[Trombone-l] USAF Noteables Big Band

[Phil Burton]

Last night the Great Falls Montana Symphony opened up their 48th concert season with an outdoor performace on the campus of the University of Great Falls, under this humongous lean-to tent like band shell.  We shared the program with the Noteables Big Band from Offut AFB in Nebraska.

http://www.offutt.af.mil/Assoc_Units/Band/htmlpages/discography.html

What a fantastic group.  They had probably THE most outstanding trombone section that I have heard in many a moon.  It rivaled the Kenton trombone section of the late 40's early 50's, with Winding, Bernhart, Rosolino, Nash, Roberts, and all the others that I have forgotten to mention.  Opening number was the Star Spangled Banner, with about a 16 bar, (or more) Trombone Choir that was absoultely beautiful.  The entire band played each ensemble piece tighter than "bark on a tree".

They also performed a few of Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band tunes.  Hunting Wabbits just knocked your socks off, especially the young airmen (whose name I have forgotten) who took the bone solo, as good as Andy Martin ever could have done.  All their pieces were at least as good, if not better than the original performances, and recordings. The Bass Bone player, an airmen named Matt, was the personification of the great one, Mr. George Roberts, and Bill Reichenbach.  I do not mean to get into a naming contest here, those are the names of a couple of the best ones I could think of at the time.   A couple of standards with an outstanding vocalist and then they joined the symphony with the finale to the 1812 overture, and the Stars and Stripes Forever.  I now quote a fellow bone plaer from last night... "Man, I have never surfed in my life, but when those 4 trombone players stood up behind us, along with the trumpet section, it is just like catching the biggest wave ever."

I read in our local paper that the DOD is planning on cutting the operating budget of some of their service bands as a cost cutting measure.  I sure hope they find other ways to save money, like cancel one or two overpriced and unnecessary fighter jets, bombers, rifles and cannons, or ships. (I served in the Navy and wanted to be fair to all branches)

Phil