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News &
Events with David Drazin David Drazin - PO Box 6442 - Evanston, IL 60204-6442 carseymour@aol.com |
Upcoming Performances
2025
David's Recent Memoirs #1 01/10/2025. As I didn't update my News and Events for November and December, 2024, here is a recap of the shows I was fortunate to be given. On Thursday, November 21, 2024 I accompanied: The Oyster Princess (1918) directed by Ernst Lubitsch, at the Detroit Institute of Art. On Thursday, December 5, 2024 I accompanied Speedy (1928), starring Harold Lloyd at the Towne Cinema in Watertown, Wisconsin. After the show I played a set of tunes at nearby Lyon's Pub. The Towne Cinema is wonderful, and the patrons of Watertown are fantastic! On Saturday, December 21, I participated in Chris and Heather's Country Calendar Show, covering the music of Dave Gardner. I played two songs: Yancy Special by Meade Lux Lewis, and St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy. It's wonderful to be included with so many talented people in Chris and Heather's fantastically entertaining celebration. The next day (Sunday, December 22, 2024) I was the opening act at the Den Theater for the matinee of: A Judy Christmas, an hilarious parody of Judy Garland's 1963 Christmas Show, by Desiree Bircum and Famous in the Future. Had a great time! We drove back to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Christmas day(!)for an amazing three day program. Thursday, December 26, The Circus (1928) starring and directed by Charlie Chaplin; Friday, December 27, Fantasy in Animation (1908-1928) compiled by Joe Grignano with input from Larry Baranski and myself; Sunday, December 29, Robin Hood (1922) starring Douglas Fairbanks, directed by Alan Dwan. It was the biggest engagement I'd ever been given! Sunday, January 5, 2025, I accompanied: A Girl in Every Port (1928) directed by Howard Hawks and starring Victor McLaglen and Louise Brooks at 11:30 a.m. at The Music Box Theatre. It was shown in 35mm thanks to the Chicago Film Society. Beautiful! Coming soon in 2025 Friday, March 21, 2025, 1:00 p.m. The Apple Tree Girl, (Edison) 1916, starring Shirley Mason and directed by Alan Crosland, at the North Shore Senior Center, Northbrook, Illinois. This is a membership event and is not public. Friday, May 2, 2025, 7:00 p.m. Three Bad Men 1926, directed by John Ford. Shown in Vilas Hall, Wisconsin Cinematheque, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin. Scroll down and there is a link to the Wisconsin Cinematheque. Columbus Moving Picture Show is Thursday, May 22, 2025 to Sunday, May 25, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. They are moving to a new hotel! It won't be downtown, Columbus. It's too soon for me to know what films I'll be accompanying, but a link is available below. August 2024 NEW! JAZZ CD: J.J. & the Jazz Masters Quartet - Happy Jazz! Recorded at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel (Hyde Park Boulevard and Lake Shore Drive) 4/12/2019. J.J. (John Jarrett) is 92 years old! I played keyboard with J.J. almost every Friday year 'round for nine years, until it was stopped in 2020 by "you know what". John Jarrett - drums & leader, Kobie Knight - vibes, Dan McNaughton - bass and David Drazin - keyboard. The tunes are: Out of Nowhere, Bag's Groove, Don't Blame Me, Ladybird, Just One of Those Things, and The Preacher. The CD is available for $10 at Squeezebox Records and Books - 743 Main St., Evanston, IL 60202, (847) 943 - 9309. Wendy Whittick is President of WCC Productions, LLC. She has a video blog called: Wendy's Classic Corner, Silver Screen Time Machine. On May 24 and 25, 2024 she made a wonderful 18 minute program about The Columbus Moving Picture Show. She gave me a silent film accompanist spot in this show. You can see it HERE...
All Northbrook Library shows are free to the public! The Wisconsin Cinematheque, Have a look at their upcoming shows. They are always fantastic! The Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL, 773-871-6604. You can always check out the Music Box Theatre and the Chicago Film Society schedule here. Annual Wisconsin Film Festival, University of Wisconsin, Madison, schedule to be announced. Visit their web site. Columbus Moving Picture Show.Columbus, Ohio. Film schedule to be announced. David will accompany several silent films at this annual event featuring movie screenings and dealer rooms. Phil Martini, the director of Indian Boundary Park has retired! This means the end of the silent film series presented by the Chicago Park District at Indian Boundary Park. It was a beautiful place for a quarterly silent movie show. Thank you, Phil! Thank you for your support! We're looking into the future for the next Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival. Edison Theater, home of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, 37417 Niles Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536 (510) 494-1411, Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival No details available yet. Frank Carr (from the comedy group Famous in the Future and the impresario of Yippie Fest) taught me enough HTML for me to update News and Events myself. Thank you, Frank! Here's an attempted link to Famous in the Future for anyone who might be interested in his (and my) Chicago comedy efforts. (8/19/2023). As Ed Lorusso and Joe Harvat do a magnificent job making previously unavailable and unseen silent movies visible (and employing me to record piano scores to their incredible finds) I'd like to visibly say: Thank You! to Ed Lorusso and Joe Harvat.(8/19/2023). From David's 16mm film collection: As of March 2023, we have a new video on our You Tube channel: Win Stracke and New Wine Singers Brighten "Megalopolis 6 - The Song of a City. We hope you enjoy it! youtube.com/watch?v=ATCrtKk5C7I The Northside/Southside Radio Players Presents: "Flywheel and Ravelli - Shoemakers" This is an original Marx Brothers live radio theater musical comedy by David and featuring Joe Urbancik, Nick Palumbo, Tom Gollagly and Carol Seymour. Empire Builders, Glacier Park Carol Seymour adapted an original 1931 NBC radio script for The Northside/Southside Radio Players. She co-wrote an original song with David called Mike's Place. The group performed the show as part of Yippee Fest at the Den Theater in Chicago on August 20, 2022. You can listen to audio on archive.org here. www.archive.org/details/empire-builders-glacier-park-82022 Silent Films Accompanied by David Here are some short films you can watch free on our You Tube Channel and Vimeo. Boobley's Baby This is a 1915 one reel comedy discovered by Michael Aus. It stars Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew. Check out Michael Aus' eBay store as listed below! All of his DVD sales benefit The Niles Essanay Edison Theater in Niles, CA. A Deal With the Devil, Nordisk 1914, Directed by Holger-Madsen, starring Olaf Fonss This film was transferred from a Super 8mm print by The Chicago Film Archive. The Spanish titles were translated by Carol Seymour. Special thank you to Frank Carr for his video editing skill in synchronizing David's piano score and making the translated titles visible. Here's the same film on Vimeo. Ocean Liner Blues Ocean Liner Blues is a "trailer" for one of the greatest home movies of all time: Goodbye Kankakee, Hello Paree! David accompanies this clip from the full length film with an original stomp played in an authentic "Barrelhouse" style of 1927. Here's Ocean Liner Blues on Vimeo. Goodbye Kankakee,Hello Paree! Among the greatest home movies of all time, this is an early (1927/28) extensive, historical and entertaining document that was transferred from a one-of-a-kind 16mm movie film taken by an unidentified amateur movie pioneer. It documents the Kankakee American Legion Post 85 Drum and Bugle Corps voyage to France commemorating the ten year anniversary of the end of World War I. Here's the same film on Vimeo. Grapevine Video of Phoenix, Arizona, has released the following DVDs of silent films with David's accompaniment: Two Timid Souls(1928), directed by Rene Clair. Included is the Mack Sennett short starring Harry Langdon: Feet of Mud1924. Tangled Trails(1921), starring Neal Hart and directed by Charles Bartlett. Beau Geste(1926), directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Ronald Colman. This score was arranged by my using the original cue sheet and improvising to bridge the scores that I have and found. Neil Hamilton must have been coached on how to play the bugle, as when he plays "Taps" I could see him taking breaths as he played. A giant thank you from me to Jason and Jack Hardy at Grapevine for doing a perfect synchronization of my effort on Beau Geste. The Great Divide(1915), directed by Edgar Lewis and starring Ethel Clayton and House Peters was released by the Lubin company. Also added are five rare Lubin shorts including the 1904 Lubin copy of The Great Train Robbery. Straight is the Way(1921), directed by Robert G. Vignola and starring Matt Moore and Gladys Leslie was produced for DVD release by Ed Lorusso and was manufactured by Grapevine Video. Out Yonder(1919),directed by Ralph Ince and starring Olive Thomas, featuring Huntley Gordon was produced for DVD release by Joe Harvat and was manufactured by Grapevine Video. Rosita(1923), directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Mary Pickford, plus two Biograph shorts: All On Account of the Milk(1909), and A Beast at Bay(1912), directed by D.W. Griffith and starring Mary Pickford. 2020 The following are silent film DVDs released by Grapevine Video accompanied by David: Buried Treasure (1921, accompanied by David) and Polly of the Follies (1922, accompanied by Ben Model), two incomplete films starring Marion Davies. The Cossack Whip (1916), directed by John Collins and starring Viola Dana. The Innocence of Ruth (1916), directed by John Collins, starring Viola Dana and Edward Earle. Robes of Sin (1924), starring Sylvia Breamer and Gertrude Astor. (Except for Polly of the Follies, the above four DVDs were originally produced and released by Ed Lorusso, with a subsequent release by Grapevine.) Headlines (1925, directed by Edward Griffith and starring Alice Joyce, Malcolm McGregor, and Virginia Lee Corbin). The DVD was produced by Tim Lussier of silentsaregolden.com for release through Grapevine Video. The Chronicle of the Grey House (1925, directed by Arthur von Gerlach, starring Paul Hartmann and Lil Dagover). Rare Silent Films of Stayton, Oregon, has released the following DVDs accompanied by David: La Nuit de la Revanche, i.e. Night of Revenge.(1925), directed by Henri Etievent, starring Leon Mathot and Charles Vanel. This is an amazing 35mm nitrate find by Michael Aus! It's from the only existing 35mm nitrate print, and is available with English or French titles. Incredible! The Little Pirate 1917, directed by Elsie Jane Wilson and starring child actress Zoe Rae. This is an amazing nitrate find by Michael Aus. Directly from 35mm nitrate to you. The only existing film with Zoe Rae. The Isle of Hope 1925, directed by Jack Nelson and starring Richard Talmadge. Another unique find made from the only existing 35mm nitrate print. Early Universal Films of Eddie Lyons and Lee Moran. Volume 1: Seven short films; David accompanies four of them. Volume 2: Five films, all accompanied by David, including Mrs. Plum's Pudding, (1915, directed by Al Christie), the only film appearance of theatrical star Marie Tempest. Visit Rare Silent Films ebay store to see all of their DVDs. Sales of Rare Silent Films DVDs benefit the Niles Essanay Theater. Check it out! Gus Friedlander's Prohibition Orchestra of Chicago has recorded and posted on YouTube a tribute video to their late bandmate, saxophonist/vocalist Freddie Garcia. Gus chose a favorite song that Freddie loved to perform, The Sheik of Araby, and each band member recorded his/her part separately on video to combine on one screen. Please check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRH0miPg4-g Dave played and sang original comedy songs that were streamed free on August 22 and 23, 2020, at www.yippiefest.com. The performance was prerecorded at the 2019 Yippiefest, held at Chicago's Prop Theater. Tramp Records of Germany reissued the 1982 vinyl album of Seeds of Fulfillment, a Columbus, Ohio jazz-rock band for which David played keyboards and contributed original songs. In addition Tramp Records issued a previously unreleased album by Seeds of Fulfillment from the soundtrack of a 1982 Columbus public-access cable television show.
ARTICLE: 11 November 2018 “Keeping Score at the Cinema” by Luis Lopez Levi in F-Newsmagazine, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, Back in May 2018...
Click to see Dave at the multi-manual organ. See Dave's Louis Armstrong Award and latest CD releases . The latest: Sound engineer Richie Wohlfeil, owner of Hamtramck, Michigan's Lo & Behold bookstore/entertainment venue, posted some of Dave's tunes at https://folkbluesnight.bandcamp.com on an album with Detroit-area pianist Michael Malis. The session was recorded live when Dave was in Detroit rehearsing for the Free Press Film Festival. The live audience went wild, as you can hear on the recordings. Thanks, Richie! 
Above is Dave at the Capitol Theater organ in Madison, Wisconsin. Check out this YouTube video to see/hear him in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPft_JBtrpA
Since May 2013 - New YouTube videos: 1. Louis Armstrong & His All Stars Live at Indiana Beach (4:14), home-movie found footage, piano by Dave. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQcTD5LAJVg 2. Dave rocks on TV!: Chic-a-Go-Go 3/17/13 (5:13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIR5lE7Hd6E&list=UUz8dU1UXfZVZio5mvlAMasg&index=2 3. Back to the Old Farm (10:59), music by Dave. 1912 Essanay/International Harvester, featuring Beverly Bayne in an early role. Filmed in west suburban Chicago area, Dunham Oaklawn Farm near Wayne, IL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bow99bzHfiM 5. The Rally or If Beale Street Couldn't Talk (20:15) music by Dave. Director Cal Ward. Jr. intuitively used the methods of silent-film comedy to create a classic of modern silent cinema farce (video: 1994 & 2002). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8YbgSHGG6g The Ambassadors "Avalon" : www.reverbnation.com/daviddrazin/ 
---------------------------------------------------------------Plus some not-so-live accompaniments:Dave played with the Bernard Scavella quintet at Hyde Park Jazz Society's monthly concert series in January. Here's a video clip , which appears on guitarist Randy Ford's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uJHO0gCpc4
Dave says:
Here's some great news: I did the music for a talking picture and it's a PUPPET MOVIE! It's 14 minutes long and is titled "Junk Palace." It's about the Collyer Brothers, recluses and compulsive hoarders. The filmmaker is puppeteer Lyon Hill. You'd love Lyon! He's a great original talent. The picture is currently a selection of the Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham, N.C., to be shown Saturday, April 16 . It's produced by Heather Henson, Muppet creator Jim Henson's daughter. Here's a link to the trailer: http://www.mermecolion.com/Junk_Palace.htm Dave's appearances at Phil
Pospychala's annual Tribute to Bix traditional jazz festival
were a success. this year's event focused on female performers
of the 1920s/early '30s. Dave accompanied three singers:
Barbara Rosene, Jamaica Knauer, and Emily Toops; played in the
bus tour's jam session at the historic Washington House, Two
Rivers, WI; and accompanied a silent-movie clip of Gilda Gray
doing her shimmy dance in "Piccadilly." Check out the publicly
available "Tribute to Bix in Racine" Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150117103652645 (jam session) and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-to-Bix-in-Racine/307725818815 (dated March 15 at 7:19 a.m.) Dec 2010 - My friend Terry Flamm who used to be in a comedy group I'm still in interviewed me for a blog he writes. Chicago DIY Film . 
The Live Radio Theater shows at Joplin's Java in Waukegan on June 11 were a big hit for all who attended. Dave even played a few licks on the violin as Jack Benny! Dave was back at Joplin's to give a solo piano concert on November 19, 2010. Jan 2009 - Idaho author Larry Telles recently published his
new book/DVD "A Brief
History of the Silent Screen and the World at that Time"
(press release:
http://www.bitterrootmountainllc.com/bitterroot/?page_id=27
), and Dave played keyboard accompaniment on the
soundtrack for the DVD that comes with each book. Larry's
personal website is
www.essanayfilmmfgco.com . Dave's DVD & TV releases:
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| DAVE DRAZIN AT
CHICAGO BLUES FEST June 9, 2007 In the interest of full disclosure, I should say right off the bat that Dave Drazin is a friend of mine. But I can honestly say he's a terrific piano player, and plenty of others will tell you the same thing. Dave's best known for playing piano at showings of silent movies, but he's also an excellent player of old-time blues, jazz and ragtime, and all of those skills were on display during his superb set Saturday afternoon on one of the side stages at the Chicago Blues Festival. See more photos of Dave Drazin at the Festival . Source: ROBERT LOERZEL, Underground Bee |
| Hear Dave on
YouTube! Dave performed for a short silent movie made by Wisconsin Bioscopes (film students at the University of Wiconsin - Madison). Don't miss " A Visit With Grandmother " on YouTube. See it now. Visit Wisconsin Bioscopes for info on more of their fascinating film activities. Other Bioscape videos include "Rent Party" (Dave appears onscreen briefly) and "Cosmo's Magical Melt-aways." Check out this review article about Wisconsin Bioscape. (Yep, it mentions Dave's piano work, too). Dave has been playing regularly at the University of Chicago's First Friday jam session at the Quadrangle Club on campus. Watch a video of Dave in action at the Quad at Here is the page with Dave's video: http://www.archive.org/details/JazzAtTheQuadrangleClub . |
Recordings: DVD & television New DVD:
Laughsmith
Entertainment, FORGOTTEN FILMS OF ROSCOE
"FATTY" ARBUCKLE, DVD release May 24, premiering on
Turner Classic
Movies Monday, April 4. Milestone Films
, LURE OF LABRADOR and SWILIN' RACKET, bonus
shorts on WHITE THUNDER On July 29, 2008, Kino released a double feature
of "A Man There Was"/"Ingeborg Holm." Dave provides
the piano soundtrack for Ingeborg Holm, the first
significant work by Swedish director Victor
Sjostrom. |
We're happy to announce that Dave has been chosen to be
included in the 2006 60th diamond anniversary edition of
Marquis "Who's Who in America." Who's Who profiles the careers
of a select group of men and women from all significant fields
of endeavor - from business and politics to healthcare and
science to entertainment and the arts.
Articles
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© 2003-present by David Drazin |
from Journalist Robert Loerzel of the Underground
Bee: 