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14 North Shore Towers Courier n August 2016 in Manhattan, when it wasn’t being used by Capitol Artists. My office abutted the studio and I frequently went in to hear the sessions. I met a lot of interesting and talented people during my decade at Capitol. In 1966, Silver, along with four other buddies decided to form their own orchestra. “One of the guys was guitarist Bob Thomas whom we all decided would be the nominal leader of the group, but we would all be equal partners,” Silver explained. “We rented a bungalow in the Catskill mountains and spent one entire weekend there putting together an actual hour and a half floor show complete with lights and choreography. This was well beyond what was being done at the time. The public took notice and the “Bob Thomas Orchestra” took off like the proverbial wildfire. The slogan of the band was “An Exciting New Concept in Music and Entertainment. Soon, demand exceeded the abilities of a single band and it wasn’t long before the Bob Thomas Orchestra expanded to five different, though equally talented groups. “We were the biggest act around…” Nor was it long before the Bob Thomas Orchestra attracted the attention of the Steven Scott Orchestra, the largest wedding band company in New York. “They wanted to absorb us,” Silver revealed. Eventually, in 1979, the two formed a partnership, and throughout the ’80s and ’90s, according to Silver, “were at the top of their game, having offices in three states.” Besides performing and arranging music, Silver handled the booking, juggling the schedules of all the company’s bands, which were constantly in demand throughout the Tri-State area. According to Silver, it was not unusual for him to contract 40–50 groups in a single weekend. It also meant managing last minute substitutions of talent, due to a regular musician having to abruptly drop out of a job, due to sickness or personal reason, and finding new talent, a task made easier by Silver’s sterling reputation of “always treating musicians like gentlemen,” a mantra that seemed anathema to the industry at the time. Still, there were moments when Silver was in the unenviable position of “settling” for a performer, he might not have wanted to hire otherwise out of desperation. There was another offer that Silver “couldn’t refuse,” so to speak. He performed at the wedding of the daughter of a Mafia Don. During the reception, certain patrons urged Silver to play something for one of the guests, John Gotti, telling Silver Gotti was going to become the boss of the organization. How Gotti planned on rising to the top was not Silver’s concern, but a subsequent annual Christmas party booking for Paul Castellano’s company was abruptly canceled when the crime boss was killed. The only explanation for the cancelation that Silver received was, “There’s been a death in the family.” With Steven Scott, Silver performed at all the top gigs for VIPs, ranging from celebrities to dignitaries to royalty, such as Joan Rivers, Barbara Walters and Susan Lucci. He played one party thrown by socialite Mercedes Bass, at which all the guests were expected to sing to Silver’s accompaniment. When Henry Kissinger balked, Bass was not to be refused. “Henry, sing something for us,” she urged. “Sing Stevie Wonder’s ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life.’” Hearing Kissinger’s monotone, under-the-breath, Basso mumbling of the iconic R&B classic was something Silver will never forget. Ironically, Silver became a victim of his own professionalism, when he was forced to retire upon turning 65—as dictated in the by-laws of the company—relinquishing his role as partner and becoming a salaried employee in 2001. But the business was starting to go south by then. Once thriving clubs like the Rainbow Room had closed and Windows on the World was destroyed with the World Trade Center on 9–11. Which is not to say, the entertainer didn’t work. In December 2012, he had the pleasure of playing for the premier of the film adaptation of “Les Misérables,” performing at two parties in Manhattan to celebrate the movie. Highlights included Silver’s accompanying Hugh Jackman as he serenaded Amanda Seyfried and Anne Hathaway as she sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” In 2015, Silver turned once again to a member of “the Mafia,” or at least someone who played such on television, when he teamed with actor Dominic Chianese, portrayer of “Uncle Junior” on the HBO’s hit series “The Sopranos.” The two met one night at Manhattan’s legendary Friar’s Club. Silver used to play a cabaret show there Thursday evenings free of charge, when Chianese approached him as if recreating a scene from “Casablanca.” “Play ‘As Time Goes By,’” he requested. The duo turned out to be an inspired pairing. The former small screen Mafia patriarch’s musical stylings meshed well with Silver’s masterful tickling of the ivories and both enjoyed the collaboration immensely, so much so they decided to put together a musical act. They’ve since performed several times at the Friar’s, including a periodic children’s show, and their next regular show is scheduled for August 24. Several years ago, Silver had a chance to thank a key figure in inspiring him to take to the piano. He was working a job at the Alpine Country Club in New Jersey and one of the attendees was none other than actor Robert Alda. “You have a great band,” he told Silver. Silver expressed his thanks by telling Alda about the role the actor played in the seminal moment of Silver’s life: seeing the movie, in which Alda portrayed Silver’s inspiration, George Gershwin. “I have to admit, that wasn’t me playing the piano,” Alda confessed. “It was Oscar Levant.” “That’s okay,” Silver replied. “I never learned how to play ‘Rhapsody in Blue!’” Backstage at Maisonette The movie that launched Marty’s career


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