James ‘Papa’ Lutz , Sr. has been an exceptionally active member of Massachusetts’ drum and bugle corps community since he began playing soprano bugle with American Legion Post 76 Drum and Bugle Corps in Jamaica Plain in 1941. He performed as a soprano player and drum major with Commerce High School Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps of Boston from 1944 to 1948, then played soprano horn with the Lexington Town Drum and Bugle Corps in 1949 and 1950. From 1951 to 1997, he enjoyed a long association with Lieutenant Norman Prince Drum and Bugle Corps, as the corps switched bases from Boston, to Malden, to Melrose. He played soprano horn and served as corps president. Fellow Princemen over the years included Darcy Davis, Harry O’Neill, Harry Latinik, Al Saia, Jim Pinette, Joe McNaught and Jack Whelan, all members of the Hall of Fame. He was brass arranger and instructor for a number of Massachusetts corps from 1958 to 1981: St. Catherine’s of Somerville, St. Jean D’Arc of Lowell, St. Mary’s Annunciators of Cambridge, Crusaders of Wilmington, Cardinals of Wilmington, Chieftains of Lawrence, Viscounts of Methuen, Musketeers of Peabody, Suburbanettes All Girls of Nashua and the Sharpshooters of Framingham. He served as brass arranger and instructor of the Massachusetts Hall of Fame ‘Legends of Drum Corps’ unit of Greater Boston in 1997 and 1998 and remains a mid-range brass player with the corps. He has also been a mid-range brass player with the Light Brigade, the alumni corps of 27th Lancers, of Revere, since 1998 and played mid-range brass with St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights of Dorchester from 2000 to 2005. He was a brass judge with the Massachusetts Judges Association from 1974 to 1981. He was active in helping to establish the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) alumni association. As the Lieutenant Norman Prince representative, he served as a governor from 1992 to 1998 and secretary from 1994 to 1998. He worked with Jim Cossetti, Bob Neuhoff, Joe Campos, Ralph Silverbrand, Mark Fulcomer and Mike Del Vecchio, all Hall of Fame members, in the early years of forming GAS. He was a baritone voice in the Princemen chorus from 1980 to 1998, assistant music director of the chorus from 1995 to 1998, then managing and music director in 1998. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1999. He currently sings bass with the St. Eulalia Roman Catholic Parish Choir in Winchester.
