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Building a Dream Big Band Part VI: The Bandleader – A Stunning Conclusion

Well it all comes down to this. The musicians are in place. All that they wait for now is some direction.

If you haven’t read any of the previous “Dream Big Band” blogs, let me fill you in. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve pieced together my own personal dream big band, section by section. Five trumpets, four trombones, five saxes, guitar, bass, piano, drums, male vocalist, and female vocalist. The only criteria for musicians to make this band is that I personally would want to see these people up on stage, all together, at one time. Alive or dead, it doesn’t matter.

LET ME REPEAT: this is not a “Top 10” or “Best Ever” list. It is simply who I would get the most joy out of seeing on stage at the same time. While I have received lots of positive comments on the band, I have also heard from others who disagree with some of my selections. I completely encourage everyone to share who they might like to see in their own dream big band…in fact I would enjoy it. The wonderful thing about jazz is that there has been so many great musicians that there is no way that one persons dream band would look the same as another persons band. If one legend of jazz is not selected, it should not be considered a slap in a face to the legacy of that musician. Just a personal preference. That is exactly what makes this project fun and interesting, as opposed to trying to make it an exact science. And I hope it has encouraged you to think about your dream big band, and who might participate in it. And again, thanks so much for your feedback.

Here is how the band was sectioned together:

Trumpets:

Lead: Arturo Sandoval

2nd Chair: Wynton Marsalis

Third Chair: Freddie Hubbard

Fourth Chair: Miles Davis

Fifth Chair: Thad Jones

Trombones (selected by former KPLU host Troy Oppie):

Lead: Bob Burgess

Second Chair: Frank Rosilino

Third Chair: Al Grey

Bass Trombone: Bill Hughes

Saxes:

First Alto: Charlie Parker

Second Alto: Cannonball Adderley

First Tenor: Michael Brecker

Second Tenor: John Coltrane

Baritone Saxophone: Cecil Payne

The Rhythm Section:

Guitar: Charlie Christian

Piano: Herbie Hancock

Bass: Jaco Pastorius

Drums: Jack DeJohnette

Vocalists:

Female Vocalist: Carmen McRae

Male Vocalist: Lou Rawls

And now, the bandleader.

I probably pick, and then scratched of the list a dozen or so leaders, and more or less for all the same reason. If they were the band leader, as legendary as they might be, would the band sound original, or would it sound just like the band of that leader? For example, if I picked Count Basie, would it just be the Basie Band with a bunch of charts by Nestico and Hefti? Same thing if I picked Duke Ellington or Benny Goodman. If I pick Glenn Miller, is this all-star band limited to playing charts from the late 30’s to early 40’s like Tuxedo Junction or In the Mood? Buddy Rich might be a reasonable option, but there is always the chance that he would fire the entire band on the tour bus before it showed up to the show (because, well, it has happened before).

One of the things that made the previously mentioned band leaders great is the fact that their band had its own unique, identifiable style. With the versatility of the band I constructed, I wanted someone different, someone who wasn’t necessarily defined by an era, or a band that was defined by a certain sound. I also wanted someone no one else would think to pick. And so, my band leader is:

Band Leader: Doc Severinsen

doc-severinsenDid anyone see that one coming? Sure, laugh, but how much fun would that be? And don’t think that Doc doesn’t have his credentials in order. Severinsen was likely the best know band leader and trumpet player in America for 25 years, heading up the band for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, widely considered one of the best big band jobs ever. He’s recorded nearly every type of music, making him extremely versatile.

Doc’s experience with big bands is far from limited to television. Dating back to 1945, Doc was a featured musician with bands headed up by Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman, and Noro Morales, while also backing the likes of Dinah Washington and Anita O’ Day.

His album sales as a big band leader and as a small group leader have all proven well, including a Grammy win in the big band category. Bands he directed contained members with a vast background of big band experience, including Conte Candoli (Woody Herman, Stan Kenton), Snooky Young (Jimmy Lunceford, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis), Ed Shaughnessy (Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman), Ernie Watts (Buddy Rich, Oliver Nelson), Bill Perkins (Woody Herman, Stan Kenton), and Ross Tompkins (Benny Goodman).

And finally, Doc is a whole lot of fun. A flashy, bright (be it a tad tacky) wardrobe and sense of humor would make him a great leader for this or any band. Add the fact that he is a true trumpet virtuoso, it would be fun to see him pick up the horn and play a solo too. I’ll just mention that he also recorded with Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Gene Krupa, Chris Connor, Tito Puente, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ruth Brown, Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Mundell Lowe, Billy Taylor, and Tony Bennett.

My band leader needs to have the ability to direct a top notch band with creative arrangements, entertain the audience between songs, and wear a flashy outfit. Doc has that all covered, and then some.

So that is the band. Check out videos from Doc Severinsen below, and look see a layout of the entire band. And dont forget to let me know who you would like to see in your band!

Watch Doc Severinsen conduct and play Stardust in this video:

Watch Doc and the gang team up with Buddy Rich for We’ll Git It:

Watch a fun little sampler of Doc performances, concluding with Doc playing for Ronald Reagan:

And finally, Doc leading a band, way back in 1965, playing Blues in the Night:

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Building a Dream Big Band Part V: The Vocalists

So the instrumentalists are all in place. Trumpets? Check. Trombones? Check. Saxes? Check. Rhythm section? Check. My dream big band is nearing completion. This band could hit the imaginary road right now, entertaining crowds around the world. But we are still missing a few key elements. A bandleader, for starters. Also, a couple guest vocalists. One male and one female guest vocalists, to be exact.

You will be introduced to my bandleader in part VI, and I can not only promise you that you will never guess who it is, but you will not believe who I picked once you see it. That’s the wonderful thing about this being MY dream big band. I can put Michael Brecker in the lead tenor chair, have an electric bass player, and have Miles Davis playing the fourth part. This band is a band that I would want to see on stage. Whether or not they would be the tightest group as a whole is one thing, but to see all these people together would give me more joy than any other group. That being said, be kind when you see my bandleader in the next part.

But for today, we look to the vocalists. When finished, the band will be 21 pieces, with 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, guitar, bass, drums, piano, a male and female singer, and a bandleader. Here is how the band looks so far:

Trumpets:

Lead: Arturo Sandoval

2nd Chair: Wynton Marsalis

Third Chair: Freddie Hubbard

Fourth Chair: Miles Davis

Fifth Chair: Thad Jones

Trombones (selected by former KPLU host Troy Oppie):

Lead: Bob Burgess

Second Chair: Frank Rosilino

Third Chair: Al Grey

Bass Trombone: Bill Hughes

Saxes:

First Alto: Charlie Parker

Second Alto: Cannonball Adderley

First Tenor: Michael Brecker

Second Tenor: John Coltrane

Baritone Saxophone: Cecil Payne

The Rhythm Section:

Guitar: Charlie Christian

Piano: Herbie Hancock

Bass: Jaco Pastorius

Drums: Jack DeJohnette

And now, our two guest vocalists.

I really wanted a couple of vocalists with some soul. These band members can be less versatile as far as style goes, since they aren’t going to be performing on every song like the rest of the band. They can focus on their own style on the few featured songs they would be performing on.

Female Vocalist: Carmen McRae

carmen-macraeI can’t sit here and tell you that Carmen is a better singer than Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, or Dinah Washington. I can simply tell you that hearing Carmen sing, in her prime, would create a bigger smile on my face than hearing the rest of them combined. She could sing a wonderful ballad, and then sing something wonderfully fun. I always found a certain earthy warmth in her voice that was ultimately enjoyable.

Watch Carmen McRae sing I’m Going to Lock My Heart and Throw Away the Key:

Watch Carmen McRae sing I’m Glad There is You:

Male Vocalist: Lou Rawls

lourawlsOK, so alot of Lou’s fame has come as an R & B singer. But its the R & B and Gospel influence that I feel makes his jazz performances that much more unique. Like Carmen, Lou is great on the ballads with that baritone voice, but could also sing music that would make anyone smile. Great stuff with Benny Carter and his big band in the 1960’s up until he passed away.

Watch Lou Rawls talk jazz with Kermit the Frog, and sing scat with the Muppets:

Watch Low Rawls sing Stormy Monday:

So the band is nearly complete. All thats left is a bandleader…coming up next. And you will be shocked! And as always, let me know who you would like to see in your dream big band!

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Building a Dream Big Band Part IV: The Rhythm Section

Well if you’ve read the previous “Building a Dream Big Band” posts, you’ve noticed that all of the horns are in place. I’m pretty proud of my band so far, although I did catch some flack via email and Facebook for placing Michael Brecker in the “1” chair above John Coltrane in the sax section. The good news is that I completely encourage your feedback to my dream big band. No doubt everyone will fill their sections based on their own tastes, and that is what I am simply doing with mine. I encourage you to post your feedback on the blog, so that others can see and share their opinion not only on what I think, but to what you think as well. There are no wrong answers. We all enjoy different musicians for different reasons, and remember, this is not a “best of” or “top 10” list. It is simply based off what musicians I would dream to see together.

When finished, the band will be 21 pieces, with 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, guitar, bass, drums, piano, a male and female singer, and a bandleader (by the way, if Michael Brecker as first tenor was a shocker, wait until you see who I picked to be the bandleader). Here is how the band looks so far:

Trumpets:

Lead: Arturo Sandoval

2nd Chair: Wynton Marsalis

Third Chair: Freddie Hubbard

Fourth Chair: Miles Davis

Fifth Chair: Thad Jones

Trombones (selected by former KPLU host Troy Oppie):

Lead: Bob Burgess

Second Chair: Frank Rosilino

Third Chair: Al Grey

Bass Trombone: Bill Hughes

Saxes:

First Alto: Charlie Parker

Second Alto: Cannonball Adderley

First Tenor: Michael Brecker

Second Tenor: John Coltrane

Baritone Saxophone: Cecil Payne

And now, its time to introduce you to my rhythm section.

The Rhythm Section:

Guitar: Charlie Christian

How does someone have a career that lasted, at best, five years, manage to leave such a permanent mark on jazz guitarists? Simple – your name is Charlie Christian. Sadly, Christian died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis, but still remains the fundamental influence on all jazz guitarists. Christian spend time with Benny Goodman, followed by a run at the cradle of bebop, Minton’s Playhouse, where he would perform with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Christian is rarely any lower that number three on anyones “top guitarist” list.

I struggled to find video of Charlie Christian, but you can see a slide show and hear him play Swing to Bop below:

Piano: Herbie Hancock

There were about 10 million pianists to choose from, but I just had to choose Herbie. He has done virtually everything, and continues to become more popular. While there are dozens of pianists who have spent way more time in big bands, I find Herbie more diverse, and blessed with the ability to entertain crowds of all varieties. over through four decades.

Watch Herbie Hancock play his classic Cantaloupe Island:

Bass: Jaco Pastorius

So what if my dream big band features an electric bass player? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially when he happens to be the best electric bass player ever. Emotionally Jaco was his own worst enemy, but again, this band just simply cannot be without his bass.

Watch Jaco Pastorius play The Chicken:

Drums: Jack DeJohnette

Like other musicians in this band, I chose DeJohnette because of his ability to excel at playing all forms of music, not just one style. He plays with such fluidity and adds so much to the sound of a group that it would be insulting to suggest that Jack is just there to “keep time”. Again, the jazz purists make come after me for not putting a more “famous” drummer like Blakey or Roach or Buddy Rich in this spot, but Jack’s versatility was the deciding factor for me.

Watch JackDeJohnette play Thieves in the Temple with Herbie Hancock:

So with 18 instrumental members of the band in, next time I select a male a female vocalist to be featured. Expect a couple of surprises. And, as always, I encourage your thoughts!

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Building a Dream Big Band Part III: The Sax Section

As I mentioned in the previous “Building a Dream Big Band” posts, I am piecing together, section by section, my ideal big band. The band will be 21 pieces, with 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, guitar, bass, drums, piano, a male and female singer, and a bandleader. So far, I’ve listed my trumpet section, while I employed former KPLU Grooveyard host Troy Oppie to construct the trombone section. Both blogs are complete with videos of each musician performing live. So far, here is how the band looks:

Trumpets:

Lead: Arturo Sandoval

2nd Chair: Wynton Marsalis

Third Chair: Freddie Hubbard

Fourth Chair: Miles Davis

Fifth Chair: Thad Jones

Trombones:

Lead: Bob Burgess

Second Chair: Frank Rosilino

Third Chair: Al Grey

Bass Trombone: Bill Hughes

Now its time to turn to the saxophones. You might find a few surprises in this section, and probably some horn players you would expect to see. I encourage your thoughts on how you might see your dream sax section differently, and let me know what you think of the video on each musician!

The Sax Section:

First Alto: Charlie Parker

Is an explanation necessary? There has yet to be an alto player in my mind that has even come close to touching Bird on any level. His solos and sound would be and are entertaining in any era. His death might be the greatest tragedy in jazz.

Watch Charlie Parker play Hot House:

Second Alto: Cannonball Adderley

I was this close to picking Coleman Hawkins for this chair, but Cannonball just edged him out. Besides being incredibly diverse, Cannonball’s specialty in this band is bringing what he might best be known for: a happy sound.

Watch Cannonball Adderley play Brother John:

First Tenor: Michael Brecker

How dare I seat Brecker above Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Branford Marsalis? Because this is my band, and because I cannot remember a time where I heard Brecker solo and didn’t have my mind completely blown. You might find that James Brown, James Taylor, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Elton John and about 200 other musicians from all genres who contracted Brecker will agree with me.

Watch Michael Brecker play Some Skunk Funk:

Second Tenor: John Coltrane

Brecker has Coltrane to thank for so much. Most importantly, his imagination, and his ability to make improvisation exciting. The two tenors in this band provide an ultimate wall of sound.

Watch John Coltrane play Impressions:

Baritone Sax: Cecil Payne

Maybe the least famous musician of the group, but that’s the life of a baritone sax player. Cecil was always entertaining, and maybe the best baritone player of the late 40’s to the early 60’s.

Watch Cecil Payne play at Dizzy Gillespie’s 70th Birthday:

Again, let me know what you think of the band so far. All of the horns are in place, with the rhythm section, singers, and bandleader to go. The rhythm section is next!

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Building a Dream Big Band: Part II with Guest Contributor Troy Oppie

As I mentioned in the previous “Building a Dream Big Band” post, I am piecing together, section by section, my ideal big band. The band will be 21 pieces, with 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, guitar, bass, drums, piano, a male and female singer, and a bandleader. In the last post, I listed my trumpet section, complete with videos of each musician performing live. So far, here is how the band looks:

Lead Trumpet: Arturo Sandoval

Second Trumpet: Wynton Marsalis

Third Trumpet: Freddie Hubbard

Fourth Trumpet: Miles Davis

Fifth Trumpet: Thad Jones

I started working on the next section, the trombones. Unfortunately, the trombone section in a big band does not always get the proper attention it deserves. That being said, I wanted to make sure it received the most proper of selections, so I decided that instead of me picking this section, I would employ an expert.

Our expert in this case is a man I shared my radio program, Jazz on the Grooveyard with for a couple of years, and trombone enthusiast, Troy Oppie. There are few I would trust more than picking a trombone section for my dream big band than Troy. So without further delay, take it away, Troy “Ironman” Oppie!

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Obviously, this is a huge topic and there’s plenty of great players that would be left out. But, here’s my list of big band players, with the only requirement being that they be associated with a big band for a significant portion of their careers. For that reason, and it pains me to admit it, J.J. Johnson didn’t make my list. Yes, he played in big bands… but his career was built on being the best small group trombone player on the planet.

Okay, ‘here goes.

Lead – Bob Burgess
also considered: Bill Watrous, Tommy Dorsey, Ron Westrey and Jon Allred

Bob Burgess was the lead with Stan Kenton’s band for just a short time, as long as late ’51 to 1953 or as short as 1952 depending on whom you ask. Regardless, Burgess ran what I think is one of the sharpest trombone sections in jazz history. He wasn’t really a soloist, but the man could turn a phrase and lead a melody like few other players I’ve ever heard.

Watch Bob Burgess as part of the Stan Kenton band play Over the Rainbow:

2nd Chair – Frank Rosilino
also considered: Slide Hampton, Benny Powell and Grover Mitchell

Okay, don’t worry… this list won’t be the entire Kenton trombone section. But Rosilino is the obvious choice for this chair in any band. Rosilino’s trombone playing was always full of fire; he was a technical wizard with the slide which helped make jaws drop around the country. I have heard few trombone players today combine the technical prowess, style and feel that Rosilino possessed.

See Frank Rosilino solo here:

3rd Chair – Al Grey
also considered: Wycliff Gordon, Steve Turre, and Melba Liston

Al Grey is of course best-known for his work with a plunger-mute. He redefined what a trombone solo could be, and during his work with Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and other big bands until his death recently, Grey was always a featured soloist. His passion for the instrument and style – I always thought he was one of the best at truly ‘singing’ through the horn – make him a great fit in any big band.

Watch Al Grey play Kidney Stew with Count Basie:

4th Chair/Bass trombone – Bill Hughes

As bass trombone was oft-overlooked (unless out-of-sync with the rest of the band) there aren’t many big-name bass trombone players. In fact, the only one I could think of without resorting to my jazz books, was Bill Hughes. He spent much of his career with the Basie band, originally playing tenor trombone alongside Benny Powell and Henry Coker in the 50’s. That trio was largely regarded as the best ‘bone section in jazz, and it was easy to hear why when listening to the band swing on the original recordings of Shiny Stockings, April in Paris and the like. Hughes currently is the leader of the Basie orchestra.

Watch Bill Hughes direct the Count Basie Orchestra doing Discomotion:

Thanks for asking me to contribute to the blog; I really miss my days at KPLU as well as the chance to play jazz on the radio.

That’s not to say I’m not having fun now, though. I’m currently in Boise, Idaho, working as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS 2 KBCI-TV. I’m now in my second market, having left Missoula, Montana in mid-September. I’m loving Boise so far, and excited for the chance to follow BSU football to what everyone here hopes will be a major bowl game!

Best in jazz,

Troy Oppie
Former “Jazz on the Grooveyard” host & Trombone player

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Check out part one of “Building a Dream Big Band” featuring the trumpet section.