The Sound of Success

....is the Welk orchestra's saxophone section in an advertisement for Buescher saxophones!

The Sound of Success

A Silver Champagne Christmas

This one is from the 1958 Christmas Show, and the Maestro is just getting started....

Here's the boys in the band with some festive music....

Janet Lennon is getting into the act....

...and lets meet the music makers and their families!
Here's Jack Imel....

Next is Orie Amodeo....

....followed by Dick Kesner

....and finally Dee Dee Lennon with one of her brothers

To conclude, Larry Jr would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas

A Silver Champagne Christmas

Orie, where art thou?

Orie Amodeo ladies and gentleman...

Orie, where art thou?

Mondays with Orie Amodeo

One of the many fine musicans from the Silver Champagne era....

Here's Orie playing the clarinet

.....and the saxophone with the boys

Playing the flute with Bill Page....

The pride and joy of Mechanicville, New York!

Mondays with Orie Amodeo

Three Fantastic Flautists

Bob Davis, Orie Amodeo and Natalie Nevins

And they are playing "Lola" in that wunnerful Champagne style!

Three Fantastic Flautists

Those Swingin' Reeds

You've always wondered where the Champagne Music Makers get that wunnerful "swing?" Lets check out one of the reasons why....I give you the Welk orchestra's Reed and Woodwind section, decade by decade!

First, let us start with the fifties.....

Left to Right: Bill Page, Orie Amodeo, Russ Klein, Jack Martin and Dick Dale.

And now we move on to the sixties....

Left to Right: Bob Davis, Orie Amodeo, Russ Klein, Mahlon Clark and Dick Dale

And now here's the boys from the seventies!

Left to Right: Dick Dale, Russ Klein, Dave Edwards, Bob Davis and Peanuts Hucko

And finally, welcome to the eighties....

Left to Right: Henry Cuesta, Bob Davis, Skeets Herfert, Russ Klein and Dick Dale.

No matter what the decade, that champagne music remains the same....swingin' and sparkly!

Those Swingin' Reeds

Picture of the Day (10-18-06)

From 1966, three talented flutists from the Welk orchestra....Bob Davis, Orie Amodeo and Natalie Nevins.

These guys and their talent are simply wunnerful, wunnerful!

Picture of the Day (10-18-06)

Bill Page and Orie Amodeo

Here are two of the finest musicians from the Welk orchestra circa 1964....Bill Page and Orie Amodeo from the reed section.

Bill was with the band from 1951 to 1965, he played the saxophone, clarinet and flute among his arsenal of music. He's a World War II veteran and in addition to the maestro...he's played for such diverse artists such as Barry Manilow (wonder if he played on the original sessions for "At The Copa?")

Orie of Mechanicsville, NY....was a Welk band member from 1945 to 1970, in addition to playing the sax, flute, piccolo and clarinet....he was also the band's official photographer and a mainstay of their recording sessions for labels Coral, Dot and Ranwood. He left to start his own Count Basie influenced band, The Orie J Orchestra, perhaps some of you have may have seen and heard them in person.

Orie sadly passed on in 1998, but his musical legacy is sure to live on among Welk fans!

Bill Page and Orie Amodeo