[Trombone-l] Tommy Newsom

[George Carr]

On 5/1/07, Chris Waage <chris.waage at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think there's quite a few people who only remember him as the target of
> Johnny Carson's jokes with the band.  Few understand that he was also - if
> my memory serves - the band's house arranger as well.

Newsom wrote hundreds of big band charts over the decades; he was also
a sought-after television and commercial composer.  But it's somewhat
unfair to assign him the title of "house arranger" for the
Severinsen-era Tonight Show Band.  Because the band played five days a
week for hours, and didn't have the burden of playing their 'hits'
like a name band, they amassed a huge book, including dozens of
contributions from stellar writers like Bill Holman, Ernie Wilkins,
Oliver Nelson, Don Menza, Dave Pell, Shorty Rogers, and many others.

George