Jeff’s Scrap Book

This is actually a unique recording that only I have. The actual DCI recording of 08 Surf was semifinals which featured a giant ‘tear’ in the opener. I’m sure everyone involved with Surf that year hates to listen to that recording. This is from Open Class semis – my own ‘in the stands’ recording. The opener is performed as it had been all year (except Semi’s!)

Surf `08 had 70 brass – by far the biggest horn line I wrote for and really changed the way I arranged everything. The clip below is a basic warm up – conducted by Rob Stein (Harrison Horowitz was Caption head). I think it funny I was still worried about individual tuba tuning within a section of 12.

Spartans 1990 – Scheherazade

• Brass Arranger
• Brass Caption Head

This is THE biggest frustration of my career. We had been top 2-3 all of tour, not too far off the undefeated Ventures. With what we thought was a decent (this one) performance, we came in 7th in prelims, missing finals. There are some very talented kids in this corps who went on to amazing things as performers and teachers.  Spartans President PG LaFlamme is playing 1st soprano! I felt the judges had lied to us – either in the shows leading up to this – or with their dumping us in prelims. Okay, I feel better

Warrington Corps 1987 – Tommy

1988 – Jazz Show (chosen by the corps)

• Brass Arranger
• Brass Consultant

I arranged for and worked with several UK corps from 1986 until 2009. Warrington Corps is perhaps my favorite more so for the people than the overall quality of the corps at finals. I felt the brass were as strong as any in UK (I hade gone over 4 times throughout the season) and Pete Walmsley and many other great people on staff got so much out of this horn line. The stadiums with overhangs in the UK create some really awkward acoustics and definitely create balance/tempo issues when corps goes to finals (similar to indoor stadiums here in US).

I also posted the corps `88 end of season video

Matadors 1985 – Providence RI 

• DCA Finals
• Brass Staff 84-87.  Brass CoArranger 85-87 with Buddy Bibeault.

I taught Matadors from `84 through their final season in `87.  From 85-87 I co-arranged the shows with Buddy Bibeault. 1984 was the only year I marched all summer and the only year ever that I played mellophone (hello solo in Thriller!). 

Buccaneers 1983 – Chelmsford MA

• EMass Finals – My recording
• Brass Arranger & Caption Head 

My last year with the corps after 4 years of constant growth (I started writing for and teaching them when I was 19). Many of the members went on to great things with Cadets, Boston, and other corps. This is my recording from EMass Finals. The opener is an original chart.

Here is the only recording from `82.  EMass Finals, but Darcy Davis is judging.

There are a few corps I wrote for that recordings simply don’t exist.  I would KILL for a recording of `89 Spartans (their first year making Div. II Finals and the first year I arranged for them). I know it was the one year DCI didn’t record or video Div. II/III at all. I have searched extensively but……  There are a few UK corps I don’t have as well, as well as the early years of Buccaneers (80-82). If anyone can help – reach out!

Below are corps I taught but didn’t write for.  I know a lot of members who were in these corps maybe haven’t heard these.  Posting to share for those who care!

ALLIANCE 1983

• Brass Staff (Brass Arranger/Caption Head Jim McFarland)

ALLIANCE 1982 – 1981

• Brass Staff (Brass Arranger/Caption Head Dave Dubinsky)
• I was also on staff in 1980 – would love a recording of that year.

The top recording – 82 DCI ‘semifinals’ is not semifinals at all.  DCI messed up at Semis and asked corps 13-25 to come back to the stadium and rerecord their show.  Although you can hear some staff yelling, DCI added in lots of random (and fake) cheering between songs.  The levels and how poorly it was done is comical.  I remember this day and how weird it was to get the corps up for another performance on the morning of finals in an empty stadium when their season had just ended.

These are corps I marched in.  I’m sure there are friends who marched with me who will get a kick out of hearing some of these again.