Here's a bio on the "lead trumpet chick" that someone wondered about: Liesl Whitaker is lead trumpeter with The U.S. Army Blues. She is the first woman to win a lead chair in any of the premier US military jazz ensembles. She was a charter member of the DIVA Jazz Orchestra based in New York City. She attended college at both Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) and The University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati, OH). In 1991 she traveled to Madrid, Spain, where she played trumpet on the late night talk show "de Tu a Tu". In 1996, Liesl performed on the A&E television special "A Judy Collins Christmas" filmed live at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. She appeared in the pit orchestra of "The Wizard of Oz" annually at Madison Square Garden’s Paramount Theater. She performed on Broadway in "Fosse," "Cats," "Cabaret," "Victor/Victoria" and "Guys and Dolls." In addition to recording with The U.S. Army Blues, Liesl can be heard playing lead trumpet with DIVA, the Ed Palermo Big Band, and on the Grammy-nominated "The Wizard of Oz-Original Cast Album (Madison Square Garden Production)" CD. She is also a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. In 2004 and 2005, Liesl performed with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, recording with the ensemble and conductor/chief arranger Michael Abene and guest artist Joe Lovano.
This is one of my favorites, wish I could play with them CPT now, I was 108th Army Band; that lead bone would have given Stan Kenton a run for his money!
Solo trombonist was really great in the beginning of the piece.. then he took over the tenor sax part played so brilliantly by Vido Musso in the original Kenton Malaguena ..... trombonist was ok for this solo part
Actually those are melophones. Melophoniums (no longer produced) were much longer front mouthpiece to bell and a distinctive circular tubing structure.
pretty dang good for an Army band.........but still not quite there.........a little too controlled.......not quite balls-to-the-wall........like Kenton's ...........but dang good for an Army band for sure
