Danny Kaye conducted concerts with orchestras all over the world,
always as benefit concerts for the musicians' pension funds.  While
not a 'trained' conductor, he was a marvelous musician and a marvelous
entertainer.  His program included the overture La Gazza Ladra, a few
pieces from The Nutcracker, and the Triumphal March from Aida, among other
things.  The Triumphal March he conducted facing the audience, so they
could "see what the musicians see", and included the participation of the
Principal Trumpet, who he instructed to play the famous trumpet tune as if
he had been out all night on a bender, whereupon his hysterically funny
reactions included shock, disbelief, anger, and threats of dismissal all
wordlessly gesticulated toward the audience.  It was my delight to be his
accomplice in this regard twice, once in the Israel Philharmonic and once
with the Utah Symphony.  He demonstrated a far greater understanding of
what music and the communication of its message is all about than many
'experts' ever have, all from his heart and memory, as he did not read
music.

Edmund Cord