The Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra took the opportunity Friday evening, June 2, to not only perform together for their inaugural show, but also their dazzle audience with a fitting “Tribute to The Mills Brothers,” honoring the world-renown group with Bellefontaine roots who broke racial barriers and topped the charts in the early 20th century.
The youths in grades 9-12 from area school districts displayed incredible musicianship and engaged their audience in the concert staged the Holland Theatre, which was deeply appreciated by several members of the Mills family who were in attendance.
“To put it in today’s terms, ‘They rocked the house,’” the Mills Brothers’ great-niece Kim Hassel said this week of the student performers.
Hassel, a Bellefontaine native, who now resides in Gahanna, said she attended the concert with her sister, Stephanie Hassel, who lives in Bellefontaine and Bucyrus, and their cousin Michael Hamilton of Shawnee Hills.
After the show, Kim also was able to share some videos from the performance with her mother, Joyce (Hamilton) Hassel, age 93, a niece of the Mills Brothers, and likely one of the musicians’ oldest living relatives.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the level of joy that spread over her face,” Kim said of her mother’s reaction to the musical tribute.
The Mills Brothers (John Jr., Herbert, Harry and Donald) were born in Piqua between 1910 and 1915, and began singing at their father’s barbershop, on street corners and in churches nearly 100 years ago.
Their family moved to Bellefontaine around 1928 and the brothers attended Hubbard School and Bellefontaine High School. One year later, they signed a contract with CBS radio in New York in 1929, becoming first Black music group to have a national sponsorship.
In 1931, The Mills Brothers recorded their first hit record, “Tiger Rag.” During the years that followed, the city natives hosted concerts on every continent, including a performance for King George and Queen Mary at the Palladium in London in 1934.
Last August, LoCo Art, its youth artists from around the county and Columbus-based artist Duarte Brown dedicated the Mills Brothers mural at 207 S. Main St., facing Chillicothe Avenue.
Shortly after the mural was installed, work set out on this latest musical project. LoCo Art commissioned nationally-recognized jazz arranger Mike Kamuf, a Cleveland native and resident of Maryland, to put together the Mills Brothers tribute.
As the musical pieces came together, LoCo Art Co-Director Myles Bowers worked with area school band directors to select the talented musicians in grades 9-12 for the Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra. Kamuf was the guest conductor the group at their Holland Theatre debut, alongside Bowers serving as the director.
“I think it’s remarkable that 100 years later, these students are still interested in the execution of The Mills Brothers’ music and the mural. It’s now a whole symphony of work,” Kim said.
“Mike Kamuf and his orchestra performed one of the best nights of entertainment Bellefontaine has ever seen. The soloists took chances and generated a level of enthusiasm and energy that blossomed as the evening progressed. The first song set the perfect tone for what was to come.”
The program incorporated some Mills Brothers era fellow jazz musician pieces, including Duke Ellington’s “Such Sweet Thunder” (arg. By Kamuf) and “Portrait of Louis Armstrong,” along with several others.
The performance concluded with the world premiere of Kamuf’s arranged The Mills Brothers Medley, featuring “Glow Worm,” “Up A Lazy River,” “Tiny Bubbles” and “Tiger Rag.”
The youth jazz orchestra members not only impressed the Mills family, but also their guest conductor as well.
“I was truly honored to have been asked to not only arrange a medley of classic songs of The Mills Brothers for this event, but also to conduct the inaugural performance of the Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra,” Kamuf said.
“The students did an amazing job putting on the program and it was very special to have the opportunity with these students and to meet members of the Mills family.”
Kamuf is an exclusive writer for the Belwin Division of Alfred Music Publishing, with titles in jazz, orchestra and concert band catalogs. Many of his published jazz ensemble arrangements have become standard literature for young jazz ensembles and he has more than 100 publications in print. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by numerous jazz artists and ensembles, including the Woody Herman and Glenn Miller Orchestras, the USAF Airmen of Note and the U.S. Navy Commodores.
Student musicians in the Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra include: Gabe Mooney, Isaac Meyers, alto sax; Landon Stoodt, Luke Adams, tenor sax; Elizabeth Braun, baritone sax; Simon Bachus, Danica Braun, Ras-D Ahnutae, trombone; Isaac Napier, Graham Studebaker, Izzy Fauley, Lucas Harshfield, Emma Costin, trumpet; Julia Easton, piano; Parker McGowan, bass; Harry Stratton, guitar; and Izik Cox, drum set.
Participating Logan County schools and directors included, Bellefontaine, Jeremy Karg; Benjamin Logan, Bowers; Calvary Christian, Kirsten Fortier; and Indian Lake, Jason Fauley. Bowers noted that a Riverside student also was selected for the youth jazz orchestra, but was unable to perform because of illness.
Through all the work behind the scenes, the LoCo Art co-director said the concert and experience for youth orchestra members fit well with the organization’s goal to broaden students’ experiences, while also offering the tribute to the history-making Bellefontaine residents.
“LoCo Art is committed to providing Logan County youth arts experiences that are impactful. The inaugural concert of the Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra was a testament to LoCo Art’s mission,” Bowers said.
“The legacy of the Mills Brothers lives on in Logan County, and they continue to be an inspiration to our local youth and arts scene. It’s amazing that 100 years later, their music is still appreciated by the youth of today. I’m humbled to have been a part of this.”
Bowers said this could be the first of future concerts by the Logan County Youth Jazz Orchestra.
“We’ll see what opportunities open up. We’d like to continue being able to play together regularly.”
Kim Hassel, a 1978 Bellefontaine High School graduate, also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to be immersed in this concert experience, reminding her of her growing up years, when her great-uncles would visit Bellefontaine to see the family at their home on Eastern Avenue.
“Our family conveys thanks to all the volunteers educators and grant-writers — including a certain teacher whose extraordinary effort to drive to Dayton, print the books, and provide ‘just in time delivery.’
“The sponsorship and support of the community by audience members got the deal of a century at the Holland. A true centenary.”