It took Dubuque trombonist Hunter Fuerste more than two years to fashion his American Vintage Orchestra.
But a decade after the band's debut, they have blazed a trail across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, performing to sold out crowds at some of the Midwest's most prestigious venues and headlining festivals re-creating the musical legacy of the Swing Era.
"It's a painstaking process," said Fuerste, who is an ophthalmologist at Fuerste Eye Clinic in Dubuque. "When I first put together this show, I transcribed and arranged the music from the records to be as accurate and authentic as possible. Today, with the various media like YouTube and XM Satellite Radio, there is so much more access to this music. I'm constantly discovering new things I have never seen before."
"Swing Out! The Big Band Show," featuring Fuerste and his American Vintage Orchestra, commemorates its 10th anniversary this year with a trio of performances at the Grand Opera House Oct. 24 and 25.
Living up to the standards of previous shows, the concert will feature
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Event: Hunter Fuerste's American Vintage Orchestra's "Swing Out! The Big Band Show" Time/Date: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 24 and 2 p.m. Sunday Oct. 25 Place: The Grand Opera House, Dubuque Cost: $17, contact the box office at 563-588-1305 about Hunter Fuerste * Studied music at North Texas State University prior to attending medical school at the University of Iowa. * Spent the summer of 1972 playing trombone and arranging for band leader Dick Jurgens. * In 1976, worked for Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, performing on Lombardo's last television broadcast in 1977 on "New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo" on CBS television, broadcast live from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. * In Dubuque, he has conducted orchestras for productions at the Grand Opera House and directs the Dubuque Brass Quintet. * In 1989, was the featured soloist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra in its annual pops concert. * Spent more than two years creating "Swing Out! The Big Band Show" which has been featured in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as the Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa, in 2003 and 2005. * As a physician, works as an ophthalmologist at The Fuerste Eye Clinic with his brother and sister. The family business was established more than 80 years ago by his grandfather and run for more than 45 years by his father and mother. * Has been active in medicine and was president of the Iowa Academy of Ophthalmology in 2000 and president of the Iowa Medical Society in 2002. * In 2002, was honored by a distinguished service award by the Iowa Academy of Ophthalmology. Later that year, was inducted into the Grand Opera House Hall of Fame and had the honor of being selected as First Citizen in the Telegraph Herald's annual award for distinguished community service. Megan Gloss |
"The way this music was presented and performed in its time, there wasn't this distorted, reproduced sound that you hear in live music today," Fuerste said. "It was authentic and real. What you were hearing was the real acoustic sound of the instruments and the singers."
Fuerste's band features 16 players in addition to guest dancers, vocalists and a vocal quartet, gathering closely to harmonize around a singular RCA microphone.
"What you got was this nice, warm sound," Fuerste said. "You didn't need a lot of additional amplification."
Throughout the years, Fuerste has dedicated himself to uncovering new elements for his show. This year's show will feature arrangements of golden standards such as "Dream A Little Dream of Me," "S'Wonderful" and "Embraceable You," as well as offbeat tunes including "Celery Stalks at Midnight" and "Dipsy Doodle."
"Every year, I try to add something new -- and these are all clever tunes," Fuerste said. "This is America's music. It's so wonderful to rediscover this past and revive it. If we don't revive and support these arts, like authentic live music and concerts and community theater, they won't be around anymore."
