Music, as some would say, runs in Dennis McGraw’s blood. His father was a singer. His sister, like his mother, was an accomplished pianist. And his brother, Michael McGraw, runs the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band. “It was definitely a
Music, as some would say, runs in Dennis McGraw’s blood.
His father was a singer. His sister, like his mother, was an accomplished pianist. And his brother, Michael McGraw, runs the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band.
“It was definitely a musical environment,” the Wisconsin native said of his upbringing.
McGraw has been in hundreds of instrumental performances but the Wailua resident said he has never been able to fulfill his desire to form a big band since he moved to Kauai in 1990. But all of that changed three months ago, when “a whole bunch of really good musicians moved here” and many of the original Frank Sinatra arrangements became available for purchase.
“It has been a pretty quick process — all of a sudden the stars have aligned,” McGraw said. “I gathered up all of their e-mail addresses and said to them, ‘I’m starting another big band. Are you interested?’ and all of them were.”
On Friday, Aug. 23, McGraw and the 17 members of his band, the David McGraw Big Band, will make their debut performance at the Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair. Their tribute performance to Frank Sinatra, Jr., McGraw said, will include a few guest singers and 12 classic tunes created to remember a man who made a lasting impression on McGraw and other Kauai residents.
Ol’ Blue Eyes, as it turns out, holds a special place in Kauai’s history.
In April 1952, Sinatra made a few appearances in Honolulu and agreed to help a struggling promoter on Kauai by providing six performances at the Kauai County Fair.
The chairman of the board later returned to Kauai in April 1964 to film “None But the Brave,” the only movie he ever directed, on Pilaa Beach.
As a part of the commemoration to Sinatra, McGraw and other concert organizers are looking for Kauai residents who saw one of Sinatra’s performances at the Kauai County Fair in 1952.
Information: Melissa McFerrin at 337-9944 or kcfb@hawaiiantel.net.
