Another Happy Birthday To Our Dear, Departed Sid Bulkin

Vic Damone - As Time Goes By

Nice Pictures From Herb Stark

One Year Later

It's been a year since Sid passed away. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to keep this blog up and running for him.

It's still hard to get songs up on the blog that featured him as a drummer. Here's a fun link to Allen Eager's "Perdido," except it's just a 30 second bit.

Found this interesting piece about Maynard Ferguson and Sid:

By way of background, with close friend tenor saxophonist Willie Maiden as his partner, Maynard used the steady studio gig at Paramount as a means of bankrolling a library of big band arrangements. Both were twenty-six years old in 1955 when they began building a library with arrangements that could be adapted to different set ups for the traditional big band. Funding some arrangements was one thing, but they lacked the necessary financing to put together a band to actually play them.

Until, that is, “Fate” in the form of Maynard’s friend, drummer Sid Bulkin, intervened. As Primack tells it in his Mosaic insert notes:

“… Sid Bulkin met with Birdland owner Morris Levy and Vik Records A&R man Jack Lewis. Levy and Lewis were looking for someone to briefly front a Birdland Dream Band, and Bulkin successfully served as Maynard’s intermediary.”

When Ferguson went to New York in 1956 to meet with Levy and Lewis, his big band book consisted of arrangements by Jazz’s best: Manny Albam, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Holman, Willie Maiden, Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich and Ernie Wilkins. Once in New York, he would add charts by Al Cohn.

With a book like this, it’s no wonder that Levy and Lewis agreed to put up the money for a Birdland Dream Band that was to initially include:

Trumpets: Maynard [and valve trombone], Al DeRisi, Nick Travis and Joe FerranteTrombones: Jimmy Cleveland, Sonny Russo [or Eddie Bert]Alto Sax: Herb Geller Tenor Sax: Al Cohn and Budd JohnsonBaritone Sax: Ernie WilkinsPiano: Hank
Jones; Bass: Milt Hinton; Drums: Jimmy Campbell [or Don Lamond].

Pretty cool, my uncle Sid!

Happy Birthday, Sid

Sid would have been 84 today. Please take a moment and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Oy, What A Show!

Four more songs performed by a fabulous 17 piece big band, conducted by Pat Longo. These are all songs that were favorites of Sid, and were performed at a tribute concert at Charlie O's on May 26, 2008.

I hope you enjoy them as much as Sid did.

Pat Longo's Big Band Tribute To Sid Bulkin

The opening and second songs by a big band conducted by Pat Longo, in tribute to Sid, at Charlie O's on May 26, 2008.

More to follow as I work on conversions from the Mini DV tape to digital, and further editing of the digital performances.

For those of us that were at the concert, the band was tight and hot, and I am glad to finally be able to put the live performances up on Sid's blog.

Pat Longo Tribute To Sid Bulkin A Success!

The tribute to Sid Bulkin at Charlie O's was fabulous. A 17 piece big band, heavy on the horns, with tight arrangements of songs that were Sid's favorites. All directed by Pat Longo.

More pictures. When the videos get here, they will be uploaded, as well.

Some of the family with Pat.

Tribute to Sid at Charlie O's

LA Jazz Calendar - All SoCal Neighborhoods

Monday, May 26, 2008
Pat Longo Hollywood Big Band - Tribute to Sid Bulkin
8:00 PM
Charlie O's
13725 Victory Blvd.
Van Nuys, 91401
Map this location!
(818) 994-3058
$20 cash cover charge

I know it says 8:00 A.M. so I will call and verify that it really is supposed to be P.M. We all know musicians do not work at 8 a.m., let alone get up at 8 a.m.! Once I confirm that it really is 8:00 p.m., I'll change the entry.

UPDATE: I confirmed it is from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The band will do two, one-hour sets, with a half-hour break.

The Sticks And The Fedora

For more pictures and videos of Sid's funeral, check out Carrie's Bar & Grill, "The Sticks And The Fedora."

Mark Spiro Tribute To Sid Bulkin

Mark Spiro's tribute to Sid Bulkin, "New York State Of Mind." "... the New York Times and The Daily News."

Walter Heath At Sid Bulkin Funeral Tribute