CP819

FOLLOW P-D-I
My Experiences as an AAF B-25 Pilot During World War II
by Dan Bowling
(Hardback).

“Follow P-D-I” tells the story of a young B-25 bomber pilot’s military life while attached to the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. As a squadron lead and group lead pilot of the 57th Bomb Wing, 321st Group, 445th Squadron, twenty-two year old Dan Bowling flew sixty-seven combat missions over Northern Italy between August 1944 and May 1945.

Based on his war diary and a long forgotten, expanded account he wrote soon after leaving the military, the story traces his war time experiences including induction into the Army at San Pedro, California, aviation cadet school, combat missions, and his return home. After graduation from aeronautical school in late 1943 and before being sent overseas, Bowling and three other pilots were given experimental training in advanced instrument flying – an invaluable skill while flying in inclement weather. In 1944, Bowling flew, along with several other planes, from Miami, Florida to Africa via Ascension Island and was stationed at Corsica where he joined the 321st Group. During the next ten months, Bowling and the 445th Squadron concentrated most of their energy on military targets held by the Germans in Northern Italy including Galliate, Roverto, Argenta, Ostiglia, Bologna, Bozzola, Vipetano and the Brenner Pass. The book chronicles about a third of Bowling’s combat missions, and describes daily life on primitive Army air force bases. It is illustrated with numerous period photos and contains an appendix of rare, original documents relating to air operations during World War II.

And what does “Follow P-D-I” mean? The Pilot’s Direction Indicator (PDI) was an instrument that worked in conjunction with the top secret, precision Norden bomb sight. Just before the plane arrived over the target, the bombardier would assume control of the plane, open the bomb bay doors, commence the bomb run and coordinate the planes direction via steering commands that were sent to the PDI located on the top left side of the pilot’s instrument panel. Essentially a right/left needle, as the bombardier adjusted his bomb sight for drift, the pilot would “Follow PDI” making small corrections in the plane’s course by keeping the PDI needle centered. After 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 “Bombs away,” control of the plane was returned to the pilot.

CP817

Between The Keys – Confessions of a Classical Pianist
by Jack Richard Crossan
(Paperback).

Here’s the story of a pianist who mounted a successful career without New York recitals, European tours or International Competitions. Raised on the West Coast, the Hollywood Bowl and NBC Radio co-sponsored the 19-year old pianist in a national broadcast of his live performance of Franck’s Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra. A year later, while still a student at the University of Southern California, his first solo recordings were heard throughout Europe and Asia on the Armed Forces Radio Networks. Soon world-class artists (including John Charles Thomas and Igor Gorin) engaged Crossan to accompany them on their U. S. tours and led to Crossan’s solo appearances throughout the West. After five successful seasons with Columbia Artists Management, Crossan became a Multiple Keyboard Artist with a repertoire from Bach to Lennon and signed with ABC-Dunhill. His first Westminster LP “Keyboard Kaleidoscope” made Billboard’s classical charts and helped launch the crossover music genre. Crossan’s daring versatility on Piano, Clavichord, Harpsichord and Celeste led to a wild scene at California’s Chino State Prison. Wearing an elegant tux with a garish burgundy jacket, a pink ruffled shirt, black bow tie and sporting long blond hair plus gold rimmed glasses, he strode out on the Chino gym stage and bounced from keyboard to keyboard! Catcalls and screams from the all-male inmates threatened to knock him off the stage, but he persisted. “Bach Behind Bars” was released to huge airplay and publicity including an interview with Regis Philbin. Today, Crossan has returned to the piano, his musical instincts sharper than ever and is now turning out his finest interpretations in a series of Cambria CDs. His zest for making music is on every page of this book.

Eva Gustavson, a genuine contralto, arrived in America from her native Norway in 1949 and that same year was selected by Arturo Toscanini to appear as “Amneris” in his televised performance of Verdi’s Aida.

The daughter of a professional violinist-conductor, young Eva soon became an accomplished tap-dancer, acrobatist and singer. She soon joined a traveling cabaret troupe but was later advised to quit if she wanted to become a serious singer. During the early days of World War II, Gustavson received a scholarship to the Stockholm Opera School in neutral Sweden where she was separated from her family who were stranded in Nazi occupied Norway. After the War, Gustavson headed to Milan, Italy to perfect her vocal craft (encouraged by mentor Kirsten Flagstad) and during the next 15 years performed major roles in European opera houses including over 300 Carmen’s, her signature role, in multiple languages. Gustavson settled on the West Coast in the mid-1950s, raised a family, and continued to appear in concert, including a performance of Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol, with the composer conducting. For 17 years, she was Professor of Voice at the University of Southern California.

Shooting Star traces Gustavson’s colorful career across Europe and America, the tragic premature loss of her beloved son Lars, and her continued life-time commitment to community service through sharing her vocal artistry and dramatic talents to the world.

CP819

Just Tell The Story – Troubled Island
The Saga of William Grant Still’s Opera Troubled Island
(Hardback – 603 pages, illustrations)

Drawing upon primary source material made public for the first time, Just Tell The Story, Troubled Island, allows historians, musicologists, scholars, and interested parties the opportunity to experience first-hand the heart –wrenching and tragic struggle that took place during the mounting of William Grant Still’s magnificent opera Troubled Island. This volume clarifies the multitude of myths, half-truths and controversies that have obscured the history of the opera to this day. There has never been a compendium like this one, which offers a glimpse of the intrigues that have characterized American music in past decades.

CP804