European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1947, Darmstadt, Hesse Beese of Tife 427th band gives x last a brute Check before a full Mirror no big Euc oaf ceremony is really official without the services of the in arching musicians Frankfurt whenever the big brass alights on or takes off from european command theres pretty sure to be a big brass band on the scene at Rhine main Airport to give the occasion its proper musical for almost a year now no dec recep Tion or sendoff has been really official if it Hast had the services of Headquarters commands 427th among the vips for whom the 427th has per formed Are generals Mcnarney and the activities of the 427th Are by no Means con fined to this role of musical greeters and they have performed at such state occasions As the ceremony marking the switchover in command from Mcnarney to Clay and such non brass affairs the recent soldiers fashion showing of proposed new the outfit is also the musical Backbone of almost All Holiday functions like memorial Day ceremonies and fourth of july All this is in addition to concert programs and a daily stint of playing for routine affairs like guard mounts and other military playing these official bookings is All Accord ing master sergeant Edward one of the two but the men of the outfit get More kicks when there playing at a dance or club for these jobs of they dont use the full forty six piece formidable combination of nine five four French five four Bass two baritone twelve clarinets and a rhythm Section of three snare and two Bass out of they have fashioned a swing orchestra called the jazz following the pattern still out of the jazz pirates has been culled a select comb whose licks Are much in demand throughout the although they much prefer cutting Loose on be jazz hot to pumping the 427th Bondmen dont find too much time for daily rehearsals keep them pretty Well tied for eight and ten hours they sit around in the fourteen rooms of their Barracks in the bolster in the Vicinity of a fourteenth Century tooling in a Way that must certainly cause the towers ghosts a few when a single musician needs some solitary he usually takes off for the or if someone else has beat him to he makes for the in when the spirit moves them Taylor and some of the boys Are Apt to ease into a Jam session that sets their i neighbors to Taylor himself does some Plain sind fancy work on the having pounded the keys for stateside band leaders like stuff Roy Eldridge other members have followed the Batons of Erskine Billy Eckstein and Blanche two of thebans Are americans As it speak very Little the Mother Tongue of Roger and James Harris is this confusing situation arises from the fact that the Harris toys an Amer ican from married French girl of port author and remained in Europe after world War but he reported regularly to the american consulate his intention of re Jiining his Dur ing the nazi his sons were interned As american citizens and after the liberation were drafted into the apart from the language the harrises Are quite Happy about their the same can probably be said for most of the men of the As one Caput we like turn the Page for pictures of the 427th band 11
