The LA Tonight Show Orchestra, under Severinsen, was the greatest big band ever put together. Every member was a first class studio musician before being invited to play.
The trumpet section there included John Audino and Conte Candoli in addition to Doc and Snooky Young. I can't place the fourth member. Any one of them could have played lead in any big band. Steve Marcus on tenor sax was another monster player, and Tommy Newsome, for all the ribbing he took because of his oatmeal personality, was a fine musician and a world class arranger. He wrote the majority of the band's charts.
You'll never see another group of musicians of that caliber assembled again
Quote:
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools, because they have to say something.
It's a shame that as that generation who grew up with big band music have passes on/away, so has the music, or atleast any radio station that plays it.
The LA Tonight Show Orchestra, under Severinsen, was the greatest big band ever put together. Every member was a first class studio musician before being invited to play.
(
a little caffeniated right now, but you have to be F'in kidding me!
Better than Duke Ellington, Basie? How about Gil Evan's work with Miles....ever hear the Birth of the Cool sessions??????? Ok how about Billy Eckstines band with a few young cats named Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughn! inventing it and playing it better than it will ever be played!
Doc Serverinsen ! jazz guys would puke from laughter from that statement.
You guys need to expand your horizons on the jazz front, 90% of postings here about jazz features a list of the "white" all stars. I almost replied to the Tom Scott thread awhile ago - get some Coletrane, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderly. There are some fantastic white jazz musicians, but most of the true pioneers and geniuses were black. I've been playing and studying this stuff for 20 years. When it comes to music, I am a racist and proud of it. Want big band - nothing, ever, was as sophisticated and brilliant as Duke Ellington. Ever! For driving blues big band - Count Basie. For bop sophistication, Gil Evans (white guys) and any of his work. rant over.