Somewhere, Bill Chase is smiling with George Parks.
More than three decades after his death, the music of the legendary trumpeter continues to echo through football stadiums and competition fields across America. Every fall weekend, high school marching bands, college bands, and drum corps perform “Get It On” and other Chase classics for audiences who may never have heard the original recordings.
Much of that legacy can be traced to the marching arts community—and to George N. Parks.
As longtime drum major of the Reading Buccaneers and later director of the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, George helped introduce generations of performers to Chase’s music. “Get It On” became a staple of the Buccaneers repertoire and eventually one of the most recognizable selections in the marching band world. Long after Chase’s chart success had faded from popular radio, his music remained alive on football fields and parade routes across the country.
Listen to the Minuteman Band perform “Get It On”:
That connection was not lost on Phil Porter, original keyboardist for Chase and organizer of the Chase Revisited reunion concert.
After learning of George’s passing last month, Porter and the event organizers made a remarkable decision. The reunion concert would be dedicated to George’s memory, with proceeds benefiting the George N. Parks Memorial Fund at UMass Amherst.
In announcing the tribute, Porter wrote:
“We’ve decided to dedicate this event to the memory of Mr. Parks. We will be accepting donations at the concert and forward all monies to the George Parks Memorial Fund at UMass Amherst.”
The gesture reflected the deep respect George earned throughout the music community. While many knew him as the director of the Minuteman Marching Band, others recognized his role in helping preserve and promote the music of Bill Chase for new generations of performers.
In many ways, the tribute came full circle.
Bill Chase inspired countless musicians through his extraordinary trumpet playing and groundbreaking jazz-rock recordings. George Parks introduced that music to generations of band members, drum corps performers, and audiences. Together, their influence helped ensure that songs like “Get It On” would remain part of the marching arts long after both men were gone.
For one evening in 2010, those two legacies meet on the same stage. Chase Revisited and the Phil Porter Trio with Gray Sargent perform at Rain Nightlife in Malden, Thursday, October 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $25; 781-322-2101.
Our sincere thanks to Phil Porter and the entire Chase Revisited organization for honoring George’s memory and supporting the students whose lives continue to be changed through music.
As every bando knows, some songs never leave the repertoire. Neither do the people who made them matter.