John Philip Sousa
American bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa did more than anyone to elevate the status of the military wind band. Sousa's boyhood coincided with the American Civil War. The sounds of military bands were constantly in the air. His first musical training was on the violin, and his father instructed him on several wind instruments. At 13 the lure of a visiting circus was a powerful incentive for the boy to join up as a musician; however, his astute father, himself a bandsman, caught wind of the lad's intention and procured an apprenticeship in the Marine Corps Band for his son. It proved to be a happy move for all involved. The young musician sharpened his skills in that musical organization called the "President's own." He composed his first march, Salutation, at 16.
At 18, Sousa began to play violin in various theater orchestras. In 1880, Sousa was appointed leader of the Marine Corps Band, which he would serve for 12 years, under five presidents. He now began to hit his stride with his own marches, turning out such classics as Semper Fidelis, The Washington Post, The Thunderer, and High School Cadets. In 1892 Sousa, resigning his position with the Marine Corps, organized his own band, known simply as Sousa's Band. Through national, European, and world tours, the band's success was nothing short of a phenomenon, Sousa receiving many honors and decorations from the royal families of Great Britain and Europe.
He continued turning out his series of comic operas, including the highly successful El capitan (1895). From his pen flowed songs, symphonic poems, and more marches, this period seeing The Liberty Bell (1893), King Cotton (1895), Hands Across the Sea (1899) and, most notably, The Stars and Stripes Forever (1897).
With the entry of the United States into World War I, however, Sousa laid aside civilian activity and assumed command of all naval bands. In 1920, he reorganized his band and resumed touring. Sousa died while en route to conduct a high school band in Reading, PA.
Among his other achievements was his role as a founder of ASCAP. He also helped develop the sousaphone, a large tuba which features in parade bands. Ultimately, his compositions are his monument. But particularly it is the marches which endure. Sousa was not afraid to invest his marches with beautiful melody and unusual harmonies, placing them above being merely parade music. Sousa continued to explore within his chosen field until the end and many from his final decade such as The Gridiron Club and Sesquicentennial Exposition are remarkable for their inventiveness and vitality. The composer himself mused upon what constitutes the perfect march, stating that "it should make a man with a wooden leg step out." In virtually all of his creations in this field, Sousa passed this standard with flying colors.
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John Philip Sousa Conducts His Own Marches And Other Favorites
Classical - Released by Legacy International on Oct 16, 1969
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Philip Sousa: Great American Military Marches
Classical - Released by Patriotic Music Unlimited on Jun 3, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
American Patrol - The Best Of
Jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on Sep 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
50 Must-Have Patriotic Favorites: Celebrating America on the 4th of July & Beyond
The Parade Brass & Symphony Orchestra And Bedros Papazian
Classical - Released by Cobra Entertainment LLC on Jun 28, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The March King - John Philip Sousa Conducts His Own Marches And Other Favorites - An Historical Recording
Country - Released by Legacy International on Jan 1, 2006
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Solano Winds - Global Celebrations and Holidays
Solano Winds Community Concert Band
Classical - Released by Tresona on Jan 1, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sousa Spectacular
Classical - Released by Phoenix USA on Apr 20, 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
4th of July - The Essential American Patriotic Music Collection
All-American Patriotic Ensemble
Classical - Released by Cobra Entertainment LLC on Jun 19, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The March King Conducts His Own Marches And Other Favorites (An Historical Recording)
Military Music - Released by Trigger Records on Feb 19, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sousa and American Marches
Classical - Released by Tuxedo Music on May 24, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sousa (Red Classics)
The Parade Brass & Symphony Orchestra, Bedros Papazian
Classical - Released by Cobra Entertainment LLC on May 27, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
God Bless America (Digitally Remastered)
Kate Smith, John Philip Sousa, Stephen Foster
Country - Released by Essential Media Group on Oct 7, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Liberty Bell
The Parade Brass & Symphony Orchestra And Bedros Papazian
Classical - Released by Cobra Entertainment LLC. on Sep 29, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vintage Sousa: 3 Hours of the Very Best Marches for July 4th
John Philip Sousa, The Sousa Band
Christmas Music - Released by Celebration Sounds on Jun 10, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Big Band Man - [The Dave Cash Collection]
Film Soundtracks - Released by The Dave Cash Collection - OMP on May 9, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Election Day Music
John Philip Sousa, Leonard Bernstein, Leroy Anderson
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Oct 31, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty
Film Soundtracks - Released by Vanilla OMP on Dec 6, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Solano Winds Community Concert Band - Celebrations
Solano Winds Community Concert Band
Classical - Released by Tresona on Jan 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
John Philip Sousa Conducts His Own Band: The March King, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by Legacy International on Oct 10, 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Horizons Unlimited
Solano Winds Community Concert Band
Classical - Released by Tresona on Jan 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo