The show must go on. And for the Paul Effman Band, it did.
The band took the audience on a musical journey through American history during its June 25 performance at the Rockville Centre Public Library, celebrating the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday with patriotic favorites and timeless classics that have helped shape the country’s cultural identity.
Although bandleader Paul Effman was unable to attend because of a brief medical issue, the performance continued as scheduled, with pianist Tom Beckman quickly stepping in to redistribute musical parts among the ensemble.
Joining Beckman on stage were Roy Sparacino on bass guitar and vocals, Ilya Shteynmann on trumpet and Bill Resvanis on drums.
“It was the first performance I’ve ever missed in my career,” Effman said after returning to performing following his recovery. “I was devastated. But everybody was extremely pleased with how the show went.”
Because the decision came just hours before the 7 p.m. start time, there was no option to postpone the concert. Beckman, who also works with Effman on arranging the group’s music, reorganized the performance on short notice so the program could continue in full ensemble form.
“Tom has enough musical knowledge to regroup and redistribute parts so that the songs still sound entertaining without a sign of, ‘Hey, what’s missing from this?’” Effman said. “He’s never had to do it before in this band, but he did.”
Effman said the program itself was developed about 18 months ago after a library requested a concert to commemorate America’s semiquincentennial. He and Beckman spent extensive time arranging the music into a cohesive presentation of American musical history.
“From my memory, it’s about 1,000 hours of arranging,” Effman said.
The program features two major patriotic medleys. One traces American history through music, beginning with Revolutionary War-era selections and moving through World War I and World War II themes before concluding with Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” The second is an Armed Forces medley highlighting the music of each branch of the military.
In addition to the patriotic material, the concert includes American popular music spanning the 1920s through the mid-20th century, with selections such as Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” George Gershwin’s “‘S Wonderful,” Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade,” Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” and songs by the Beatles.
“The other songs are the fabric of our American culture,” Effman said. “Going from the ’20s up until the Beatles, it’s what we listened to in this country.”
Effman noted that library performances remain among the band’s most rewarding venues because audiences attend specifically for the music.
“It is a concert,” he said. “Everybody in that room is there for one purpose — to hear the band.”
Now back performing with the full ensemble, Effman said he hopes to return to Rockville Centre in the future.
“I’d like to thank them for being a great, appreciative audience,” he said. “We are honored they were there, and we will be back again.”
