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Rob McConnell, Big Band Leader and Trombonist, Dead at 75
- Posted on May 13th 2010 11:00AM by Mike Ayers
Canadian big band leader and trombonist Rob McConnell, according to the New York Times. The 75-year-old passed away from cancer on May 1. As a jazz artist, McConnell was an influential composer and arranger, choosing to continue with a big band style of music that was mostly popular between the '20s and '40s. Starting in the late '60s, when popular jazz artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins were getting more experimental, McConnell continued the big band tradition with his group Boss Brass, utilizing a rhythm section surrounded by brass instruments. McConnell himself played the valve trombone, won three Grammys and was inducted in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
Of his recorded output, his best-known work was collaborative efforts with legendary crooner Mel Torme. The pair released 1987's 'Mel Torme/Rob McConnell and Boss Brass' and the 1995 follow-up, 'Velvet & Brass,' the latter of which yielded his last Grammy for the arrangement of 'I Get a Kick Out of You.'
McConnell got his start in 1954, working with saxophonist Don Thompson and eventually became one of the more successful Canadian jazz artists in the US. Guido Basso, his flugelhorn player since 1968, told CBC News "[Boss Brass] was the only Canadian jazz band that could cross the border and play the living daylights out of US musicians. He heard things the rest of us didn't. It was the way he was able to take a song that you and I know well and reharmonize it [to] get the ultimate beauty out of the melody."
He is survived by his wife, Anne Gibson, two siblings, three children and seven grandchildren.
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Mike Mizen
1 reply to Mike Mizen's comment
Rob, You and the wonderful Boss Brass weaved such magical, sublime, music which will never be bettered in my book.
You will be, ' Simply The Very Best' up there, too.
Rest in Peace, 'Mr.Jazz Music Man' You will be ever missed
Peter Smith
Mike,
Your reply to my comments were greatly appreciated. I'd like to meet or talk to you if you are UK based but as my email address can not be diclosed you can find me on facebook.
Still mourning the loss of, as you quite rightly say, THE MAN !!
Regards,
Pete
Peter Smith
1 reply to Peter Smith's comment
If there's a bigger fan in the UK of Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass I'd like to meet him/her.
I first heard the band in 1979 and wasn't just knocked over I was knocked out. I have virtually everything the band recorded and play his music regularly.
A terrific arranger, composer and bandleader, Rob will be missed terribly but has left a music legacy second to none. RIP my man.
Mike Mizen
Hello Pete, Rob was THE man was he not. I too have been a great fan of his and The B.B. for nearly 30 years. I feel devastated and would dearly loved to have met him- sadly, not to be though. Thank goodness I have a lot of his recorded music.
No other big band like his, and no other arranger, either. I only found out today of his passing. He will be missed terribly by his fans. A very, very sad time, indeed.
Kind regards, Mike
Tradine
What a loss!! Not only was the band great, but Rob was a witty and charming guy, unlike some other big band leaders. He will be missed terribly.
May 13 2010 at 1:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
h. k. elliott
It's always sad to lose someone who performs Big Band music, this on top the loss of Lena Horne. There are some good CDs still being produced today using today's artists. Check Robinwoodproductions.com especially the Royal Albert Hall concert, George Melly, and Digby Fairweather.
May 13 2010 at 1:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Lou
Good wishes for the family. It's wonderful to hear a story where someone so talented enjoyed a life of doing something he loved and shared.
Aren't we lucky to be able hear such great music from ALL eras.
coach acie earl
i once went to a big band-swing concert in downtown new york about 2 years a go, it was a great nite, a totally different vibe im sure the guy was an icon
May 13 2010 at 1:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Brian Workman
Thar's the best you can do for a photo of great band leader?????????!!!!!!!!!
May 13 2010 at 12:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Charlotte Edwards
OH MY GOD! Who is "mufflinfluffer" -? Wonderful, fabulous retort back to "ignorant!"
May 13 2010 at 12:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
muffinfluffer
dear j,
it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. you have a computer. try google. if that doesn't work, try respect and dignity.
1 reply to j's comment
Ed Bride
The fact that you don't know Rob McConnell's work is not a felony, but it suggests thay you haven't been paying attention to the jazz scene. He was one of the biggest names of the big-band genre, even if most of his fame is North of the border.
Maybe you don't care about that. But your one-word comment is an insult to his friends and family, as well as fans.
13 Comments