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In the mood for the USA
The concert began with the presentation of
the flag by a Civil Air Patrol cadet color guard, the playing of the national anthem, and
a fine rendition of God Bless America by
Evelyn Russell.
 Remembering
Owen
This year's event was dedicated to the memory
of Owen Gassaway, Jr., who died in December 2007. Owen was a deeply
patriotic World War II veteran, a member of the Greatest Generation. He was
passionate about aviation and passed along his love of flying to thousands
of young people through his work with air patrol cadets. Click the photo to
enlarge.
At intermission,
a flyover of historic Beech aircraft in
"missing man" formation honored Owen's close association with the Beech
family and company.
The annual big band breakfast was a tradition
that Owen loved, and
his son, Owen III, continued the tradition with this year's event.
A full-size big band
It was the biggest big band ever at the annual breakfast concert, 20 pieces
in all. Soloists included Jim Adle,
Paul Magersuppe, Randy Emerick and Ray Oram on
sax, and David Gibble and Bunny Carfagno on trumpet. Mike Egan played a
beautiful trombone solo on Mancini's Two for the Road. Guitarist
Eugene Grey and bass trombonist Phil Beebe were added to the group for the
first time. Drummer Jean Bolduc made the trip from Tampa as in years past.
The
program opened with Henry Mancini's Mr. Lucky and continued with
numbers by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and the Gershwins.
Kevin Campfield sang Come Fly With Me
and Route 66. Evelyn Russell
was featured on Peggy Lee's Fever, and her son Brian joined her on
stage for a duet on How About You.
Ted dedicated Wind Beneath My
Wings to his own late father as well as to Owen Gassaway, and also
sang a rollicking Choo
Choo Ch'Boogie. Glenn Miller's String
of Pearls featured unison trumpets on the original Bobby Hackett cornet
solo.
For directions and questions
Pilots
may fly in for the event. Hangar space, tie-downs, fuel, food and rental cars
are readily available. For more
information call
561-965-6400, or tune in Unicom
frequency 122.7.
The airport is located on Lantana Road, about
a half-mile west of the I-95 exit at Lantana.
Motels are
located along the highway, and oceanfront accommodations
are available at the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel and the Four
Seasons Resort.
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