Mel Wanzo has passed away....

[Free For All]

I just read on another board that he just passed away. He was lead trombonist for the Basie band for something like 27 years, and a very personable guy. I crossed paths with him many times and he was always kind and supportive. He wasn't ever really known as a soloist, but he was an excellent lead player.

RIP, Mel- you did a hell of a job!

[John Tapscott]

I just read on another board that he just passed away. He was lead trombonist for the Basie band for something like 27 years, and a very personable guy. I crossed paths with him many times and he was always kind and supportive. He wasn't ever really known as a soloist, but he was an excellent lead player.

RIP, Mel- you did a hell of a job!

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Yes, you're right Paul. He had a lovely sound, warm and full, well up into the high register.

Mel's best known solo was on Part 2 ("Carolyn") of "The Count Basie Remembrance Suite" recorded on "The Legend, The Legacy" - The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Frank Foster (Denon) rec. 1989.

He recorded it again with the Basie Band on "Basie's Bag" in 1992. Unfortunately Mel was having some chop problems that night, so the earlier recording is much better.

Another example of a studio recording trumping a live recording.

(Though Paul, there's nothing wrong at all with the live recordings you made with Woody).

[catesta]

RIP

[Miles251]

Pauly,

Didn't know you recorded with Woody Guthrie??!!

[Free For All]

A little info I found.....

Melvin F. Wanzo, born in Cleveland, Ohio, November 22, 1930, is a big band Jazz Legend, who has served as a mentor for the Wayne State University Trombone Ensemble from 1997 through 2002 and for the Jazz Lab I Band since 2000. He and his wife, Carolyn Patrick-Wanzo, a graduate of Wayne State University's School of Social Work, are currently living in Detroit, Michigan.

Mel spent over 40 years on the road playing and recording with many of history's greatest jazz artists, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan. He is most widely known as the longtime "lead trombonist" for the world famous Count Basie Orchestra (1969-96). Prior to that, Mel performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the direction of Ray McKinley (1963-66) and Woody Herman's Swinging Herd (1966-68). During the Korean Conflict (1952-54), Mel served in the 36th Army Band with the Adderly Brothers and Junior Mance. After his tour of duty, Mel played at the Ebony Lounge with Joe Cooper's All Stars, who hosted all the national touring artists who came through Cleveland. In 1956 he toured with Choker Campbell, whose band backed Big Joe Turner, Ruth Brown and other Rhythm and Blues artists. After leaving Choker's band, he studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and joined the staff at WEWS-TV as a studio musician in Cleveland.

Special highlights of Mel's career include a Command Performance for the Queen of England, performances for Thailand's King Bhumipol Adulyadej, Rama IX and the President of Finland, and six Grammy Awards. Mel retired from the Count Basie Orchestra in 1996. He remains active with Johnny Trudell's and other big jazz bands in the metro Detroit area.

[Chuck Nessa]

We all owe much respect to artists like this - fine craftsmen/women making the music we all love.

Thanks to FFA (Paul) for reminding us.

[CJ Shearn]

Mel is on every Basie Pablo I have. RIP. is it Mel or I think Dennis Wilson who solos on "In a Mellow Tone" on "On The Road"? One of my fav. solos. I know that solo isn't Bootie Wood.

[John Tapscott]

Almost certainly Dennis. (Curtis Fuller played that solo on his time with the band and Dennis inherited his chair). Mel was a lead player and played ballad type solos, rather than jazz solos. Not that the ballad stuff isn't hard...I have MAJOR respect for guys who can play like that...takes a lot of control and accuracy...and it sounds awful if you don't get it right...

[CJ Shearn]

thanks John. So that must be Curtis on the "Fun Time" record. So used to hearing him play long solos on hard bop things that I never caught that. Hmm, on "Montreux '77" Al Grey plays the lead and solo on "The More I See You", not Mel.

[John Tapscott]

thanks John.  So that must be Curtis on the "Fun Time" record.  So used to hearing him play long solos on hard bop things that I never caught that.  Hmm, on "Montreux '77" Al Grey plays the lead and solo on "The More I See You", not Mel.

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Yep, Curtis solos on "Fun Time." Curtis has some nice solos as well on the Basie/Holman disc, "I Told You So." "The More I See You" had been one of Al Grey's features on the band for a dozen years by that point. (Along with Jimmy Forrest he left Basie for good shortly after after Montreux '77).

[CJ Shearn]

I really enjoy that Forrest/Grey version of the band, and along with Eric Dixon, a 1-2 punch on tenor.