Mark Herman - Cedar Rapids Paramount Wurlitzer

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A WURLITZER REBORN:
Devastated by the historic 2008 Cedar Rapids flood, the Paramount Theatre and its original Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ (Opus 1907) received a first-class restoration to bring them back from terrible ruin.
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[@paulhughes3814]

All i can say is fantastic Paul Australia

[@td3993]

Thank goodness! I love hearing it played.

[@angelsone-five7912]

Those first pictures were very sad indeed, so nice to see the organ back in health.

[@garymahon1955]

Truly amazing what some very skilled people can do!!

[@davidcarson4421]

I was able to hear this organ before the flood, so I am glad it was restored. One summer I worked for the radio/TV stations whose offices were in the Paramount Theater Building.

[@GEU30CG]

I listened to your video today as I drove home from working away. This is a very good recording of our little Wurlitzer. It was a fun day! Thanks D-

[@markhermanmusic]

Thank you for accommodating us and all you do there! You're the best!

[@wphubert]

What an incredible restoration after the flood. Mark’s use of a relatively small Wurlitzer is nothing short of amazing. It is so easy when you have 20 plus ranks to create many tonal capabilities. But Marks registrations are beautiful and varied.

[@dkelzenb]

Great commentary?? :-) It was wonderful to have you here, Mark. Come back any time.

[@PauloSilva-zm3mf]

You’re the greatest Mark😊God continue blessing you with those marvelous organ music 👏👏👏👏👏🌺💕

[@brianwheway1933]

Seing the devistation of the flood It would have been so easy to scrap this Wurlitzer, but the whole world would have been deprived of such a wonderful instrament and sound, i would like to sent out my sincere thanks to everyone who took part in the renovation work, your time and skill, dedication, hours of time went into restoring this organ, thank you!!!

[@princessmichelleannfrajman949]

Jerry W. Frajman I'll be viewing this on my computer and my cell phone. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see as well as hear a virtual concert from THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE IN MY HOMETOWN.THANK YOU TO MARK HERMAN,C.R.A.T.O.S.,DIANA NOLLEN OF THE C.R.GAZETTE FOR BRINGING THIS TO MY ATTENTION.and I hope many others will be watching as well as be listening on their cell phones or computers

[@mainaccount131]

Super excellent with very good interesting video

[@HiringAPtAdvocate]

Mark, you are the master of a musical phrase. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world!

[@ianhead9477]

Thanks for a great video from a theatre organ fan in Perth Western Australia

[@michaelgriffiths6584]

That's lovely really lovely

[@daviddiffenderfer3836]

I would love to visit this theater. It is not so far away so perhaps I can.

[@ikonix360]

Never heard organ music like this before. I'm used to hearing hymns, pieces by Bach ETC... and other organ music. Never much of anything intimate like this is. Love it.

[@bobgoodwin2832]

Welcome to the world of Theatre Organ.

[@jvauthrin4625]

Brings back memories of many years,. Thank you for the evening of music--beautiful way to end a sunny Iowa day.

[@skyhawk182]

I’m always impressed and amazed by talented musicians who can play a wide range of music by heart without sheet music and when it’s done on a magnificent pipe organ it’s even more amazing playing multiple keyboards, the foot board and getting the thousands of combinations of stops and settings just right for the song being performed. Really enjoy your interpretations of great songs on great instruments, THANK YOU Mark!

[@garymahon1955]

Mark. Thank you much. I sm going on 70, aand just discovering these great organs and music. Incredible inventions!

[@cjbrown3773]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Thank you again Mark! It was a nice b-day treat!

[@leetingler619]

Excellent sounding Organ! A fine restoration all round!

[@NakedMuso]

Thanks for another magnificent program Mark. You have exactly the same musical taste as myself, which is why I look forward so much to your concerts (in addition to my appreciation of your obvious talent and technical prowess). Being from the UK I suppose I'm supposed to like the 'Blackpool style' but have to admit I'd rather listen to you all day long. Blackpool has it's place, and I do enjoy it when I'm in the mood, but normally I prefer to relax in to your charming arrangements.

[@OrganMusicYT]

Define the Blackpool style? I find it is far too often stereotyped, when in reality, when you listen to it over the years since its inception, and the various organists, other than having a defined rhythm, it's very much an open book.

[@NakedMuso]

@@OrganMusicYT I am far from being an expert in this field and have only really this year realised that Blackpool style was even a 'thing' and certainly don't mean to sound derogatory in any way. As a child I was fascinated by Reginald Dixon but never got to hear him live, despite only living 30mls away. Finding American organists on here quite by accident during this pandemic has rekindled my enthusiasm. I'm not sure I can 'define' the style any better than your own reference to the rhythmic element which, as I eluded to, I need to be in the right mood for. I do still enjoy watching / listening to the likes of Phil Kelsall, particularly when in concert, and enjoy his showmanship, but we all have our preferences and I favour a more relaxed style.

[@OrganMusicYT]

@@NakedMuso I certainly didn't take your statement as derogatory at all. I never got to hear Reg in person, much too young. However, I never, until the past 10 years or so, realised that there was such a wide variety of organists who played in the Blackpool style and I'm always hearing bit's I've never heard before. The more I've listened the more I've come to realise that, other than that rhythm, there are so many ways of doing it, and not necessarily what would stereotypically come to mind. I find it quite fascinating, how one style can be approached in so many different ways depending upon the artist, the music, the venue and the instrument. Marks playing is always great, I appreciate his playing style, and his approach to the music which is always befitting of the instrument he is playing upon, and of the music he is playing, which often includes forgotten little numbers you would never hear otherwise.

[@NakedMuso]

@@OrganMusicYT That's a fascinating observation, I need to make more time for listening. I've been a classical organist for most of my life and spend a lot of time listening to that. As I comment somewhere else, I wish I had made the effort to learn theatre organ properly years ago - old dogs & new tricks etc. Still, there's plenty of enjoyment to be had here. I'm looking in to Hauptwerk to replace my ageing 2 manual at home and it occurs to me they also have, I believe, some theatre organs. I can see me ending up buy a theatre console the way things are going 😉

[@OrganMusicYT]

​@@NakedMuso Having that classical background gives you a great foundation on which to build your theatre organ playing though. Many of the greats, Dixon, Finch, Maclean, Foort, even Phil Kelsall etc all had a classical organ background. Most of them never set out to be theatre organists, of course, it just happened, they had a skill and needed the work. Hauptwerk is fantastic, I've recently been toying around with the Albee Wurlitzer and it's absolutely brilliant! I'm sure you'll enjoy it, as getting access to the real deal, as lucky as we are to have almost 100 of them in the UK, isn't always easy.

[@cherylhelstowski3161]

Love your smooth style of playing using so much accompaniment sounds like an orchestra. I can listen to you play for hours. Thanks for your videos. Very enjoyable and soothing to the soul.

[@sydneystone9987]

Not only are you playing the organ so well, you’re playing some wonderful Smith Ballew on vocal in the beginning! Some of the BEST music ever!

[@SVElectone]

Bravo Mark! Just wonderful 😊

[@pinbot76]

Thank you for keeping a vanishing art form alive! Great performance and great sound quality as well.

[@johnman1286]

This video brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the performance and the excellent recording quality!

[@gregganderson5458]

The theater looks magnificent! The Mighty Wurlitzer is just that, Mighty! Mark you gave a mighty performance as well, really made that organ shine in that very resonant theater. Outstanding... Simply Outstanding!!

[@davidmccloskey84]

Mark I always enjoy your performances. Thank you sharing your talents with us.

[@jackraves7363]

thanks Mark for the beautifully played music and all involved to make this “visit “ possible 👍👍👍 👏👏👏 🙏🙏🙏

[@Yaledmot]

A relatively small organ for a Solo Scale Tibia. Very nice ensemble and a killer organ in the theatre.

[@darrenferreter5926]

It's a 10" tibia but the toes are opened pretty far. Clark Wilson, Brant Duddy and Kenny Crome all have had a part in the tonal finishing over the past 25ish years.

[@gregganderson5458]

Relatively small but a big sound. The voicing is great 👍🏻 and the acoustics are so live and yet balanced. This Wurlitzer sounds equally as good with the trems off as it does with trems on. I think all of the current leading organists will want to come to Iowa to play this gem. The Cedar Rapids Paramount Mighty Wurlitzer!! With this recording of Mark Herman to kick it off there will be recordings, concerts and shows featuring this organ. I want to hear more of it... and Mark Herman too. I live in Fairfield, Iowa and will have to take a drive up to Cedar Rapids soon.

[@stephenthompson5413]

I imagine the sensation of playing a theater organ a bit like roller skating through molasses.....

[@nfexec1312]

Huh? How so??

[@timfees3233]

Thank you, Mark, for performing tonight! The last time I heard the Paramount Wurlitzer was when David Rhodes played back it in 2017. I was amazed at how good the organ sounds now and how well you played! Thanks for putting it through its paces. It and you never faltered.

[@henrybird26]

Thank you Mark for including The Music Man in your selections. I was in a High School production of The Music Man. I was in the quartet. It brings back many memories.I sang badly, but it was great fun. Thank you so much!

[@Camop-iz9kt]

Another awesome concert! Thanks as always.

[@patrickchambers5999]

When I graduated from 8th grade, we graduates sang 3 songs from The Music Man (we were awful). I still remember that 62 years later. I also saw the stage production from the second balcony of Chicago's Schubert Theatre earlier that Spring of 1960. The second balcony was all I could afford from my afternoon paper route (admission plus transportation to downtown Chicago and back

[@mccuenoirfilms]

Amazing!

[@ZestyLemonBoi]

Brilliant!

[@andrewoldham1]

How amazing to see such a beautiful theatre come alive once again. Thank goodness that historic Wurlitzer was also preserved. Sounds amazing and thanks for entertaining us once again. Your a very talented man. I don’t know if you have visited Blackpool Tower in the UK which still has its majestic ballroom and Wurlitzer organ entertaining holiday makers everyday since 1894.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

When I think of Iowa, the musical that comes to mind is State Fair.

[@billz4071]

A fantastic job on the remodeling of the building! More than delighted to see that they did restore the organ to its glory again. Speaking of that, it sounds incredible also. I so much enjoy to hear you play, but especially for this event to showcase this fine instrument. Thank You, Mark for the Wonderful performance.

[@GregCrease]

A great camera angle to appreciate your technique.

[@Raze_134]

I could feel the Widor Toccata coming at the end of King Kong. I wasn't expecting it to be used as a transition though!

[@silaslongshot941]

I played the organ about 60 years ago and foolishly gave it up, and I regret that decision for about 50 years. The closest organ of that magnitude anywhere near me is the "Mighty Mo" in the Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA.

[@allegheny48]

Hi Mark - Thanks so much for this wonderful concert. I well remember seeing all the devastation caused by the flooding and it warmed my heart to see it all restored. If you are in the northeast Ohio area there is a wonderful 3-17 Kimball in Lakeside High School in Ashtabula, OH. What was the name of the 1920's song that both opened and closed this video?

[@AndyBHome]

Mark Herman lives a charmed life. When he needs to be good, as he seemingly always is, he produces some of the most delightful music around. But when he needed to be bad 11:40, he rose to the occasion and played poorly! LOL What a great story!

[@randellfranklynbusby2334]

Rather than those who seem compelled to use battlehorn reeds in every measure of every song, it is so nice to hear an organist able to explore the vast tonal resources the of theater organ. Of the current crop of young organists, Mark and Justin Stahl seem to be a couple of the few "organ players" (bangers) worthy of the title Organist.

[@brpaulandrew]

Great job on the audio for the organ. Not the easiest instrument to record. While in St. Louis for a number of years, I heard the great Wurlitzer at the Fox Theater a number of times.

[@guyindiman8701]

Oh darn! How unfortunate that I couldn't be there. I would have requested Louis Vierne's Second Organ Symphony. Virgil Fox made a recording of the First Movement that always knocks my socks off.

[@richardharrold9736]

Vierne on a small 12-rank Wurlitzer? Hmm! It might just work, after a fashion... some of his more bizarre pieces like the Scherzi from the Symphonies and things like Feux Follets, Gargouilles et Chimères etc could perhaps use some of the theatre organ's quirkier colours...

[@b.larson3151]

I'd love to see a silent film set with Mark performing the soundtrack. I stumbled on this video when I was looking up history on Denver's Paramount. Honestly, the Cedar Rapids Paramount looks to be in incredible shape compared to Denver Paramount. I just shot an HBO show in DEN there and is a bit run down; but they use it for all kinds of shows.

[@garyjones9095]

Can't wait to see you back in indy for Halloween

[@ivylavoix]

the Widor Toccata....all the EASY THINGS he says!

[@davidcarson4421]

He seems to rarely, if ever, use the third manual. Is there some logical reason for this?

[@thetheatreorgan168]

Does anyone have time stamps for songs?

[@patrickchambers5999]

With an organ under your hands, I bet you can really play a "trumpet" now! (And even do chords on it!!)