October 1982, Florida Bravados at the Hollywood Greyhound Track, Claude Gaudette, electric piano; Michael Hyman, guitar; Joe Fraticelli and Marty K., sax; Zach Corner, bass; Charlotte Mucci, lead vocals; Doc Gerard, drums.
Around 1975, Mike Hyman followed Doc Gerard, who was doing his internship and residency at the University of Miami, and moved to South Florida where he formed a version of The Bravados there as an oldies band. Mongo Booth flew down for each group of jobs and when they became quite busy, actually moved to Florida for about a year. Vocals meanwhile were augmented by Charlotte Solomon who channeled Connie Francis and Brenda Lee with remarkable accuracy. Horns were often added to the group depending upon the size of the appearance.
In 1976 they played at Senator Scoop Jackson’s post-primary party in Miami, followed by a two-year stint at the Howard Johnsons in North Miami. (Reflections perhaps of the Magictones at the Holiday Inn from “The Blues Brothers”?) In 1979 they were featured at Larry Csonka’s Stagger Lee’s in Pompano, in 1980 at the Newport Hotel, at Sundays in Pompano appearing with the Belmonts, and in 1982 their biggest gig, before 15,000 attendees at the Hollywood Greyhound Track. In 1985 they even spent a week as the inaugural act at a club in the Cayman Islands.
Mike as the final keeper of the Bravados flame kept this going until the mid-nineties, by which time even this good thing finally came to an end.
From left to right: At Stagger Lee’s circa 1978 (From left to right: Mongo Booth, Marty Kaye, Vince, Bob Henderson, Doc Gerard, Charlotte Hyman, Mike Hyman and Jeff Hyman); a Florida Bravados poster; Mongo Booth at The Rum Keg, Howard Johnsons circa 1977
But the math of the band’s duration is startling. For a full thirty-five years, the Bravados continued to play good ol’ rock and roll music for crowds big and small at literally hundreds of venues. This may just be remarkable.
BRUCE BERGMAN (guitar) – Music remained relevant to the founder of The Bravados and even after admission to the bar in 1970 he was very active in the club date business – the wedding, country club and cotillion circuit – as a bass player, guitarist and singer, leading jobs for society bandleaders Meyer Davis, Lester Lanin, Peter Duchin, and Ben Cutler, playing jobs as well for Skitch Henderson, Ray Bloch, Bill Harrington and Herb Sherry. He also formed his own society group which for a number of years in the early seventies was the house band at The Princeton Club of New York. In 1975, he penned the book “How To Make Money Playing Rock Guitar” (published by G. Schirmer), followed by “The Complete Easy Guide To Playing Rock Music“. He was then writing articles on guitar technique for Guitar Player Magazine, a number of which appeared in the compendium volume “Rock Guitar”, with pieces by Lee Ritenour, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Carlos Santana and Rick Derringer, continuing as an active player until 1984. Beginning in 1979 he was three times elected to the Long Beach (New York) City Council, serving through 1988, credited as instrumental in reviving the fortunes of a once declining city, thereafter continuing his public service as counsel to the New York State Senate through 2011. He is today a prominent real estate-mortgage litigation attorney (based in Garden City, New York), the writer of more than 500 published legal articles, a frequent lecturer for lawyers and judges and author of the four-volume treatise, Bergman on New York Mortgage Foreclosures, LexisNexis Matthew Bender, published in 1990, revised twice a year since then and cited with regularity by the courts.
GARY GROSS (guitar) – A successful pawnbroker and jeweler (Bon Jovi appreciated his wares), he was for his career the proprietor of S&G Gross, a landmark store for more than one hundred years steps from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, retired as of 2016.
JOHN “MONGO” BOOTH (vocals) – Unable to complete Cornell (Stuyvesant High graduates typically could), he eventually earned his degree from City College, but nonetheless worked a blue-collar job for the New York Transit Authority for his career. A heavy smoker, he was claimed by lung cancer in the late 1990’s. No one knew until letters sent to his Manhattan apartment by concerned Bravados were returned marked “deceased”.
JEFF RECKSEIT (bass) – Before joining The Bravados in 1963, Jeff had already experienced some musical success, working with recording artist Mickey Lee Lane and the Lane-Turns as well as Richard Perry and the Escorts, (later, a well known record producer) at Trude Heller’s in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. The singer in that group was Goldie Zelkowitz, later to tour with Goldie and the Gingerbreads, then with Ten Wheel Drive under the name Genya Ravan. Jeff later commented that he felt privileged to have been a member of the Bravados in the early days. He had moved to Boston where he played throughout Massachusetts and on up to New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine with several bands as well as his own group, The Funny Company, which he fronted. He then went on the road, traveling with an all-girl band out of Nashville called Fancy Friends. Back in Boston, he joined another road band, Jimmy Vee and the Common People, a Vegas-type show band. In 1974, living in Maryland, he adopted the stage name Jeff Rex, and played with many bands including the Davis Brothers, The Paladins, Eric Vance, the Moonshine Riders, Frank Turner, Juke Box Live, and the Rhythmix. Having retired in 2001 from the investment industry and music, he was becoming accustomed to a quiet life at home when 10 years later in the summer of 2011 he was called by a well-known guitarist in the Baltimore area, inviting him to sing and play bass as a duo in a local club. It became a four-piece band called the Cadillac Kings. Said Jeff: “In some ways, that was more fun than ever, but deep down inside, I’ll always be a Bravado.”
JOHN DEWITT (bass) – Although an engineering graduate with a masters degree, he was the most bitten by the music bug. That led to pursuing an advanced degree in music, authoring a music book for bass players, and a career teaching bass and performing. Along the way he played bass for such acts as Patti LaBelle, Edie Adams, Bo Diddley, Julius LaRosa, Al Martino, Samantha Sang and the Jimmy Dorsey and Les Elgart Orchestras. In 2013 he retired to Florida’s west coast. His book “John DeWitt’s Rhythmic Figures For Bassists” was coincidentally reviewed in the same column and the same issue in 1976 of Guitar Player Magazine as was Bruce Bergman’s book “How to Make Money Playing Rock Guitar”. Who could predict that two guys who played in a band one year at Cornell would both write music books some ten years later which would remain united.
JEFF NEWMAN (drums) – He is a prominent, nationally recognized real estate attorney and has published two books – one on negotiations and the other on leadership, with a third on marketing and personal branding due out in 2013 published by Wolters Kluwer.
GENE COGGSHALL (bass) – Being an intellectual musician is always a welcome quality; Gene had read Cornellian Thomas Pynchon’s opus, “V.”, and helpfully proselytized about it. When he returned to Ithaca in the Fall of ’66 for his MFA, he continued his bass playing with the group Back Alley, eventually moved to New Jersey and went on to a successful career in business. A sweet, smart, funny guy, his family lost him to Parkinson’s Disease in 2012.
LARRY LAUFER (piano, organ) – Talented, but darkly unhappy, genuine musical success might have been in his future (note his backup vocals and organ playing with Crazy Elephant on the number 12 hit from ’69 “Gimme Gimme Good Loving”) but he took his own life some time in the early seventies, too few years after the joys of the Summer of ’66.
AARON PRESTUP (drums) – The kid who was too young to drink when he propelled The Bravados at The Blossom and at Lou’s has long been a successful periodontist in New Jersey.
MARK WALLACE (vocals) – Having attended dental school at Howard University, he decided to stay in the Washington, D.C. area where he has been a successful dentist ever since, still active as of 2016.
SONI EDWARDS (vocals) – Now Sondra Buesing Riley, she is director of the cooperative education and internship program at Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey. While at Cornell with The Bravados, Soni’s singing so impressed the band’s booking agent, John Perialas, that he offered her a recording contract. Because education had to be paramount, though, her parents rejected the idea. But as fate would have it, she went on years later to record with the gospel choir Jubilation, found on the compilation CD “Oh Happy Day” on which Queen Latifah sings the title track with the group’s backing. That recording earned three 2010 Grammy nominations, winning in the category of Best Traditional Gospel Music; kudos indeed for another Bravado alum.
JOE MOONEY (drums) – The reliable drummer in The Cornell Bravados (1964-1966) passed away in 2019. Joe spent much of his life in public service in Florida after graduating from Ithaca College. He first worked as a planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Planning Commission. Later as a planner and assistant to the City Manager of Gainseville, Florida. In 1969 he was appointed by the Governor as State Model Cities Program Director for Miami and Tampa and in 1971, was appointed Director for the Florida Division of Housing and Community Development, authoring the bill that created the Florida Housing Finance Agency. His lengthy public service thereafter was dedicated and impressive. He was also a good guy.
MICHAEL HYMAN (guitar) – He moved to South Florida to practice law and kept a version of The Bravados going there as an oldies group through the mid-1990’s. (Mongo flew down for the engagements.) Sadly, he passed away in the spring of 2013 still a devoted fan of the old sounds, but knowing that his daughter, Paula, was carrying on the musical tradition as a professional trumpet player.
(DR.) RICK GERARD (drums) – He, too, settled in South Florida where he has been a successful orthopedist since the 1970’s. After leaving The Bravados, he formed the Band of Gold – an oldies group with his daughter Michelle as lead singer. Later he joined the ContraBand playing local Florida clubs and were the opening act for touring groups such as The Turtles. In recent years he has been playing drums and signing with The Vintage Rock Project out of Ft. Lauderdale.
JEFFREY WARREN HYMAN (organ) – As did his older brother Mike Hyman and Doc Gerard, he moved to South Florida and continued playing with that version of the Bravados. He is a tax accountant with offices in Pemboke Pines, an amateur astronomer of some note (visit You Tube for that) and enjoys collecting Corvettes (six and still counting).
DON RODGERS (guitar) – Don was a decorator for his career and was until 2015 president of Don Rodgers Interiors, Inc., confining his work to special projects commensurate with his listing as one of the top ten designers in Long Island. Now residing in Melville, New York, he devotes much time to his love of tennis and has captained or been on teams that earned a trip to the National Championships four times with the USTA. Although he never touched a guitar since “retiring” from the Bravados in 1975, he still, and always will, consider himself leader of the “last group of NY Bravados” –and a Bravados CD is always in one of his cars, at the ready to bring him back to the great times.
LAWRENCE “LARRY” BERGMAN (voiceover introduction to sweet sixteen party tracks on Rollercoaster Records release) – Born in 1913 he was 50 when he made this introduction with his dulcet tones. The father of Bruce Bergman and his sister Fern, the sweet sixteen celebrant, he was a graduate of New York’s City College-so difficult to accomplish during the great depression-with a degree in chemistry, a scholar, wordsmith and conspicuous gentleman. He passed away in 2003, a week before his ninetieth birthday.
THE STUDIO RECORDINGS: 1. I Want To Do It – Recorded 1965, Empire Broadcasting, New York, NY Lead Vocals: Mongo Booth; Guitar: Bruce Bergman & Gary Gross; Bass: Jeff Reckseit; Drums: Jeff Newman 2. I Said-A-Hey – Recorded 1966, National Broadcasting Studios, 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Lead Vocals: Larry Laufer; Backup Vocals and Bass: Gene Coggshall; Guitar: Bruce Bergman; Organ: Larry Laufer; Drums: Jeff Newman 3. Bye Bye Baby – Recorded 1965, Empire Broadcasting, New York, NY Lead Vocals: Mongo Booth; Guitar: Bruce Bergman & Gary Gross; Bass: Jeff Reckseit; Drums: Jeff Newman 4. The Waddle – As #1, above 5. The Memory of Your Lovin’As #1, above – Remix of the 1965 recording by Chris Hopkins (2025) 6. Life’s Too Short – Recorded 1963, Brooklyn, NY Lead Vocals: Mark Wallace; Backup Vocals: The Echoes (Harry Boyle and Tom Morrissey); Guitar: Bruce Bergman: & Gary Gross; Bass: Jeff Reckseit; Drums: Aaron Prestup 7. The Monkey Waddle – As #6, above 8. The Memory Of Your Lovin’ – 2nd version As #2 above – the first version recorded was at medium tempo. Here is speeded up and benefits from Larry’s organ work. 9. Tears Must Fall – Recorded 1966, National Broadcasting Studios, 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Lead Vocals: Mongo Booth; Guitar: Bruce Bergman; Organ: Larry Laufer; Bass: Gene Coggshall; Drums: Jeff Newman 10. The Memory Of Your Lovin’ – Original version from 1965 of #5, the 2005 remix 11. I Want To Do It – An alternate mix of #1 The Blossom Lounge, Live recordings – Summer 1963 It is miraculous that this tape too was made at all and that it survived, although only a small portion was usable. This was a real professional beginning for The Bravados: Mongo Booth, vocals, Bruce Bergman and Gary Gross on guitar, Jeff Reckseit on bass and, new to the group, Aaron Prestup on drums. The tracks conclude with an actual closing, their theme song, the great King Curtis instrumental, “Soul Twist”, Gary on lead here, Bruce doing the M.C. voice bidding goodnight. 12. Bye Bye Baby 13. He Don’t Love You 14. Village Of Love 15. Monkey Waddle 16. Soul Twist The Sweet Sixteen, March 1963 – Live Recordings 17. Stick Shift 18. Drivin’ Back 19. RiffinIthaca
As related, The Bravados were a nascent, reforming, group in the summer of ‘63 when they returned from college. Only guitarist Bruce Bergman was musically active that year, playing regularly at Cornell and honing musical skills … selling his Danelectro and buying a Fender Jazzmaster in December 1962 to meet Cornell musical standards. In March ‘63 Bruce’s sister Fern was celebrating her sweet sixteenth at their home in North Woodmere, New York.
Bruce, home for the event, recruited Gary Gross on guitar – unfortunately no bass was available – the drummer is uncertain and the barely heard piano player was probably Larry Laufer, and most likely, Richie Goldman on drums. The voice-over intro to the event is by Larry Bergman, father of Bruce and Fern.
The ‘Last Recordings’ – Other discoveries on tape were recorded between 1969 and 1978 20. I Don’t Wanna Cry – Recorded: unknown location and date, probably 1969 Mongo Booth, lead vocal; Jeffrey Hyman, Hammond organ; probably, Rick Gerrard, drums and vocal 21. I’ve Had It – Recorded May 6, 1972, at Ultra Sonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island NY Rick Gerard, vocals and drums; Don Rodgers, lead guitar and vocals; Michael Axelrod, bass; Michael Hyman, rhythm guitar and vocals; Mongo Booth, vocals 22. It’s My Party – Recorded 1978 at a 50’s costume bash at The Marina Bay Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Charlotte Solomon, vocals; Michael Hyman, guitar; Jeffrey Hyman, organ and bass; Marty Kaye, sax; Bob Henderson, drums 23. My Pledge Of Love – Recorded May 6, 1972, at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island NY Mongo Booth, lead vocals; Michael Hyman, Guitar and background vocals; Michael Axelrod, bass; Jeffrey Hyman, Hammond organ; Rick Gerard, drums and background vocals; Bruce Bergman, background vocals 24. Medley: Those Oldies But Goodies; Since I Fell For You; Goodnight My Love; Donna; Silhouettes; For Your Precious Love; Sunday Kind Of Love; You Belong To Me; So Young; Those Oldies But Goodies – Recorded May 6, 1972, at Ultra Sonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island NY Rick Gerard, vocals and drums; Don Rodgers, lead guitar and vocals; Michael Axelrod, bass; Michael Hyman, rhythm guitar and vocals; Mongo Booth, vocals 25. Remember Then – Recorded May 6, 1972, at Ultra Sonic Studios, Hempstead, Long Island NY Mongo Booth, vocal; Rick Gerard, vocals and drums; Don Rodgers, lead guitar and vocals; Michael Axelrod, bass; Michael Hyman, rhythm guitar and vocals
CD 2 – The Live Fraternity Party Recordings For all Fraternity Party recordings personnel: Mongo Booth, vocals, Bruce Bergman, guitar (and occasional backup vocals), John DeWitt, bass, and Joe Mooney, drums.
The clubs in Ithaca in the sixties were terrific places to imbibe, dance and listen to top bands. These were havens for Cornell and Ithaca College students -townies too. But playing there was an adjunct to the extensive fraternity party scene in which The Bravado’s participated with such relish during their four year college tenure.
In the course of the ‘64 – ‘65 school year they played at least twice at Lambda Chi Alpha. Bass player John DeWitt serendipitously decided to set up a tape recorder on two occasions but there was insufficient planning given to placement of the microphone, so for one gig, it was near the bass, guitar and vocals then relegated more to the background. For the other appearance the mic position was reversed, de-emphasizing the bass. Nonetheless, this exciting example of the Ithaca sound is preserved. What precisely that remains difficult to define, but it was exemplified by a sharp drive with crisp treble on guitar, abetted by wide use of Fender guitars and amps, solid bass and some drum emphasis on the floor tom. Musically, Ithaca was both insular and worldly at the same time – isolated as an enclave in a rural county, incestuous, as an abundance of musicians played in various bands from time to time, but cultivated by interacting with the many well known outside groups that played at Cornell on the frequent major weekends. This was melded with being astute enough to adopt styles and sounds heard on black radio stations.
When this release was being contemplated in 2016, the breadth of Bravados’ studio material was limited and so inquiry was made as to the availability of anything else. Fortunately, the tape of the two jobs had been preserved by bass player John DeWitt. Years ago he put it on a cassette and gave it to guitarist Bruce Bergman – so he knew it existed – but the fidelity of that version was unusable. Felicitously, the original tape survived fifty-one years in decent shape, allowing DeWitt to download it directly through a computer to a disk, which was then shipped to England so sonic wizards at Rollercoaster Records, could implement their engineering legerdemain.
The welcome result is that selections from those lost animated performances have been revived to remind what those precious moments sounded like – the energy and the joy of a Cornell fraternity party circa ‘64 -’65 reclaimed: The Bravados live at Lambda Chi Alpha.
The tracks are the story of great sixties songs, all worthy of context, but with only these few additional comments, for illustration:
NIGHT TRAIN (Bravados theme) – Mongo knew this James Brown number, obscure to most people. But it grabbed us; a riveting instrumental riff. It opens, and closes Disc 2, as the Bravados always closed their sets, sometimes with an overlay of patter, as heard here, the opener by Mongo, the closer by Bruce.
MICKEY’S MONKEY – As intoned by Mongo, “Is everybody ready?… Somebody must be ready!” And so they were. This was part of what the fun would be at parties, a good example of the Ithaca sound, particularly the lone guitar filling the solos with chords and notes.
A FOOL IN LOVE – Ike and Tina Turner were great even in 1963, but one had to listen to black radio stations, or be among the cognoscenti in Ithaca (as the musicians were) to appreciate them. So The Bravados were included as devotees and just loved this – obviously great for a party.
KANSAS CITY – Sure, Wilbert Harrison’s number one song from 1960 was played by all bands – like the Beatles – but for good reason. This is a particularly driving rendition.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE BLUES – this was a Lloyd Price B side known to few, but Ithaca bands discovered and loved it. So did the Bravados, who always played it with verve, a particular favorite.
THE WADDLE – This live version, a bit slower and grittier than the studio take, with air and inescapable underlying propulsion is – along with “Money” – the quintessential sense of what it was like to dance at a Cornell fraternity party in that era. Feel it.
MONEY – It needn’t be said that The Beatles knew their stuff, and they covered this Barrett Strong early Motown winner. Here though, the floor tom is so solid and elemental, the unison bass and guitar riff so infectiously repeated and driving that it rises to a special level, again capturing (as with The Waddle) the truest sense of a party at that time and place.
Many of the live recordings were made on domestic tape recorders and microphones; thus the quality of cases distortion and other defects may remain. However, we feel that the excitement of these live recordings will be appreciated as a bonus related to the masters and demos on CD 1.
CD 1: Studio And Other Historic Recordings 1 – I Want To Do It (Bob Feldman-Jerry Goldstein-Richard Gottehrer) Sony ATV (2:17) 2 – I Said A-Hey (Larry Laufer-Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (1:57) 3 – Bye Bye Baby (Mary Wells) Jobete Music (2:28) 4 – The Waddle (John Perialas-Bernard Milton) Copyright Control (3:15) 5 – The Memory of Your Lovin’ 2025 Remix (Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (2:52) 6 – Life’s Too Short (Lee Bonner-Philip Huth) MCA Music (2:41) 7 – Monkey Waddle (John Perialas-Bernard Milton) Copyright Control (2:26) 8 – The Memory of Your Lovin’ – Original version (Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (2:32) 9 – Tears Must Fall (Larry Laufer-Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (4:10) 10 – The Memory of Your Lovin’– 2nd version (Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (2:56) 11 – I Want To Do It – Slight return (Bob Feldman-Jerry Goldstein-Richard Gottehrer) Sony ATV (2:15) 12 – Bye Bye Baby (Mary Wells) Jobete Music (1:56) 13 – He Don’t Love You (Curtis Mayfield-Jerry Butler-Calvin Carter) Tristan Music (3:40) 14 – Village of Love (Nathaniel Mayer-Devora Brown) EMI Music (2:40) 15 – Monkey Waddle – 2nd version (John Perialas-Bernard Milton) Copyright Control (3:23) 16 – Soul Twist (Curtis Ousley) Peter Maurice Music (1:09) 17 – Stick Shift (Johnny Lageman-Henry Bellinger) EMI Music (3:01) 18 – Drivin’ Back (Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (2:54) 19 – RiffinIthaca(Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (2:34) 20 – I Don’t Wanna Cry (Chuck Jackson -Luther Dixon) EMI Longitude (2:28) 21 – I’ve Had It (Carl Bonura-Ray Ceroni) (2:51) 22 – It’s My Party (Seymour Gottlieb-Herb Wiener-John Gluck-Wally Gold) Chappell (2:44) 23 – My Pledge Of Love (Joe Stafford, Jr) Copyright Control (2:29) 24 – Medley: Those Oldies But Goodies(Various) Copyright Control (5:24) 25 – Remember Then (Beverly Ross-Tony Powers-Stan Vincent) Campbell Connelly 3:09)
CD 2 – The Live Fraternity Party Recordings 1 – Intro – Night Train (Jimmy Forrest- Oscar Washington) Carlin Music (2:18) 2 – Mickey’s Monkey (Lamont Dozier-Eddie Holland-Brian Holland) EMI/Jobete Music (4:13) 3 – A Fool In Love (Ike Turner) Warner Chappell Music (3:41) 4 – Land Of 1000 Dances (Chris Kenner) BMG Music (5:01) 5 – Pipeline (Brian Carman-Bob Spickard) Songs Of Universal Inc (2:34) 6 – The Memory Of Your Lovin’ (Bruce Bergman) Asterisk Music (3:41) 7 – Monkey Time (Curtis Mayfield) EMI Tunes (4:22) 8 – Louie Louie(Richard Berry) EMI Virgin (2:33) 9 – Sweets For My Sweet (Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman) Universal Songs (3:18) 10 – On State Street – On Broadway (Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller) EMI Music (3:51) 11 – The Waddle (John Perialas-Bernard Milton) Copyright Control (3:29) 12 – Money (Berry Gordy-Jane Bradford) EMI Music (3:19) 13 – It’s All Over Now (Bobby Womack-Shirley Womack) Abkco Music (2:03) 14 – Bye Bye Baby (Mary Wells) Jobete Music (2:40) 15 – When We Get Married (Donald Hogan) Warner Music (3:33) 16 – Have You Ever Had The Blues (Lloyd Price-Horace Logan) Peermusic (2:40) 17 – Hitch Hike (Marvin Gaye-Clarence Paul-William Stevenson) Jobete Music (2:58) 18 – Drip Drop (Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller) Universal Music (2:23) 19 – Kansas City (Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller) EMI Music (3:04) 20 – Once Upon A Time (Jimmy Johnson) Mercedes Music (3:31) 21 – Can’t You See That She’s Mine (Dave Clark-Mike Smith) Ardmore-Beechwood (2:39) 22 – I Want To Do It (Bob Feldman-Jerry Goldstein-Richard Gottehrer) Sony ATV (3:22) 23 – Outro – Night Train (Jimmy Forest- Oscar Washington) Carlin Music (1:51)
While the Bravados’ story is not confined to their years at Cornell (1962-1966), that tenure is the heart of the tale, the formative, the most exciting, the most adventurous of times and an archetype of the period.
The music of those hallowed days was recounted and celebrated – specifically related to the world events of those years – in a publication especially written for the Cornell class of 1966 thirtieth reunion. It was entitled “Memories of the Ivy Room – The Music of Our Times”.
Although perhaps of most meaning to Cornell attendees during those years, it will nonetheless offer nostalgic, enlightening recollections to anyone in college then, indeed, any person listening to popular music of that era.
And so, as an appropriate adjunct to the tale of the Bravados, the full original text of “Memories of the Ivy Room…” can be found here.
THE BRAVADOS, A 60s collegiate rock band 