GAH! I wish I had seen the earlier comments when I first came to this site back in February, I didn’t know they were here! “Sticky” posted over a decade ago that he went to hear and see the Basie Band, and met them backstage! I really wanted it to be true that it had happened. The fact that we know definitively that Basie played it makes the loss of the organ all the more tragic and infuriating. The story until now was that the organ had not been removed, but was intact nonetheless.
Hi, Orlando – I am so happy to know that you recovered from the heart attack, and certainly not because of the tidbit(!), for which I otherwise am grateful. It was an important and now iretrievable piece of history, the last of its kind on Long Island, as well as a unique and beautiful instrument. (As a full time professional musician of more than 30 years – part of a rich Port tradition, actually – I can attest to the fact that no two instruments of any sort are exactly alike.) I heard a rumor that, after learning about the organ’s restoration, Count Basie once came to Port from his home in Queens during a tour break to play it. He always loved theater organs, and was taught to play on one in Harlem by Fats Waller. I could swear that I heard about it at the time of his alleged visit, as well as plans for a full concert with the band featuring Basie at the console, but I haven’t found a shred of evidence that either of those things ever happened. I turned 12 late in 1976. Kids tend to hear lots of things that are just talk and believe them to be facts. Regardless, thank you for putting this sad story on the record and the matter to rest. I wish you continued good health and a beautiful Summer – and hopefully, on my weekly visits to town from NYC, I’ll see you at the Town Dock!
Does anyone have any information about the fate of the organ? It was restored in the mid-1970s (the “ New York Times” did a feature on it on page 57 of its February 1, 1976 Edition), and was thought to be the last working theater organ on Long Island. Nobody seems to remember what happened to it when the Beacon became the Port Triplex. Thank you!
GAH! I wish I had seen the earlier comments when I first came to this site back in February, I didn’t know they were here! “Sticky” posted over a decade ago that he went to hear and see the Basie Band, and met them backstage! I really wanted it to be true that it had happened. The fact that we know definitively that Basie played it makes the loss of the organ all the more tragic and infuriating. The story until now was that the organ had not been removed, but was intact nonetheless.
Hi, Orlando – I am so happy to know that you recovered from the heart attack, and certainly not because of the tidbit(!), for which I otherwise am grateful. It was an important and now iretrievable piece of history, the last of its kind on Long Island, as well as a unique and beautiful instrument. (As a full time professional musician of more than 30 years – part of a rich Port tradition, actually – I can attest to the fact that no two instruments of any sort are exactly alike.) I heard a rumor that, after learning about the organ’s restoration, Count Basie once came to Port from his home in Queens during a tour break to play it. He always loved theater organs, and was taught to play on one in Harlem by Fats Waller. I could swear that I heard about it at the time of his alleged visit, as well as plans for a full concert with the band featuring Basie at the console, but I haven’t found a shred of evidence that either of those things ever happened. I turned 12 late in 1976. Kids tend to hear lots of things that are just talk and believe them to be facts. Regardless, thank you for putting this sad story on the record and the matter to rest. I wish you continued good health and a beautiful Summer – and hopefully, on my weekly visits to town from NYC, I’ll see you at the Town Dock!
Hi, Comfortably Cool – Yes, I e-mailed them about a month ago, but haven’t received a response. Thank you very much for the suggestion!
Does anyone have any information about the fate of the organ? It was restored in the mid-1970s (the “ New York Times” did a feature on it on page 57 of its February 1, 1976 Edition), and was thought to be the last working theater organ on Long Island. Nobody seems to remember what happened to it when the Beacon became the Port Triplex. Thank you!