mlockman

Does anyone remember when Dominic was experimenting with a bronze bell? When Jerry lived in Pittsburgh (70's) he had one we all tried out. At the same time Renold S. was working on his berillium(sp) bell. Can anyone shed some light on this?

rhdroc

Hi Mike!! Did I once read somewhere that you had attended school with Paul Hubinon - the famous West Coast studio trumpeter??

Thanks---<Rick

mlockman

A bit off topic but;

Paul Hubinon was a year or two ahead of me. I did know him and he was a big hero at Duquesne University School of Music. Eddie Shinner was his teacher and mine. Lots of stories. When he was in town he would all stop in to see Eddie.
Thanks for the hello!

rhdroc

And they say once you've hit 50, your mind is the first thing to go :wink: I was pretty sure that we had emailed one another about Paul sometime in the not-to-distant past. Now, back to Calicchio stuff....

Sorry I got off the topic ---<Rick

Larry Gianni

The " B " bell Dominick Calicchio made is made of Bronze - a copper and zinc mixture alloy.

The Tulsa " Z " bell uses the exact same alloy of the copper/zinc " bronze " ratio - ( a 1968 , Dominick made , 1s " B " bell was analyzed by a metallurgist to come up with the same mixture. )

I'm told the Hollywood shop , in the 90's , lost the " B " stamp one day and made the " Field Command Decision " that the letter " Z " ( which stamp they had ) would sound more modern so " Abra Ca Dabra " the " Z " bell was born.

Maybe the Yammie Z trumpet and it's popularity at the time also made the letter " Z " appealing to Chris and crew. Who knows

Larry

It's as simple as that sometimes.

mlockman

Thank you Larry.

Larry Gianni

Rick ( Rhdroc )

OFF, OFF, OFF TOPIC ( but necessary I believe )

You've asked me before about Paul Hubinon and I've not forgotten , but the stuff I heard was never very pleasant so I've always hesitated to relay what I found , but here goes anyway.

The quest for "Paul Hubinon and his LA Recording days " information

I've talked to alot of guys in town who knew Paul and worked with Paul and the conversation always starts the same " I really hate to speak I'll of the dead , Larry" , because they all know what has to said when talking about Paul, so I'd like to relay the tip foe the iceberg of what I've learned.

Paul had a huge drinking and drug problem and eventually would up playing in certain circles, because all drug depended people like other " druggies " around them, that he eventually died of an overdose.

I'm not saying he wasn't ever considered a fine player, but everyone I spoke to , including Gary Grant who has had his small battles with drugs in the past, it was always relayed to me that he was a very nasty and belligerent drunk / druggie to be around. He was always very un-pleasant to work both for other trumpet players around him, the surrounding musicians, leaders and contractors because of his intense substance abuse, years of this went on for Paul and it only got worse, you probably get the picture I'm just slightly painting.

In that day and age around Los Angeles , there were so many great players and more work for trumpet players than trumpet players to fill the slots , Paul's talents ( and the need for younger brass players for the new " electronic age " ... young , drug Dependant / booze Dependant rock stars liked to be around studio horn players that were like they were. No one wanted graying,, balding , grey flannel suited horn section players on their sessions , which lasted all night most times... ask Phil Spector and his wall of sound guys ... you had to fit the part physiologically and physically and cosmetically , not only musically to get the call ) were a sure bet , for a while , to outshine his dependencies.

I write this because I get asked about LA players who have died young mainly from later / newer generations want to know more about them becasue of there name on recordings.

Rick, we've talked before on the phone so I think you know me well enough that I don't give this information out to just start trouble or sqash idols. Many, many , Hubinon nighmare stories were relayed to me over this past year after I'd bring up his name in conversations wanting to know more him to relay to you and not just by other trumpet players.

I think one specific statement said to me after a long Hubinon conversation was by LA Studio Trumpet Bill Peterson. Bill played with Brisbois and Dalton Smith on all the Hanna / Barbera cartoons . He played the solo trumpet for the movie theme " Jonathon Livingston Seagull " , he was part of the Findley, Hubinon, Grant, Hey , Brisobis , D Smith , playing clique , he was pres. of local 47 LA Musician Union, he is now 72 and lived the " Golden Age " of recording in Hollywood , a 3 session a day lifestyle , never to be scene again, and what he said to me at the end of a long talk was very poignant I thought.

He said , with much sorrow in his voice:

" At Paul's funeral, with all the thousands of guys he worked with over the years, there was only one person who attended....I was it " ... I think that says it all.

I'm somewhat sorry to relay this info but......

LG

You know , it always amazed me when players talked glowingly about Frank Rosolino with such admiration .... here's a man who shot his 2 young sons in the head point blank with a gun as they slept and then killed himself ... shouldn't his T-Bone talents always play a small role in giving a man who could do this kind of evil accolades ?... Think about it.

Tootsall

A tragic tale for sure, Larry. I wonder how many musical "geniuses" have suffered a shortened life or career due to dependency problems (and as a result society has only experienced a brief "touch" of their gifts). Perhaps it's just a bit more "proof" that "madness" and "genius" often go hand-in-hand.

And to think that a great many of the very best of musicians don't reach their peak skills until later in life............... what has been lost?

JackD

Larry, those are both sad stories.

I found this site - http://www.jazzmasters.nl/rosolino.htm - that deals with the Rosolino story in depth. Truly tragic.

Larry Gianni

Hi Jack D D,

Thanks for the Rosolino article - I'm going to send it to a couple of guys out here that new Frank ( including Watrous and Tommy Pederson to name a few ) .

Short " Rosolino " thing

Bob McChesney , studio trombonist , and a real close friend for some 20 years now ( I was in his wedding ) actually has all of Franks old mouthpieces. A piano player named Frank Strazzari , some of you may recognize the name , gave Bob a old Shaving kit bag , you know like the ones that zipped down the middle and slightly folded together , and in it was all these custom pieces of Franks ... Purviance, Herrick, Calicchio , NY Bach's , Reeves , etc. and the original Gold Warburton that Terry made him while Terry was still in Toronto. ( Warburton has since re-issued that mouthpiece and I think has a picture of Frank and Terry holding this very piece ).

Well , Bob doesn't know what to do with them. Having something of Frank's personnel stuff is " mind boggling " to him( I'd be like having Maynard's collection of pieces after he leaves us ) but, because of what Frank did to his kids, he doesn't even like them in the house. Give's Bob ( who has 2 small girls ) a " very weird feeling ... the creeps" by just having them around.

Bob plays on the Simpson's , King of the Hill , etc. and is a featured trombone player on the Bob Florence Big Band Albums. he's also featured on George Graham's big band. he's a clinician for UMI and the Jigs Wigham trombone line. he lives about 10 minutes down the road from me, so I see him often. Super talented guy.

I think alot of younger players would be surprised at how unhappy ie: insecurities, depressions , anxieties, OCD , paranoia , etc that plague some of the " big names " brass . especially trumpet . players.
You would think " if I only had those kinds of chops , nothing would ever get me down " but actually in alot of cases, it's the exact opposite of the their reality. some of these players run the gamut of " personal problems " that seems to inhabit the industry and the quest to " stay on top " , or never let the public down.

On a happier note:


check him out: www.BobMcChesney.com