Touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra

BACK IN THE USA

2009-12-15T10:20:00.003-06:00

We arrived in New York yesterday after a 13 hour flight. Then we had a a very fast lunch and loaded our old bus up. Then we took a short 5 hour bus ride to the Red Roof Inn in I'm not sure where. LOL

Tonight we have a 3 hour dance in Virgina for a military function of some kind. We have 7 performances and it is done. Bitter Sweet!!!!!! I want to go home but I hate to leave this; LOL
Like my life long friend CE says, I have a new set of life time memories and friends from this year with the GMO.

I will make two more reports before I leave this blog behind. I will report on these last few days and then do a summary about the year and most of all about all the great musicians here.

5 Days to go

2009-12-08T22:45:00.003-06:00

Wow!!!! It is still getting better. Our saxophone section has become an unbelievable musical unit. Balanced, in tune, tight, all 5 saxes vibrato even matches. Our technical passages are like one big instrument sound. It is so very cool.

The solos by everyone are really good these days. Funny thing, no one talks about that. The solos are really the least important part. I really like that. Its all about the team in this group not the individual How cool is that????

Larry, our leader, continues to sound like a recording every single concert. He is the man. I am finally going to write about all the members in the next 24 hours. Don't miss it.

We have 5 more concerts here in Japan and then back to the US. We have 7 concerts back home and then off for Christmas. My wife Debbie will meet me in Sussex Wi on Dec. 22 for my final concert. The 22 just happens to be our anniversary. I cant wait to see her.

See you shortly.

Still in Japan!!!!!

2009-11-30T03:05:00.002-06:00

Japan continues to be very interesting. All of our concerts are pretty much sell outs. We have played at least 3 encores at every single performance. The people are very respectful to us all everyone here knows about the Glenn Miller Band. I went to Tower Records in Fukuoka today and there was a full section of Glenn Miller music. Unreal!!!!! I ended up buying way too many cds today, but they have all kinds of great jazz music that you can no longer get in the USA.

We have about 14 more days in Japan then we fly to New York for an eight day stretch of concerts. THEN HOME!!!!! I miss home.

Many have asked me what I am going to do with all the things I have learned this year. That's pretty easy.
1. Have a better appreciation of my home, family and friends everywhere.
2. Teach all of my students everything I have learned while in the Miller Band.
3. Continue to move forward musically. Too many of we teachers tend to not get better.
In music you either get better or you get worse. There is no in between.
4. I am going to turn the UAM jazz band into the best musical group I have ever stood in front
of. With the new tools I have learned this year I am positive that is going to happen and
my students will reap the benefits.

Tomorrow we will play in the Fukuoka Symphony Hall. You cant believe how many beautiful concert halls there are in Japan. I am just amazed.

On Wed. we will fly to Okinawa. I am very excited about that. One my best friends ever daughter. My old friend Steve Platt has a daughter, Ashly, living there with her US Marine husband. I can hardly wait to see them.

Keep those questions coming. Saxman91254@yahoo.com

Hey Kathyrine, Flat Stanley is doing great. He says hi to you and all your classmates in Roulette Texas.

Toyko

2009-11-23T05:29:00.002-06:00

We are having a great visit in Toyko. We are in the New Otani Hotel for 8 straight days. Very nice. We just completed our 8th concert in 9 days. We are a little tired . Tomorrow night we play at the Yokahama Minatomiria Hall. All of the venues here are spectacular. Tonights concert hall had a ground floor and 5 levels of balconies. Is truley unbeleivable. In the USA we build football staudiums while in Japan they build massive concert halls for music events.

Ill keep you posted. If you have questions please send them to me.

Toyko

2009-11-21T07:54:00.003-06:00

Great concert tonight. We woke up to a blizzard this morning. After traveling on the bullet train to Toyko at over 150 MPH, it was clear and much warmer when we arrived.

Tonights concert was the best so far. Great crowd and the band was on!!!!!!!!!

Day 6

2009-11-18T04:48:00.002-06:00

Today we flew into a beautiful snowy Amori. It was a great flight right over and I mean right over the snow covered mountains. We arrived at our hotel and it was beginning to snow again. Luckily we don't have a concert tonight. We will be back at it again tomorrow.

We are very well received everywhere we go. The Japanese people everywhere are very kind to us and very understanding about our poorness in speaking the Japanese language. Lucky for us we have a Japanese guide and translator. His name is Lewis. He is a rock star in Japan. He plays the guitar. He has complete mastery of the English language and the Japanese language. Most of all he is just a great guy.

Our hotel is superb. They all have been.

Hey Kathiryne tell your classmates Flat Stanley is having a great time. H is learning the Japanese language and hopes to share some of it with you in Texas soon.

Ill see you guys tomorrow night after the concert.

Concerts in Japan

2009-11-17T01:20:00.002-06:00

After spending the night in Toyko we flew to Obihiro. We stayed there one night and played our first concert. The concert went very well considering how tired we were and how our internal clocks are really messed up. The next day we travled by train through the snow covered mountains and trees to Sopporo. We traveled an hour out to a smaller town and played for another full house. The venues that we play in Japan are unbeleivable. The Japanese love the Glenn Miller Orchestra. As a matter of fact you can still hear the music live throughout the country.

Tonight we play in Sapporo. I understand it is the most beautiful venue so far. I will report on the concert sometimely to tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will f ly to Amori. No concert tomorrow. It is a travel day.

JAPAN

2009-11-15T05:06:00.003-06:00

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Japan is fantastic!! We flew for 15 straight hours to get here. We spent our first night in Tokyo. On day one we flew from Tokyo to Obihiro and played our first concert. It went very well. We played for a crowd of about 200 people. The band played very well and the crowd was nothing less than fantastic. They loved the band and showed their appreciation with great applause and obvious enjoyment.

After the concert Jeff Uban( ride trumpet ) and I went down town for dinner. Neither of us speak Japanese very well so we were at the mercy of the owner. skeThank goodness all the people we meet here are very polite, and kind to us. The owner helped us figire out what we wanted. I had yakitori ( grilled chicken on skewers) along with a nice Japanese beer, some squid and other unknown items. Jeff had many things I have never seen in my life. However the meal was fantastic and the people in the cafe were great to us.

Tomorrow we will take the train to Sappora and play a concert at Tomakomai Shimin kaikan. I will let you know how it goes. First we have a western style breakfast buffet in the morning. Ill tell you all about it in my next post.

Flat Stanley is doing well and anxious to get back to his classmates in Texas.

Going to Japan

2009-11-10T19:14:00.002-06:00

The last three days have been fantastic. You can just tell everyone in the band is gearing up for something big. The sections are tighter, the solos are better and the excitment is really high. Our lead trombone player George Reinert from Alaska is a beast always but the last few concerts he has been nothing less than amazing. We played two nights ago in Rome New York for a completely packed house. The crowd was screaming and clapping and just having a fantastic time. It is so much fun when you have 2000 people acting more like their at a huge rock concert but no, they are there to scream for good big band music. I just wish everyone in music from my home area could see this. The last two nights we played in the Westchester Broadway Theatre. Packed house at both concerts. Another very excited crowd.

We are off tomorrow to get things ready for our trip to Japan on Thursday. A short 15 hour flight from New York to Tokyo. In Japan things are a little different. The band is extremely popular in Japan. While we are there, someone always carried our luggage for us along with our horns and everything else we need. When we arrive at our next hotel our things are there waiting for us. We are staying in Hotels that cost over $400 per night. All of the concerts appear to be sell outs. I must say I am pretty excited about the entire trip. What an educational experience. Every serious musician/teacher needs to experience this. You cant really teach or explain this unless you have experienced it. All the books I have read and studied didn't come close to the real thing.

I will post on the blog as often as I can in Japan. Hard to believe it will all be over in a very short 6 weeks.

Back with the Band

2009-11-06T20:19:00.002-06:00

My first concert back was so much fun. Our great bari player had to be gone last night so I played the bari book. My sub stayed on second alto last night and tomorrow night Ill be back on the alto.

I got my first look at the Christmas music today. it looks GOOD!! We will play lots of Christmas music while in Japan and the rest of the year in the USA.

It was just plain wonderful to see everyone again. Like family. I will post more soon and look for lots on the Japan tour. See you later.

By the way Kathyrine Flat Stanley is doing well. He stayed with me at the hospital in Arkansas. He will return to you and your classmates right after Christmas.

FINALLY BACK

2009-10-28T23:31:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone I am finally over my bacterial infection and headed back on the road. I will meet the band in Boston, play for a week in the New York area and head for Japan for a month. I will try to give good reports on the Japan tour. See you soon. Its hard to believe that I only have about 6 weeks left. What a ride.

All Musicians Need to Read This One

2009-10-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

How do you measure a great lead alto player. Here you go:: The other night at our concert we were going to play #67 The Nearness Of You. A fantastic tune that features the sax section. It especially features the doubling abilities of our section. During one part of the tune, it goes back and forth between the lead alto and the second alto each altering sax and clarinet back and forth. During intermission I took my music back stage to practice and get everything just right. We went back to the stage and starting our set. When we got to #67 my music was no where to be found. No one knew this except for me and Kevin the leadman. I decided to fake it so no one would know. When we got to the section between Kevin and I all of a sudden he started switching horns like a wild man. YOU SEE HE HAD MY MUSIC MEMORIZED TOO. He played every single note of the back and forth section on the correct instrument PERFECTLY. It was so perfect Larry never know we had a problem. To top it off after the show, Kevin said, Your Fired, laughed and said "That's happened in the past and it will happen again in the future" He was very kind and supportive. He knows I work hard all the time to have everything right. THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE MEASURE OF A GREAT LEAD PLAYER AND SECTION LEADER.

Great Concert

2009-10-05T20:45:00.002-05:00

The concert when my family was here went well. Larry our director is so gracious to feature us especially when our family is here. He really made the night super special and made me actually feel pretty important. He really does it up right when your family is there. THANK YOU LARRY O'Brien.

Family Visit

2009-10-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

Tonight is a big night. My wife Debbie , and our daughter Kristen will be at the concert in Wichita Kansas. Debbie's Mom and Dad will be here too. Its the first time anyone in my family as been able to come here me play since I have been with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Larry, our leader is great about taking care of us when we have family here. He asked me what I wanted to play. The best 2nd alto feature is Stars Fell on Alabama so were doing that, and I am doing a clarinet solo on a great tune called VHOP from the old Army Air Corp music library. Also have a few more and I am excited about it all.

Ill let you know how it goes. I have to head for the bus to load up. Katheryine and class mates I will be sharing my solos with Flat Stanley. He is getting lots a cool pictures to bring to school when he returns in Jan.

Saxophone Section

2009-09-26T00:11:00.003-05:00

I must say that the GMO saxophone section is really beginning to gel. The balance and blend is getting pretty good. My vibrato is beginning to blend with Kevin and I am just finally beginning to get the sound I want and need for this section. The section has a ways to go but it sounds pretty good now. Almost up to Kevins expectations. ALMOST! We should be smoking by the time we get to Japan.

Nampa Idaho

2009-09-22T00:41:00.003-05:00

Great concert tonight for a crowd of about 1500 people. The lights were so bright that I could not see the people on the first row. WOW bright bright bright. Dan Gable had family here tonight. Dan is from Mass. It was amazing to find his Uncle was from Texarkana Texas. What a small world.

The bad cold going through the band seems to be getting better. Only about half the band has been sick.

It is hard to believe this years tour will be over in about 3 short months.

Here we go Again

2009-09-21T17:24:00.001-05:00

Concert tonight in Nampa Idaho. I will report on it when we get in tonight.

DAY OFF

2009-09-20T22:48:00.002-05:00

Today was great. Good exercise and swim, did laundry, practiced a couple of hours and RESTED!!!!!!!!! A perfect Sunday.

Three Nights

2009-09-19T23:55:00.002-05:00

It is so nice that we will be in the Holiday in for the next three nights. I love that. We are off tomorrow so will do laundry, practice, find some good food and REST!!!!!!!!! Most of us try to exercise at least 4 or 5 days a week also. Its really nice when we have a exercise center and an indoor pool like here.

Dan Gable (trombone player) and I are doing to the local music store tomorrow. I need a sax strap. Mine is about gone. Dan is one of the youngest guys in the band. However, he can turn out a very fine big band arrangement quickly. When we played with the Dorsey Band Dan wrote a great arrangement for the us to do together with the Dorsey band in one, (yes i said one) night. It went over great.

We still have the flu bug going through the band. My roomy Scott has been sick for several days. Sure hasn't effected his playing. Oh yes, if your sick you still play. No sick days out here.

If you have any qustions about the band or any musical questions for any of the guys just let me know and Ill pass them on. WE have great lead players in every section, great jazzers in every section and a fine rhythm section. Our piano player Ron Mills is a true monster on the keys and one of the best arrangers in the country.

Flat Stanley is still doing well. He is looking forward to betting back to his class mates in the spring.

FINALLY

2009-09-19T00:35:00.002-05:00

I thought I might never get on line again.LOL The mountains of Oregon are beautiful but most of our motels have had weak signals.

What a great time we had playing through California and Oregon. I met some of my wife's family in Oregon. Bonnie and Greg Leon. Bonnie is a very famous Christian fiction novel author. She has had a number 1 seller the New York National top 20 listings. Her and Greg took me out to a very nice restaurant and we had a great time. They really enjoyed the GMO concert too.

We traveled up the scenic highway on the Oregon coast. It is just unbelieveable. I dont guess I know any place could be that awesome.

The band is doing well. We are preparing for our Japan tour in Nov. and Dec. I am having a great time but I will be ready to go home for Christmas.

On my birthday Larry, our leader really made he night special. He set me up to to do a very nice feature on The Stars Fell on Alabama. Its a vocal and sax feature. Julia Rich, our singer sang and I played the sax feature. Our lead trombone George played happy birthday in the middle of one of his trombone features. Everyone in the band just made my day very bright. Jason (JB) took me out for a great mexican lunch. It was a very good day.

On the sad side of things you see lots of your band family go through rough times. Our lead alto Kevin lost a cousin and his grandmother all in about a month. Julia our songer lost her mother just a few days ago. The road band really becomes a close nit family and support system for each other.

We are off to Idaho in the morning. The bus leaves at 9 am and we arrive at 8pm. NOT GOOD!!! To0 long on the bus.

I will try to post more often in the future. Flat Stanley is still doing well. He is a little nervous about his flight to Ja[an.

CRAZY

2009-08-30T01:01:00.001-05:00

Our audience tonight - 7000 people. That's all I have to say. I am still a little in shock.

3 Days

2009-08-28T14:01:00.002-05:00

Well, its almost time to go home for a few days. I am ready for the week break. We had a nice early morning concert this morning at the Indy Symphony Concert Hall. My first morning performance. It went well and the theatre was packed as usual. We have another concert tonight from 8 - 10 pm. The band is sounding very good right now. The sax section continues to get tighter and tighter. It is so fun when everything is balanced and in tune. I am having so much fun right now. It has become a real joy to be in this band.

Larry (our leader) continues to sound great all of the time. What a sweet sound. The ride tenor(Scotty) just keeps getting better. He has to be one of the best ride tenor players in the country. He is fantastic. I'm surrounded by monsters. I love it.The second tenor(Damian) is really good too. He speaks more languages than should be allowed. The new bari player(Ian) is very good too. He is a great addition to the section. The second alto (Me) I'm hanging on for dear life. It has got a little easier for me. Actually its my favorite job ever.

We are all looking forward to going home this Sunday and Monday. I am flying from Chicago Sunday night to Little Rock. I will be home for a beautiful 8 days. That is the last break until December 23. YIKES!!!!! I will be headed for California and Oregon after this break.

By the way, I have to mention our trombone section. It is an honor to sit in front of trombones that sound that great as a section. Also our piano player Ron Mills. He is magnificent. Wonder musician in every way. His jazz arrangements are unbelievable. I highly suggest you purchase any he might be willing to sell.

Flat Stanley is doing well. He is ready for the trip home and looks forward to seeing all is class mates in Jan. 2010.

Here we go again/lessons

2009-08-23T01:51:00.003-05:00

Got a new drummer coming in Sept 8. Matt decided to move on.

I got a lesson with our lead alto player Kevin Sheehan. You gotta love it when you hear results after a 1.5 hour lesson. My sound got better, my sub tone became a sub tone, my tuning got better, and my playing got better on the sax, flute and clarinet. Being in this band is better than going to school. Kevin teaches me more in an hour than I could learn in a month going to school. Nothing like the real thing.

Getting Better

2009-08-15T10:29:00.002-05:00

We finally got our good bus back. It is like going home.LOL We had a couple of days off and came back playing better. A little break always helps. We have 2 weeks of pretty much non stop gigs and get to vacation for 8 days then off to the coast of California and Oregon.

I am going to start doing a little info on the members of the band. They are all very interesting and have very interesting back grounds. All are fine musicians.

You young woodwind guys work on your doubles. It will seperate you from non working musicians. If you can double you can work.

Flat Stanley is working on the Oboe because I am not doing that. Hi Katheryine and classmates. I hope you are doing well. Stanley is really having fun.

BUS TROUBLE

2009-08-06T21:57:00.002-05:00

Our Rocket bus died. As a matter of fact it died on the South Carolina Interstate Hwy. We all looked very funny sitting under the over pass, with 1 state trooper and two Chesterfield Fire Department fire trucks with lots of fire fighters in full gear. Why, because it's the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Very strange. Within 1.5 hours we had transfered all of our gear to another bus and were on our way. Now we have a sub bus until they get the new engine and tranny in our old bus. Thank goodness we get our old bus back. It is customised for a big band. Special area for upright bass, music, clothes, electronics for all of our computers, etc.

Ill keep you posted on the bus story. See you guys in Georgia tomorrow night.

Flute Solo?

2009-08-04T12:17:00.002-05:00

Just a note. I have a flute solo on You'll Never Know tonight. A great arrangement by our pianist Ron Mills featuring Kate Rafferty on voice.

Alto Sax

2009-08-04T09:56:00.003-05:00

Playing the 2nd alto book is fun and challenging. Sitting beside our lead player and our ride tenor is a great place to be. Both of those guys have been here for several years and make no mistakes. So if I make one it is obvious. So far I have been ok.

Sitting in my new spot is a complete new listening experience. Closer to the rhythm section, in front of the lead players as opposed to the far end. It is more blended and louder.

Sitting beside Kevin ( lead alto) is a lesson every day. Working toward playing as clean and precise as he does is really fun. He is going to give me a little more help with my flute. My sound is still not full and clear enough in the very low register.

Alot of you guys ask me several times who I think the best brass player is in the band. They are all good but I think Jason Bennett(bass trombone) is the most consistant. He has an unbelievable sound, dynamic range, great section play and fine improvisor. He is an inspiration to listen to.

As always, Larry( our leader) plays beautiful solos day after day after day. He is a great front man. The crowd really loves him everywhere we go.

We played for around 1800 people in the Show room at the Tropicana in Atlantic City yesterday afternoon. It was great. Tonight we play in Cape May Courthouse, NJ and then have 2 travel days to get to Peachtree City, Ga.

Hi Katheryne and class. Flat Stanley is still doing well. He really has been enjoying the concerts but gets tired of riding the bus. Im going to take him to Monticello Arkansas next Sunday for a very needed 2 day rest.

FUN TIME

2009-07-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

After the concert last night we discovered that the Holiday Inn we are in had a nice little karaoke bar. Just what a bunch of tired road musicians need to insure that we get no sleep at all. LOL It was so much fun. Lots of us took our turns. My Cuban friend Damian sang Besame Mucho, Jamie Parker sang the Humpty Hump, Daniel Pucket sang How Sweet it is to be Loved by You, and I sang Lady Down on Love by Alabama. At the end of the night Daniel and I did Old Time Rock and Roll. Today we sleep on the bus.

Hi Katheryne, Flat Stanley had a great time last night. However he did not sing. For all you guys that don't know Flat Stanley, he is my friend that my 3rd grade cousin sent with me to gather information for her class from all over the world as we travel.

We are off tonight so a little rest and as always practice. Back to concerts tomorrow.

Rain

2009-07-23T20:03:00.002-05:00

Its amazing that hundreds of people would set in the rain with umbrellas to hear a band play. But they do. Last night we played for 1 hour in a covered gazebo. The audience of several hundred people sat there until we finally had to stop as the weather got worse. The Glenn Miller Orchestra fans are the greatest.

Fantastic

2009-07-22T12:48:00.003-05:00

Fantastic is the perfect word to describe our lead alto player, Kevin Sheehan, on his clarinet solo he played on Swing Low at the Artpark concert in Lewiston New York. Kevin playes a Buffett Greenline clarinet.

The entire concert was good but the encore featuring Kevin brought the crowd to their feet.

For you future musicians: Road life can be good or bad. It was bad when I was on the road with the River City Street Band in 1980. Today in the Glenn Miller Band it is really nice. We always stay in nice motels, ride on a 45 foot bus, eat good food, have time to exercise and practice. Think about it: Practice and Perform, thats the job. Our performances are usually 2 hours long with an intermission. The pay is regular. Everyone knows they will get paid every two weeks. Can you think of a better job? So I say to you , PRACTICE, it really will pay off if you want it to.

Hi Katheryine, I hope you had a great time in London. Flat Stanley misses you.

UAM Jazz Camp

2009-07-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

Hey guys send in your questions. If you really want to be a musician this is your opportunity to get the real information.

Where is CE?

2009-07-17T08:48:00.002-05:00

Has anyone seen my good buddy CE Askew is the last week or so? He is somewhere in New Zealand playing drums and teaching many young drummers.

Hey sax guys, I have a new practice schedule. Here is how it works.
Long tones, lip slurs with mouthpiece and neck, all major scales, natural minor scales, octatonic starting on low b flat with appegios moving up by half steps(1 per week until perfect at all tempos) and sightreading. Then the same on flute and clarinet except slowly working scales.(not all every day) Finally,The Glenn Miller Book, much harder than most people think. After all that, a little improv. By the way, all exercised done with a tuner.

Hi Katheryine and classmates. Flat Stanley is doing very well. He really enjoyed the people in Canada and is having a great time in Ohio playing with the sax section.

WEBSITE

2009-07-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

Check out www.glennmillerorchestra.com for up to date schedule and event calendar. Also lots of historical info.

Canadian concerts come to end

2009-07-14T21:07:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe but over the last three days the Glenn Miller Orchetra and the Harry James Orchestra combined concerts played for close to 10,000 very excited spectators. We played 4 concerts and they were all either sold out or really close to sold out.

For the folks that think big band might be over you should think again. Check out the following bands web-sites: Glenn Miller, Harry James, Count Basie, and Tommy Dorsey just to name a few. All of these bands are gearing up for big tours in 2010 due to popular demand. It is amazing to me how wildly popular big band and jazz music is in Canada and most all of the world outside the US.

After the final concert both bands got together and just had a great time. The Harry James Band went to Vermont today and we headed for Ohio.

Make sure to stay in touch with the Glenn Miller Web Site for our schedule. Please send in any questions or comments you might have for the band or its members.

Headed for the USA

2009-07-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we will return to the US. I will blog a full report on our Canadian tour tomorrow night. Just too tired tonight. Check in late tomorrow night. It will be worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Battle of the Bands

2009-07-11T22:47:00.002-05:00

We did get the trophy tonight but we should have played better. It took me a couple of tunes to relax.

The concert started with the Harry James Band. The leader of the band, Fred Radke was fantastic. He played the trumpet beautifully and very exciting. There soloist were great too. The Harry James band was really awesome. The tenor player and the alto player were very fine players. The lead alto player just finished studying with Donald Sinta in Michigan.

We began with our Theme song, Moonlight Serenade and followed up with I Hear You Screaming. Our soloist were great tonight too. Scotty VanDomelen our lead tenor played a fine clarinet solo and several fantastic tenor solos. Daniel Puckett our second alto turned in one of his best solos tonight. Kevin our lead alto plyed one solo late in the concert: It was beautiful.

Late in the concert we played Chelsea Bridge featuring our band leader tromboneist Larry O'Brien. If you have not heard Larry's trombone sound you are missing it. Im pretty sure his feature is what carried us over the top. It was magnificent!

We will battle the Harry James Band again tomorrow in Montreal. I think we have a trombone section feature tomorrow as well as many other tunes. I will let you guys know about in tomorrow night. Bt the way, we played for about 2000 people tonight in a beautiful concert hall in Quebeck. Flat Stanley was very impressed.

Arrived safely

2009-07-10T22:59:00.002-05:00

We are in Quebec Canada tonight and headed for Montreal tomorrow. I have always wanted to go to the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Our regular piano player Ron Mills is back with us. He is a very nice force to help the rhythm section. He is a great player and just a really good guy.

I will write a report on the Battle of the Bands with Harry James Orchestra tomorrow night if I can get internet service.

Hi Katheryine. Flat Stanley is excited to be in Canada. He is very happy to hear Lee Konitz and Joshua Redman tomorrow. I am too. Two great saxophone players.

On The Road Again

2009-07-07T21:17:00.002-05:00

Here we go again. After a great two week vacation it was great to play tonight. We have a new drummer, Ron Coulter. He will be with us for three weeks and then a young man from UNC will join us full time. The band was pretty good for the fist gig. I will post new info over the next few days. We are in Maine and headed for Canada to play with the Harry James Orchestra.

1 Week

2009-06-30T10:24:00.002-05:00

I have one week left before I travel back to the GMO. Next Monday I will fly to Boston. Then we will bus our way up to Canada. Three concerts with the Harry James Band and the Montreal Jazz Festival. I am sure I will have fun things to share after that. Next Blog next week. See you then.

Fargo North Dakota

2009-06-21T20:51:00.002-05:00

What a great crowd at the Fargo Theatre Friday night. Sell out crowd and three standing ovations. The fans were clapping and cheering just having a great time. On sat we played for the Minot ND Jazz Festival. Everyone thought it was really hot outside. They need to visit Arkansas this time of the year. Its around 100 degrees in Monticello. I have not seen the temp abouve 75 since Ive been on the road.

Tomorrow night we play at Forrest Lake Area High School in Forrest Lake Mn. We do a few high schools evach month. We visit with the band students and directors and sometimes do clinics. It is of great educational bennifit to kids that want to be professional musicians. I have learned out here that there are gigs to be had if you can play well enough and can read really GREAT. Improv is important but it is but it is not anywhere near the top on a long list of musical requirements.

Tues morning me and Flat Stanley are headed to Monticello Arkansas for a well needed rest. I will see my wife, family,friends, get my horns repaired, buy reeds and supplies, go to my son Benjamin's wedding and then head for Boston on July 6th.

See you all again in July. Thanks for checking in.

FIVE DAYS

2009-06-17T21:33:00.002-05:00

Five days and HOME!!!!! The dance last night was good. About 500 people were there. Most of them danced for the better part of 3 hours. Last night was hard for the bari sax. I had to play all 5 horns. Solos on Alto, Bari and clarinet. Section flute with lead alto and 2nd alto. I have to do tone studies, long tones etc. almost everyday to keep my flute sound good. (With a tuner to make sure the octaves 3rds and 5ths are correct. We all do long tones on our sax mouthpieces every day, then the horn too. When you can play a full major scale with just your mouthpiece it becomes amazing what happens to your sound, tuning and everything else gets better too.

See you later.

Last Night

2009-06-15T11:47:00.003-05:00

The dance was a big success. I was very surprised to see so many young people(18 - 35) dancing to our music. There were around 1000 people at the dance here in Cedar Rapids IA. At least half of the people were young. What a pleasant surprise. We are off today and will be in Brainerd Mn. tomorrow for a concert at Central Lakes College.

The sax section continues to get better as a section. Tuning, phrasing, articulation is getting there. We still have a ways to go.

We will be in North Dakota the rest of the week and in Mn on Monday. Headed home on Tues for 2 weeks.

To my cousin and classmates. Flat Stanley is exhausted. He plans to rest in Arkansas until we head up to Maine July 6th.

Live Dance

2009-06-13T22:21:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow night at 8:00pm you can go to KRMY Radio on the net and see us playing for a dance. Hope you will join us.

HOME

2009-06-13T01:13:00.002-05:00

Well, Almost time to go home for a few days. I will fly home in just about 10days. We pay for our tickets aand the Miller Group pays us back. I will be home for 14 days and then head back out on the road for the rest of the summer.

6 Nights

2009-06-09T23:29:00.002-05:00

We finished our 3 hour dance tonight and are getting ready for 5 more nights in a row. 6 nights 5 towns. Travel Travel Travel. The sax section is getting pretty tight. Pitch has settled in and the phrasing , articulation and style is starting to match nicely. Our section leader Kevin lays it down every night pretty close to perfect.

Going to Juners Casino and hotel in Rock Island IL tomorrow. Don't worry Katheryine and class mates, Flat Stanley will stay in his hotel room. No trouble for him.

17 Days

2009-06-06T21:19:00.003-05:00

In 17 days I will go home. Cant wait to see my wife Debbie and my mom. It will have been almost 3 months that I have been gone by the time I get home. THE ROAD LIFE> AINT IT GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL The things we are willing to do to attain great musical experiences. If you don' t really love to play music more than anything else don't do this!!!!!!

CLARINET SOLO

2009-06-05T23:51:00.003-05:00

To night I played my first clarinet solo with the band. It was not great but it did not suck>LOL
I was scared to death. In the GMO band you always walk out front to do solos so the stress level is higher. We had only 1500 people at the concert tonight.

The concert was really pretty good. The sax section had a great run tonight.

Our fine drummer Jeff will be moving on to a world tour with a an international cruise line. So we have an opening. CE ASKEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NITE NITE<

Dinner Theatre/Practice

2009-06-04T00:09:00.003-05:00

The Dirby Dinner Theatre was great fun. Two concerts both sold out. For you Arkansas guys it was much like the old Vapors in Hot springs. Today was a travel and practice day. My room mate and I did tuning exercises for a while and then workd improv patterns in every key. Scott would play the pattern and I would repeat. We kept it in tempo and moved up by half steps. We put in a couple hours on that. Then we got our song list for tomorrow and ran through 30 tunes. Our show changes every day so we don;t get bored.

I have become a much better instrument repairman out here too. When your horn breaks you have no choice but to get it going. My alto fell out of the stand 3 days ago. It still is not perfect but will get me through until I get to a repair shop. Luckily our section leader Kevin has a great repair kit that he loaned me.

Tomorrow we don't leave the motel until 4:00pm FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Road lessons

2009-05-30T15:54:00.002-05:00

When you get really lucky and its determined that you will be here for a while you could get a woodwind lesson form the section leader. I did just that. Not on the music on the basics of tone production, control of the sax, clar and flute all at the same time. Boy, what a lesson I had. Kevin, our lead alto and I worked for 2 hours on just little things that will help in every area. We work noe on technique. Anyone can get that part if willing to spend the time. The perfect tone quality for each instrument? Thats where the men and the boys are seperated in the woodwind section. I am learning so many techniques that I am excited to share with my students when I come home.

You cant be out of tune and play on this band, especially the sax section. The tones must blend and balance on every instrument you play. By the way, I no longer hate the bass clarinet.
Thanks to my good friend Bill Hickman who sent me a Jupiter Bass Clar. It plays very well, good tone and pretty good tuning too.

We spent 8 hour on the bus today. Tomorrow night we play in French Lick In. at the French Lick Casino and Hotel. (Home of NBA star Larry Bird) We will play 2 hours with a 20 min intermission.

Hi Kathyrine, Flat Stanley is doing well. He has recoverd form his San Francisco trip and is getting ready to hit the casino.

CORRECTION!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-26T15:12:00.002-05:00

THE LEADER OF THE TOMMY DORSEY BAND IS BUDDY MARROW. I PRINTED BUDDY DEFRANKO, CLARINET PLAYER AND PRIVIOUS DIRECTOR OF THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA. SORRY ABOUT THE MIS-PRINT.

Best Concert So Far

2009-05-25T23:36:00.005-05:00

WOW!!!!!!!! The Glenn Miller , Tommy Dorsey battle of the bands in San Fran California in front of 3000 very excited big band fans. Buddy DeFranco lead the Dorsey Band. He is the legendary trombone player from the Dorsey band in the late 30s and 40s. His big hit was Night Train. His band was great last night and so was he. Not only does he still play well but he is a very nice guy. Did I mention he is 90 years old. Larry Obrian our leader was on fire last night. His trombone solos were just beautiful. What a lush trombone sound. He is the man!!! Both bands played really great and as you guessed no winner is picked.

The Dorsey Band was on the stage right and the Miller Band stage left. We took turns playing tunes. We were all exctied to hear each other as each band gave great applause for each other. This was a night I WILL NEVER FORGET AS LONG AS I LIVE.

Everyone that is kind of new is settleing in and doing well. I still have improvments to make. I will continue to practice all the time. Our section leader Kevin Sheehan is a very tough section leader. I am really glad. The harder he pushes the better we get as a section. He brings new meaing to tightness in a section. After a few more months I am positive this will be one of the tightest saxophone sections anywhere.

After flying to San Francisco yesterday and back to New York today and riding the bus 250 more miles today we are all exhausted. So I am off to sleep. It was great to hear from my friend CE today. His comments and visits really help me wih this road life. If you don't know CE was the drummer for the Airman of Note for 25 years and the leader for some time. He was also my college roomate.

Miss Doss and all the students at your school: Flat Stanley had a great time in California. He got lost downtown but we found him just in time to fly home. He is looking forward to seeing you all soon.

BUS TROUBLE

2009-05-21T21:39:00.002-05:00

After a great concert last night in Easton Virginia we got a pretty good night sleep. THis morning we took off at 9 am for Infield Connecticut and made it at least 15 minutes down the freeway when smoke surrounded us. The turbo had decided to take an early break. After two hours at the coffee shop we broke down by the sub bus showed up. A mini bus that was terrible. Thank goodness our nice big 45 foot bus will be with us at 11:00am in the morning.

We play in Connecticut tomorrow night, New Jersey Sat night and San Francisco Ca. Sunday night. We fly back to NJ Mon morning at 6:00am. WHen we land back in NJ we will bus 230 miles sleep and get ready for Tues concert. Im tired just thinking about it.

Hey CE, please try again, we did not have phone service alot of he time today.

Going to sleep now!!!! Today was a long day. Basically 10 hours on the road.

Two Days Off

2009-05-18T20:32:00.001-05:00

Taking a two day break. Resting, laundry and practice.

Getting Easier

2009-05-14T21:04:00.002-05:00

I am finally able to relax on the concerts. The music is fun and I enjoy playing it without being so up tight. Today when we got to Kentucky I practiced an hour on Omni Book licks that I write out in every key when traveling on the bus. I also have written out lots of Cannonball too. Over the next 8 months I should be able to really improve my skills working like this. I also worked on flute long tones for about 20 minutes along with whistle tones that one of the other guys taught me how to do. As much as we play there is lots of reed work to do. I have started breaking in my reeds then putting them away. I have a pretty good reed knife and an alto and a bari reed clip. Reeds don't last very long so we use reed clips and use the reeds longer. Most of the time a cliped reed sounds better anyway.

Right now Damian Sanchez (2nd tenor player) are listening to Herman Green. What a great player. Hope everyone is doing well. We will be playing in Glasgow Kentucky and then Chatanooga Tn. Next week the San Fransico Jazz festival. We will share the stage with the Harry James Orchestra. More later. I wish CE would give me a call.

Crazy Day

2009-05-11T20:42:00.002-05:00

Today I worked on the song Apple Tree. Tenor Vocal part. YIKES!!!!!!!! The assistant band manager gave me the music this morning and said learn the tenor part. I can sing but this part is hard. Ill keep you posted on how long this last. Im guessing about 1 warm up.

Chicago Symphony

2009-05-10T21:38:00.002-05:00

Our last two concerts were dances. Friday night we were hired by the Chicago Symphony to provide music for their annual banquet. They were very nice and most of them are hugh big band fans. Their lead trumpet, bass trombone and bass player played a couple of tunes with us. It was a great time.

The next night we were in St Louis. We were the music provider for on of St Louis's TV stations. It was a PBS special. My mouth is a little sore so today I studied my charts and outlined tunes in the real book as we traveled about 8 hours on the bus. Our next concert is in Pittsburg Pa.

Tomorrow we are off. I did laundry tonight so I will have time to work on a few new tunes.

Hi Katheryine. Flat Stanley is doing well and learning lots about music and travel. He is going out tomorrow to look for a handle for his suitcase. His is about wore out. Tell everyone at school that he says hello from Ohio.

Concert in New York State

2009-05-04T22:27:00.002-05:00

Great concert in Springville New York tonight. It as at the high school fine arts center. very nice concert venue. The high schools two jazz bands performed before we did. They were very good and very excited about us being there. Larry, our leader gave a Great talk about the importance of music education. It was very inspiring.

Our new drummer Jeff from West Virgina played well for his first run. nI got a new room mate today. My old room mate is now with the new drummer and I am with the lead tenor Scotty from Wisconson. Great soloist, I will learn lots rooming with him.

We travel tomorrow back to Ohio. We will stay in the same motel for 3 wonderful days.

See you guys soon.. Katheryine, Flat Stanley is having a great time. He is taking trombone lessons in hopes of playing on a concert before Christmas.

Nice Concert

2009-05-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

The concert in Marion Ohio was really good this afternoon. The balance and blend is starting to sound pretty nice in the sax section. Our drummer Brent played his last gig with us today. He is leaving for a 6 month gig in Europe. Needless to say he plays very well.

We have a new drummer coming in tomorrow. His first gig - Tomorrow. The no rehearsal thing is still a little strange to me but the band always sounds really pretty good.

Hey CE> Want to do a short six month to a year tour sometime. Maybe you didnt get your fill those 25 years on the Note.LOL

On the way to bed. Long trip to New York tomorrow.

All Day

2009-05-02T23:18:00.002-05:00

10 hours on the bus today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Need I say more???????? Playing in Marion Ohio tomorrow afternoon. Flat Stanley is exhausted.

Going to New York first of week. HAPPY DAY????

TRAVEL DAY

2009-05-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

Today is a day on the bus. After 3 nights of concerts a rest for my mouth may be good. Last nights concert was a blast. The high jazz band was their along with the other 2500 people. What a crowd. As always they loved the music.

Today I will listen to tons of music (computer, MP3 with head phones) anad study my real book, outline chords, and study more Glenn Miller Music.

New trumpet player arriving today to sub for our lead player while he gets his knee fixed. Brand new drummer starts Monday. Our drummer Brent is leaving for a 6 month tour in Europe staring in Greece.
Travel on.!!!!!!!!

Road Life

2009-05-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Another pretty good concert tonight. Very bright lights caused lots of heat. Made tuning a little harder.

After concert. Laundry!!!!! I spent an hour washing, drying and repacking. My wife Debbie does that at home. I hope she doesnt get to used to that. LOL I do laundry at least once every ten days. Some guys can make it 20 to 25 days. I don't see how they do that.

Mail call is just like the military. Everyday on the bus someone gets mail or a package. The tenor player Scott from Wisconson mother sent the entire band homemade oatmeal cookies. They were great!!!!! Lasted about 15 minutes.

It is 12:15AM and everyone is still busy either doing clothes, practicing on the bus or working on equipment. The other tenor player Damion from Florida dropped his tenor and is frantically trying to repair it. You learn very fast on the road how to repair all of your equipment.

Thanks for the posts. Concert tomorrow in Wisconson again.

Success!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-29T23:11:00.002-05:00

Finally a good performance on my part. Not perfect but pretty good. I am even happy with my solos tonight. STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. My room mate Daniel and I put in several hours yesterday. We will do the same in the morning. We are playing in Wisconson again tomorrow night then on the New York. To all of Flat Stanleys buddies in Texas, He is doing well but does not like the cold up north. This is his first trip to Wisconson or New York. He gives a special hello the Katheryine and her class mates.

Tried to call you CE. The number would not go through. Please email me again.

Will post again tomorrow.

Great Concert

2009-04-28T19:34:00.002-05:00

What a great concert last night. I still had a few (not perfect spots) but overall pretty good. Great crowd as usual.

Today several of us sax guys went to a local music store here in Peoria Ill. I picked up some stronger bari sax and clarinet reeds, a music stand, flute plugs and a alto mp cap. Then my room mate and I practiced about 3 hours. Mostly on articulation, tuning and dynamics. A few technical passages. Lots of improvment.

Still waiting for a close to perfect run on my part.

YUK!!!!!!!!

2009-04-26T20:22:00.000-05:00

I truly hate the BASS CLARINET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Concert

2009-04-26T00:03:00.002-05:00

Great Concert tonight. Keven the lead alto loaned me a bari mouthpiece to help me balance the section and the BASS TROMBONE. It worked!!!!!!!!!! It is a hard rubber Berg Larsen. 110 over 5 M. WOW> What a huge sound but easy to control. Here are the mouth pieces the rest of the saxes use. Tenor 1 - Otto Link - Tenor 2 -RBC Alto 2 Mouthpiece Cafe 6 - Alto 1- Meyer 9

Saxes on the band - Alto 1 Mk 6 Alto 2 Yamaha 875( trying to find Mk - 6
Tenor 1 Selmer Reference Tenor 2 - Selmer Reference
Bari - Mk 6 (alto Mk 6)
All the clarinets are Buf - R13
Flutes - 2 Yamahas - 2 Gemeinhardts 1 Haynes( i plan to join this club)
Bass Clar - Leblanc

Ill let you know about the other instruments later. we are in Iowa tonight heading for Rockford Ill tomorrow. Pleasant dreams.

Here We Go

2009-04-23T15:46:00.003-05:00

After 3 days of individual practice we are playing again. We will have sax sectionals tomorrow afternoon. We have sectionals about once every 2 months. The band does not have rehearsals ever. To play on this band you must read very well and pick the rest up on your own and FAST. That includes all articulations, tuning to match lead player(vibrato too), dynamics, releases etc. The Glenn Miller cds really help. I have listned to several to get the exact articulation for several passages. If you play saxophone you have to be able to improv some. I had two solos the first night I got here. That means wlking to the front of the band sticking your bell in the mic and GO. I have three tonight. One of the tunes I have not played yet. Wish me luck.

By the way, this is a clean cut band. No hair can touch your collar, no ear rings etc. If you have any inappropriate behavior you get fined just like when you are late to anything. It is great actually. everyone takes care of their business.

Please send comments it is really fun to get them.

WOW

2009-04-21T21:41:00.003-05:00

It is amazing what begins to happen when you spend 12 hours on your horn in two days. Things you thought you could never do begin to appear. If your bottom lip can take it. I had to stop today because my bottom lip hurt so bad. Practicing flute tonight. No wonder these guys all play so well. No school anywhere can give you this kind of experience. Everyone that loves playing should do this at least once. You just have to experience this to understand how great it is. My room mate Daniel Puckett from Thomston Georgia cleared up my fuzzy flute sound in just a few days. I have had many flute professors try but fail at helping me. You just gotta know what to do!!!!!!!!!! Takes experience not a degree. LOL

DAY OFF

2009-04-20T21:23:00.002-05:00

We were off today. That means I got to practice from 9:00am this morning to 3:30pm this afternoon. It was really fun and I saw good improvment. Tomorrow I will do the same again. We are in St Louis and headed for Effingham Ill. Make sure to check out the Glenn Miller Orchestra web-site for tour details.

Flat Stanly says hello to Katheryne and her second grade buddies in Rowlet Texas.

PRACTICE

2009-04-19T21:08:00.002-05:00

Last night the concert was great. A sold out house of around 2000. We spent all day on the bus today. Studied our charts , (there are 400 in our folder), listened to music on our MP3s, read and took naps.

Tonight we rest and the next two days we practice individually. There is a guy in the band here named Kevin Sheehan. Not only is he a great sax, flute and clarinet plyer but get this. He can transcribe complete jazz band charts of grade 5-6 without the use of any musical instrument. He only needs 1 starting pitch and he is off. UNREAL!!!!!! He writes out every part note for note by EAR!!!!!!! I told him today he is not normal. LOL

I hope all mine and Flat Stanley's 2nd grade buddies are doing well. Stanley had a rough time in the rain today. He is catching up on needed sleep tonight.

Motels/Practice

2009-04-18T16:44:00.003-05:00

Well, a different motle everyday almost!!! Last night Red Roof tonight Holiday Inn, tomorrow back to Red Roof in St Louis for 4 nights. We are playing at the University of Kansas tonght.

We practive individually about 2 tp 3 hours each 24 hour period. SOme of our tunes are very technical. We have an arrangement of Bill Bailey that is dang hard at 200 beats a minute.

No internet at Red Roof so it may be a couple of days before another report. PLease keep checking and sending comments.

Two Concerts

2009-04-16T16:46:00.002-05:00

After two performances I can say WOW!!! The Glenn Miller Band is fantastic. All the guys are fine musicians and nice people. The vocalist , Julia is also fantastic.

There are No talking during performances, Never be late( that is a fine of $$$$), play your part
the first time, dynamics are a big thing here. the band plays PPP to FF. Always look your best on stage, cleanly shaven or beards must be neatly trimed. YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE Every DAY!!!

I love this!!!!!!!!!! The leader, Larry O'Brian has really high expectations and he plays the trombone GREAT.

So far road life is pretty nice. I do miss my family.

BUS SEAT

2009-04-15T09:54:00.002-05:00

I have an assigned seat. Lots of electronics, etc for all the toys. I met the new singer John. I never thought about it but he has to show up with ALL THE WORDS MEMORIZED. YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!

I also met Ron, piano, Gary, tpt and Larry the Leader(trombone) Everyone is nice. Concert tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here

2009-04-14T18:00:00.002-05:00

I arrived in St Louis this afternoon. It feels funny. No car, no car keys. Have not met anyone yet. However, I am pretty relaxed and excited about meeting everyone tonight and tomorrow. I will load all my stuff on the bus in the morning. Tomorrow first concert!!!!! I am excited and can't wait to hear the other musicians and the band. I will give a late night report tomorrw night on the first gig. Wish me luck!!!!!!! Flat Stanley is really nervous so all you second graders in Rowlet Texas say a little prayer for him.

TRAVEL BUDDY

2009-04-13T18:21:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my second grade cousin Katheryine Doss in Rowlett Texas I have a travel buddy. I have just packed up Flat Stanley that Katheryine sent me and he is ready to go. He will be sending messages to Miss Doss and her class mates while he tours with the band.

Packed and Ready!!!

2009-04-13T09:39:00.002-05:00

All is packed, horns ready and so am I. Tomorrow Debbie will take me to Pine Bluff Arkasnas to load up the rental car and head for St. Louis. I am rooming with Ron Mills( piano player) tomorrow evening. I have been told I will most likly be rooming with the 2nd alto player(Daniel Puckett) after that. I will blog again tomorrow eveing after I arrive.

Getting Ready!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-12T13:40:00.003-05:00

Today after church I am getting all my horns ready,(bari sax, alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet and flute) for playing. As required I have my 26in suitcase, overnite bag, hang up bag with 2 white, 2 black shirts, and 2 pair of black dress slackes with very comfortble dress black shoes. I have clothes to just LIVE. We do laundry I am told about once every two weeks.

I am very anxious to meet all the band members and to seeing my spot on the Glenn Miller Bus .

Tomorrow I will tell everone so long and do a short studio session for the John Caldwell for the Miss Arkansas Pagent. I will be posting on a regular basis starting later this week.

Happy Easter

Hello, Tour!

2009-04-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Things are being set up, but this will be a blog to follow Mr. Gary Meggs' tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He will update the site himself periodically.