Fabulous Forties: A Tribute to Freddy Martin

Hear your favorite 1940s hits “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” and “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts,” along with a Cavalcade of Bands tribute to 26 of the greatest big bands including Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Duke Ellington, and Artie Shaw.

For the first time in Cleveland in 50 years, the concert will feature the original arrangements of Freddy Martin and His Orchestra. Freddy Martin was renowned for his smooth tenor saxophone playing and his swinging arrangements of classics like Flight of the Bumblebee (Bumble Boogie), Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Liszt’s Second Hungarian Rhapsody and, of course his theme Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert in B-Flat re-titled “Tonight We Love.”

A Cleveland native, Freddy Martin was raised in a Springfield orphanage and returned to his birthplace of Cleveland for high school. Guy Lombardo mentored Martin, setting him on the path to musical success.  Martin had a 50-year career including a twenty-five year engagement at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles.  Among those who got their start with Martin’s band were Tommy Dorsey, Russ Morgan and vocalist Merv Griffin.

Freddy Martin and His Orchestra returned to Cleveland many times over the years performing at the Aragon Ballroom in 1942, 1952 and 1973, along with a weeklong appearance on stage at the Palace Theatre in 1947.

American Musical Productions is dedicated to preserving and performing historic American Musical Theatre and Popular Song.  Founded in 2003, American Musical Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization specializing in “living history” productions bringing historic American music and performers 1890-1949 back to the stage for a new generation of audiences.  For more information visit www.americanmusicalproductions.org