NEWS

Maps Air Museum Hangar Dance

NORTHCOAST BIG BAND Performs at MAPS AIR MUSEUM,… Celebrating the 80th Anniversary End of World War ll

The very first HANGAR DANCE at the MAPS Air Museum in Canton, Ohio is being hailed a huge success by everyone associated with the project. Saturday, July 12th, brought an audience looking for the big band music of the 1930’s-40’s war-time era and were taken back in time to hearing all their favorite tunes. The band’s official Announcer, John Smith, started the evening presenting the band’s first tune, Glenn Miller’s STRING OF PEARLS. From there the band toured through the years, celebrating all the music of Miller’s most popular tunes, along with Artie Shaw, The Dorsey Brothers, Bennie Goodman, Harry James and all the big bands of that era.
The musical program was custom-designed by Band Leader Karl Dustman to include the most recognizable and requested tunes associated with the WW ll era. What better way to memorialize those difficult times in American history than recollecting the “good times” through the popular American music of those years.

The beautiful vocal artistry of Barbara Rosene captivated the audience with her velvet voice and magical professional stage presence.Some of her favorites included, Blue Moon, As Time Goes By, Skylark and Almost Like Being in Love.

The warmth and style of her singing touches everyone in the audience with her ability to connect and deliver all musical styles.

Jay Nye bought his distinctive voice and stage presence to the event, commanding the attention of the entire band and audience. His renditions of the popular big band favorites like Mack The Knife, Bobby Darin’s Beyond The Sea, The Summer Wind and of course Sway, got everyone out on the dance floor.

Jay’s closing performance of Lee Greenwood’s GOD BLESS THE USA, touched everyone’s patriotism to a point of standing in place for the entire piece and resounding applause.

The band’s Saxophone Section lead by Artistic Director and Section Leader, Mike Sherwood (Left) takes the band to a whole higher level of professional performance. Doubling on Clarinet, Mike demands and receives the band’s dedication to an exacting standard of clarity and execution for each tune. 1st Tenor Saxophonist, Joe Rongone (Right) brings a special improvisational dimension to the band, as he stretches out as a featured soloist. I’ll Never Smile Again was among the audience’s favorite sax features. Section includes 2nd Alto Logan Trudgen, 2nd Tenor Dave Toth and Baritone, John R. Smith.
The Brass Section brings together the four Trumpet and four Trombone professionals, performing as one distinctive unit. From delicate eight-bar introductions to swinging dynamic solos and challenging keychange transitions, the Brass Section drives both melody and harmony for the entire ensemble. They provide the “Excitement”,…with a capital “E”. Back-row Trumpet section: (left to right), 4th Ryan Harris, 3rd Joey Dunn, 1st & Section Leader Eric Hollerand 2nd Aaron Moen.

The Trombone Section brings the warmth and mellowness to the brass section, capturing the reminiscent sounds of Tommy Dorsey and other Trombone icons.

1st Trombone and Section Leader Jim Klann (standing), takes a solo on Tuxedo Junction, supported by, (left to right), 2nd Doug Rohn, 3rd Kyle Crowley and 4th/Bass Mike Needham.

The Northcoast Big Band is honored to perform for this very special event held at the MAPS Air Museum celebrating the 80th Anniversary end of World War ll. We entertained veterans from all branches of the military,active armed services guests in uniform, reenactor groups dressed in 1940’s war era uniforms and a complete cross-section of the public wanting to experience a Hangar Dance for the first time. We moved the clock back in time about eighty years to when Big Bands filled the radio air-waves, and the music of the Big Bands provided a touch of home to the American military fighting multiple wars abroad.

We were thrilled to assemble a specific program for this event which included some of our very favorite tunes from the 1930’s and 40’s like Moonlight Serenade, Stompin At The Savory, Little Brown Jug, Pennsylvania 6500, American Patrol and Armed Forces Marches, commemorating the theme songs from the five branches of the military.

ABOUT MAPS: The Military Aviation Preservation Society (MAPS), located in North Canton, Ohio is a non-profit founded in 1990 dedicated to educating people about the history of aviation and its impact on society and the world by acquiring, restoring, preserving and studying aircraft and related artifacts. MAPS is,…”Where History Takes Flight”.

NORTHCOAST BIG BAND JULY 12, 2025
MAPS AIR MUSEUM HANGAR DANCE PROGRAM

STRING OF PEARLS, 1941
As performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra,
By Jerry Gray Arranged by J. Warrington

STOMPIM’ AT THE SAVOY, 1936
By Benny Goodman, Chick Webb,
Arranged by Chuck Bradford

MOONLIGHT SERENADE, 1939
By Glenn Miller & Mitchell

Parish ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE, 1947
By Lerner & Loewe, Arranged L. Niehaus
Featuring Vocalist Barbara

Rosene GEORGIA ON MY MIND, 1930
By Hoagy Carmichael, Arranged D. Wolpe
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

ST.LOUIS BLUES MARCH, 1941
By W.C. Handy, Arranged by J Gray

CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO, 1940
By Harry Warren, Arranged by D. Wolpe

SWAY, 1954
By Pablo Beltran Ruiz, Arranged R. Stitzel
Featuring Vocalist Jay Nye

THE SUMMER WIND, 1965
Arranged by Dave Tanner/London
Orchestrations Featuring Vocalist Jay Nye

PENNSYLVAINIA 6-500, 1940
By J. Gray, Arranged by Jeff Hest

LITTLE BROWN JUG, 1940
As recorded by Glenn Miller Arranged by B. Finegan
Featuring Baritone Sax, John R. Smith

ARMED FORCES MARCHES
Theme Song Medley & Military Salute
to Five Branches of the Armed Forces

TUXEDO JUNCTION, 1940
By Erkine Hawkins, William Johnson & Julian Dash

AMERICAN PATROL, 1942
Arranged by Paul Lavender

DON’T BE THAT WAY, 1935
By Bennie Goodman & Edgar Sampson
Arranged by J. Hest

BLUE MOON, 1934
By Lorenza Hart & Richard Rodgers
Arranged by D. Wolpe
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

HOW ABOUT YOU? 1944
By Burton Lan & Ralph Freed
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

AS TIME GOES BY, 1931
By Herman Hupfeld
Arranged by R. Feldbush
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

I’LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN, 1939
By Ruth Lowe, Arranged by G. Osser
Featuring Saxophone Section

MACK THE KNIFE, 1928
Arranged by Eric Burger
Featuring Vocalist Jay Nye

BEYOND THE SEA (La Mer), 1946
Arranged by Kevin Hocking
Featuring Vocalist Jay Nye

SKYLARK, 1941
By Hoagy Carmichael & Johnny Mercer
Arranged by J. Nowak
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

MAKIN WHOOPIE, 1928
By Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn
Arranged by D. Wolpe
Featuring Vocalist Barbara Rosene

GOD BLESS THE USA, 1984
By Lee Greenwood, Arranged by M. Lewis
Featuring Vocalist Jay Nye

ENCORE; IN THE MOOD, 1939
Original Glenn Miller arrangement
By Andy Razf & Joe Garland