7,000 Persons at Concert Given by Al Hirt at SPAC

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, July 16, 1968

The estimated 7,000 attending last night’s concert by Al Hirt at Saratoga Performing Arts Center got their money’s worth and then some with one of the very finest shows yet presented in the two-plus years of SPAC.

Simply sensational from beginning to end, Al Hirt and his live musicians exhibited the virtuosity of their instruments, the beat, the understanding of music and a rare gift for tonal quality which has made them tops for so long.

Hirt is without a doubt the greatest trumpet player of the day and possibly in recent memory, but his fellow musicians, too, exhibit great mastery of their instruments.

All the Hirt hits-“Java,” “Cotton Candy,” “Sugar Lips,””Girl Watchers,” “Up, Up and Away”-plus many more were presented in showcase fashion. They “put out” in every number, as the thoroughly soaked jackets of Hirt and his men attested before much of the night was over. It was a warm night, a shirt-sleeved crowd largely, and yet Hirt and his group continued to play with the vigor, the enthusiasm and the dynamic style for which they are known.

Hirt has simply phenomenal ability, as he displayed repeatedly, but none more thoroughly than in “Carnival in Venice, in which he made one trumpet actually sound like two at one point. It was an unbelievable rendition and drew thunderous applause.

Hirt’s natural sense of humor was repeatedly evident as he entered into controversial, musical and even dancing exchanges with his men, especially Pee Wee, an excellent sax and clarinet man.

Each member of the group had chance for a solo and all were excellent with Hirt and the group closing in true New
Orleans fashion with “Saints.”

The superior acoustics of the SPAC amphitheatre came to the fore last night on several occasions, when Hirt or one of his musicians moved into a “quiet” segment. A pin could be heard throughout the amphitheatre and for the packed crowd on the lawn at these moments, as the especially attentive audience listened carefully to some truly fine musicians at this craft.

The Hirt concert has to be classified as one of the very best ever at SPAC. Dozens of local residents were noted in the audience last night, as well as a fair portion of the corps.