Big Bands
Johnny Mandel brought his unique talents as a composer and arranger from jazz clubs to the big screen during a brilliant career that spanned over 60 years! As a songwriter, he spent several years in the 1940s and 50s plugging his songs in the Brill Building in New York which was the hotspot for...
Howard Rumsey may have played the first electric bass to be recorded on a jazz recording. While performing with Stan Kenton’s first orchestra in the early fall of 1941, Howard was asked by the bandleader to experiment with a new electric bass. The instrument had no name on it and Howard was never...
Alan Dale, as a lover of swing music, found himself as a radio station host in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graced the airwaves over several stations and along the way began approaching traveling artists for interviews to be played during his radio program. These interviews served as a strong...
Bobby Gordon, the jazz clarinetist who helped expand the New Orleans traditions to audiences around the world, was interviewed alongside his long time friend Bob Greene. The two men reunited for an interview and to play together at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in 2008. For decades,...
Jim Rupp has had a passion for drumming as far back as he can remember. As a percussionist for several traveling groups in the 1970s such as those led by Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman, Jim recognized the need for a pro drum shop in which the musician customers are addressed on their level. He...
Margie Coyle joined several big bands as a singer in the golden age of the swing era. Bandleader Ziggy Coyle hired her for his band and the two fell in love. She worked at her husband’s store, Coyle Music in Columbus alongside Ziggy and years later with their son Jeff. She became NAMM’s first lady...
Ed Soph toured as the drummer and percussionist for several noted jazz bands during the 1970s. His noted work with the Woody Herman Orchestra led to gigs with the Glenn Miller Ghost Band and countless recording engagements. Ed has taught clinics throughout the world and has been a long supporter of...
Max Herman played his first professional music job at the age of 13. He enjoyed a stellar music career as the first trumpeter for many of the top name bands of the Swing Era. Most notably, Max was the first trumpet in the Bob Crosby Orchestra. His second career was that of music publisher, forming...
Veronika Gruber was musically trained as a child but did not think of a career in music until she met her husband, Hans, in college. He was a jazz fan who found it difficult to find music for his band, so he began distributing American publications in Germany. In 1978, the Advanced Music Company...
Cam Miller established himself as a respected music critic and journalist who was a long-time supporter of countless jazz festivals and concerts for over five decades. Cam began his professional writing career with the Blade Tribune in Northern San Diego in 1954 as a freelance jazz writer before...