Bob Gioga - Kenton's Carney(?)

[JSngry]

Not a fan of his playing or anything (that sound kinda creeps me out, actually), but his long, ongoing giggage w/Kenton has long intrigued me. Who was he? Where did he go? When did he come from? Why/when did he leave Kenton, and for/to what?

Not exactly a pressing matter, but any knowledge, anecdotes, etc., would be welcome.

[John Tapscott]

Well, I'll go from what I know and what what I remember reading in Steven Harris' massive "Kenton Kronicles."

I believe Gioga was a California native and was hired by Kenton for his first rehearsal band in 1940. He stayed with Kenton until just before the European tour in the fall of '53. I think illness forced him off the road. Kenton introduces him on Johnny Richards' 1952 "Prologue - This is An Orchestra" by saying "He has been a part of every sound this orchestra has made."

Gioga retired from music after leaving Kenton. He and his wife bought a small farm in California (a lemon-tree farm, I believe) and ran that for the rest of their lives. Gioga died within the past 3 or 4 years (at age 90 or so) but had suffered from Alzheimer's for a few years before that. But until the disease set in he took part in panel discussions (thouigh he didn't play) at various Kenton tribute events.

Jim's right - he wasn't a soloist, but a solid section player. He must have also been a pretty good reader. When you think about it there was some pretty incredible stuff going on in those years with Kenton - the Progressive Jazz Band, the Artistry in Rhythm band, the New Concepts Band, the Innovations Orchestra, the Graettinger stuff, and the earlier Lunceford-styled band. You might hate it all musically, but there were some great musicians on the band in those years - Pepper, Rogers, Cooper, Ferguson, Candoi, Konitz, Rosolino, Getz, Winding, Musso, Safranski, Bernhart, Manne, Levey, etc., etc.

[brownie]

Bob Gioga was a participant - and is heard briefly - in the panel discussions that were on the final disc of the 5-CD box Stan Kenton '5Oth Anniversary Celebration - Back to Balboa' that was released by the Mama Foundation in 1991.

The box recorded the May 30, 1991 celebration of the 5Oth anniversary of the Kenton band debut at Balboa.

Among the groups included in the set are the Lighthouse All Stars, the Bob Florence, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Holman, Tom Talbert and Buddy Childers big bands, the Lee Konitz, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank quartets and others!

That one:

http://www.counterpoint-music.com/Catalogu...ton/balboa.html

[king ubu]

And the Jimmy Lyons taking part, I suppose, is the Jimmy Lyons that announces the Don Ellis band on the Monterey CD, and not the ghost of THE Jimmy Lyons?

[brownie]

The Other Jimmy Lyons:

http://www.berklee.edu/scholarships/jimmy_lyons.html

[king ubu]

The Other Jimmy Lyons:

http://www.berklee.edu/scholarships/jimmy_lyons.html

Thanks! I didn't know that he was the founder of the festival, just know some of his announcements.

[JSngry]

He was also the DJ for whom Mulligan wrote "Line for Lyons" as a dedication.