Long Beach Junior Concert Band

885 Elm Ave., Long Beach, CA  90813, USA | www.lbjcb.org

The Long Beach Junior Concert Band was organized in 1952 by Marvin Marker, who was a trumpeter in the Long Beach Wilson High Band and Orchestra. The band became anovernight success building to over 100 members who wanted to march parades. By the early 1960’s there were 156 uniformed musicians and 47 uniformed auxiliary members, including banners, shields, flags, swing flags, and majorettes. The LBJCB popularized and defined the Syncopated drumming style and soon became known as “Marker’s Thunder Drums”. The influence LBJCB had on high school marching bands in the Long Beach Unified School District was tremendous, and by the mid 1960’s Syncopaed Drumming became the sound of Long Beach. Additionally, it is without a doubt that the LBJCB has directly influenced the formation of college and adult groups such as LBCC, LGSD, LBRSR, B.U.D. and LRSD. Many of the cadences that were developed and are still performed by the LBJCB drummers, have found their way into the repertoire of these adult groups, giving the cadences history and longevity. The Long Beach Junior Concert Band is still active and continue to perform their legendary syncopated drum style and cadences to this day.

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