"Your correction reminded me of this photo of the 1947 Stan Kenton trumpet section I have on my hard drive. It’s from 'The Big Band Almanac' by Leo Walker:
L-R: Johnny Anderson, Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Chico Alvarez and Ken Hanna
I had the great pleasure of working with John Anderson back in the mid-1980s. He was a fantastic trumpet player with a jazz style very similar to Don Fagerquist's - extremely musical and tasteful – and a joy personally to work with.
On the few gigs we worked where John was the leader, he referred to a handwritten tune list that he’d kept since his days on the Kenton band. You can imagine how threadbare and faded this list had become by the mid-80s. It was literally falling apart in his hands and I think only John could actually read it! I’d have to double-check this, but I heard that John’s infamous tune list finally bit the dust sometime in the '90s.
John was about the most laid-back cat one could ever hope to have the pleasure of meeting or working with. Although John is still with us, I’m sorry to say that he’s in a nursing home. I’m not sure of his age, but my best guess is that John would be around 90. I remember he was concerned about compromising his Social Security income when he was playing with my band back in 1987 or so (I ended up getting around that by paying his wife), so he was at least 65 then.
John is truly one of the last of a breed. I’m honored to have had the chance to know him and play with him. Here’s another photo of the Kenton band from the same book:
John is truly one of the last of a breed. I’m honored to have had the chance to know him and play with him. Here’s another photo of the Kenton band from the same book:
Look at those low-boy music stands! It must be nice to be young and able to see notes on a page from that distance. I don’t see how the trumpet players did it.
Time marches on."
Thanks, Mike!
While we're in a photographic mood, Steven Kane from Providence (the one in Rhode Island) saw this 1940s-era photo offered last week on eBay:
The name "Henry Busse" appears on the back of the picture, but the trumpeter shown is clearly not Busse, as the seller readily acknowledged. The auction closed with no takers. Steven can't identify this man and wonders if any of our readers might know who he is. If you can shed some light, please e-mail us at the address below.
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While we're in a photographic mood, Steven Kane from Providence (the one in Rhode Island) saw this 1940s-era photo offered last week on eBay:
The name "Henry Busse" appears on the back of the picture, but the trumpeter shown is clearly not Busse, as the seller readily acknowledged. The auction closed with no takers. Steven can't identify this man and wonders if any of our readers might know who he is. If you can shed some light, please e-mail us at the address below.
