Beale Street Brass Note Ceremony for Berl Olswanger
WHAT: Beale Street Brass Note Ceremony for Berl Olswanger
WHERE: Trezevant (177 North Highland, Memphis, TN 38111)
WHEN: Wednesday, December 4 at 4:00 pm
COST: Free. RSVP to Kim O’Donnell at [email protected] or 901-251-9205.
EVENT DETAILS: Join us when the Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame Committee awards a Brass Note to famed pianist, band leader, prolific composer and teacher Berl Olswanger, dubbed "Mr. Music of Memphis." The event will include musical remixes of Berl’s music by students from Memphis Music Initiative and performances of three of his original compositions by students of PRIZM Ensemble. Kicking off the ceremony will be a video of Berl himself performing. Musicians Pete Vescovo, a bass player with the Berl Olswanger Orchestra, and Carolyn McCoy, one of the orchestra’s singers, will share memories. The event will conclude with the presentation of the Brass Note by the Beale Street Walk of Fame leadership and committee. Mr. Olswanger’s daughter, Anna, will be in attendance at Trezevant (where Berl and his wife, Edna, lived in their later years) to receive this honor on behalf of her father and family. As a commemorative gift from the Olswanger family to mark the special occasion, guests at the event will receive a copy of Berl Olswanger’s Popular Piano Course instructional booklet, published in 1958.
ABOUT BERL OLSWANGER: Born in 1917, Berl Olswanger grew up surrounded by the sounds of Memphis. He began playing piano professionally at the age of 12 and, after a stint on WMC radio in his twenties, joined the George Olsen Orchestra, a big band that toured from New York to Hollywood. When the crisis of the second World War landed him in the Navy, Admiral "Bull" Halsey quickly placed Berl in charge of all music and entertainment for the South Pacific, where he accompanied legendary acts like Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. After the war, Memphis impresario Ike Myers sponsored a “Middle Brow” concert by Berl at Ellis Auditorium, which was a sell-out. Mr. Myers gave Berl all the proceeds from the concert to go to New York where he was represented by the William Morris Agency. But after getting a good look at show business in New York, Berl decided that he would rather return home. During the rest of his life in Memphis, he became known on both a local and national scale, which eventually earned him the title of "Mr. Music of Memphis." In Memphis, the city he loved, he opened a music store, then a music school, then an entertainment agency. As the local press noted, Berl could have been a big star if he had chosen a life on the road. Instead, he preferred having a family life, and he loved the people of Memphis. Berl left behind five record albums, over thirty original compositions, and the Berl Olswanger Popular Piano Course instructional booklet. For more information on Berl’s legacy and to stream his music from Big Round Records, visit www.berlolswanger.com.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2738586-0
