Cool planes, hot music
Lantana Airport in Florida will host their 20th annual big band pancake breakfast on Sunday, January 18, 2009. Click images to enlarge.
It's a family event that brings together parents, children and grandchildren for a celebration of patriotism and big band swing. Free admission includes a concert by The Ted Knight Big Band as well as a display of classic cars and cool planes.
At last year's event, hundreds of people enjoyed the concert along with pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee, available for a nominal charge. First came a color guard of Civil Air Patrol cadets, the playing of the national anthem, and a fine rendition of God Bless America by Evelyn Russell.
The
program continued with numbers by Cole Porter, Duke
Ellington, and the Gershwins.
Kevin
Campfield sang Come Fly With Me and Route 66.
Evelyn
was featured on Peggy Lee's Fever, and her son Brian joined her
for a duet on How About You. Ted sang a rollicking
Choo Choo
Ch'Boogie. Glenn Miller's
String of Pearls
featured unison trumpets on the cornet solo originally played by Bobby
Hackett.
Last 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. He was passionate about aviation and passed along his love
of flying to thousands of young people through his work with air patrol
cadets.
At intermission, a flyover of historic Beech aircraft in "missing man" formation honored Owen's close association with the Beech family and their planes.
Ted dedicated Wind Beneath My Wings to Owen and to his own father, Vic Knight, whose band played at the annual event until his death in 2000.
The biggest ever
It
was the biggest big band ever at the
annual event, a "supercharged" 20-piece ensemble.
Soloists included saxophonists Jim Adle, Paul Magersuppe, Randy Emerick and Ray Oram. David Gibble and Bunny Carfagno each played trumpet solos.
Guitarist Eugene Grey and bass trombonist Phil Beebe played the concert for the first time. Mike Egan played a gorgeous trombone solo on Two for the Road, and drummer Jean Bolduc made the trip from Tampa as in years past. Randy Sonntag and his son Forrest both played trumpet as in years past. See featured musicians.
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.