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James F. Burke (musician)

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James Francis Burke
Background information
Birth nameJames Francis Burke
Born(1923-04-15)April 15, 1923
Port Jefferson, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 1981(1981-06-26) (aged 58)
New York, New York
GenresConcert band
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Cornet, trumpet
Years active1943-1974
LabelsDecca Records, Golden Crest Records

James Francis Burke (April 15, 1923 – June 26, 1981) was an American cornet soloist. He was the principal cornet soloist with the Goldman Band from 1943 to 1974.[1] He was also the principal trumpet with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1943 to 1949.[2] Mr. Burke, who had the use of only one arm, was considered the greatest virtuoso of his time on the instrument, according to Ainslee Cox, conductor of the Guggenheim[1] Memorial Band.

Early life

James Francis (Jimmy) Burke was born in Port Jefferson, New York, the son of Robert Arthur Burke (1895–1977) and Helen Marguerite Goebel (1899–1956).[3] Robert was a mason contractor who also played the trumpet. He is credited with building the high school and telephone building in Port Jefferson. Helen was a pianist, and together they had their own dance band.

At his birth, Jimmy sustained a brachial plexus injury,[4] rendering his right arm useless. He began to play the trumpet at age 5, but since he could not hold the horn, his father had a tripod stand built for him. The top of it was shaped like a horseshoe and the horn would sit in that stand with a strap going over it in front of the valves. The stand was on rollers and could also be raised and lowered like a music stand.

When he was seven years old, he started performing for the Rotary Club and for different organizations. In 1936 he played on WJZ (AM) on Sunday mornings from 9 to 10 o'clock. The program was called "Coast To Coast On A Bus" and Milton Cross was the announcer. Then from 11 to 12 o'clock, he went to ABC (which was CBS at that time) to The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour. Paul Douglas (actor) was the announcer. Jimmy played on these 2 shows for 7 years, playing 2 different solos every morning. When he was 13, some of the participants from The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour made a movie for Warner Brothers called "Stars Of Tomorrow". In the film, 5 boys make up a hillbilly band.

Education

Jimmy's first teacher was his father from the age of 5 until the age of 13.[1] He then studied with Del Staigers in 1936 and 1937.[1] Lessons were conducted at Staigers' apartment in Sunnyside, Queens, New York. He regarded Staigers as the greatest player he had ever heard. It was Staigers who suggested to the King Musical Instrument Company that they build a cornet for left handed playing. Jimmy then studied with John "Ned" Mahoney,[1] a cornetist with The Goldman Band and a graduate of The Ernest Williams School of Music. From 1938 through 1943 Burke attended Ernest Williams School of Music at 153 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, New York.[1] During those 6 summers, he attended The Ernest Williams Band Camp at Saugerties, New York.

The Goldman Band

From 1943 to 1974 Jimmy was the principle cornet soloist[5] and solo chair with The Goldman Band.[1] During his 32-year career, he was contracted to play five solos each week. The band performed seven nights a week with 50 concerts in a summer season. All totaled, Jimmy performed over 1,100 solos with The Goldman Band. He had a prodigious memory for music and rarely read from sheet music during a performance.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

In 1943 Jimmy moved to Baltimore and began a seven-year stint as principle trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra[2] as well as the Professor of Trumpet at Peabody Conservatory and Conductor of the band.[6] During the summers, he took the train to New York City to play with The Goldman Band.

Cities Service Band of America

Upon his return from Baltimore in 1950, Jimmy received a call from Paul Lavalle who asked him to join his band. Jimmy stayed with the band for six years. He had a featured solo performance of "The Carnival of Venice" on the RCA Victor LP "A Sunday Band Concert".[7]

All-Star Concert Band

In 1960 he co-founded The All-Star Concert Band with American tubist Harvey Phillips.[8] The band recorded 2 LPs under the Golden Crest label. The first, titled "The All-Star Concert Band" was recorded September 17–18, 1960 at the Huntington Theatre, Huntington, New York. The second LP titled "The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band" was recorded a year later.

Awards

  • National Champion, 1939 National Trumpet Competition[9]
  • New York Brass Conference For Scholarships[3]
  • Associated Musicians of Greater New York Local 802[10]
  • Port Jefferson High School Wall of Fame[10]

Death

On June 26, 1981 Jimmy suffered a massive heart attack while conducting a rehearsal of The Guggenheim Memorial Band, the successor to The Goldman Band.[1] He was interred in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Port Jefferson, New York.[3]

Discography

Solo Recordings

Artist Workshop Series

With The Goldman Band

With Leroy Anderson

With Archie Bleyer

With Robert Russell Bennett

With Paul Lavalle

With Morton Gould

With Robert Shaw

With Igor Stravinsky

With Andre Kostelanetz (see notes)

With Thomas Schippers

  • (Unknown - See notes)

With Leopold Stokowski

  • (Unknown - See notes)
  • Notes - According to his self published resume,[10] James F. Burke played on "many recordings conducted by Stokowski, Morton Gould, Andre Kostelanetz and Thomas Schippers". In the early days of recordings, musicians rarely (if ever) received credit in the liner notes of album jackets so it is unknown for certain on which albums Mr. Burke performed. In the case of Morton Gould, credit was given to musicians on the album jacket. In the case of Andre Kostelanetz, his overall discography suggests that the two albums listed are where Jimmy would most likely have been contracted to perform.

Broadway shows

Television shows

Faculty positions

Published works

Cornet/trumpet solos

  • The Runaway Trumpet (1952) Mercury Music Corporation (www.presser.com)[44]
  • Hocus Polka (1952) Mercury Music Corporation(www.presser.com)[44]
  • Prom Waltz (1952) Mercury Music Corporation(www.presser.com)[44]
  • Serenade In 6/8 (1952) Mercury Music Corporation(www.presser.com)[44]
  • Strictly GI (1952) Mercury Music Corporation(www.presser.com)[44]
  • Twilight Tune (1952) Mercury Music Corporation(www.presser.com)[44]
  • The Magic Trumpet (1955) Carl Fischer[45][46]
  • Begine (1956) Chas. Colin[47]
  • Caprice (1956) Chas. Colin[47]
  • Joneta (1956) Chas. Colin[47]
  • Amourette (1959) Carl Fischer[45][48]
  • Danza Allegre (1960) Carl Fischer[45][49]
  • Jolene (1963) Chas. Colin[47]
  • Jimala Beguine (1964) Carl Fischer[45][50]

Method book

  • New Directions In Tonguing (1956) Chas. Colin[42]

Unpublished works

  • Eventide
  • Zorita (1968)[51]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "James Burke, Cornetist, Dies; Soloist With Goldman Band". The New York Times. 1981-07-01. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  2. ^ a b "Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Trumpet Section - View topic: Trumpet Herald forum". TrumpetHerald.com.
  3. ^ a b c "James Francis Burke (1923-1981) - Find A Grave..." www.findagrave.com.
  4. ^ "Birth Brachial Plexus Injury | Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare". www.gillettechildrens.org.
  5. ^ "Edwin Franko Goldman | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC.
  6. ^ a b "Peabody Notes". cdm16613.contentdm.oclc.org.
  7. ^ a b "Cities Service Band Of America Conducted By Paul Lavalle – Sunday Band Concert (1953, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  8. ^ "Harvey Phillips". January 29, 2021 – via Wikipedia.
  9. ^ James F. Burke With Admiration By Raymond Crisara (Page 1)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "James Francis Burke (1923-1981) - Find a Grave".
  11. ^ "Burke, James - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
  12. ^ "The All-Star Concert Band – The All-Star Concert Band (1961, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  13. ^ "The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band – Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band Vol. II (Gate, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  14. ^ "Edwin Franko Goldman, The Goldman Band – Marches (Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  15. ^ "The Goldman Band, Edwin Franko Goldman - Sousa-Goldman Marches". Discogs.
  16. ^ "Decca DL-5386 (12-in. long-playing (monaural)) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
  17. ^ "The Goldman Band – America Marches (1955, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  18. ^ "Decca DL-5546 (12-in. long-playing (monaural)) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
  19. ^ "Decca DL-8185 (12-in. long-playing (monaural)) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
  20. ^ "Edwin Franko Goldman Band – I Love To Hear A Band (1957, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  21. ^ "The Goldman Band, Edwin Franko Goldman – Semper Fidelis: The Marches Of John Philip Sousa (1957, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  22. ^ "The Goldman Band, Richard Franko Goldman – Band Masterpieces (1958, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  23. ^ "The Goldman Band, Richard Franko Goldman – The Sound Of The Goldman Band (Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  24. ^ "The Goldman Band - Golden March Favorites". Discogs.
  25. ^ "Richard Franko Goldman, John Philip Sousa, The Goldman Band - Sousa Marches In Hi-Fi". Discogs.
  26. ^ "The Goldman Band Conducted By Richard Franko Goldman – Cavalcade Of The American Band (1962, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  27. ^ "The Goldman Band - Marching Along Together". Discogs.
  28. ^ "Leroy Anderson - Leroy Anderson Conducts His Music". Discogs.
  29. ^ "Leroy Anderson - Leroy Anderson Conducts Leroy Anderson". Discogs.
  30. ^ "Archie Bleyer – Hernando's Hideaway / S'il Vous Plait (1954, Shellac)" – via www.discogs.com.
  31. ^ "Richard Rodgers / Robert Russell Bennett / NBC Symphony Orchestra - Victory At Sea". Discogs.
  32. ^ "Cities Service Band Of America, Paul Lavalle - America's Favorite Marches". Discogs.
  33. ^ "Cities Service Band Of America – The Carnival Of Venice / Spirit Of Freedom March (1953, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  34. ^ "Paul Lavalle With Cities Service Band Of America – Lavalle At Work (1954, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  35. ^ "Paul Lavalle And The Cities Service Band Of America – Great Band Music (1955, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  36. ^ "Morton Gould Conducting The Columbia Concert Band – Hi-Fi Band Concert (1956, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  37. ^ "Morton Gould - Brass & Percussion". Discogs.
  38. ^ "Morton Gould, The Columbia Concert Band – The Band Plays On (1954, Vinyl)" – via www.discogs.com.
  39. ^ "Bach, Robert Shaw Chorale And Orchestra – Bach B Minor Mass (1999, CD)" – via www.discogs.com.
  40. ^ "The New Andre Kostelanetz* - Wonderland Of Sound - Star Spangled Marches". Discogs.
  41. ^ "Andre Kostelanetz*, John Philip Sousa - The Thunderer: The Spectacular Sound Of John Philip Sousa". Discogs.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "New Directions in Tonguing – Charles Colin Music".
  43. ^ "Frank Martignetti, PhD | University of Bridgeport". www.bridgeport.edu.
  44. ^ a b c d e f "Customer Service". www.presser.com.
  45. ^ a b c d "Carl Fischer | Helping Educators and Musicians Shine Since 1872". www.carlfischer.com.
  46. ^ "The Magic Trumpet by Ja | J.W. Pepper Sheet Music". www.jwpepper.com.
  47. ^ a b c d "New Directions in Tonguing – Charles Colin Music".
  48. ^ "Amourette by BURKE / LEIDZEN| J.W. Pepper Sheet Music". www.jwpepper.com.
  49. ^ "Danza Allegre by BURKE| J.W. Pepper Sheet Music". www.jwpepper.com.
  50. ^ "Jimala Beguine by BURKE| J.W. Pepper Sheet Music". www.jwpepper.com.
  51. ^ Bennett, Wayne (2013). James Francis Burke's Zorita (c. 1968): A Transcribed Edition for Solo Cornet and Brass Quintet. University of North Carolina at Greensboro – via ProQuest.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Sources

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