Zach Frame
ZACH FRAME Concert Review 9-21-2019 by Ronald Stonehouse
The first concert of our 50th year season began with an announcement by our president, Dr. Ruth, that the scheduled artist, David Wickerham, was unable to perform tonight due to serious problems with his wife, Rhonda, requiring his caring for her. This has been on- going for a while. The replacement recommended by David himself was Zach Frame. I first learned of him two years ago at the Party on the Pipes, a yearly event by the Saint Louis Theater Organ Society and the featured artist was Zach. Turns out he was an exceptional performer and I was very impressed with him. When I discovered that he was the replacement, I just knew he would impress this audience as well, and he did. Dave was missed tonight and will remain in my prayers for him and his wife.
The show began with Put on a Happy Face from “Bye Bye Birdie” a1960 Broadway musical and a 1963 movie. The lyrics by Lee Adams the Music by Charles Strouse and introduced by Dick Van Dyke.
Zach selected six pieces by Irving Berlin as the next set he called Irving Berlin Medley, and appropriately started off with the 1911 tune that made him famous all over the world, Alexander’s Ragtime Band. This was followed by a great arrangement of Cheek to Cheek from the 1935 movie “Top Hat” with Fred and Ginger. Next from a 1926 Rodgers and Hart musical for Ziegfeld called “Betsey” came Blue Skies. Belle Baker the star of the show didn’t like the music and asked her friend Irving to write something for her and the rest is history. In 1925 Irving wrote the following song as a wedding gift for his wife, Always, one of my favorites. Then from the 1933 Broadway musical “As Thousands Cheer” comes Heat Wave”, and last but not least Puttin’ On the Ritz written in 1927 but remained unpublished until sung by Fred Astaire in the 1930 movie with the same title.
Zach changed composers for the next gorgeous arrangement of Summertime by George Gershwin in 1934 for the 1935 opera “Porgy and Bess” and the libretto by author DuBose Heyward.
Adding a little digital accompaniment, Zach played a Lion King Medley from the 1994 version including Circle of Life, I Just Can’t Wait to be King, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and Hakuna Matata. The composers were listed as Elton John and Tim Rice. The accompaniment was quite effective.
In 1880 Luigi Denza and Peppino Turco composed the following tune to commemorate the opening of the first funicular cable car on Mount Vesuvius and was the oldest tune Zach played tonight Funiculi Funicula.
Taking us into intermission Zach gave us another great version of In the Mood. It was made famous by Glen Miller and recorded by him in 1940 and featured in the movie “Sun Valley Serenade”. While doing my research on this song I was able to watch the entire movie and thought it was great. The stars in the movie were Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glen Miller and his orchestra, Milton Berle, Lynn Bari and Joan Davis. The music “In the Mood” was not composed by Glen. That titled piece was composed by saxophonist Joe Garland in 1938 and based on a composition Tar Paper Stomp that he and trumpeter Wingy Manone wrote in 1930 which has also been
recorded by band leader Fletcher Henderson in 1931 as “Hot and Anxious”. Zach said he liked jazz and based upon the info above, he couldn’t have chosen a better piece.
Mr. Frame opened the second half with the theme from the longest running musical show in television history, American Bandstand. It ran from 1952 to 1989. Bandstand Boogie was its title by Charles Albertine the lead arranger for Les Elgart in 1952 and later replaced with a Barry Manilow version which ran from 1977 to 1987. Great arrangement by Zach too.
The next piece was requested by some children the previous day and he said he would play it for them tonight if they came to the concert. It is becoming one of my favorites and was composed by British Rock Band Queen. From their 4th official studio album in 1975, “A Night at The Opera” came Bohemian Rhapsody.
Prior to the intermission Zach left a note pad by the organ for people to write down requests for the second half. He did this out of respect for Dave Wickerham in that was planned by Dave. The next twelve tunes are the results of the list and lasted for over half an hour. The set began and ended with Star Wars Theme and Music Over Closing Credits. The remaining in order were: I Dreamed a Dream from “Les Miserables, Some Enchanted Evening from “South Pacific, Night Train, How Great Thou Art, Music of the Night and Phantom Theme both of course from “The Phantom of the Opera”, Indiana Jones Theme Song, Star Dust, Clarinet Polka, and from “The Little Mermaid” Under the Sea. A great job by a great new rising star.
The closing number was a March-Galop composed in 1910 by Edwin Ellis and arranged by E.T.Paull, Napoleon’s Last Charge. It was followed by a well- deserved standing ovation.
The encore was Tico-Tico No Fuba by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917 and is a Brazilian choro song and means “Sparrow in the Corn Meal”. This too received a second standing ovation. I guess I was right when I said he would impress you too. Enjoyed the performance very much, also the chat afterwards. Do hope to see and hear him again and do wish him well.