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Bronx Times Reporter, July 22, 2004
by Albert Coqueran
Photograph by ALBERT COQUERAN
Cartier was also the organist for the New York Arrows Indoor Soccer Team, which inhabited the Nassau Coliseum from 1978 until the team disbanded in 1984. Therefore, although Layton was familiar with Cartier’s organ playing resume in the sports spectrum of New York, he had never actually heard him play-since they shared the organ at different times in the Nassau Coliseum.
Layton hired Cartier immediately after he auditioned on the Hammond Collanade Organ at Yankee Stadium last February. "Although I knew Eddie all that time, he never heard me play because when he was not there (at Islanders games), that is when I was playing, and if he was there, he was playing rather than me," stated Cartier. "I came to Yankee Stadium in February with snow still on the ground. I played a bunch of tunes that Eddie asked me to play. Afterward he told me, ‘You are the guy,’" remembered Cartier.
Notwithstanding his past organ playing achievements, Cartier disclosed that it was a breathtaking experience the initial time that he sat at the Yankee Stadium organ. "This is the ‘Cathedral!’ Oh yeah, (I was in awe) for sure! In fact, I was hardly sitting down (at the organ) and Eddie asked me to do the National Anthem or some song during the audition. I said, ‘One minute, Eddie, let me take this all in!’ This is amazing to know that you are sitting here where Eddie sat for 37 years. The whole experience is amazing," thrilled Cartier, in the organist booth at Yankee Stadium.
A resident of South Hempstead, NY, Cartier has been playing the organ since he was nine years old. He achieved a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Hofstra University in 1981. Cartier has been married to his wife Jan for14 years. They have two children, a son Kevin, 16 years old, and a daughter, Katie, 13. Besides his organ duties at Yankee Stadium and the Nassau Coliseum, he has played the organ for 13 years at Our Lady of Hope Church in Carle Place, Long Island. Cartier also works as a volunteer fireman in his hometown and he holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners in South Hempstead.
Cartier’s sports affiliation was inspired by one of his music professors while he was a student at Hofstra. Dr. Fred Mendelson shared his musical talent with his students at Hofstra, while playing the organ for Islanders games part-time on Tuesdays, when Layton did not play. One evening after class, Mendelson invited his progressive student, Cartier, to join him in the organist booth at the Nassau Coliseum during an Islanders game. Mendelson surprised Cartier by asking him to play the organ during the game. Cartier must have impressed his professor, because after Mendelson retired from Islanders hockey in 1980, he asked Cartier to succeed him as the Islanders’ part-time organist.
Cartier has pursued his organ talents to Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx, NY, a venue that as he mentioned is "The Cathedral of Sports." He stated that "New York, New York" is his favorite tune to play at Yankee Stadium."My theory is that the Yankees want to keep the old time organ. They want to have the traditional ballpark sound. Therefore, I do not get into playing too many newer tunes. I stick with a lot of Broadway show tunes, old time Cole Porter songs, classic organ sounds, to keep the tradition. ‘New York New York’ has to be my favorite song to play," explained Cartier. "I read an article that stated that there are only eight stadiums remaining with live organ music," commented the newly hired Yankees’ organist. How lucky an organist is Cartier, who grew up in NY, graduated from Hofstra and now plays one of the eight stadium organs that stood the test of time. The organ in "The House That Ruth Built!"
Alstrom Hired for Weekend Duty
Nonetheless, Eddie Layton’s job to pick a successor to his 37-year career as the Yankees organist did not conclude with the hiring of Paul Cartier in February 2004. Cartier’s full-time occupation as an Air Traffic Controller scheduled him for weekend duty, at the Radar Facility, in Ronkonkomo, NY. Therefore, the weekends, an essential time during the Yankees baseball season, would still need an organist to spirit the crowd.
Ed Alstrom, 45 years old, has been playing the organ since he was five years old. In what place most keyboard playing families might possess a piano, Alstrom’s home as a child had an organ. His father, a plumber by trade, was musically inclined and played the organ each evening after work with his son.
The younger Alstrom had been dreaming of being the Yankee Stadium organist since his initial visit to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play. He reminisced, "I have played the organ since I was a young child. My dad took me out to Yankee Stadium in 1967 when I was nine years old. I remember hearing Eddie Layton play. I said to myself that is what I want to do. I love baseball and I love playing the organ, so I want to do that someday!"
Alstrom is employed full-time for Music Industries Corporation, as the Director of Marketing and Development. He had been working there for a few months when he heard the news that Layton was retiring as the Yankee Stadium organist. Although Alstrom pursued the job of Layton’s successor fervently, it was the persistence of his wife of 19 years, Maxine, that lead to Alstrom capturing the coveted position. "I heard Eddie was retiring. I made some telephone calls but my wife was a little more persistent than me. She made the call that finally got through to the person that was doing the hiring, and they said to fax a resume. A week later, they called me back and said that they wanted to hear me play," explained Alstrom. Maxine, Alstrom’s wife, is a professional piano player and teaches piano.
In late March 2004, Alstrom visited Yankee Stadium to audition for his idol Layton, on the famed Hammond Collanade organ. "I went to Yankee Stadium and there was nobody there but me and Eddie Layton. I sat at the organ and Eddie stood in the doorway of the booth. He asked me to play a little ‘New York, New York,’ a little ‘Happy Birthday’ and some of the National Anthem. I played forty-five seconds of each tune and the entire process took about five minutes. Then Eddie said they’d let me know," depicted Alstrom. Not predicting that his dream had come true, Alstrom thought, "I figured at that point that at least I got to play the organ at Yankee Stadium. A week later, the Yankees called me and said that they would like to have me play on Saturday and Sundays. I was on ‘cloud nine!’
Alstrom’s dream as a young child came to pass when he played the organ at Yankee Stadium during the Yankees game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, April 10, 2004. His initial tune played was his now organ partner Cartier’s favorite song to play at Yankee Stadium, "New York, New York."
Alstrom resides in Pine Brook, NY. He and his wife Maxine, have two daughters, Sophie, 15 years old, and Nina, 10. He was an accomplished musician many years before his Yankee Stadium appointment. He has played alongside such musical talents as Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, Chuck Berry, Steely Dan, and Dion of the renowned Dion and the Belmonts. Alstrom is also a member of Musicians Local 802 and he plays the organ in the orchestra during Broadway show productions. Like Cartier, Alstrom also plays part-time church organ. Alstrom has played for two years at the West Caldwell Presbyterian Church, in West Caldwell, NY.
However, Alstrom’s claim to fame before his hiring at Yankee Stadium may have been his trio, Acid Cabaret. He plays the piano and sings for the group at Jazz and Cabaret Clubs in New York and New Jersey. The trio released a Compact Disc last year titled "Acid Cabaret." Alstrom was presented the Back Stage Biestro Award in 2003, for the group’s Cabaret playing achievements. The award is sponsored by Back Stage Biestro Magazine.
Bronxites are now introduced to the musicians that will attempt to fill the traditional role as the Yankee Stadium organist, a position vacated after 37 years by a legend, Eddie Layton. Moreover, what does the professor, Layton, say concerning his successors? "They are both extremely adequate, they are going to do all right," anointed Layton.
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