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************************************************************************************************************** Newsletter of the NORCAL SOCIETY BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATRE www.norcaltos.org PO Box 625, Berkeley, CA 94701-0625 510/644-2707 Allston Way betw’n Milvia St & MLK, Jr Way September 2011

About this Windsheet Chairman’s Windline Directions: (the drive from Sacramento — Chairman Bill Coale to Shingle Springs should take about 45 uch as I hate to do it again, this minutes.) MWindsheet is put together in a hurry. A Further Update on the BCT From Hwy 80 (east) in Sacramento, Frank and I just returned from a 10 day trip verything is still in a holding pattern, proceed through Sacramento to Hwy 50/ to Portland, OR for our granddaughter’s Ebut I can contribute the following: Placerville. Approaching the city of wedding. On our return we decided that we The electrical work has been completed, Folsom, watch on your left for the Intel should put our house up for sale immediately, and the contractors did an excellent job! complex, and note your odometer reading. not next Spring as planned. The house and stage lighting is now computer Exactly 14.5 miles from Intel take EXIT We will not be moving out of the area and controlled, and all new lighting instruments 39 (Shingle Springs Drive). Turn Left, will remain active in NorCal, but getting the are now in place. under the Freeway to the gate ahead. After house ready to show is taking time from this The ADA project is of large scale, and has the gate take firstLeft (Tennessee Drive), month’s Windsheet. Sorry! impacted the house tremendously. then Right on Mistywood Lane. The With the BCT still unavailable to us, I We do not have a firm timeline for mailbox and driveway for 5001 is on the would suggest you get your ‘Organ fill’ completion at this date, so our upcoming Left. Drive in and park, walk past the main by attending Pete McClure’s picnic on activities are pretty much on hold until we house and into the long building straight September 17th and attend the always top know more. As a result of this, we are still ahead. rate George Wright Memorial Concert in a ‘holding pattern’ regarding the 2011- on November 13th. (see articles on this page 2012 concert season, at least in its ‘normal’ Open Console Hosted by and Page Two). Dave Wickerham will be fashion. CHRIS NICHOLS playing at the George Wright Concert, and In the meantime, we’re trying to come nfortunately, Open Consoles remain he was just named ATOS Artist of the Year up with some alternate activities for the U‘on hold’ until the renovations to the for 2011. membership during the time period that the BCT are complete, hopefully by late Fall. And of course, locally we look forward to BCT is unavailable to us. hearing Scott Harrison at the Grand Lake Unfortunately, the planned NorCal Picnic Theater in Oakland on Saturday, October did not work out for September, but may be Mark Your Calendars 15th at 9 AM. held later on. We are encouraging NorCal folks to attend the picnic/concert at Pete rogram Chairman Gordon Pratt has DONATION McClure’s in Shingle Springs on September Pscheduled a NorCal concert for 17th. members and their guests with Scott NorCal gratefully acknowledges a donation Arrive at 11:00AM Harrison from Australia playing at the from Open Console 11:00 to Noon. Grand Lake Theatre on Saturday, October Carol Zerbo Eat at Noon 15th at 9 AM. Greg De Santis concert after lunch NorCal members will remember the FOR SALE Pot Luck duties are split: Last names varied and interesting program Scott and starting with A – K, please bring a Main pianist Mark Page played at the BCT in Reduced Price! Dish, and L-Z, please bring either a salad November, 2009. Rodgers 340 $5,000 or best offer or dessert. Scott played at the Grand Lake Theatre Harold Soderstrom The McClure’s address is in 2002 and 2006, so he is well acquainted 1530 Fairview Ave., Brentwood, CA 5001 Mistywood Lane, Shingle Springs, with that Organ, and is looking forward 94513-5306 and their phone number is to playing with the many enhancements Cell Phone: 707-331-6298 (530)676-5922. Kevin King has made since his previous visits. NorCal Theatre Organ Society (NorCal TOS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Federal Employer Identification Number 23-7415947  State CharitableTrust No. CT 45966  State Organization Number D-0726636 CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN SECRETARY TREASURER EDITOR PROGRAM MEMBERSHIP William L. Coale Judson H. Owens Arthur Woodworth Frank La Fetra Janice La Fetra Gordon A. Pratt Neal R. Wood 11740 San Pablo Av Apt 306 1730 Virginia St. 600 Coventry Road 3167 Falls Creek Dr. 3167 Falls Creek Dr PO Box 275 523 Corbett Avenue El Cerrito.CA 94530 Berkeley, CA 94703 Kensington, CA 94707 San Jose, CA 95135 San Jose, CA 95135 San Lorenzo, CA 94580 , CA 94114 510/778-9117 510/848-8714 510/524-7452 408/532-1044 408/532-1044 510/504-4780 415/861-7082 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] When emailing, include ATOS or NorCal in the subject line. Otherwise, if you are unknown to the recipient’s computer, its SPAM filter may divert your mail. Review of the Mini tock drummer. I’d love to see some NorCal George Wright Plays New York Concert & Open Console members there to share the fun.” From mint condition copies of very at the Grand Lake An Evening of rare LPs featuring George Wright at the BALLROOM DANCING legendary New York Paramount Theater’s Saturday, August 13th 9AM in the Af t e r n o o n at the 4/36 and George playing the Centennial Recreation Center studio Wurlitzer upstairs at he Grand Lake [Theatre] graciously Morgan Hill the Paramount building with legendary jazz Topened its doors early for a half- Friday, September 30, 2011 drummer Cozy Cole. Really swings! length concert by NorCal Member 1:30 pm – 3:30 PM Gordon Pratt followed by open console Live Music by Paul-Wesley Bowen George Wright at the Kearns Wurlitzer by NorCal members. Gordon alternates In 1957 while under contract to Hi Fi with Kevin King in presenting pre-show Sierra Chapter’s Organ Records, George Wright recorded two and intermission concerts at the theatre on Has Moved! albums for RCA Victor’s budget label, Friday and Saturday nights. Kevin owns s most of you know, Sierra Chapter Camden Records. These were made at the and maintains the 3-manual, 18-rank Ahad to remove their Mendenhall beautifully voiced, former Warner Bros., Wurlitzer originally installed by the late Wurlitzer out of its Sacramento home, and studio Wurlitzer at the home of veteran Ernie Wilson and his crew. Thanks to the organ was donated to the State Theatre radio and television actor Joseph Kearns. Kevin’s talented ear, this instrument has Arts Guild in Oroville, CA, where it will Beautifully played and long unavailable. an exceptional tonal finish and is a real joy be restored and installed in the historic From mint condition copies! both to hear and to play. Oroville State Theatre. Gordon played many of the numbers Dave Moreno was in charge of a crew Leon Berry: His First and Rarest heard in his delightful pre-show of volunteers who have gotten about 85% Recordings Vol 1 & 2 presentations, including works by Cole - 90% of the pieces moved. Dave figures There was never a better, or more well Porter, John Williams, and many others. about one more day of work is needed to loved skating rink organist than Leon Among the Cole Porter numbers were finish the operation. Berry. These recordings predate his later ‘True Love’ and a beautiful ‘In the Still The job was especially hard since they Audio Fidelity albums and were made on of the Night’. The John Williams were not allowed to use a forklift inside state-of-the-art equipment, transferred from numbers included a medley of themes from the museum. The crew got around this by mint condition and unplayed copies. ‘Superman’. building a scaffold up to the shutters to get Gordon allowed time for two rotations of the heavy chests and a piano down. open console. Those who played included David and Linda Dewey, members of Tom Mathiesen, Craig Browning, Al both the Sierra and Mt. Shasta Chapters Norman, Jeff Porto, Wayne Joseph, and of ATOS have done much to help make the UPCOMING EVENTS Art Woodworth. We then heard a set by move a success. Saturday, September 17th , 11 AM Kevin King in his upbeat, jazzy style. (Thanks goes to Wendell Jacob for this Sierra Chapter It was a wonderful morning filled with a information.) Picnic at McClures – see ‘Chairman’s great variety of music on truly great theatre [Editor’s Note:] For more information and Windline’ Page One organ. ‘color’ read Sierra Chapter’s newsletter sierrachapterATOS.org —Art Woodworth which was just posted on their website. th sierrachapterATOS.org 14 Annual Sunday, September 18th , 3:30 PM George Wright New Releases of Old TOS Memorial Concert Organ Recordings Walt Strony in Concert San Gabriel Mission Playhouse Sunday, November 13, 2011 at 2:00 PM. Vinyl Gold Records announces the www.latos.org Dave Wickerham at the Mighty Wurlitzer. re-release of theater organ recordings Grant Alumni/Sierra Chapter Special Event previously unavailable for decades. Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 14, & 15 General $10, Grant Alumni & Sierra www.cdbaby.com Paramount Theatre Chapter $8, Students FREE www.VinylGoldRecords.com 2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA. Box Office Opens at 1:00 PM. The 29th Annual Buddy Cole Live San Francisco Fall Jazz Festival A Note from Our Own Recorded directly from Buddy’s home www.paramounttheatre.com ‘PW’ BOWEN tapes of standard tunes and his own original compositions and improvisations. Features NorCal members and their guests– “I’m recreating my old dance band days as three selections Buddy played at his studio Saturday, October 15th, 9 AM a volunteer for the Morgan Hill Centennial for the 1962 ATOE convention and Buddy Scott Harrison concert Recreation Center. But I’m going to be talking about the installation of his 27 rank Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland the whole band, i.e., piano – organ – tick Wurlitzer/Morton. www.norcaltos.org

Page Two Windsheet September 2011