The Pearly Gates Marching Band is a musical comedy by Dean Norman, who has published cartoons in The Syncopated Times over the years as well as a few short songs and humorous articles. He was part of MAD Magazine as a younger man. Something I learned only recently having long enjoyed his work in TST.
The performance tells the story of a seven piece traditional jazz band playing the jazz funerals of members until there is only a clarinet and tuba and then a single member left. Then they are all reunited in heaven. This situation may sound familiar to many readers and is typical of Norman’s sometimes dark humor. Periods of humorous dialogue about unusual causes of death and a few other topics alternate with performances of familiar spirituals including “Just a Little While to Stay Here,” “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” “Oh, Didn’t He Ramble,” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Over in the Glory Land,” and “Fifty Miles of Elbow Room,” as well as Hoagy Carmichael’s “Rockin’ Chair.”
The band features the best of Ohio longtime jazzers and a few comparatively younger folks to fit the theme of needing to find new blood. The band is led, and music arranged, by Ben Herrick on trombone, Ray Heitger is on clarinet, John Grafing trumpet, Betsy Grafing, banjo, Buddy Lopez, drums, and Andy Baker, tuba. Vocals are by Rick Grafing and Nicole Heitger, with Rick also playing piano. Jazz runs in both the Grafing and Heitger families.
The actors heard on the album are Phil Cartwright, also on tuba, and Carol Cartwright, also on clarinet. They outlast their bandmates. Dean Norman narrates and is listed as a pallbearer, Brett Dennison is a second pallbearer but may not have had a speaking role.
Even on these traditional jazz spirituals, the playing has a theatric feeling of stage performance. I can readily imagine this being performed at a church, jazz society, or other setting. A script with music arrangements is available by request from Dean Norman; reach him at deannorman01@gmail.com.
Dean Norman has presented The Syncopated Times with box of CDs of this album to reward new subscribers and those who purchase a gift subscription for someone else. I found it more rewarding than I anticipated, and while you are not likely to wear out the CD of a dialogue play to hear the hot jazz spirituals in between it is worth having, and worth considering putting on a production of the play with your local jazz club. Think of someone to give a gift subscription to this Christmas and it can be yours while supplies last.
The Pearly Gates Marching Band
Dean Norman and Company
Syncopated Times premium
