GROUP KEEPS BIG BAND ERA ALIVE FOR SENIORS.

Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer

With a groan from the slide trombones, a blast from the trumpets and a rattle of drums, the Unforgettables get down to the business of playing.

Soon, the toe-tapping sounds of big band music fill the air and the Goebel Senior Adult Center dance floor comes alive with silver-haired couples swaying to tunes made famous in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

``It's a big band, that's what the name alludes to. We play the unforgettable songs of the big band era,'' explains Fred Galloway, musical director of the group.

The Unforgettables, formed in the mid-1980s, played Sunday for the Hawaiian Fantasy Afternoon Tea Dance at the Goebel center, the group's home base. The band also tours the Ventura County area, playing for various senior groups and convalescent homes.

The repertoire covers the Dorsey brothers bands, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and dozens of others who penned and arranged songs such as ``Moonlight Serenade'' and ``Begin the Beguine.''

``Will the music be attractive to the youth of today 30 or 40 years from now? I don't know. The point is, these songs are as musically sound today as they were when they were written,'' Galloway said. ``The work they did was well-crafted and has withstood the test of time.''

So have the members of the Unforgettables, who for the most part are retirees from other careers.

Al Pagilara, for example, said he dusted off his trombone after retiring 9-1/2 years ago from his career as an engineer.

``This is a fun thing now,'' he said.

Pagilara said his favorite part of touring is the visits to nursing homes, because the Unforgettables bring the music to many people who otherwise would be unable to hear one of their concerts.

``We do a lot of volunteer work,'' he said.

Ray Linaweaver of Camarillo said his favorite part of the volunteer performances is being a part of the music-loving group.

``I really enjoy the people in the band,'' he said.

Galloway, who lives in Ojai with his wife, Mary, said he joined the Unforgettables in 1989 after retiring from a career in accounting. Although Mary is not a musician, he said their shared love of music has brought them through almost 38 years of marriage.

When he's not arranging gigs for the band or putting together a new arrangement for them, Galloway plays the trumpet or flugelhorn.

``When I was in college, I was studying to be a professional musician. I knew it was going to be hard way to make a living, so with a family, I decided not to,'' he said.

So now his spare time is consumed by the Unforgettables.

``You've got to love it. It becomes a part of your life,'' he said.

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Photo

Photo: (color) The Unforgettables serenade about 130 dancer s at the Goebel Senior Adult Center in Thousand Oaks.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News