/2020/07/dmp-Carved-in-Stone.jpg Songs: Take The A Train (3:18) – Written by Billy Strayhorn Satin Doll (3:50) – Written by Duke Ellington, Lyrics by Billy Strayhorn and Johnny Mercer Volga Boatman: (3:20) – Russian Folk Song Arranged by Bill Finnegan Cute: (2:34) – Written by Neal Hefti, Updated by Alan Foust Shinny Stockings (4:59) – Written by […]

  The following introduction was delivered at the Actuaries Club of Philadelphia’s (ACP) meeting on Nov. 19, 2014:   “For the first time in the history of the ACP, the person who will introduce the health session speaker will get his own introduction. Let me repeat that —the person introducing the session speaker will get […]

The Music Corner   Few people get to realize any of their lives’ dreams.  I’m one of the fortunate ones.  My story begins almost a half century ago in the southern New Jersey town of Willingboro, one of many post-war era planned suburban communities of the ‘50s and ‘60s.   As a child and adolescent, […]

Amy King, daughter of the legendary Bucs announcer Nellie King, is flanked by, at left, Doug and Jim Sadowski, of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, at the book signing and discussion of A Bitter Cup of Coffee that was held at the Barnes & Noble in the South Hills Village Mall, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. […]

As baseball has evolved over its long, rich history, statistics have assumed increasing relevance, becoming nearly as hallowed as sacred relics in the hearts and minds of fans.  As a young boy, for instance, I was acutely aware that Cy Young had achieved 511 wins, that Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak, and that […]

When The Man from U.N.C.L.E. debuted in the mid 1960’s, I was too young to understand the cold war between the U.S. and Russia, but old enough to enjoy this hit “spy versus spy” TV series.  Blonde David McCallum and dark-haired, dark-eyed Robert Vaughn played good guy espionage agents Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo, respectively.  […]

Wandering through my local library on a recent visit, I stumbled upon “The Yankee Years” by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci.  A lifelong Phillies’ fan with an anti-New York sports team bias, I am probably among the least likely candidates to read a book like this one.  Yet, as an enthusiastic baseball fan (it is […]

It is an honor for WriteOnNewJersey to have communicated with Mark Chernoff, Vice President of Sports Programming, CBS Radio and Operations Manager of WFAN, past and current home to some of sports talk radio’s most distinguished luminaries in the genre’s pantheon.   He has graciously answered questions about his career in the medium, including his background […]

A member of Hollywood’s famed Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr. appeared to have it all:  he was a five-tool entertainer.   An extremely talented artist, Sammy sang, danced, acted in film as well as the Broadway stage, and played musical instruments.   Perhaps his greatest feat was to steal the hearts of the American public, who deeply […]

Brian Pastor is one of the premier trombonists in the universe.  He is the Principal Trombonist with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.  In 1994, as a vehicle for professional musicians to play big band jazz music and provide a showcase for great jazz soloists, arrangers and composers, he founded The Brian Pastor Big Band […]