Los Angeles, Monday, 25th November, 2002

Today I attended the Peter Matz Memorial Concert at UCLA.

The artists, orchestra and sound system were all first-class.

Having worked with Pete for a number of years during the seventies, I did enjoy hearing his music played by a wonderful concert orchestra, assembled by his contractor, Joe Soldo. Although it may be a thing of the past, this type of vintage New York show music does have a timelessness to it. The orchestra that performed that evening could not have been outplayed anywhere at any time. It was a thrill to be in the audience.

The personnel was:

Saxophones: Gary Foster, Greg Huckins, Vince Trombetta, Gene Cipriano, Lee Callet

Trumpets: Warren Leuning, Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron, Larry Mcguire

Trombones: Chauncey Welsh, Bill Elton, Bob McChesney, George Roberts

French Horns: Brian O'Connor, Marty Rhees

Piano: Tom Ranier

Bass: Chuck Berghofer

Drums: Steve Houghton

Percussion: Bob Leatherbarrow

Guitar: Jim Fox

Violins: Assa Drori, Olivia Tsui, Liane Mautner, David Stenske, North Wood, Irina Voloshina, Jennifer Walton, Kirstin Fife, Ron Folsom, Hana Krejcova, Karen Jones

Violas: Ray Tischer, Harry Shirinian, Renita Koven

Celli; Armen Ksajikian, Stephanie Fife, John Krovoza

Harp: Julie Berghofer (from Manchester)

The Artists in order of appearance: Joel Grey, Melissa Manchester, Burt Bacharach, Elaine Stritch, Michael Jeeter, Maureen McGovern, Gary Foster, Sam Harris, Jason Alexander, David Hyde Peirce, Barbara Cook, Carol Burnett and Pete's widow, Marilynn Lovell Matz.

Barbra Streisand did not appear.

Pete Myers

Copyright © 2002, Pete Myers. All Rights Reserved