abbedd

please help this French Horn Player out.


I have seen pictures of my favorite section. Sitting Left to right (stage right to left) was

Thad Jones
Snooky Young
Wendell Cully
Joe Newman


I assume that the outside guys play jazz and the inside guys play lead. But I have some questions

Assuming Snooky is the main lead

1) Is Thad in the Trumpet 2 chair or trumpet 3 chair
2) Is Wendell in the Trumpet 3 or 2 chair
3) Is Joe in the trumpet 4 chair

4) Assuming a G7 chord from top to bottom G, F, D, B

It is clear that Snooky plays the G and Joe plays the B. Who plays the other notes. I.E. Does the second lead player play higher than the jazz chair player

Abbedd

trickg

If I had to guess, based on how I have always been setup in a big band, it would be:

2nd/Solo - Thad Jones
1st/Lead - Snooky Young
3rd - Wendell Cully
4th -Joe Newman

Undoubtedly Snooky was the lead and it seems likely that Thad Jones would have been the solo book player.

Bear

I'd agree with trickg in this instance, although ya gotta be careful, sometimes in the bigbands, every chair can play every part and if the lead player is just off tonite, pass it down the line, lol.

abbedd

So you are saying that the jazz player plays a higher part then the second lead player

Abbedd

Bear

lol, no sir.

I was making the general comment that sometimes instead of being allocated "Lead, solo, section" chairs, a lot of big bands just pass the parts around as all the players can solo or play lead or be a section player. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

abbedd

Now I am confused

Look how Quincy did it

http://home.earthlink.net/~abbedd/quincy.JPG


Porky (Al Porcino) replaced Snooky
Sonny Cohn Replaced Cully
Wally ? replaced Thad
Al Aarons replced Newman

he has it written the two inside guys high and the two outside guys low

Abbedd

trickg

There are different theories regarding how to set up a big band.

Many times big bands are set up with the lead players more or less in the middle of the section, and the lowest part players are sitting the furthest from the rhythm section.

I remember once playing with a big band that chose to put the barry sax and the bass trombone player right next to the rhythm section rather than furthest away from it, and it had a rather large impact on the tightness of the band.

Maybe the same idea was being utilized with this last section that you posted - they put the lead player next to the rhythm section - that's who they need to lock into.