These self-described “guys in their fifties,” Don Amira '75, Mark MacDonald '75, Jonny Levin '75, Michael Goldsmith '76, Jim Kestenbaum '76, Bill Martin '76 and Sam Shor '76, sing songs from the 50s, and do it well. MacDonald, who holds down the bass end of the group, even fits into the same tank top, black jeans and sunglasses he wore to performances when he was a Union undergrad.
For the second straight year, Chet and the gang reunited to sing such hits as “Teen Angel” and “In the Still of the Night,” using the same a cappella arrangements they used 30 years ago. Then, they were one of the most popular acts on campus, sharing the stage with the Garnet and Dutch Pipers. The Aces began as an offshoot of the Men's Glee Club, to which all of the Aces belonged.
“We used to sing oldies on the bus rides to our performances and in the crowd at basketball games,” says Amira, whose son, Dan, is now a junior at Union. “Soon enough, we had the idea to put together a group, so we greased our hair up, rolled up our pant legs and started practicing. We knew we had to have a lead singer and a group as part of the 50s tradition, so we figured you couldn't do any better than Chet Arthur.”