94-453: Walt Levinsky (April 18, 1929 – December 14, 1999) was an American big band and orchestral player, composer, arranger, and bandleader. While many of his big band assignments were as lead alto sax player, his favorite instrument was the clarinet . Born in Paterson, New Jersey , he began playing the clarinet at age 9, tutored by his brother Kermit. His first formal study on clarinet and sax
188-527: A commission–manager form of government. There are a total of five city commissioners: two that are elected "at large" and three from single-member districts. The mayor and vice mayor are selected from the five city commissioners. Mayors of Sarasota, Florida include: Sarasota has many musical, dance, theatre, circus and other performing arts venues, including the Sarasota Ballet , Sarasota Opera , Asolo Repertory Theatre , Florida Studio Theatre ,
282-492: A humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and cooler, milder winters. The high temperatures and high humidity in the summer regularly push the heat index over 100 °F (38 °C). There are distinct rainy and dry seasons, with the rainy season lasting from March to November and the dry season from December to February. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 24.08 square miles (62.4 km ), of which 14.70 sq mi (38.07 km )
376-406: A bachelor's degree or higher. In 2020, the median household income was $ 56,093 with a per capita income of $ 43,387. 15.6% of the population lived below the poverty threshold . As of the 2010 United States census , there were 51,917 people, 22,775 households, and 11,603 families residing in the city. Sarasota municipal government was incorporated in 1913, changing from a town type to adopting
470-433: A brain tumour. With Art Farmer With Quincy Jones With Henri Rene With Don Sebesky With Rex Stewart and Cootie Williams With Cal Tjader Big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones , trumpets , trombones , and a rhythm section . Big bands originated during
564-464: A census and birth registration, an area PTA, and a Red Cross Auxiliary. The Sarasota Woman's Club relocated in 1976 and the building became slated for demolition. Marian McKenna, a patron, and supporter of the arts, did not want to see the building and her memories destroyed. She purchased the building and later sold it to Florida Studio Theatre. In 1985, the Sarasota Woman's Club building
658-660: A century as a result of their broadcasts on the NBC and CBS networks of the annual New Year's Eve celebrations from the Roosevelt Grill at New York's Roosevelt Hotel (1929-1959) and the Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (1959-1976) . Gloria Parker had a radio program on which she conducted the largest all-girl orchestra led by a female. She led her Swingphony while playing marimba. Phil Spitalny ,
752-601: A crime drama starring Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes used the Blackburn Point Bridge , Boca Grande and Cortez . In 2013, Taylor Hackford 's action movie Parker , with Jason Statham , Jennifer Lopez , Nick Nolte had scenes filmed at Ca' d'Zan in Sarasota. In June 2017, director Kevin Smith shot his 2022 film, KillRoy Was Here , in Sarasota. Sarasota is home to Mote Marine Laboratory ,
846-453: A freelance music director he also worked and toured with other well known artists like Nina van Pallandt (of Nina & Frederik ), and actor and entertainer Richard Harris . He also composed for Score Productions , a well-known production company specializing in TV music. Levinsky is credited on a 1976 album of music cues for The Price is Right , which includes much of the show's music that
940-400: A greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists. Big bands generally have four sections: trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and a rhythm section of guitar, piano, double bass, drums and sometimes vibraphone. The division in early big bands, from the 1920s to 1930s, was typically two or three trumpets, one or two trombones, three or four saxophones, and
1034-763: A marine rescue, research facility, an aquarium, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens , the Sarasota Jungle Gardens and the Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary. Since 1998, the city has hosted the Sarasota Film Festival annually. The festival attracts independent films from around the world. It claims to be one of Florida's largest film festivals. In 2009 the annual Ringling International Arts Festival , held its premier and held its closing event in
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#17327837930031128-431: A menace. After 1935, big bands rose to prominence playing swing music and held a major role in defining swing as a distinctive style. Western swing musicians also formed popular big bands during the same period. A considerable range of styles evolved among the hundreds of popular bands. Many of the better known bands reflected the individuality of the bandleader, the lead arranger, and the personnel. Count Basie played
1222-420: A native of Ukraine, led a 22-piece female orchestra known as Phil Spitalny and His Hour of Charm Orchestra , named for his radio show, The Hour of Charm , during the 1930s and 1940s. Other female bands were led by trumpeter B. A. Rolfe , Anna Mae Winburn , and Ina Ray Hutton . Big Bands began to appear in movies in the 1930s through the 1960s, though cameos by bandleaders were often stiff and incidental to
1316-413: A relaxed, propulsive swing, Bob Crosby (brother of Bing ), more of a dixieland style, Benny Goodman a hard driving swing, and Duke Ellington's compositions were varied and sophisticated. Many bands featured strong instrumentalists whose sounds dominated, such as the clarinets of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw , the trombone of Jack Teagarden , the trumpet of Harry James , the drums of Gene Krupa , and
1410-419: A rhythm section of four instruments. In the 1940s, Stan Kenton 's band used up to five trumpets, five trombones (three tenor and two bass trombones ), five saxophones (two alto saxophones , two tenor saxophones , one baritone saxophone ), and a rhythm section. Duke Ellington at one time used six trumpets. While most big bands dropped the previously common jazz clarinet from their arrangements (other than
1504-606: A sheepskin Spanish map from 1763 with the word Zarazote over present-day Sarasota and Bradenton . The origin of the name is disputed, with some claiming that it is based on conquistador Hernando de Soto's daughter Sara, and others claiming that it comes from "sara-de-cota," meaning "an area of land easily observed" in the language of the Calusa indigenous tribe. Around 1883 to 1885, The Florida Mortgage and Investment Company of Edinburgh bought 60,000 acres for development in what
1598-728: A small town just South of Sarasota. The name Sarasota Chalk Festival remains the same. It is also home to the Fabulous Arts Foundation, formerly the Harvey Milk Festival, an independent music festival in support of civil rights , focusing on the LGBTQ community. It has been celebrated in May annually since 2010 on the weekend closest to Harvey Milk 's birthday. It is currently the largest independent music festival in Sarasota , with thousands of attendees throughout
1692-542: A theater that could be adapted for either vaudeville performances or movie screenings. Renowned stripper Sally Rand did her bubble bath and fan dance here. Tommy Dorsey , Will Rogers and Elvis Presley each performed at the Edward Theatre. It is now the Sarasota Opera House . It remains at the intersection of Pineapple Avenue and Second Street, having been restored and used for performances by
1786-548: A young Bob Hope as the announcer. Big band remotes on the major radio networks spread the music from ballrooms and clubs across the country during the 1930s and 1940s, with remote broadcasts from jazz clubs continuing into the 1950s on NBC's Monitor . Radio increased the fame of Benny Goodman , the "Pied Piper of Swing". Others challenged him, and battle of the bands became a regular feature of theater performances. Similarly, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians Orchestra also achieved widespread notoriety for nearly half
1880-415: Is generally configured so lead parts are seated in the middle of their sections and solo parts are seated closest to the rhythm section. The fourth trombone part is generally played by a bass trombone. In some pieces the trumpets may double on flugelhorn or cornet , and saxophone players frequently double on other woodwinds such as flute , piccolo , clarinet , bass clarinet , or soprano saxophone . It
1974-501: Is land and 9.39 sq mi (24.3 km ) is water. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the name given to the many natural deep water sections as well as humanmade channels, canals, and cuts that link the entire Sarasota Bay system. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 54,842 people, 25,209 households, and 12,474 families residing in the city. Of that population in 2020, 3.9% were under 5 years old, 14.6% were under 18 years old, and 28.0% were 65 years and older. 52.5% of
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#17327837930032068-651: Is located in Sarasota. The Circus Ring of Fame is a series of commemorative plaques in St. Armand's Circle , honoring prominent figures in circus history, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Honorees include Paul Binder , Nik Wallenda , and the King Charles Troupe , among over 150 others. Residents of Sarasota that have been associated with the circus include daredevil and Guinness World Record holder Bello Nock , himself an honoree of
2162-466: Is now Sarasota. Many Scottish people began to arrive in Sarasota in December 1885. The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. John Hamilton Gillespie was the first Mayor of the town government. When reincorporated with a city form of government on May 13, 1913, A. B. Edwards became the first mayor of the city government. Sarasota has
2256-693: Is one of the largest and most active jazz clubs in the United States and has promoted jazz events in Sarasota for 39 years. Elvis Presley , Tommy Dorsey and Gregg Allman each played concerts in Sarasota. Joe Perry of Aerosmith , Brian Johnson of AC/DC , Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band , Donald Dunn of the Blues Brothers and Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues have all settled in Sarasota. Sarasota and
2350-484: Is still heard today such as the showcase showdown and various car cues. One of those cues, a Nashville Brass -style country music piece, became the theme to Family Feud ; the 1988 version of this theme is still used today. The 1990s brought further success with a busy concert and touring schedule as bandleader and clarinet soloist with his Great American Swing Band. Levinsky died in Sarasota, Florida , aged 70, from
2444-474: Is the largest key separating Sarasota Bay from the Gulf of Mexico but is a separate municipality. The city limits expanded significantly with the real estate rush of the early twentieth century, reaching almost 70 square miles (180 km ). The speculation boom began to crash in 1926 and the city limits began to contract, shrinking to less than a quarter of that area. The area known today as Sarasota appeared on
2538-524: Is useful to distinguish between the roles of composer, arranger and leader. The composer writes original music that will be performed by individuals or groups of various sizes, while the arranger adapts the work of composers in a creative way for a performance or recording. Arrangers frequently notate all or most of the score of a given number, usually referred to as a "chart". Bandleaders are typically performers who assemble musicians to form an ensemble of various sizes, select or create material for them, shape
2632-520: The Bauhaus and Frank Lloyd Wright 's "organic" architecture. The style developed as an adaptation to the area's sub-tropical climate and used newly emerging materials that were manufactured or implemented following World War II. By the end of the twentieth century, many of Sarasota's more modest historical structures were demolished. Recently, two historic buildings, the Crocker Church and
2726-683: The Circus Museum and the Tibbals Learning Center , established in 1948. Sarasota is also home to The Circus Arts Conservatory, which is responsible for the tent show Circus Sarasota and the "oldest youth circus", Sailor Circus. In 2017, The Circus Arts Conservatory took part in the Smithsonian Folk Festival. The Showfolks Club, a social organization that also puts on an annual circus performance billed as "Sarasota’s longest running circus event",
2820-688: The Cotton Club in Harlem. Fletcher Henderson 's career started when he was persuaded to audition for a job at Club Alabam in New York City, which eventually turned into a job as bandleader at the Roseland Ballroom . At these venues, which themselves gained notoriety, bandleaders and arrangers played a greater role than they had before. Hickman relied on Ferde Grofé, Whiteman on Bill Challis . Henderson and arranger Don Redman followed
2914-609: The Library of Congress film collection. Sarasota, Florida Sarasota ( / ˌ s ær ə ˈ s oʊ t ə / ) is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida , United States. It is located in Southwest Florida , the southern end of the Greater Tampa Bay Area , and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between
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3008-707: The Sarasota Opera and others. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In the early 1950s, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art purchased a historic Italian theater, the "Asolo" (now called the Historic Asolo Theater). This theatre was originally built for Queen Caterina of Cyprus' palace in Asolo, Italy in 1798 but was dismantled in 1931. A. Everett "Chick" Austin,
3102-543: The "Going Vertical" project, and although it sometimes coincides with the chalk festival, it is distinct from it and often continues throughout the year. Except for a few commissioned on public property in the Palm Avenue Parking Garage, the murals are on private property and are in many sections of Sarasota and Manatee County. As of 2014 the Sarasota Chalk festival has relocated to Venice, FL,
3196-627: The 1930s, Earl Hines and his band broadcast from the Grand Terrace in Chicago every night across America. In Kansas City and across the Southwest, an earthier, bluesier style was developed by such bandleaders as Bennie Moten and, later, by Jay McShann and Jesse Stone . By 1937, the "sweet jazz band" saxophonist Shep Fields was also featured over the airways on the NBC radio network in his Rippling Rhythm Revue, which also showcased
3290-671: The 1960s and '70s, Sun Ra and his Arketstra took big bands further out. Ra's eclectic music was played by a roster of musicians from ten to thirty and was presented as theater, with costumes, dancers, and special effects. As jazz was expanded during the 1950s through the 1970s, the Basie and Ellington bands were still around, as were bands led by Buddy Rich , Gene Krupa , Lionel Hampton , Earl Hines , Les Brown , Clark Terry , and Doc Severinsen . Progressive bands were led by Dizzy Gillespie , Gil Evans , Carla Bley , Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin , Don Ellis , and Anthony Braxton . In
3384-401: The 1960s and 1970s, big band rock became popular by integrating such musical ingredients as progressive rock experimentation , jazz fusion , and the horn choirs often used in blues and soul music , with some of the most prominent groups including Chicago ; Blood, Sweat and Tears ; Tower of Power ; and, from Canada, Lighthouse . The genre was gradually absorbed into mainstream pop rock and
3478-644: The Bidwell-Wood House (the oldest remaining structure in the city), first restored by Veronica Morgan and members of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation that she founded, became city property. These structures were relocated to this park, despite protests from residents who objected to the loss of park area. In the late 1970s, Sarasota County purchased the Terrace Hotel that Charles Ringling built and renovated it for use as
3572-503: The CBS Staff band. In 1962, he graduated to The Tonight Show Band , led by Skitch Henderson (later headed by Doc Severinsen ) backing The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . After leaving NBC in the late 60's, Levinsky joined MBA Music, a small New York company that produced music for commercials. This gave him the chance to move into composing, arranging and conducting. He composed, scored and conducted music for many NBC films. In
3666-740: The Circus Ring of Fame, as well as aerialist and circus proprietor Dolly Jacobs , who cofounded The Circus Arts Conservatory. In 1952, Cecil B. DeMille filmed and premiered The Greatest Show on Earth (with James Stewart , Charlton Heston , Betty Hutton ) in Sarasota. In 1998, two studio films were filmed in Sarasota: Alfonso Cuaron 's Great Expectations , with Ethan Hawke , Gwyneth Paltrow , Hank Azaria , Anne Bancroft and Robert De Niro ; and Volker Schlondorff 's Palmetto , starring Woody Harrelson , Elisabeth Shue , and Gina Gershon . Out of Time (2003),
3760-653: The Cultural Coast are home to fine art, film-making, circus history and performance, and decorative arts. The Sarasota Art Museum and the Ringling Museum are both in Sarasota. One of Sarasota's nicknames is "Circus City", or alternatively "The Circus Capital of the World", owing in part to John Ringling's decision to move the winter quarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Sarasota in 1927. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art houses
3854-665: The Goodman band, Levinsky was nominated by Benny as his backup player for the clarinet solos. When that engagement closed, Levinsky signed on for a summer contract with the Goodman band playing concerts in other cities. Levinsky then joined the NBC Staff Orchestra. During this period he recorded an RCA album with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra playing Benny Goodman's clarinet solos. While at NBC, he took various freelance assignments and also contracted to
Walt Levinsky - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-569: The Palm Tree Playhouse in 1951. The Playhouse closed again in the 1960s. In the mid-1970s, Asolo Theatre purchased the space for production purposes and their Stage Two Theatre program. It was subsequently sold to Anita Katzman and reoccupied by Siesta Key Actors Theatre and Theatre Works in the 1980s. The building was acquired by Florida Studio Theatre and renamed the Gompertz Theatre in honor of Mrs. Leila Gompertz, who made
4042-611: The Players Centre for Performing Arts, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Sarasota Orchestra, La Musica, Jazz Club of Sarasota, Sarasota Youth Opera, Circus Arts Conservatory and many others. Theatrical venues include Florida Studio Theatre , Asolo Repertory Theatre , Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall , The Players Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, and the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. In 1925, A. B. Edwards built
4136-459: The Sarasota Woman's Club, is amongst the oldest surviving buildings in Sarasota. Founded in 1903, the Sarasota Woman's Club eventually set out to create a meeting place to house social events, activities, and forums. On January 1, 1915, the cornerstone was laid at the corner of Palm Avenue and Park Street (now Cocoanut). It served as the town's first library and hosted numerous clubs and public committee gatherings. The Woman's Club also maintained
4230-519: The Second Herd emphasized the saxophone section of three tenors and one baritone. In the 1950s, Stan Kenton referred to his band's music as "progressive jazz", "modern", and "new music". He created his band as a vehicle for his compositions. Kenton pushed the boundaries of big bands by combining clashing elements and by hiring arrangers whose ideas about music conflicted. This expansive eclecticism characterized much of jazz after World War II. During
4324-522: The United States of America. Celebrating the sixteenth-century performance art of Italian street painting, the festival hosted Maestro Madonnaro Edgar Mueller from Germany, who created the first street painting that changed images from day to night. The festival has a different theme each year and has introduced new techniques in street art. Other applications of street art such as murals and "cellograff graffiti" have become companion events also produced by Avenida de Colores, Inc. The murals are part of
4418-495: The United States, and the personnel often had to perform having had little sleep and food. Apart from the star soloists, many musicians received low wages and would abandon the tour if bookings disappeared. Sometimes bandstands were too small, public address systems inadequate, pianos out of tune. Bandleaders dealt with these obstacles through rigid discipline (Glenn Miller) and canny psychology ( Duke Ellington ). Big bands raised morale during World War II . Many musicians served in
4512-488: The absence of their original leaders. Although big bands are identified with the swing era, they continued to exist after those decades, though the music they played was often different from swing. Bandleader Charlie Barnet 's recording of " Cherokee " in 1942 and "The Moose" in 1943 have been called the beginning of the bop era. Woody Herman 's first band, nicknamed the First Herd, borrowed from progressive jazz, while
4606-409: The airport, fire departments, property and ad valorem taxes, voting, the health department, extension services, stormwater control, mosquito control, the courts, and the jail. The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. Sarasota was then reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913. Since its incorporation, Sarasota has been governed by
4700-631: The bands of Guy Lombardo and Paul Whiteman. A distinction is often made between so-called "hard bands", such as those of Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey, which emphasized quick hard-driving jump tunes, and "sweet bands", such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm Orchestra who specialized in less improvised tunes with more emphasis on sentimentality, featuring somewhat slower-paced, often heart-felt songs. By this time
4794-603: The bay and the Gulf of Mexico . Sarasota is a principal city of the North Port- Bradenton- Sarasota, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area . According to the 2020 U.S. census , Sarasota had a population of 54,842, up from 51,917 at the 2010 census. The Sarasota city limits contain several islands, called keys, including Lido Key , St. Armands Key , Otter Key, Coon Key, Bird Key , and the northern portion of Siesta Key as well as Bay Island. Longboat Key
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#17327837930034888-403: The big band was such a dominant force in jazz that the older generation found they either had to adapt to it or simply retire. With no market for small-group recordings (made worse by a Depression-era industry reluctant to take risks), musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines led their own bands, while others, like Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver, lapsed into obscurity. Even so, many of
4982-448: The ceremonial positions of "mayor" and "vice-mayor", as chosen by the commission every April. Two at-large commissioners are elected by all voters and the city is divided into three districts for which the residents of each elect one district representative to the five member commission. Many aspects of the city are overseen by the county government ranging from the schools, the libraries, the bay, major waterways, county-designated roads,
5076-465: The city type of local government found in the United States and the title of its government changed to "City of Sarasota". Sarasota later was designated as the county seat when Sarasota County was carved out of Manatee County in 1921 during the creation of several new counties . In 1945 the commission-manager government form was adopted for the city and it is governed by a five-person commission elected by popular vote, two members of which serve in
5170-413: The clarinet-led orchestras of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman), many Duke Ellington songs had clarinet parts, often replacing or doubling one of the tenor saxophone parts; more rarely, Ellington would substitute baritone sax for bass clarinet, such as in "Ase's Death" from Swinging Suites . Boyd Raeburn drew from symphony orchestras by adding flute , French horn , strings, and timpani to his band. In
5264-545: The country and worldwide. The Festival has become a destination event, drawing thousands across Florida and beyond. Past performers have come from as far as Mexico, Canada, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom to perform on Florida's Gulf Coast. In 2010, the Sarasota Chalk Festival that is held yearly in the historic area of Burns Square became the first international street painting festival in
5358-635: The disruptive life of a band member on the road and settled in the New York area. Back with the Tommy Dorsey band for a brief stint, he then landed a job as reed player on a Broadway show. That was the beginning of a period when he worked as an instrumentalist in various show orchestras and also backed recording artists as a studio session musician. In 1956 when Benny Goodman was assembling a new band for an engagement at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, he selected Levinsky as his lead sax player. While with
5452-594: The distinction between these roles can become blurred. Billy Strayhorn , for example, was a prolific composer and arranger, frequently collaborating with Duke Ellington , but rarely took on the role of bandleader, which was assumed by Ellington, who himself was a composer and arranger. Typical big band arrangements from the swing era were written in strophic form with the same phrase and chord structure repeated several times. Each iteration, or chorus, commonly follows twelve bar blues form or thirty-two-bar (AABA) song form . The first chorus of an arrangement introduces
5546-466: The early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the only style of music played by big bands. Big bands started as accompaniment for dancing the Lindy Hop . In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. They gave
5640-508: The entire band then memorizing the way they are going to perform the piece, without writing it on sheet music. During the 1930s, Count Basie 's band often used head arrangements, as Basie said, "we just sort of start it off and the others fall in." Head arrangements were more common during the period of the 1930s because there was less turnover in personnel, giving the band members more time to rehearse. Before 1910, social dance in America
5734-474: The first bands to accompany the new rhythms was led by a drummer, Art Hickman , in San Francisco in 1916. Hickman's arranger, Ferde Grofé , wrote arrangements in which he divided the jazz orchestra into sections that combined in various ways. This intermingling of sections became a defining characteristic of big bands. In 1919, Paul Whiteman hired Grofé to use similar techniques for his band. Whiteman
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#17327837930035828-455: The form include modulations and cadential extensions. Some big ensembles, like King Oliver 's, played music that was half-arranged, half-improvised, often relying on head arrangements. A head arrangement is a piece of music that is formed by band members during rehearsal. They experiment, often with one player coming up with a simple musical figure leading to development within the same section and then further expansion by other sections, with
5922-468: The form of the "rhythm sextet ". These ensembles typically featured three or more accordions accompanied by piano, guitar, bass, cello, percussion, and marimba with vibes and were popularized by recording artists such as Charles Magnante , Joe Biviano and John Serry . Twenty-first century big bands can be considerably larger than their predecessors, exceeding 20 players, with some European bands using 29 instruments and some reaching 50. In
6016-562: The free, public, multi-day event that also includes gallery showings, film, and other live performances. A large number of homes and buildings are designed in the Italian style. Italian architecture and culture are present in the area including at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Ringling's home, Cà d'Zan , was mostly modeled on the Venetian. Examples of those more typically seen in
6110-475: The historic Asolo theater, which had been moved and rebuilt again. The historic Venetian theater now is housed in the reception building for the museum where it is used for special events as well as performances, informative purposes, and another seasonal film series hosted by the museum. Florida Studio Theatre produces the annual Sarasota Improv Festival. Founded in 2009 by Rebecca Hopkins, FST's annual Sarasota Improv Festival brings together improvisers from across
6204-645: The instrumentation of the big bands. Examples include the Vienna Art Orchestra , founded in 1977, and the Italian Instabile Orchestra , active in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, there was a swing revival in the U.S. The Lindy Hop became popular again and young people took an interest in big band styles again. Big bands maintained a presence on American television, particularly through the late-night talk show, which has historically used big bands as house accompaniment . Typically
6298-497: The jazz rock sector. Other bandleaders used Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music with big band instrumentation, and big bands led by arranger Gil Evans, saxophonist John Coltrane (on the album Ascension from 1965) and bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius introduced cool jazz , free jazz and jazz fusion, respectively, to the big band domain. Modern big bands can be found playing all styles of jazz music. Some large contemporary European jazz ensembles play mostly avant-garde jazz using
6392-419: The late 1930s, Shep Fields incorporated a solo accordion, temple blocks , piccolo , violins and a viola into his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra. Paul Whiteman also featured a solo accordion in his ensemble. Jazz ensembles numbering eight ( octet ), nine ( nonet ) or ten ( tentet ) voices are sometimes called "little big bands". During the 1940s, somewhat smaller configurations of the big band emerged in
6486-650: The lead gift enabling the purchase. Sarasota is the home of the Sarasota Orchestra , which was founded by Ruth Cotton Butler in 1949 and known for years as the Florida West Coast Symphony . It holds a three-week Sarasota Music Festival that is recognized internationally and boasts it attracts renowned teachers and the finest students of chamber music. Sarasota also boasts a symphonic chorus, Key Chorale, and professional vocal ensemble, Choral Artists of Sarasota. The Jazz Club of Sarasota
6580-466: The melody and is followed by choruses of development. This development may take the form of improvised solos, written solo sections, and " shout choruses ". An arrangement's first chorus is sometimes preceded by an introduction, which may be as short as a few measures or may extend to a chorus of its own. Many arrangements contain an interlude, often similar in content to the introduction, inserted between some or all choruses. Other methods of embellishing
6674-541: The middle of the decade. Bridging the gap to white audiences in the mid-1930s was the Casa Loma Orchestra and Benny Goodman's early band. The contrast in commercial popularity between "black" and "white" bands was striking: between 1935 and 1945 the top four "white" bands had 292 top ten records, of which 65 were number one hits, while the top four "black" bands had only 32 top ten hits, with only three reaching number one. White teenagers and young adults were
6768-402: The military and toured with USO troupes at the front, with Glenn Miller losing his life while traveling between shows. Many bands suffered from loss of personnel during the war years, and, as a result, women replaced men who had been inducted, while all-female bands began to appear. The 1942–44 musicians' strike worsened the situation. Vocalists began to strike out on their own. By the end of
6862-419: The more literal 4 of early jazz. Walter Page is often credited with developing the walking bass , although earlier examples exist, such as Wellman Braud on Ellington's Washington Wabble (1927). This type of music flourished through the early 1930s, although there was little mass audience for it until around 1936. Up until that time, it was viewed with ridicule and sometimes looked upon as
6956-411: The most common seating for a 17-piece big band, each section is carefully set-up in a way to optimize the bands sound. For the wind players, there are 3 different types of parts: lead parts (including first trumpet, first trombone, and first alto sax), solo parts (including second or fourth trumpet, second trombone, and the first tenor sax), and section members (which include the rest of the band). The band
7050-776: The most popular big bands of the swing era cultivated small groups within the larger ensemble: e.g. Benny Goodman developed both a trio and a quartet, Artie Shaw formed the Gramercy Five, Count Basie developed the Kansas City Six and Tommy Dorsey the Clambake Seven. The major "black" bands of the 1930s included, apart from Ellington's, Hines's, and Calloway's, those of Jimmie Lunceford , Chick Webb , and Count Basie. The "white" bands of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Shep Fields and, later, Glenn Miller were more popular than their "black" counterparts from
7144-402: The most prominent shows with the earliest time slots and largest audiences have bigger bands with horn sections while those in later time slots go with smaller, leaner ensembles. Many college and university music departments offer jazz programs and feature big band courses in improvisation, composition, arranging, and studio recording, featuring performances by 18 to 20 piece big bands. During
7238-656: The museum's first director, arranged the purchase and reassembly of the theater for performances of plays and opera. In the 1960s philanthropists Lewis and Eugenia Van Wezel enabled the city to build a performing arts hall on the bayfront. The auditorium, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall , was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright 's successor firm, Taliesin Associated Architects team under the direction of William Wesley Peters . Wright's widow, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright , who participated in
7332-719: The music's dynamics, phrasing, and expression in rehearsals, and lead the group in performance often while playing alongside them. One of the first prominent big band arrangers was Ferde Grofé , who was hired by Paul Whiteman to write for his “symphonic jazz orchestra”. A number of bandleaders established long-term relationships with certain arrangers, such as the collaboration between leader Count Basie and arranger Neil Hefti . Some bandleaders, such as Guy Lombardo , performed works composed by others (in Lombardo's case, often by his brother Carmen ), while others, such as Maria Schneider , take on all three roles. In many cases, however,
7426-509: The plot. Shep Fields appeared with his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra in a playful and integrated animated performance of "This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" in the musical extravaganza The Big Broadcast of 1938 . Fictionalized biographical films of Glenn Miller , Gene Krupa , and Benny Goodman were made in the 1950s. The bands led by Helen Lewis, Ben Bernie , and Roger Wolfe Kahn's band were filmed by Lee de Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process in 1925, in three short films which are in
7520-425: The population were female persons. As of 2020, 4,056 veterans lived in the city and 16.7% of the population were foreign born persons. In 2020, the median gross rent was $ 1,177. 92.5% of the households had a computer and 84.2% of the households had a broadband internet subscription. In 2020, 90.0% of the population over 25 years had completed a high school education, and 37.2% of the population over 25 years had
7614-431: The principal fans of the big bands in the late 1930s and early 1940s. They danced to recordings and the radio and attended live concerts. They were knowledgeable and often biased toward their favorite bands and songs, and sometimes worshipful of famous soloists and vocalists. Many bands toured the country in grueling one-night stands. Traveling conditions and lodging were difficult, in part due to segregation in most parts of
7708-577: The project, selected its purple color. In 1989, Stuart Barger, a local architect, designed and oversaw the construction of another Asolo Theater, housed in the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts . It is a multi-theater complex, located farther east on the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art property, being placed between Bay Shore Road and Tamiami Trail, and facing south toward Ringling Plaza. It
7802-530: The same style are the residences of Edith Ringling and of Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford, that also are among the structures in the Caples–Ringling Estates Historic District . Italian inspired statues are also common and the copy of Michelangelo's David at the museum is used as the symbol of Sarasota. The Sarasota School of Architecture developed as a variant of mid-century modernist architecture. It incorporates elements of both
7896-425: The summer of 1968 he was offered the job of clarinet soloist for the re-created Artie Shaw band. Artie Shaw conducted the sessions and requested Levinsky to play his original solos note-for-note (see discography below). During these New York years he worked and recorded with many 'name' artists such as Tony Bennett , Stan Getz , Lena Horne , Gerry Mulligan , Doc Severinsen , Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan . As
7990-475: The template of King Oliver , but as the 1920s progressed they moved away from the New Orleans format and transformed jazz. They were assisted by a band full of talent: Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophone, Louis Armstrong on cornet, and multi-instrumentalist Benny Carter , whose career lasted into the 1990s. Swing music began appearing in the early 1930s and was distinguished by a more supple feel than
8084-699: The vibes of Lionel Hampton . The popularity of many of the major bands was amplified by star vocalists, such as Frank Sinatra and Connie Haines with Tommy Dorsey , Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly with Jimmy Dorsey , Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb , Billie Holiday and Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie , Kay Starr with Charlie Barnet , Bea Wain with Larry Clinton , Dick Haymes , Kitty Kallen and Helen Forrest with Harry James , Fran Warren with Claude Thornhill , Doris Day with Les Brown , and Peggy Lee and Martha Tilton with Benny Goodman . Some bands were "society bands" which relied on strong ensembles but little on soloists or vocalists, such as
8178-421: The war, swing was giving way to less danceable music, such as bebop . Many of the great swing bands broke up, as the times and tastes changed. Many bands from the swing era continued for decades after the death or departure of their founders and namesakes, and some are still active in the 21st century, often referred to as " ghost bands ", a term attributed to Woody Herman, referring to orchestras that persist in
8272-627: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places. After completing more renovations to the historic building in 2003, the theatre was renamed the Keating Theatre in honor of Ed and Elaine Keating, and in 2004, additional lobby space was built in the theatre - the Bea Friedman Room. FST's Keating Theatre now seats 173 and remains a cultural center of Sarasota. In 2003, FST purchased the Gompertz Theatre. The building
8366-672: Was built around a rococo , historic Scottish theater previously called the Dunfermline Opera House , which had been shipped to Florida. The complex provides venues and facilities for students of Florida State University 's MFA Acting program, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training . This was the administrative home of the Sarasota French Film Festival for several years. Florida Studio Theatre 's Keating Theatre, formerly
8460-509: Was dominated by steps such as the waltz and polka . As jazz migrated from its New Orleans origin to Chicago and New York City , energetic, suggestive dances traveled with it. During the next decades, ballrooms filled with people doing the jitterbug and Lindy Hop . The dance duo Vernon and Irene Castle popularized the foxtrot while accompanied by the Europe Society Orchestra led by James Reese Europe . One of
8554-515: Was educated in classical music, and he called his new band's music symphonic jazz. The methods of dance bands marked a step away from New Orleans jazz. With the exception of Jelly Roll Morton , who continued playing in the New Orleans style, bandleaders paid attention to the demand for dance music and created their own big bands. They incorporated elements of Broadway , Tin Pan Alley , ragtime , and vaudeville . Duke Ellington led his band at
8648-740: Was originally the Park-Seventh Movie House in the 1920s. Due to the Depression, the movie house shut its doors and became an empty venue. During its predominantly vacant period in the 1940s, the theatre hosted a variety of roadshows and performers, including Tom Mix and his Wonder Horse and the All Girls' Orchestra. During this time it was known as the Garden Theater, and later the Art Theater, before becoming known as
8742-819: Was required to learn keyboard while at music school. Levinsky first assignment with a 'name' band was with the Les Elgart orchestra. Then, as a full-time professional, he replaced Buddy DeFranco in the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra which toured in the US and Cuba. During the Korean war he enlisted in the US Air Force and served as a musician and member of the Airmen of Note of the U. S. Air Force band. After his Air Force discharge in 1954 Levinsky wanted to avoid
8836-540: Was with Joe Allard, a prominent New York teacher. Later Levinsky attended the Music Conservatory at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania where he majored in clarinet. He was an 'A' student and the college woodwind instructor, Frank Stachow, once said to him: "You're the most talented musician that ever came to this school." His secondary instruments were alto saxophone and flute, and of course, he
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