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Grandson Finds Grandpa’s Lost WWII Army Band Recordings –The Only Known Live Music Recording Near a Battlefield


A recording of World War II that had been lost for half a century was discovered in an attic, and is believed to be the only known album recorded by a front-line military band stationed with troops near a battlefield. The band was spontaneously celebrating the end of WWII by recording some music, and now one of their grandsons has rediscovered it and is sharing it with the world.

Jason Burt grew up listening to his grandfather play classical and jazz music with his lifelong passion, the trumpet.

As a teenager, he grew even closer to his grandfather, bonding over a fascination that became Jason’s true passion: the history of World War II.

They spoke often about Richard Burt’s experience as a military musician during the war, where as a 19-year-old soldier with the 746th Far East Air Force Band in the South Pacific, he played music for front-line troops, generals, and foreign dignitaries. . .

When the war came to an end, the 20-member band decided to record themselves playing 10 songs from the era that topped the charts, including Sentimental trip. After the recording session was completed in a jungle tent, Jason’s grandfather brought the recordings home, where he pressed them to 78 rpm records.

Richard, the only known album by a top band unit to be recorded where the war was taking place, would keep the recordings safe for the next 75 years. In the 80s, he thought he had lost them, and after his death, the family had no idea that the records were hidden in the garage.

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“In 2019, I came across my grandfather’s recordings, in the attic of his garage,” Jason told GNN. “The 75-year-old vinyl seemed to be in very good physical shape.”

As the only grandson in a musical family who couldn’t read music or play an instrument, Jason, who became a history teacher, wasn’t sure what to do with his grandfather’s most treasured musical objects in the closet.

“Six months later, while sitting alone in my house, I decided it was time to listen to the records. When the needle pressed against the vinyl, I was transported to 1945 for a private concert with my grandfather, and the sound of his trumpet filled me with joy ”.

“His skill and solos on the recordings were extraordinary for someone so young, and made it clear why he would graduate from Juilliard after the war.”

“When he finished the last song on the album, it was clear what he had to do.”

His grandfather had given up his musical ambition to start a family, so Jason would post the performances and try to win a Grammy Award on behalf of the Army Air Force Band 746.

Richard Burt

Working tirelessly with two of the best sound engineers in the music industry, he produced the recordings into a full-length album featuring his grandfather telling the story of the band’s time in the Pacific and 9 minutes of historical film from the band practicing in the Philippines.

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Buy or stream the music to help Jason win a Grammy for his grandfather

Jasons says they are “relentless” in their current quest to land the band in wartime a Grammy nomination for Best Historic Album in 2022.

And to that end, they have partnered with USO, to raise money for the iconic military charity, donating a portion of the proceeds in hopes of selling a million albums.

“If you want to help my grandfather reach the pinnacle of musicality today and raise money for USO, you can have a piece of history by downloading a copy of the album. on the band’s website 746. “

If you stream on Spotify, please follow the artist pageand create playlists from your album, and broadcast it every day until The Greatest Generation has a platinum album and a Grammy to go with it.

The album can be streamed on Apple Music, as well.

CLOCK some local TV news coverage of the story …

HELP win a Grammy for this grandfather by sharing the album on social media …





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