Renowned trumpeter and director of the Harry James Orchestra Fred Radke will play at the Dawn Theater this Friday night. This is the second year in a row Radke will perform songs requested by the audience.
Mary Wolfram, chair of the Friends of the Dawn Theater non-profit, said she is very excited to see this year’s concert.
“Fred Radke and his band is a pretty talented group. It’s a very good concert,” Wolfram said.
According to harryjamesmusic.com, the Harry James Orchestra focuses on preserving and honoring the tradition and legacy of Harry James, a trumpet player and bandleader of the 20th century. The band consists of some members who played with the band while James was alive, with some new additions.
“The flawless, technically outstanding trumpeter played for several years with the Benny Goodman Band before forming his own band in 1939 with a gifted but little known vocalist, Frank Sinatra,” the website said.
One of the orchestra’s most famous songs, “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” was used in Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame.” James’ song, “You Made Me Love You,” sold a million copies when it was released in 1941.
Radke said he has been a professional musician since high school and grew up revering James. After Radke had been playing professionally in a few other bands, James asked him to play lead trumpet in his band, and Radke accepted his request. According to harryjamesmusic.com, after James’ passing, Radke was asked by the Harry James Estate and Columbia Artists to lead the band into the future, which he has done since 1989.
For the past seven years, Radke has brought his band to campus to perform a series of concerts, notably the sixth annual “Battle of the Bands,” where Hillsdale’s Big Band competes with the Harry James Orchestra Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Along with these concerts, Radke also visits campus as an artist-in-residence, where he can work with and coach the jazz students on a variety of skills. This includes him teaching private lessons to trumpet students at the college. Radke will be on campus for 10 days.
“Having a nationally known musician and the band leader of one of the great, historically important big bands reflects our values in keeping traditional big band music thriving,” said McCourry, an artist and teacher of music and director of jazz studies and trumpet.
Radke said he loved being on campus.
“I enjoy working with Chris McCourry and the students because everyone at Hillsdale has such a positive, uplifting attitude,” Radke said.
The Friends of the Dawn Theater received a grant in 2019 from the state of Michigan to rehabilitate the theater, which reopened in 2022, Wolfram said. Several events at the Dawn this year, including the Radke concert, are supported by the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Radke performs at the Dawn Theater in downtown Hillsdale Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
