Paul Lavalle (September 6, 1908 - June 24, 1997) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and performer on clarinet and saxophone. Lavalle was selected over several applicants to become the conductor of the Band of America in 1948. They performed a weekly radio program on NBC Radio for eight years and almost 400 programs. Each program began with the introduction, "Forty-eight states... 48 stars... 48 men marching down the main street of everybody's hometown! Here comes the Cities Service Band of America, conducted by Paul Lavalle!" Beginning in 1964, the band toured extensively and also became the official band of the1964 New York World's Fair, an engagement that lasted into 1965.

Source: Wikipedia.com

 

Paul Lavalle Conducts The World's Fair Suite

Paul Lavalle, Conductor ...a dynamic premier performance April 22, 1964, opening day at the New York World's Fair. The debut of Grofe's suite was conducted by Paul Lavalle and played with evident relish by The World's Fair Symphony Orchestra. In this first recorded performance of The World's Fair Suite -- the official recording -- Paul LaValle is again the man behind the baton, using his generous skills to charge the music with all that is intended by the composer -- the limitless wonder, noble meaning, excitement and just plain fun of this big international show!

Source: LP Record Album, The World's Fair Suite by Ferde Grofe', Courtesy of Rich Post

Webmaster's note... Thank you to Suzanne Lavalle Bothamley for a contribution of photographs of her father and the Cities Service World's Fair Band of America. It documents a happy part of the Fair for so many people who were able to hear the Band during those two summers of the Fair. Suzanne writes...

My father was Paul Lavalle, director of the Cities Service Band of America. I spent two memorable summers riding around on the band wagon as it traveled all around the fair each day and every day ending with a concert in front of the Unisphere. I remember meeting and having dinner with Walt Disney and my
dad, Lucille Ball deciding to forego a good bit of her planned tour of the fair to ride around (and swing the baton a few times herself) on the band wagon, meeting Richard Nixon, who had known dad for years and couldn't wait to direct the band himself and meeting President Johnson on that dreadfully rainy opening day. And I could go on for hours... Sadly, Dad is no longer with us, but I know one of his fondest memories was the time spent on that band wagon playing for and greeting thousands of people everyday. He and the band indeed had the best possible vantage point and it was a magical time for them.

August 5, 2002