can be derived from watching per¬ formers of Mr. Rich ' s caliber. Although Rich and Ferguson are both jazz musicians, each has a unique method of manifestation. Rich, being a percussionist, arranges his numbers with rhythm in mind. One listener ' s opinion was that he is more of a classicist, improvising a lot on the original theme. Ferguson is more melody-oriented in keeping with his particular talent, the formed the Buddy Rich Orchestra. This band has carried Buddy Rich to today and a distinctive jazz sound. His band today is made up of six¬ teen men. He ' s a meticulous man, to the point of being fussy, but his meticulousness has worked for him and his band. They have played the world over and everywhere the response is the same. All are gener¬ ous in their praise of his perform¬ ance. Although the Marshall audience was not as large as it has been for the band department concerts in the last few years, it generated the same enthusiastic appreciation of Bubby Rich ' s playing as any audi¬ ence has. Mr. Rich and the members of his Orchestra were pleased with audience response. Buddy is always happy with the fact that many in his audiences are drum students who want to learn from him. He is an ex¬ perience to be remembered. trumpet. Both styles show us jazz that is fantastic. Where did Buddy Rich come from, anyway? He ' s a man with cliche beginnings. Child of Vaude¬ ville parents, he made his debut at the age of eighteen months. Name the tradition and he spells it out. He soloed by the age of seven. For the next seven years he followed jazz from Chicago to New York. His parents retired when he was fourteen but Buddy kept up with jazz and one day was invited to play with Joe Marsala ' s band. He did, and was a huge success. Rich joined the Marines for a short period of time and upon being discharged he joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. It was the era of the Big Band and they made history. After he quit Dorsey, Rich formed his own band. It was with this band that Buddy became a par¬ agon for the aspiring drummer. Buddy formed another group, this time jazz, and with them toured the world. He then joined another group as a featured performer. But his love of creativity and leadership caused him to leave and in 1966 he 16

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Seniors dominate Homecoming Multitudes of crepe paper and balloons heralded Spirit Week ' 73. As in previous spirit weeks, the school ' s esprit de corps increased as each day passed and reached its peak at the pep rally on Friday. The usual attempts by classes to display their individual spirit passed by unnoticed until Wednesday, when the Juniors donned hats. Not to be outdone, of course, the Se¬ niors came on full strength Thursday. Required football jerseys and sun-glasses loomed every¬ where. Their determination paid off in the end as they won the class competition. Statesmen ' s spirits stayed buoyant throughout the many activ¬ ities. Hall decorations went up Thursday afternoon. Again, the Se¬ niors reigned supreme, winning the event. The pep rally remained, concluding the week ' s events. One of the best ever, students screamed themselves hoarse for the spirit stick. Several dedicated teachers were dressed as cheerleaders. Despite many unusual attempts by the students, the cheerleaders main¬ tained control. A raffle was held and the winner was granted the dubious honor of shoving a pie in the face of the cheerleader of his or her choice. After some hesitation, the pie was thrown and the pep rally came to an end. 18