Rob McConnell
Encyclopedia
Robert Murray Gordon "Rob" McConnell, (February 14, 1935 – May 1, 2010) was a Canadian
jazz
valve trombonist
, composer, arranger, music educator, and recording artist.
and took up the valve trombone in high school, and began his performing career in the early 1950s, performing and studying with Don Thompson, Bobby Gimby, and later, with fellow Canadian Maynard Ferguson
. He also studied music theory
with Gordon Delamont
. In 1968 he formed The Boss Brass, a big band
that would become his primary performing and recording unit through the 1970s and 1980s.
McConnell assembled the original Boss Brass from Toronto studio musicians. The instrumentation of the band was originally 16 pieces, consisting of trumpet
s, trombone
s, french horns, and a rhythm section
, but no saxophone
s. McConnell introduced a saxophone section
in 1970, and expanded the trumpet section to include a fifth trumpet in 1976, bringing the total to 22 members.
In 1988, McConnell took a teaching position at the Dick Grove School of Music in California, but gave up his position and returned to Canada a year later. In 1997, McConnell was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
, and in 1998 was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
. He remained active throughout the 2000s, touring internationally both as a performer and educator, running clinics around the world and performing as both a leader and a guest artist. The Rob McConnell Tentet, a scaled down version of the Boss Brass, featuring many Boss Brass Alumni, has been quite successful, producing three major records, The Rob McConnell Tentet (2000), Thank You, Ted (2002), and Music of the Twenties (2003).
Over the years, Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass became one of Canada's most popular jazz ensembles, performing live and recording for Concord Jazz and a variety of other labels. Mel Tormé
said, of his first recording session with the Boss Brass in 1987, "Making this record was one of the two or three greatest musical experiences in my long and checkered career." He died on May 1, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, aged 75, from cancer
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
valve trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, composer, arranger, music educator, and recording artist.
Biography
McConnell was born in London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and took up the valve trombone in high school, and began his performing career in the early 1950s, performing and studying with Don Thompson, Bobby Gimby, and later, with fellow Canadian Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
. He also studied music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
with Gordon Delamont
Gordon Delamont
Gordon Arthur Delamont was a Canadian music educator, author, composer, and trumpeter. He is best remembered for his work as an educator, having helped shape the talents of dozens of notable musicians in Toronto. He also published several books on musical theory topics which have been used widely...
. In 1968 he formed The Boss Brass, a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
that would become his primary performing and recording unit through the 1970s and 1980s.
McConnell assembled the original Boss Brass from Toronto studio musicians. The instrumentation of the band was originally 16 pieces, consisting of trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, french horns, and a rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
, but no saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s. McConnell introduced a saxophone section
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
in 1970, and expanded the trumpet section to include a fifth trumpet in 1976, bringing the total to 22 members.
In 1988, McConnell took a teaching position at the Dick Grove School of Music in California, but gave up his position and returned to Canada a year later. In 1997, McConnell was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Award ceremonies. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents...
, and in 1998 was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He remained active throughout the 2000s, touring internationally both as a performer and educator, running clinics around the world and performing as both a leader and a guest artist. The Rob McConnell Tentet, a scaled down version of the Boss Brass, featuring many Boss Brass Alumni, has been quite successful, producing three major records, The Rob McConnell Tentet (2000), Thank You, Ted (2002), and Music of the Twenties (2003).
Over the years, Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass became one of Canada's most popular jazz ensembles, performing live and recording for Concord Jazz and a variety of other labels. Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
said, of his first recording session with the Boss Brass in 1987, "Making this record was one of the two or three greatest musical experiences in my long and checkered career." He died on May 1, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, aged 75, from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Discography
Recordings made by Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass include:- The Boss Brass (1968)
- Boss Brass Two (1969)
- The Sound of the Boss Brass (1970)
- Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass (1971)
- Rob McConnell's Boss Brass 4 (1972)
- The Best Damn Band In The Land (1974)
- The Jazz Album (1976)
- Nobody Does It Better (1977)
- Big Band Jazz (1978)
- Boss Brass Again, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (1978)
- Singers Unlimited with Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass (with The Singers UnlimitedThe Singers UnlimitedThe Singers Unlimited were a four part jazz vocal group formed in 1971 by Gene Puerling. Members of the group included Len Dresslar , Bonnie Herman, Don Shelton and Puerling himself....
) (1978) - Are Ya Dancin' Disco (1979)
- Live in Digital (1980)
- Tribute (1980)
- Present Perfect (1981)
- All In Good Time (1982) Palo Alto RecordsPalo Alto RecordsPalo Alto Records was a jazz record label that released most of its discography in the 1980s. The label was founded in 1981 by Jim Benham, who was a Palo Alto, California resident. The artistic director was Herb Wong. In 1985 the company ceased its activities...
- Atras Da Porta (1983)
- Old Friends, New Music (1984)
- Boss Brass & Woods (1985)
- Mel Tormé/Rob McConnell & The Boss BrassMel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss BrassMel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass is a 1986 studio album by Mel Tormé, accompanied by Rob McConnell's Boss Brass Big band. Tormé and McConnell's follow up album, Velvet & Brass was released in 1995. - Track listing :...
(with Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
) (1987) - The Brass Is Back (1991)
- Brassy & Sassy (1992)
- Our 25th Year (1993)
- Overtime (1994)
- Don't Get Around Much Anymore (1995)
- Velvet & Brass - Mel Tormé/Rob McConnell & The Boss BrassVelvet & BrassVelvet & Brass is a 1995 album by Mel Tormé, with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass big band. This was Tormé's second recording with the band, his first was released in 1987. Velvet & Brass was Tormé's final studio album...
(with Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
) (1995) - Three For the Road (1996)
- Even Canadians Get the Blues (1996)
- Play The Jazz Classics (1997)
- Big Band Christmas (1998)
- Concord Jazz Heritage CD (1998)