Class of ’58 Musical Memories
Here are recordings made in the Fifties (60 + or – years ago) of beloved traditional Yale songs by:
We Meet Again Tonight Boys • Mothers Of Men • Wake Freshmen Wake • Football Medley – Bingo, That’s The Lingo – Whoop It Up – Goodnight Poor Harvard – Bulldog • Eli Yale • Here’s To Good Old Yale • ‘Neath The Elms • Amici • Bright College Years
Our May 4th ’58 Zoom
’58 Zoom, April 6, 2023. Top row L to R: Ken McAdams, Tom Schoenemann, Sherm Bull, Peter Pool, Ron Levin. 2nd row: Steve Riker, Jon Turner, Jonathan Barnett, Tom Kwei, Jon Jaspan. 3rd row: Victor Kovner, David Ehrlich, Thomas Hahn, Alan Davidson, Bob Morgan. 4th row: Bibb Latané, Dave Waterbury, Neil Kaminsky, Basil Carmody, Woody Bracey. 5th row: Ben Eppes, Bill Becklean, John Fiske, Casey Bensinger, Tom Swidler, Tim Hogen.
We had a grand time in Cleveland!
Click here to view our wonderful photos.
Class of ’58 Musical Memories
| Medley #9 | Joel Schiavone The Man with the Banjo |
Listen to this medley of his historic recordings with The Yale Banjo Band (YBB) at Woolsey Hall, playing old-time music at his night clubs cleverly called Your Father’s Mustache (YFM) including their performance at the White House, plus strumming and singing with the Galvanized Jazz Band (GJB). He’s Plucking Wonderful!
Down the Field – YBB • The World is Waiting for the Sunrise – YBB • Down Yonder – YFM • Nobody’s Sweetheart Now – GJB • Radio (Joel Vocal) – GJB • April Showers – GJB • Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet – YFM • Tiger Rag – YFM at the White House • My Gal Sal – YFM • Heart of My Heart – YFM • In the Good Old Summertime – YFM • China Town – GJB • Shine – GJB
BONUS: CLICK on the image below to see and hear Joel with his many-banjos band, Your Father’s Mustache, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show of January 29, 1967.
Even More Class of ’58 Musical Memories
Back Issues – Listen again to these Good Old Medleys
And more good old music will be coming! Don’t miss it!
| Medley #8 | From 2nd Term of Freshman Year Your Hit Parade of Winter/Spring 1955 |
We Listened To These Top Of The Charts Hit Songs On Our Radios While We Studied, Moaned and Looked For Love and Adventure From January to June.
McGuire Sisters – Sincerely • Les Baxter – Unchained Melody • Perez Prado – Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White • Ames Brothers – Naughty Lady of Shady Lane • Joan Weber – Let Me Go Lover • Fontane Sisters – Hearts Of Stone • Four Aces – Melody Of Love • Penguins – Earth Angel • Ames Brothers – Melodie d’Amour • Nat Cole – Darling Je Vous Aime • Georgia Gibbs – Tweedle Dee • Eddie Fisher – Heart
Just after our graduation, ’58 Classmate Peter Duchin joined the Army and won a talent contest playing piano that led to a national Ed Sullivan TV appearance on which Peter played a tribute to his famous father, pianist Eddy Duchin. (Click here to see NY Times review.) This led to a contract to record for Decca Records and many years of bringing music to glittering social events all over the world.
| Medley #7 | Peter Duchin The Birth of a Music Career |
Piano performance live on The Ed Sullivan Show August 31, 1959
To Love Again (based on Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat) • Summertime
From the LP “His Piano & Orchestra at the St. Regis” December 1962
I Left My Heart In San Francisco • This Could Be The Start Of Something • A Fine Romance • I Concentrate On You • Whispering • Something’s Gotta Give • It Had To Be You • The Way You Look Tonight • What Kind Of Fool Am I • From This Moment On
I had been hoping to add ’58 Classmate Chris Porterfield’s modern jazz music to our website. He phoned me last summer to tell me that some tapes from our college days had been found in the back of a closet, that his son Kevin was digitizing them, and that he would send me a copy. Sadly, Chris died on October 22, 2021. I reached out to Kevin who sent me several recordings. Here is a very special one. – Bob M
It’s Thanksgiving Weekend
It’s Midnight at CARNEGIE HALL
And we’re about to hear
A Thanksgiving College Jazz Concert Starring
Our ’58 Classmate Chris Porterfield is leading
a 13 Man Band playing modern Jazz from those years
1. Loose Walk (Sonny Stitt)
Roz Rudd ’58 & Hank Bredenberg trombone soloists
2. Walkin’ Shoes (Gerry Mulligan)
3. What’s New (Bob Haggart)
Bob Morgan ‘58 on vibes
4. A Happy One (Chris Porterfield)
Arrangements and sax solos by Chris Porterfield
MC: Eddie Condon
Music Medley #5 is a Tribute to our much beloved and extra special ’58 Classmate Linus Travers, who passed away in November 2020. Here are recordings of songs that were among his favorites as he sang with The Duke’s Men, The Whiffenpoofs and The Yale Glee Club throughout our Yale years. Thanks to his singing partners from those golden days, Fritz Kinzel, Ben Eppes, and Jeff Freeman, for suggesting these 10 song titles to salute him. Linus was known for his good taste, rich bass voice and his poker-faced sense of humor (hence his nickname “Poke”), which always served him well, especially here on “Johnny One Note,” “Istanbul” and “Robinson Crusoe.”
The Whiffenpoofs – Strike Up The Band • Johnny One Note • Eduard Mon Amour (Eddie My Love) • The Duke’s Men – Sunnyside Of The Street • The Yale Glee Club – Bandoleros • Ride The Chariot • The Duke’s Men – Istanbul • The Whiffenpoofs – Miss Otis Regrets • The Duke’s Men – Robinson Crusoe • The Whiffenpoofs – The Whiffenpoof Song
Medley #4 Hit Records of Fall 1954
Bill Haley & His Comets – Rock Around the Clock • Crew Cuts – Sh-Boom • Chordettes – Mr. Sandman • Four Aces – Three Coins In The Fountain • Perry Como – Wanted • Rosemary Clooney – Hey There • Kitty Kallen – Little Things Mean A Lot • Nat King Cole – Answer Me, My Love • Archie Bleyer – Hernando’s Hideaway • Four Knights – I Get So Lonely • Doris Day – Secret Love • Dean Martin – That’s Amore • Bill Haley & His Comets – Shake, Rattle And Roll
Medley #3 A College Weekend Romance, A Cappella
Whiffenpoofs – My Cutie’s Due • Bachelors – Long Ago and Far Away • Duke’s Men – Tea for Two • Alley Cats – Dreams • Orpheus and Bacchus – Passing By • Spizzwinks (?) – I Don’t Know Why / I May Be Wrong • Augmented Seven – That’s All • Spizzwinks (?) – Polka Dots and Moonbeams • Baker’s Dozen – Mean to Me • Whiffenpoofs – We’re Saving Ourselves for Yale
Medley #2 Bright College Years
Harkness Chimes – Bright College Years • Bachelors – Halls of Ivy • Yale Glee Club – A Song for Old Yale • Whiffenpoofs – Aj Lucka Lucka • Augmented Seven – Man, Man • Yale Banjo Band – Down the Field • Alley Cats – Evaline • Eli’s Chosen Six – Basin Street Blues • Whiffenpoofs – Scarlet Ribbons • Yale Glee Club – Bright College Years
Medley #1 Music of Our Time at Yale
Duke’s Men – Jeepers Creepers / Istanbul • Yale Banjo Band in Woolsey Hall – Yale Songs Medley • Spizzwinks (?) – Blue Skies / Imagination • Eli’s Chosen Six – Bulldog Medley • Whiffenpoofs – Eduard “Mon Amour” (Eddie My Love) / Whiffenpoof Song
From our East Coast & West Coast ’58 Classmates Joint Zoom of September 15, 2021…
See & Hear our ’58 Classmate BILL BECKLEAN speak about “My Life With Rickover,” with tales of 8 years working for Admiral Hyman Rickover on the development of the atomic submarine and nuclear power.
Our combined East Coast & West Coast Zoom Meeting to hear
Bill Becklean: September 15, 2021
’58 Zoom, Sept. 15, 2021. Top row L to R: David Ehrlich, Anson Beard, Bill Fitgerald, Jon Jaspan, Bob Morgan, Gil Shelton. 2nd row: Lee Ault, Richard Collins, Gordon Gerson, Dave Waterbury, Steve Riker, Bibb Latané. 3rd row: Tom Schoenemann, Alan Davidson, Tom Kwei, Tim Hogen, Linden Blue, Art Bober. 4th row: Ron Sohigian, Ken McAdams, Don Frank, Steve Feinstein, Basil Carmody, Pete Spelman, Georg Roth. 5th row: Jon Turner, Mike Schoettle, Joe Gastwirth, Bill Becklean, Casey Bensinger, Jean McKillop, John Jones. 6th row: Jonathan Barnett, John Fiske, Al Ferguson, Bob Ellis, Woody Bracey, Malcolm McDonald, Ed Silberstein.
Class Notes
November/December 2022 Class Notes, by Scott Sullivan. A Grim Reaper edition. Ten mortalities, including some of the most active and popular 1958ers. It is, of course, impossible to give due credit to those rich and productive lives in the hundred words allowed here. Happily, though, full obituaries for all are posted on the class website.
Otherwise, the highly successful mini-reunion honchoed by Pudge Henkel in Cleveland is history, and we look forward to our grandiose 65th in New Haven next May 25 to 28. … (continues in Class News & Notes) READ THE FULL COLUMN HERE