Louis Armstrong
Andrea Young is the daughter of jazz trombonist James “Trummy” Young. As a child, she rode in the band bus with her father who at the time was a member of Louie Armstrong’s All Stars. As the group toured, Andrea met many musical icons and referred to many of the legendary performers that she knew...
Lew Shaw grew up admiring musicians he heard on the radio or saw in concert and wanted to do all he could to promote their music and tell their stories. He was a journalist and advertising manager by day and an avid music lover by night. He has interviewed over a hundred musicians and even wrote...
Eddie Henderson is a medical doctor who found himself in high demand by some of the legends of jazz. His mother was a dancer at the Cotton Club in New York and had the connection to introduce young Eddie to Louis Armstrong. Louis provided Eddie with his first trumpet lesson and was a great source...
David Duane took over as President of McMillan Music when his uncle, Don McMillan, retired in 2017. David grew up in the business as his mother, Don’s sister, brought young David to the factory at a young age. David has been involved ever since, not just filling orders of the band and orchestra...
Byron Walls is a singer/songwriter who began his career during the folk music boom of the early 1960s. He sang in a number of groups during his career, including The Travellers, for which Byron was a founding member. The group opened for Phyllis Diller at the Purple Onion in San Francisco and later...
Kevin Brandon is the studio bass player known as "Brandino". While he was born in Southern California, his musical roots go back to New Orleans. When he was four, he met Louis Armstrong, which he feels changed the course of his life. Over the years, he toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and...
Bud DiFluri enjoyed a long and successful career in the music industry in both retail and manufacturing. He managed the Yamaha band and orchestra department in New York City with a focus on sales and marketing, which he also focused on while working as the Senior Sales and Marketing Manager for New...
Toots Thielemans enjoyed an incredible career as both a jazz guitarist and a jazz harmonica player. In fact, it is Toots who is credited for bringing the harmonica to jazz. He has performed with nearly every great jazz icon of the century including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock....
Snooky Young was given his first trumpet from the local junk man who saw he had an interest in music, but whose family could not afford the expense. The gift served him well as young Snooky went on to record with the famous 1939 Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, Count Basie, Gerald Wilson and Lionel...
Richard Collins had a colorful career as a jazz trumpeter in the evening while he studied for his masters degree by day. Two topics always fascinated Dick, music and research, so he sought to study both. He earned his masters in Library Science and spent most of his career in southern California...