‘Pride of Brazil’ concert set for Sunday at Forest Park

Matt Huber

The Brazil Concert Band and director Matthew S. Huber will present The Pride of Brazil Sunday, June 11 in Forest Park.

This week’s free 8 p.m. show will feature compositions with a relationship to the Brazil Concert Band.

J. Gus Davis was director of the Brazil Concert Band, the Brazil High School Band and first director of the Jackson Township Community Band more than 100 years ago. Davis also composed and the BCB will perform his “The Brazil Special,” “Super Service,” “Bonita” and “Crown of Life Overture.” His son, Johnnie “Scat” Davis, who later starred in movies, played trumpet in the BCB and JTCB under the direction of his father.

The Indiana March King was Fred Jewell. From Worthington, Jewell composed more than 100 compositions in his lifetime and conducted circus bands and concert bands throughout the United States, including the Brazil Concert Band. He also was a publisher and public schoolteacher. His son, attorney Fred Jr., a World War II USMC officer, was a member of both the BCB and JTCB the last 20 years of his life. From the pen of Fred Sr., the BCB will play “Quality-plus,” “Spick-and-Span” and “A Passing Fancy.”

Francis Massinon, a retired professor of music, had three generations of his family in the BCB. Among the marches he wrote for the BCB is “The Huber Express,” written for Matthew Huber who was a neighbor as they grew up on East Blaine Street and performed together in both the BCB and JTCB.

“JTCB On Parade” was written by Marvin Workman who was the pianist at Palmer’s in 1968. It was written for the JTCB and is a medley of “Back Home Again in Indiana,” and several Indiana college songs. Last year John Camp, who plays in the BCB and JTCB, wrote a new arrangement of this piece.

The BCB will also perform “The Pride of Brazil,” dedicated to the Brazil Concert Band, by Stephen Kent Goodman, a California composer.

The BCB performs every Sunday evening, rain or shine, in Forest Park June, July and August.