All Time Best High School Stage Band!

[coufplayer]

I've got some recordings of the Tullahoma, Tennessee High School Stage Band from the late 70's. That group was unbelieveable! I've heard some college groups lately that pale in comparison. Players include Mike Haynes - trumpet - who has toured with Maynard Ferguson and Guitarist Freddy Fox who is still going strong out in California - along with several others who went on to play professionally.

If you want, I'll email anybody who asks a mp3 of a chart. You might need a high speed connection because they are all several megs long. The recordings were all made live, one take, and with marginal equipment, but they are still pretty good.

[coufplayer]

Oops - left one out - Stever Brewster, drummer, is a very accomplished studio musician as well as has toured with some big names.

I'm trying to find site that I can post some of these mp3's on. The ones I've found so far don't give public access free.

[coufplayer]

Alright! A friend of mine has donated some web space to me for this. I've got 6 mp3's uploaded at:

http://www.sepuc.com/mp3/

Check 'em out and let me know what you think

[Razzy]

Wow, sounds pretty good for back then. Some of the soloists seem to be just messing around over blues scales, but yea what can you expect from high school! I like the trombone on tiger of San Pedro, you can tell he did his homework.

[Agent27]

Not bad. But I heard several bands bands that were better a couple of weeks ago at the Hill Country Jazz Festival. They have some high note specialists but there are some serious tuning and rhythmic problems. Dynamics could have used better. Also, the trumpet tone doesn't sound good when they aren't screaming. Also didn't like the saxophone section sound. Rhythm section seemed pretty good though.

It's not quite the same thing, but some of the "performance" high schools put out bands every year that would put this one to shame. I've seen alot of HSPVA and their top band is always good. Two recent graduates, Andre Hayward and Brandon Lee, are playing with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Normally I wouldn't be so critical of a high school band. I know this one would have put my high school band to shame. But I just got through seeing 3-4 high school bands that are better and another 2-3 that are right there.

[Razzy]

I'd have to agree, the blend isn't really there, it's more of a jam band, you can tell the kids having a lot of fun! Our jazz band recently did a recording of some things, I'll see if I can get a copy of the cd and put it up somewhere. Till then...

[coufplayer]

If you got some mp3 post them -I'd like to hear them. That "best high school" stuff was just a teaser to get your attention. Not bad though for a town of about 16,000 back then and a high school of about 400 total students. Remember also - these were all live single takes - no do-overs, and not necessarily them at their best.

Unfortunatly around here, the jazz programs have gone south. I just heard one of the nearby college jazz bands that used to be great - they were awful!

Again if you got some high school jazz band mp3's post them.

[Agent27]

The community college I went to used to have a really good jazz program. Shelly Berg (who's now at USC I think) was the director in the late 80's, early 90's. The band even went to the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. But over the last few years the current director has become apathetic and the band has turned to crap. I'm guessing that I started there at the beginning of the decline. It got worse my second year there. I feel sorry for a buddy of mine who's there right now. But at least he's transferring next semester.

[coufplayer]

If you looked at my site and notice the guitar player with the 'fro - here's what he is doing now: http://www.freddiefox.com/home.html Do my bud a favor and pick up his CD!

Mike Haynes (high trumpet) is currently touring in Japan with somebody (friend couldn't remember). As well as touring with some big names, Mike has done a ton of studio work and has been on everything imaginable - beer commercials to movie scores to country to rock to jazz to gospel to everything in between. There was a time in the 80-90's that if you heard a high trumpet in just about any setting it was probably Mike! He also produces. He became a very accomplished all-around player as well as a screamer :)

Steve Brewster (drummer) has followed a very similar career as Mike's. In fact they appear on many of the same CD's backing up the stars.

btw - in case you think I'm "tooting my own horn" so to speak, I wasn't in this band - I was in it a few years earlier, but we never sounded like they did.

[Agent27]

www.ntjazz.com

That's the website for the New Trier High School Jazz Program. They have some videos. I haven't really had a chance to watch 'em but I do know that New Trier consistently has one of the best high school jazz bands in the country. I find it amazing that a high school has 4 full big bands including an all freshman band.

[gary]

All-time best? Living outside the USA I don't have much to compare, but years ago I heard a band from Houston that was scary. And these kids knew they were special, too. It was humorous just seeing them get off the band bus.

They got off the bus in blazers and ties. A friend of mine was smiling and said they looked like and had the attitude of Basie's band. Just their appearance and confidence was enough to make the other HS band kids' knees weak, LOL.

And when they played.... The phrasing and style was dead on. I would know the name of the HS if I heard it. Great band.

[Agent27]

Gary, it was probably HSPVA (Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts). If not them, then maybe Booker T. Washington, Lamar, or Cashmere.

[gary]

Thanks Agent 27. Cashmere it was!

[iowajazzwriter]

Hi to all.

I'm looking for help in finding the OLDEST high school jazz bands/programs--hopefully the oldest in each state. Any leads that any of you could send me would be greatly appreciated!

[Agent27]

Thanks Agent 27. Cashmere it was!

Since this thread got bumped, I'll take the opportunity to say that Conrad Johnson, the legendary director of the Kashmere Stage Band, died on Sunday at the age of 92.

http://www.jazzhouston.com/news/words.jsp?pKey=1&key=829

[Al Tissimo]

I live in Northern California, and have seen many great HS big bands. The Best I have ever heard was El Dorado HS, for the past three years they have had outstanding sections as well as soloists. Also worth mentioning are Berkeley High, and Folsom, consistently winning at the Monterey Next Generation and Reno Jazz festivals. A few years ago I saw Folsom at a HS jazz festival, and the kids from other schools treated them like celebrities. They had A LOT of confidence.

[SaxColossusJR]

Yeah, Berkeley is really good

[Chicken 'Lil]

When I was in HS in Nor-Cal Berkeley HS was great but Aptos was the best. By a long long way. That band had Donny McCaslin lead tenor. David Valdez lead alto. Kenny Wollesen on drums. Also included was Adam Beech (bari), Rebecca Franks trumpet, John Dryden on piano. They played the Ellington book and all the soloists were smokin'. Donny would play cottontail at 350bpm for 50 choruses. That was back in 1984. They were really amazing.

[ajcomputers]

I have played in two of the best high school big bands in the country (currently). First was the Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra out of Portland, Oregon under the direction of Thara Memory. Wheewwww, that band was great. Won the essentially ellington conglomerate competition. The band i'm currently in is the Interlochen arts academy big band and combo. Interlochen consistently produces some of the finest musicians and artists in the nation. Look them up, the school is amazing (not that i'm a good representation of that haha).

[ajcomputers]

BTW. you can check out my music myspace for a recording of the Interlochen jazz combo. www.myspace.com/birdlives2010 the tune is a composition by our director, Bill Sears which he recorded on his two tenor album with Rick Margitza of the same name (chasin' the goal). Our recording was done live in December.

[ShedShark]

The School of the Arts in Jacksonville Florida has an *amazing* big band run by Ace Martin. The band is tight, great soloists, and solid music.