Big band bass trombonists

[bigbandbone]

Who are some of the great bass bone players of the big bands in the 60's,70's, and 80's and what equipment did they play on? I've heard some great sounds on YouTube vids of that era and I'd like to know who they were and what they played! Thanks

[AndrewMeronek]

Dave Taylor with Bob Mintzer's big band. I don't know what he played on.

[sf105]

Dave Taylor with Bob Mintzer's big band. I don't know what he played on.

Dave played on a Holton 169 for the longest time. Then I think he switched to an Edwards.

[Bonearzt]

George Roberts with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and also with the Les & Larry Elgart orchestras
Kenny Shroyer to name a few.
Most played Olds, Reynolds, Conn or Holton basses I believe

Eric

[JohnL]

Barrett O'Hara, Ernie Tack, Paul Faulise, Tony Studd. The first three all played Olds at some point.

Bill Reichenbach broke in during the '70's and is still playing.

[BoDingus]

Kenny Shroyer plays/played on a Conn 62h.
George Roberts preferred a single valve horn and was glad to talk about the Conn 70, Olds P-22 etc. When I met him he was playing a Yamaha but professed to not using the second valve to the point where, when he let me try the horn, the second valve had frozen.
Karl DeKarkse is a sound you've probably heard quite a bit who played on a Williams 10. He played quite a bit for Henry Mancini as well as being a session player in New York.
Tony Studd played, I believe, on a Conn 72h.

[ExZacLee]

Tony Studd is on that JJ Johnson album "J.J.! (The Dynamic Sound of JJ Johnson with Big Band)" - beautiful sound. I think Paul Faulise is on the companion album "The Total J.J. Johnson" - these two albums were released as a compilation called Say When in the 80's or early 90's - great writing on these. My concept as a big band orchestrator is heavily cribbed from these two albums. Wonderful work.

Jim Amlotte and Bob Knight did some great bass trombone work on the Cuban Fire album with Kenton. Kenton always had some sparky bass trombone players... Bart Varselona, Don Kelly, Dave Wheeler, and of course the inimitable George Roberts. Love or hate Stan Kenton, his orchestra (and his arrangers, Pete Rugelo, Johnny Richards, Bob Grattenger et. al.,) has. a lot of responsibility for the shaping of the "modern" bass trombone sound as used in Jazz. This is not to detract from other great (arguably harder swinging) orchestras of the time, of course.

Tom Mitchell (bass trombone) and Bill Barber (Tuba) on Miles Ahead - I always loved Gil Evans' use of low brass, bass trombone gets the occasional melodic counter line with the tuba - beautiful music.

Kenny Shroyer appears on some of the Gerald Wilson orchestra stuff. GW is one of the great unsung talents of the big band world, having lead some amazing ensembles that showed a thoroughly modern approach to big band writing. Bob Knight, Don Switzer, Ernie Track, Fred Murell, Mike Wimberly, a whole host of lesser known bass trombonists grace his albums. Brilliant writing, I'm really hoping that more of his stuff becomes available on ejazzlines.

Phil Teele is on some of the Toshiko Akiyoshi big band stuff - talk about some lunchy trombone parts! Anytime I'm doing a big band gig and I see TA's stuff on the list, I know I'm going to be spending some time in the shed.

Check out this Tochiko Akiyoshi composition March of the Tadpoles - Phil Teele on Bass Trombone I think.

[imsevimse]

If we step outside US:
- Erik van Lier I think played a Conn 73h.
- Sven Larsson (member of the forum) favoured a long time a Yamaha 321 or 322.

/Tom

[GBP]

Dave Taylor with Bob Mintzer's big band. I don't know what he played on.

Dave Taylor has been playing in Getzen products.

[imsevimse]

Alan Raph played the King "Duo Gravis" 6B.

/Tom

[BoDingus]

I believe, at least partly, because he was on the design team for the 6B.

[GBP]

Barrett O'Hara, Ernie Tack, Paul Faulise, Tony Studd. The first three all played Olds at some point.

Bill Reichenbach broke in during the '70's and is still playing.

I work with a horn player who played with Bill. He was playing tenor at the the time, which I didn’t know he played.

[imsevimse]

Barrett O'Hara, Ernie Tack, Paul Faulise, Tony Studd. The first three all played Olds at some point.

Bill Reichenbach broke in during the '70's and is still playing.

I work with a horn player who played with Bill. He was playing tenor at the the time, which I didn’t know he played.

If I remember correctly Bill Reichebach played tenor with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Lew Tababackin Big Band.

/Tom

[CalgaryTbone]

Bill Reichenbach went on the road as the Bass Trombonist with Buddy Rich - he recorded the famous "Wave" bass trombone feature during that time. A year or so later, the lead chair opened up and he discovered that it paid better, so he moved over and played that position for a while. He's a great doubler, who plays all of the low brass instruments in the LA studios, and works in big bands and combos on both tenor and bass.

Jim Scott

[rennbuddy]

Kenny Shroyer plays/played on a Conn 62h.

Are You sure about that ?

[rennbuddy]

- Erik van Lier I think played a Conn 73h.

no Erik played a 72H always. But he had it altered.

[Vegasbound]

Bill Geldard not just a great player but a great arranger too

Sheila Tracy made her name with the Ivy Benson band and had a fine career as a broadcaster and writer

[RustBeltBass]

Erik van Lier.

[Bach5G]

I have a CD by Bill Reichenbach on which he plays both tenor and bass.

[Johnstad]

A great resource…and some fun exercises.

https://www.hickeys.com/music/studio/te ... ne-wcd.php

[Kbiggs]

No love for Paul Faulise...?

[boneagain]

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned Bill Hughes. He played bass trombone for Basie for many years. He was also one of the band leaders after The Count passed away.

[imsevimse]

Erik van Lier.

Update.

Since my last post in this thread I have bought his bass trombone I know he said in an interview he played a Conn 73h but the trombone I bought was an Olds P24-G with the optional second trigger in D.

I bought this from another professional tromboneplayer who played with James Last in Germany at the time in the 80ies and then made a trip to Hamburg and bought this P24-G from him in person.

/Tom

[imsevimse]

- I've read that Phil Teele played a Yamaha 612

- I've read that George Robert's played Olds S-22 and then when his own custom crafted Olds model P-22 came in 1974 he switched to a Holton TR-183 and that he later played a Conn 110h and towards the end of his carrer he played a Kanstul 1670.

/Tom

[sf105]

- I've read that Phil Teele played a Yamaha 612
/Tom

Indeed, they were up for sale recently after he died.

S

[SuperslickRick]

As an incredibly mediocre bass trombonist, my all time favorite bass trombone for anything commercial is the King Duogravis

[DonH]

Wait for the last note(the others are pretty good too)

[RustBeltBass]

Erik van Lier.

Update.

Since my last post in this thread I have bought his bass trombone I know he said in an interview he played a Conn 73h but the trombone I bought was an Olds P24-G with the optional second trigger in D.

I bought this from another professional tromboneplayer who played with James Last in Germany at the time in the 80ies and then made a trip to Hamburg and bought this P24-G from him in person.

/Tom

Who did you buy it from ? Surmann?

[imsevimse]

Who did you buy it from ? Surmann?

A Swedish bass trombone player who was on tour in the begining of the eighties 1982-84 something,. I do not want to drop his name and not many people here might know his name anyway unless you are a James Last fan, then you might find out because he plays this Olds P24-G in one of their movies from that tour on YouTube. The point is he bought it from Erik van Lier and now I've got it. Mr van Lier must have played it for a while but I don't know for how long. The Swedish trombone player I think did not play it very much after he bought it. He is in his 60ies and still works as a professional bass trombone player over here so most Swedish pro players probably know him.

[Slideorama]

.

[baileyman]

https://www.jazzwax.com/2021/05/intervi ... er+Wharton

The great journalist Marc Myers interviews Jennifer Warren, who I could swear I saw sitting in the Holman or Huffstetter band, but I'm not sure. Yeah, she can play.

[Bach5G]

https://www.jazzwax.com/2021/05/intervi ... er+Wharton

The great journalist Marc Myers interviews Jennifer Warren, who I could swear I saw sitting in the Holman or Huffstetter band, but I'm not sure. Yeah, she can play.

Jennifer Warren?

[LeoInFL]

No love for Paul Faulise...?

I'm fairly certain Paul Faulise played on a "JJ & Kai" album. Great tone!

[LeoInFL]

No love for Paul Faulise...?

I'm fairly certain Paul Faulise played on a "JJ & Kai" album. Great tone!

Sorry, I'm mistaken.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_and_Kai_%2B_6

[Fridge]

Paul played some tracks on the Incredible Kai Winding trombone record.

Fridge

[Fridge]

Something I forgot to add. He played on the Jay and Kai plus 6. That might clear up some confusion.

Fridge

[Massimo69]

Dave Taylor played a tr185 not 169,Kenny Shroyer all life around 70h or at last 72h or 73h, Paul Faulise conn 70h, 72h, olds for few time then Minick 62h, Tony Studd 72h, Bart Varsalona king bass then 70h, George Roberts (the king for me) many but he said to me basically 70h, Bill Reichenbach 62h basically first elkhart then greenhoe, barrett O'hara conn 70h then olds, Ernie Tack olds 24g,