Al Hirt and Trumpet Draw 6,000 to SPAC

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, July 3, 1971

There are no surprises at an Al Hirt concert.

He really doesn’t do anything different from one show to another but he doesn’t have to. Last night, with more than 6,000 attending at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Hirt just had to be Hirt playing that crazy trumpet, and that’s all
anyone could want.

Backed by five musicians, including his longtime associate, Pee Wee, Hirt presented a fast-paced, full evening of everything from true New Orleans blues, to jazz, some country-western and even a bit of classical arrangements, especially in a piano rendition of “Exodus.”

And solos abounded, not just from Hirt, but all five musicians, and this seemed a bit overdone after awhile. After all, Hirt was the one everyone came to hear. Hirt certainly will never be accused of stealing the limelight from his fellow musicians, but he quipped at the outset of the evening that “It took me 25 years to be a leader and I’m not going to blow it tonight in Saratoga, so you’ll hear lots of trumpet solos.”

If anyone was concerned that Hirt’s lip had not truly recovered from the numerous stitches caused a year ago by his being hit by a brick, the fears were dispelled last night.

Back at SPAC for the second time and no stranger to this area anyway, having appeared numerous times in Troy, Albany and Schenectady, he remains truly worthy of the title, “World’s Greatest Trumpet Player.”

He did his favorite solo, “Carnival in Venice,” the schoolboy’s time on earth coronet solo, doing it with numerous variations. It never ceases to amaze how he can produce the triple tonguing—and “with only one tongue, too,” he joked—then moved into a beautiful blues followed by jazz and never even breathed hard.

On stage throughout the entire show with his group, Hirt has grown a much longer beard to match his mustache and long hair than we had remembered from his last visit.

Tunes ranged from “Cotton Candy,” “Sugar Lips” and “Java” to “Hava Nagila,” his newest, “Louisiana Man,” and, naturally, “When The Saints Come Marching In.”

He is equally amazing playing trumpet one-handed as he often does, and repeatedly hitched up his pants throughout the performance. For the fashion-minded, he wore white pants, vest and shirts with purple shirt with extra full sleeves.

SPAC management announced last night that the Laura Nyro and Tony Joe Wright Concert scheduled for July 11 has been canceled. Tomorrow, it will be Burt Bacharach at 8:30 p.m.