Friends of Big Band Jazz Newsletter - Big Band JazzAlive
Bob Florence, jazz composer, Big Band leader, dies at 75
By Rachel McGrath
Correspondent
Saturday, May 17, 2008Thousand Oaks resident Bob Florence won a Grammy and two Emmys during his long career.
Legendary jazz composer, arranger and Big Band leader Bob Florence, who won a Grammy and two Emmy awards during his long career, died Thursday at his home in Thousand Oaks.
His death came five days before his 76th birthday.
Florence was widely acknowledged as a dominant force in Big Band music, keeping the genre alive with his own Los Angeles-based band, Limited Edition. He also was a respected music educator.
"He's been a fixture on the West Coast for over 50 years," said Don Shelton, a professional musician who has known Florence since 1956 and been a member of his band for the past 20 years.
"I've been listening to his music and crying tears of joy," Shelton said by phone from his La Quinta home Friday. "He was a very sensitive man, and he showed that in his music and in his personal life."
Florence won a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance for his album "Serendipity 18." He received 15 other Grammy nominations during his career.
He won Emmy awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction for the 1990 PBS-TV show "Julie Andrews in Concert," which was in the network's "Great Performances" series, and the 1981 CBS program "Linda Lavin, Linda In Wonderland."
Florence was born in Los Angeles on May 20, 1932.
In an interview with The Star in 2000, he recalled his earliest musical memory as "my mother standing over me with a switch, making me practice."
He was supposed to grow up to be a concert pianist, but he fell in love with the sounds of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Woody Herman. At the age of 19, he dropped his classical music studies in favor of pursuing his passion for jazz.
His first break came in 1959 when he arranged two numbers for trumpeter Harry James' band. That led to work with drummer Louie Bellson and Si Zentner, for whom Florence arranged the 1961 hit "Up a Lazy River."
He also became the pianist of choice for many singers, including Julie Andrews, Vikki Carr, Dean Martin, Andy Williams and Red Skelton, and he wrote charts for Doc Severinsen, the leader of the in-house big band on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" on NBC.
For several years, Florence had been a faculty member at Centrum, a music and arts center based at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Wash., where he led workshops at its annual weeklong jazz festival.
Centrum's associate director Gregg Miller said Florence was highly respected for his composing and arranging.
"What impressed me so much was that, even though he was an older man, his playing was so vigorous and youthful," said Miller. He noted Florence was scheduled to lead the Centrum faculty's All-Star Big Band in a concert of his own music July 26 in Washington state.
Instead, Kim Richmond, adjunct assistant professor of Jazz Studies at USC's Thornton School of Music — and lead alto player in Florence's band — will direct the All Stars in a tribute to him.
Florence's survivors include his wife, Evie, their two children and grandchildren.
See Our 2008 Tour Photos Online Now! 
A Sunday Afternoon of Big Band Jazz
Two fine bay area non profits, San Jose Jazz and Friends of Big Band Jazz, brought a very appreciative audience a great Sunday Afternoon of Big Band Jazz, February 10, 2008, at the Improve Comedy Palace. The full house listened to a tribute to San Kenton, performed by, ex-Kenton lead trumpeter, Mike Vax and his Jazz Orchestra.
The David and Emily Umemoto Memorial Scholarship 2007 The first annual David and Emily Umemoto Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Leslie La Barre, outstanding young pianist from Foothill High School, Pleasanton, CA. Leslie will be attending Santa Clara University this fall ('07) taking Jazz Studies.
Bob Moorfield Leslie La Barre Mike Vax
A GREAT LOSS TO JAZZ
David Umemoto, Board member of Friends of Big Band Jazz, leader of his deceased wife's jazz society "Emily's Jazz Boys and Girls," and just an all-around great guy, passed away in his sleep January 3, 2007. Dave and Emily supported jazz and jazz musicians all over the world. They were loved by musicians, and fans everywhere.
Friends of Big Band Jazz will be setting up a scholarship in their name "Dave and Emily Umemoto Scholarship Fund." It will fund an ongoing scholarship that will be given, each year, to a graduating high school senior who is pursuing jazz studies in college.
Anyone wishing to donate to the scholarship fund, may send a check made out to Friends of Big Band Jazz, with "Umemoto Scholarship" in the memo line. (Tax Deductible) The address is:
Friends of Big Band Jazz
500 Oakland Ave.
Oakland, CA 94611
SEE OUR JEWELS of JAZZ CRUISE II PHOTOS ONLINE NOW!
April 30, 2007 from Ft. Lauderdale to Funchal, Madeira
The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra Plays, and WOW's Them At Filoli! The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra performed a concert, to a sold out crowd, at the Filoli Mansion, in Woodside, CA, September 10, 2006. One of a summer series of Sunday Afternoon concerts.
The tennis courts were cleared, tables and umbrellas were set up, with good food and wine served to a crowd of great big band jazz fans.
The band wow'd the sold out concert, where there was even some dancing along side of the band stand. Reviews from the attendees were outstanding.
Photos by Jim Haas...
Mike Vax, and the Stan Kenton Alumni Big Band
Wow’d the Encores in Big Band Jazz Audience
at the Four Points Sheraton-LAX, in LA May 25, 2006Mike, and the band were tight, exciting, and cookin’! Great solos from Mike, Kim Richmond, Scott Whitfield. Steve Huffsteter, Jerry Pinter, Bob Florence, Carl Saunders, Joel Kaye, Gary Hobbs, and others.
The ensemble, sectional work, and the programing of selections by Mike were outstanding. Saturday night, just before his band’s performance, Terry Gibbs took a survey from the audience of which of the seven band they like the best so far... it was overwhelmingly, Mike Vax, and the Stan Kenton Alumni Big Band!
See Our 2006 Tour Photos Online Now!
Bob Florence Wove His Magic With Mike Vax, and his Jazz Orchestra,
Sunday Oct 2, '05, at 2:00 PM
The concert opened with Mike's Big Band playing "Royal Rendezvous," and a new chart featuring Mike, "Mike's Romance".....outstanding! I hope we can find a place to record Mike doing this chart.
Bob Florence was next with the sizzling "Kissing Bug," then the barn burner "BeBop Charlie." Mike, and Bob slowed things down with a chart I wrote to feature Bob, "All The Things You are."
The first set was completed with two more barn burners, "Happy Go Lucky Local," and "Night Train." As Jazzbeaux would have said, "That set bites like battery acid."
The second set opened with Bob Florence spinning his magic on the keyboard, doing a few tunes from his latest CD "Friends/Treasures/Heroes. First, "Just Friends / Wind Beneath My Wings, a new one not recorded yet, "I'm an Old Cowhand," then "The Shadow of Your Smile," and, of course "Emily." Mike and the band once again took the stand with Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins theme, "Blues In Hoss Flat," and a composition by Rolf Johnson, "Ice Nine."
Bob once again joined the band to close the concert with his arrangements of "Laura," and "Sugar." Do I need to tell you that Bob, Mike, and band received a standing ovation...to say the least!
There was only one downside Sunday. Despite an hour long interview, with Bob, and Mike, on KCSM-FM the Friday before, and some pretty good newspaper announcements, there was probably less than two hundred folks in the audience. Well, there was a Raider's game, and a small blues festival in Oakland, but the folks who didn't make this concert really missed something special! We need more jazz lovers in the seats!
Norm Tompach
FBBJ
2005 Mike Vax Big Band, featuring the Alumni of the Stan Kenton Orchestra Tour
See the photolog online now...
The Successful 2005 Prescott Jazz Summit Thanks to festival director, Mike Vax, the 2005 Prescott Summit was both a artistic, and financial success.
The Summit start with a free noon concert in the park, Friday, August 26th, featuring Mike Vax and some of the all stars. Early evening, and fine dinner for the sponsors, and supporters, at the Hassayampa Inn.
After the dinner, the Summit moved to the Prescott Elks theater, for the first evening concert featuring The Chino Valley High School Jazz Ensemble, The Mountain Youth Jazz Ensemble, and the All Stars: New York’s Marvin Stamm (trumpet), Mike Vax (trumpet), Steve Annibale (trumpet), Peggy Vax (trombone), LA’s one and only Bob Florence (piano), Jack Petersen (guitar), Phoenix’s Dwight Kilian (bass) Denny Garr (bass), Stan Kenton Alumni drummer Gary Hobbs, legend drummer Mel Zelnick, and Phoenix’s great jazz DJ, Blaise Lantana (vocals). With combinations of these All Stars, and the entire group, brought a wonderful night of jazz. The evening ended with a “Big Band Blues Jam,” and a standing ovation.
Saturday afternoon was for the jazz workshops at the Prescott High School’s Ruth Street Theater. The faculty; Mike Vax, Bob Florence, Marvin Stamm, Steve Annibale, Doug Tidaback, Dwight Kilian, Jack Petersen, Dan Faulk, Tony Vacca, and Gary Hobbs work with the Prescott High School Jazz Ensemble 1 & 2, Chino Valley High School Jazz Ensemble, Thunderbird High School Jazz Ensemble, Arizona Jazz Academy Jazz Ensemble, and the individual kids. The workshops was an enormous success, as the performances of these groups improve measurably.
The Saturday evening concert at the Ruth Street Theater opened with the Thunderbird High School Jazz Ensemble, followed by the Prescott High School Jazz Ensemble. The All Stars, with the addition of Dan Faulk (sax) Tony Vacca (sax), Doug Tidaback (trombone), the amazing Armand Boatman (piano), Zirque Bonner (bass), Dom Moio (drums), and the vocalist Sherry Roberson. A great evening of jazz!
The Sunday Jazz Brunch, at the Hassayampa Inn is always one of the highlights of the Summit. One never knows who will come up a blow with that great rhythm section. This was no disappointment. Some of the performances by Bob Florence, and Marvin Stamm, Bob, and Tony Vacca left the diners spell bound.
The Sunday afternoon final concert, at the Elks Theater, was no let down. Opened by the outstanding Arizona Jazz Academy Big Band, directed by Doug Tidaback raised the roof! Next was the vocals of Delphine Cortez with her trio Joel Robins (piano), Denny Garr (bass) and Dom Moio (drums). Closing the Summit was the All Stars, who brought the fans to their feet.
A wonderful weekend of great jazz. One that every jazz fan should experience.
For information about the 2006 Prescott Jazz Festival, call 928-771-1268 or 925-872-1942.
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THANK YOU Friends of Big Band Jazz wishes to thank our anonymous Swiss donor for the very generous contribution to our efforts.
New CDs in the CD Shop
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The Mike Vax Big Band,
Featuring the Alumni of the Stan Kenton Orchestra
"Next Stop... Live On The Road" Summit Records (DCD 418)At last! The long awaited CD from the spring 2004 Mike Vax, Stan Kenton Alumni Big Band tour, has been released. The East coast was alive with the world class LIVE performances by this great big band featuring Bob Florence, Carl Saunders, Kim Richmond, Pete Gallio, Alex Murzyn, Mike Olmos, Jamie Tate, and others.
If there were only three tracks on this CD (Appearing In Cleveland, Young And Foolish, My Foolish Heart), it would be well worth the price!
Excerpts from Reviews of BigBandJazz.Net -- Summit Records
Learn More!
Someone should remind Mike Vax that leading a big band is economically unfeasible. Better yet, don't breathe a word. Vax, who used to play with Stan Kenton, is currently fronting two successful big bands -- the Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra (MVJO), and the Mike Vax Big Band (roughly 18 pieces made up of Kenton alumni from 1952-1978). To Vax's credit, he has a significant support base -- the Friends of Big Band Jazz.
The big band (MVJO) on this CD is more than an exercise in nostalgia -- new charts are constantly added in the Kenton style -- but the Jazz Orchestra's sound is more adventurous, more free-swinging, as shown on BigBandJazz.Net.
This huge organization, with demanding arrangements by the likes of Neal Hefti ("Blues in Hoss' Flat"), Lennie Niehaus ("Vax Attacks") and Rolf Johnson ("Ice Nine"), has been able to record an exciting showcase, not just for the arrangers but for outstanding soloists, such as the leader and Mike Olmos, trumpets; flugelhornist Rolf Johnson; Mike's wife, trombonist Peggy; and above all, hard-driving tenor and soprano saxophonist Scott Peterson. Worth noting: the two vocals by Cami Thompson (Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You" and Legrand and Bergman's "The Way He Makes Me Feel"), for the accuracy of her intonation while scatting in unison with the band, and for clear diction and a range that won't quit.
Harvey Siders -- JazzTimes, October 2002
Trumpeter Mike Vax has come up with an interesting idea, using his latest album to promote the web site bigbandjazz.net, which in turn promotes the Oakland, CA-based non-profit group Friends of Big Band Jazz (FBBJ), whose worthy goal is to help keep big-band Jazz alive for future generations.
While buying a copy (or more) of this CD helps FBBJ spread the word about big-band Jazz, an even better reason to do so is that the MVJO is a conspicuously high-powered ensemble molded in the image of the celebrated Stan Kenton Orchestra, and bigbandjazz.net encompasses more than seventy-two minutes of eminently rewarding big-band Jazz. In short, it's a kick to hear and appreciate music as bright and admirable as this. Section work is crisp and unerring, soloists alert and resourceful.. Great big-band Jazz for a worthy cause. In the words of Ira Gershwin, 'who could ask for anything more?'
Jack Bowers -- Jazz Improv Magazine, July 2002
