Stan Kenton
Gary Hobbs is a third generation professional drummer. His grandfather Harry led several big bands during the Great Depression era and his father, who later became a strong leader within the Vancouver, Washington Chamber of Commerce, played for swing bands during World War II. Gary has played drums...
Jim Widner was given a very special opportunity to join his grade school’s orchestra, which provided him an instrument to play. His love of music was fostered years later when he became a student of his highly influential high school band director. These early experiences set Jim on his path in...
Steve Wilkerson was just a young saxophonist when legendary bandleader, Stan Kenton, hired him to join his orchestra in 1975. It was a great experience for Steve, who went on to play in several bands and with a long list of performers both in jazz and rock. While living in Los Angeles, Steve became...
Don Menza is the noted jazz saxophonist who worked with some of the giants of jazz during his long and storied career. Don sat in the Maynard Ferguson’s Orchestra for a few years beginning in 1960 and performed with Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich. Over the years Don has been a regular at the NAMM Show...
Frank Capp .always fancied himself a jazz drummer, although he successfully played many styles of music. As a session player in Los Angeles, Frank played on many hit recordings, among them, "The Beat Goes On" and "I Got You Babe" with Sonny and Cher. He led big bands and played in small groups with...
Ted Wade was raised in a house full of music! His father played trumpet with several big bands such as Clyde McCoy during the swing era. When Ted was four years old he was playing drums along with his father and brother, both on trumpet. As he grew up in the Catskills, Ted was cutting his teeth...
Peter Erskine has played a very visible role within the music industry as a noted drummer, author of method books and in designing several percussive products. He is also a welcomed sight at the NAMM Show where he can be found happily posing for photographs and checking out the latest gear. His...
George Roberts is known in the jazz world for his recording of “Stella By Starlight” with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which featured George on bass trombone. He is known among music instrument makers as Mr. Bass Trombone, who helped make a market for the instrument beginning in the late 1940s....
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...
Dave Pell had a long and remarkable life in music. As a saxophonist he played with many of the top dance bands in the later years of the Big Band Era, including Les Brown and his band of renown. As a photographer, he covered the long-playing albums for most of TOPS records during the 1950s,...