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By Daniel Curtin
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Senior citizens were serenaded by jazz saxophonist Clyde Wheatley last Wednesday night at Needham’s Summer Concert Series, held at Wingate Residences.
The concert featured many different hits from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. Wheatley played over the recordings of the original songs on his alto sax, soprano sax, and clarinet, switching between the instruments depending on the song.
Wheatley, who is originally from England, has been performing for the last 25 to 30 years. Over the last decade, he has been performing around the New England area.
Richard Lubart, who was in attendance for the concert and even took part in singing along with some of the songs like the “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” enjoyed Wheatley’s renditions of some of his favorite songs.
“Well, I really enjoyed it,” said Lubart. “He probably put in an awful lot of time as the years went by. It sounds like he’s part of the original orchestra.”
Jazz saxophonist Clyde Wheatley serenades his audience. Photos by Daniel Curtin
Dancing was out of the question for many in attendance, but that didn’t stop the dozens of seniors from singing along, or from tapping their feet and canes along with the music or swaying to the rhythm.
For his part, Wheatley is grateful that his passion bring happiness to so many.
“I love this era,” he said. “I don’t feel like I was born in the wrong era. I think I was born to keep this era alive. When I come and play for these lovely people, they just love it. And to see the smiles on their faces and tapping their feet and singing along makes me so happy.”
Wheatley credited one movie in particular for sparking his interest in American swing-era jazz music.
“I started when I was seven,” he explained. “I was hooked on ‘The Benny Goodman Story.’ I saw ‘The Benny Goodman Story’ in England on a little black and white TV … I have it on DVD and I still watch it. It was the movie that started me.”
The movie is a biopic about Benny Goodman, the great American jazz clarinetist known as the “King of Swing”.
Cynthia Pearlstein was happy she was one of the people in attendance Wednesday night.
“I enjoyed it thoroughly. He’s a delightful person,” said Pearlstein. “He’s got a wonderful personality in addition to his talent.”
