STARK COUNTY
2 legends: Massillon Tiger Swing Band to perform Sammy Nestico. Original piece by Amy Knapp, Massillon Independent, Published August 18, 2023
KEY POINTS
• The Massillon Tiger Swing Band will perform a piece composed by Sammy Nestico for a documentary about the composer.
• The band will debut the song - "We Can Do It (if we try) - during the halftime show of the Tigers' season opener on Friday.
• The show - A salute to Nestico - will include three songs, including "88 Basie Street" and "Good News."
Massillon Tiger Swing Band Director, Jason Neel
MASSILLON – Sammy Nestico's musical career spanned more than seven decades performing, composing and arranging music. While he performed with a number of high-profile musicians and ensembles, he was best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie Orchestra. He also arranged music for the U.S. Air Force Band and U.S. Marine Band. He has written commercial jingles and music for TV and movies; wrote arrangements for school students and advocated for young musicians; and worked with a variety of legendary artists, including Phil Collins, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Nestico also had a relationship with Massillon. The Massillon Tiger Swing Band will debut an original Nestico composition during today's halftime performance at the Tigers' season opener against Valdosta (Georgia), which is at 7 p.m. at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The song was written for a documentary about Nestico's life and the band also will record the song for the film.
Connecting the dots from Sammy Nestico to Tiger Swing Band
So how did a famous American composer get connected with the City of Champions?
Film producer diane estelle Vicari is creating a documentary called "The Shadow Man" about Nestico. She worked with the Massillon Museum years ago as part of the Nelly Toll exhibit and is creating a separate documentary to tell the story of Toll and her mother, who were forced into hiding from Nazis occupying Poland in 1943. Museum Director Alexandra Nicholis Coons and Vicari cultivated a friendship. During a conversation with Vicari, she shared stories about Nestico, including how he began painting later in life. After a talk at the museum was canceled due to the pandemic, Vicari was invited to do a Facebook Live discussion with the museum in 2020 and Nestico appeared as a surprise guest. "It was his very first Zoom he did," Nicholis Coon said. "It might have been his last live interview or one of his last." Nestico died Jan. 17, 2021, at the age of 96.
'Would it not be fantastic if we see if the Massillon Tiger Swing Band could play the song?'
During their discussions about Nestico, Vicari shared that he was still composing, including an arrangement he wrote for a marching band. He decided he needed to write "a young, happy swinging march," Vicari told her friend. He composed the song "We Can Do It (if we try)." It was earmarked to run with the credits of the film. "She's telling me all this and I am like, 'Wait a second. Would it not be fantastic if we see if the Massillon Tiger Swing Band could play the song?'" Nicholis Coon said. Working together with the film director and Nestico, who viewed videos of the band and gave his blessing to allow them to play his original work, Nicholis Coon facilitated a three-way call with Swing Band Director Jason Neel. Thrilled to be working with the well-known composer, Neel had the idea to dedicate one of the band's halftime shows to Nestico.
"This was born out of an existing relationship," Nicholis Coon said. "It was made out of making connections and I love to do that. The opportunity presented itself and the pieces fit. It's one of those special things. Those students and their performance will be immortalized in that film and be the first ones to perform this song."
Alexandra Nicholis Coons: 'I saw the potential to join two legendary forces'
Nestico is top tier, Tiger Swing Band assistant director Jen Smithhisler said. She grew up playing his works and continues to include them as selections for her jazz band students. "It's really cool. Our kids are familiar with his arrangements," she said. Besides his work with many well-known musicians, Nestico had a love for education, she said. "He said you don't get these amazing ensembles without starting somewhere," Smithhisler said. "You have to write good music for kids to fall in love with music." Since the first contact with Nestico, Neel has been working to create a halftime show to salute Nestico. At today's halftime performance, the Swing Band will take the field and perform three of Nestico's pieces, including the song written for the documentary. The opener is "Good News" followed by "88 Basie Street." They will close the show with "We Can Do It (if we try)." Vicari will join a film crew at the game to document the performance. Footage will be used in the film, Nicholis Coon said. The museum is underwriting the film crew, with Nicholis Coon adding they see value in a project not only remembering Nestico but also documenting the band. Before his death, Nestico had plans to visit the students. The band will head to a local recording studio to record the song for the film, she added. "I saw the potential to join two legendary forces — celebrating Massillon’s unique marching band tradition, while paying tribute to an incredible American composer," Nicholis Coon said.