Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin

Message

djstarr · #1 Post by **djstarr** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 2:10 pm

Back when I was in college playing sax I was really into their big band; they came to the UW a couple of times.

I always enjoyed listening to them; I used to have a couple of LPs which have long disappeared.

Anybody into them? Dj'ed them?

Thanks!

flyingcamel · #2 Post by **flyingcamel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:15 pm

I remember Akiyoshi/Tabackin from the 80s. Quite tight is how I remember them. My LP disappeared also long ago. I envy you seeing them in person and also Buddy Rich (was it you who posted you went all the time to see him live?) I've read many of your posts that always make me think we must have had similar backgrounds playing jazz in high school and college. I think I was also one of the only ones here familiar with Rob McConnell. I've recently found a cd of all Sammy Nestico arrangements by a studio band you'd probably enjoy

BTW, the lead trumpet in my high school band was Byron Stripling, who has played with the Basie Orch., JJ Johnson, LCJO, Boston Pops and many more. Even did a one man show tribute to Louis Armstrong on Broadway no less. http://www.byronstripling.com/ Amazingly, a great lead trumpet can make even a high school band sound pretty good! I'll never forget our director (who fortunately recognized greatness) daily giving Byron free reign to teach us all about jazz.

djstarr · #3 Post by **djstarr** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:37 pm

Thanks Cameron! Yes, I did post about seeing Buddy Rich. The Akiyoshi/Tabackin band came every year to the UW to do a concert. I loved the woodwind solis - flute/clarinet sections in their arrangements.

My other special memory from the early 80's was seeing Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald together at the Seattle Opera House. This was 1980 or 1981. I really wish I had listened to as much of their music then as I had now since I don't think I really appreciated it as much as I would have now.

I also went to college with Kenny G[orlach]. I played tenor sax in the "2nd band"; Kenny was lead tenor in the first band which was basically a union rehearsal band - the director of jazz at the UW put together a lot of big band gigs. Somewhat a conflict of interest I think since most of the people in the first band didn't go to school, they only took a credit of jazz class so they could get gigs. But Kenny would say hi to me on campus, I wonder if he would remember me now if I ran into him. ha ha.

And my high school band/jazz director played trumpet for Maynard Ferguson's band. That was quite an experience, he was pretty high strung and got very passionate when teaching.

flyingcamel · #4 Post by **flyingcamel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:00 pm

djstarr wrote: I really wish I had listened to as much of their (Basie/Ella) music then as I had now since I don't think I really appreciated it as much as I would have now

Ain't it the truth.... I pretty uniformly wrote off classic big band and vocal standards as too boring back then. I remember how we'd all groan when our director in college got out the books for us to play dance tunes at the senior class dance.

CafeSavoy · #5 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:08 pm

flyingcamel wrote:BTW, the lead trumpet in my high school band was Byron Stripling, who has played with the Basie Orch., JJ Johnson, LCJO, Boston Pops and many more. Even did a one man show tribute to Louis Armstrong on Broadway no less. http://www.byronstripling.com/ Amazingly, a great lead trumpet can make even a high school band sound pretty good! I'll never forget our director (who fortunately recognized greatness) daily giving Byron free reign to teach us all about jazz.

I have one of his cds.

flyingcamel · #6 Post by **flyingcamel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:15 pm

Kenny G

The golfer who wins all the celebrity tournaments?!