LazyBones Trombone Jazz Group | Musician/band
LazyBones Trombone Jazz Group
Phone: +61 488 218 185
Reviews
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25.01.2022 Time to get off the back of my pants and update this sadly neglected page. Sorry about the lack of input from me, but I'm like the donkey that was placed midway between two identical piles of hay and couldn't make up its mind which one to go for! Only in my case it's something like seven music groups and I can't decide which to favour, because I love them all. Anyway, I'm off again with some news about the original LazyBones Trombone Jazz Quintet. I now have 42 charts from th...e J. J. Johnson/Kai Winding quintet recordings in the book, with more on the way. They recorded more than 50 sides back in the day, with all of them being great arrangements and compositions of not-so-well-known and quirky tunes, jazz standards and Great American Songbook masterpieces. We're rehearsing as we speak, and hope to have some gigs in the calendar as soon as we can. Please look out for them. One of the first transcriptions I did was of this tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wk4r6BxHGs
22.01.2022 Everything's going very well, with about 85 people showing up on the day (there could always be a few dropouts but, then again, there could be a few more joiner...s - who can tell?). We'll appear out of the crowd playing in popular old song and, when everyone's got themselves to the stage, we'll launch into "76 Trombones", followed by a selection of Chrissy-type songs and carols. There'll be a beaut interlude by a small group of trombone stars in the middle, just so people can throw roses. Don't miss it. This is a biggy!! See more
21.01.2022 Hiya all, and thank you to those who have visited this page recently. Sorry there's been nothing to report. I've been rather overwhelmed by perparations for my "One Show To Rule Them All" Tolkien show at St Stephens in Richmond on 1st, 2nd and 3rd October. I've been writing it, directing and producing it, organising rehearsals, paying all the various fees that you have to, publicising it, arranging some of the music for it, and all the stuff that I wasn't really aware of befo...re I had the crazy idea. But it's going to be really good, with Robert Dora and Samantha Frazer singing (two songs by Sam will be sung in Elvish - now there's an opportunity you don't get too often!) - and Mati Gwizdalla, Anthony Foon on trumpets and flugelhorns, Bruce Ikin on French horn, Luc Weiner on trombone and Nikola Show on bass trombone. Mati and Nikola have both done fine arrangements/compositions for the show and they are really worth hearing. I'm going to be playing my big gong, reciting the "One Ring to rule them all" in my best Sauron voice in the language of Morgul, so you'd better be there to hear that. If you'd like to come (and who wouldn't?) you can book on 9660 9666 or www.melbournefringe.com.au or just turn up (booking would be nice so we know how many to cater for afterwards). Cheers.
20.01.2022 The first pic is LazyBones at Manresa Hall in 1997 and the second is lazyBones at the Mildura Jazz Festival about 20 years ago with Marc Mathews on the other bone, the Smith brothers on keys and bass and Frank (who'll have to forgive me for forgetting his surname) on drums. Craig Smith's son, Lachlan, is now rehearsing the charts with me - we're really passing the baton down the generations now. Great, isn't it?
17.01.2022 One of the most special outings that the band has done was on the day that Princess Di was killed in that car crash (31 August 1997 - 22 years ago!). These things stick in your mind. It was a Jazz Musicians Benefit Fund concert at Manresa Hall, Hawthorn. Jordan Murray joined me in the front line, with Johnny Adams on piano, Leon Heale on bass and Peter Blick on the drums. It was a magic set and I think I've probably never played better. That support and camaraderie would make anyone play well above their normal selves. Thank you guys, again. One of the tunes we played was "Don't Argue": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfv16Taq60E
14.01.2022 Hi folks. Sorry for lack of news, but we've been having a bit of a holiday. I intend to lay down some tracks in a recording studio as soon as I can, as it's time there was a proper recording of the band. More news as it comes to hand.
14.01.2022 Hi folks. Lachlan Smith (young whiz player from Monash Uni) and I are working up a J & K Quintet program for presentation at a gig soon. Date and venue to be decided, so watch out for notifications. My J & K book has 42 transcriptions of recordings from their heyday (with more being added), and we'll play some of these at the gig. We hope that hearing these beautiful compositions and wonderful arrangements will give you, our audiences, a taste of what it would have been like ...at one of their live gigs in the '50s and '60s. J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding (pronounced 'Ki' when it's his whole name and 'Kay' when coupled with that of J. J. in 'Jay and Kai') had great ears for not-so-well-known tunes e.g. 'The Whiffenpoof Song', 'How Long Has This Been Going On?', 'Just For A Thrill', 'Mojave', 'Yes Sir, That's My Baby', and even 'Dinner For One, Please, James'. Kai composed two tunes featuring a gong - 'Going, Going, Gong' and 'Gong Rock' - for which I'll be bringing my big gong along. They took tunes from big bands they'd played in e.g. J. J. arranged Ed Lewis' 'It's Sand, Man' from the Basie book and, even with just the two 'bones, it comes across with the force of the big band. They composed and arranged tunes that I'm sure were meant to test the other one's technique e.g. 'Don't Argue', and I imagine that they both got a kick out of that. Anyway, that's the immediate plan, and we hope you'll enjoy the gigs. Cheers.
11.01.2022 Hey - thanks so much for liking this page. I'm sorry I've neglected it, but that's changing from today. There's so much to be said about the gigs I have in mind for both the Quintet and Septet and I'll be posting about them as progress is made towards their fruition. I'm always happy to receive comments and questions, so please make contact whenever you can. Cheers.
09.01.2022 Hi folks. How long since you checked Bob Elkjer's website for some trombone duets. Have a look here for some great ideas: https://robertelkjer.net/TrbnDuetPage5.html
05.01.2022 G'day trombone fans. Sorry there haven't been any opportunities for you to hear us in recent times. I'm looking forward to cranking up the group again before too long. In the meantime you might want to look out for The Mel'Bones (trombone quartet) and come to hear us play two sets at the Melbourne Big Band Festival (www.mbbfestival.com) next Saturday 11th Feb 2017 between 6.30 and 9pm at Cross Street, Brunswick East. Then you can hear us at White Night in the CBD (www.whiteni...ghtmelbourne.com.au) on the following Saturday 18th Feb 2017 on each of the three busking stages from 7-8pm, 9-10pm and 11pm-midnight and throw as much money at us as you can! We'd love that. Two weeks afterwards The Mel'Bones will do the same thing at White Night in Ballarat - we hope (more info to come). Remember - the trombone is only a glorified brass pipe and has no moving parts that are life-threatening (unless you get too close to the end of the slide during a rapid passage, or put your finger in the water-key, or have the case fall on your head from an overhead luggage locker on a plane, or the player throws a mouthpiece at you because you've knocked his horn off its stand and bent it, or stuff like that). Talk to you soon.
