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Donny Thompson talks to local jazz artists and features their music. The Jazz Outreach Initiative is here to help you discover your own personal joy for jazz.
Unknown Speaker 0:00
This is a k u and v studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Unknown Speaker 0:17
You're listening to 91.5k you envy, jazz and more. And this is jazz outreach initiatives, the joy of jazz, I'm your host, Donnie Thompson and this program is underwritten by the augustinus. Trattoria, a small local family owned Italian restaurant at the corner of West Flamingo in Buffalo specializing classic always scratch Italian favorites, handmade pastas and desserts. For more information go to D Augustine's Trattoria lv.com. Today we're going to be exploring a new album from Dr. Israel Butler Congo limit released earlier this month on June 1 from Vegas records and is available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. Our guest today is the man himself completing his first full year as chair of the UNLV School of Music here at UNLV. Dr. histria Butler, welcome.
Unknown Speaker 1:08
Thank you, Danny,
Unknown Speaker 1:09
glad to have you on the show. My pleasure. So Dr. Butler, you're also in addition to being the Director of the School of Music here at UNLV. You're the Grammy winning lead trombonist for the world renowned Count Basie orchestra, how did you come into playing the trombone? And then what was the pathway into such an iconic Jazz Orchestra?
Unknown Speaker 1:29
Well, I started piano at age nine, because my mom wanted me to really be, you know, a musician, a piano player. She didn't get a chance to get lessons when she was growing up. And middle school, I ended up in the choir, kind of by accident. And I went to the band director after school one day and kind of told him, there was a mistake. So he gave me a baritone. And I got tired of carrying that around and eventually was able to switch over to the trombone in middle school. And after graduate high school, I was in the Marine Corps as a musician. And then I went to college, and I kind of just grew up listening to music and one way or another made it made it to play with all these different jazz groups and classical ensembles as well.
Unknown Speaker 2:12
That's fantastic. You know, Scotty Barnhart, the bandleader of the CBO is actually friend of ours here at jazz outreach initiative did a fantastic jazz clinic for us at Green Valley High School in 2022. And the band was on tour here. Were you in the band at that time? And 22? Couple years ago,
Unknown Speaker 2:29
yeah. When we played Morrowind my parents Yeah, I was here. Yeah, it's
Unknown Speaker 2:32
a great concert. My first actually my first close, excellent experience with jazz was as a small boy, I think I was probably 10 or 11. We went to see the orchestra at the Disneyland carnation stage. And standing just a few feet off of bases right hand was was little me. And man was that that was inspiring. I mean, I was a organist as a kid, and that really wanted me to play the piano, we can sit that or stand that close to somebody playing like a legend like he was. When you're on tour. Can you describe a little bit about the feeling of being with that count, Basie orchestra? I mean, it's such a legendary band.
Unknown Speaker 3:06
Right, like you I saw the band when I was in. I was in high school. And I think it was 9495 and when I first started subbing with the band and 2007 some of the same guys that were there, were still there. I think there's only only two or three left now. But it's it's amazing film and you walk out on stage and you know the audience is is you know, in an uproar because you know, the the love they have for that orchestra all around the world. And
Unknown Speaker 3:37
you know, still very relevant right just won a Grammy in 2023.
Unknown Speaker 3:41
We did for best large Jazz Ensemble.
Unknown Speaker 3:44
That's fantastic. Well, let's dive into your album. It's called Congo lament. It's got your namesake on it is Rhea Butler. And we'll take a listen to one of the tracks on this new album. Tell us a little bit about why we're gonna listen to.
Unknown Speaker 3:55
This is the title track by Benny green, the great trombonist, and this is Congo lament. It's got a great groove that that our drummer Bob como is putting down and it's one of my favorite tracks.
Unknown Speaker 9:51
You're listening to K when V 91 Five jazz and more jazz outreach initiatives the joy of jazz the show underwritten by the Augustine's Trotter Ria and that was Congo limit from the new album Congo lament and our guest today Dr. Maria Butler joining us here in studio. Dr. Beidler. You cite your influence on the album for trombonist, the great Benny green and JJ Johnson, what about their playing inspires you and informs your choices for this album conga limit.
Unknown Speaker 10:19
So some of my earliest albums were kind of kind of a little bit later than that some people because where I grew up, we didn't really have a lot of record stores. So when I was in the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, which is Virginia Beach, used to go to Tower Records on Pay Day, and I got a lot of JJ Johnson albums and came across Benny green soul stirring that JJ is just the epitome of the trombone, the most beautiful sound range technique. And every solo is like a unique composition. Whereas many green is just all soul. And lots of lots of rhythm is powerful sound, very direct, and nobody swings as hard as many green. So I kind of blended those two together along with you know, my other heroes like, you know, slide Hampton and Steve to Ray Wyclef Gordon. You know, Curtis Fuller, all the other great, you know, trombonist that came came before me. And I think it's a great marriage. You know, those two were supposed to play together, Benny green and JJ. And Benny Green was so busy. He was so popular. He wasn't able to make it happen. And that's what ended up being j&k.
Unknown Speaker 11:35
Very interesting. Cuz I know that music critic Scott Yano and others have said that green style didn't really appear to be influenced very much by the pioneering sounds of JJ especially in the 1950s and 60s, time period. So I was curious about how you able to blend the two to create your own unique sound for the trombone.
Unknown Speaker 11:54
Yeah, they're, they're very, very different. But both wonderful in their own special way.
Unknown Speaker 11:59
And interesting. Also, that green actually lived here in Las Vegas. So there's a connection there, played in the showroom bands of the of the big band era here. Right, a
Unknown Speaker 12:07
lot of great musicians here and still coming. So
Unknown Speaker 12:11
I want to dig in a little bit to the album here. Before we do that, I wanted to just have you give a just a share a little bit about who the other musicians are on the album because I know we have some really great local legends on here. Right
Unknown Speaker 12:24
starting with the local guys we have our director of of jazz here at UNLV. The great pianists Dave Loeb, also our bass teacher, who was one of the busiest jazz bass players in town, Steve floor, and drum legend Bob Kamil. Bob was Sinatra's drummer Sinatra Jr. drummer and also played with Glenn Miller is a great player and teacher and wonderful, wonderful cat. And one of the guys who helped me come up with the concept for this album is is one of my my Basie brothers, the great tenor, lead tenor, Douglas Lawrence.
Unknown Speaker 13:04
Great. All right, well, let's dive back into the album Congo lament. Tell us about this next piece we're gonna listen to
Unknown Speaker 13:10
this next tune is BGS groove to and this is also by Benny green. So this comes from ICA Beck's album, easy living, whereas I Quebec on tenor, Stanley Tarantino Turner and then Vinnie gray and also on trombone.
Unknown Speaker 13:25
Thank you. It's right yeah. All right, here we go. BGS groove. Enjoy.
Unknown Speaker 19:02
You're listening to 91.5 Q and V jazz and more jazz outreach initiatives. The joy of jazz the show underwritten by D is Dino's Trattoria. And that was BGS groove by Benny green. On the album produced by Israel Butler called Congo limit on Vegas records. We're going to talk a little bit about how we can find that online and so forth here in a minute. But I wanted to circle back and talk a little bit about your role as the Director of Music here at UNLV School of Music. Now I'm on 1990, graduate of the School of Music here at UNLV. And if I'm not mistaken, you're the first person in that role with a jazz pedigree. So although you've also performed a classical settings with several great orchestras, and I just curious, how do you feel your selection for this role as a jazz artist informs the direction of the School of Music?
Unknown Speaker 19:52
Well, I don't really consider myself a jazz artist. You know, I do play jazz but also a leader, a brass quintet. which plays lots of different styles of music. But I think I think people appreciate the fact that I'm still a professional musician, still in the business. And I think all of that informs my decision process and my my leadership style.
Unknown Speaker 20:19
That's great. What's up, you have any cool things coming up that you'd like to share? CBl tour coming up dates here in town.
Unknown Speaker 20:27
In town, I'm going to be releasing the the album at the bootlegger on June 2 1pm. And then as far as Count Basie orchestra, we're going on the 21st We'll be in Elkhart, Indiana, and then the 22nd will be in Minneapolis plan at crooners. And then on the 23rd, we'll be in Phoenix playing at the Musical Instrument Museum. So I guess finish is probably the closest one coming up coming up soon. Later on the summer we'll be playing at the Hollywood Bowl and several places in California. In town, I'll be playing with a lot of the joy orchestra with with Lady Gaga so that's going to be exciting.
Unknown Speaker 21:14
So there's me tell us how we can find Congo limit if anybody wants to listen to it. Congo
Unknown Speaker 21:19
lament was released on Vegas record so on WWE dot Vegas records.bandcamp.com. You'll find the album and you'll also find it on my website, WWE dot Israel, ISR ea butler.com.
Unknown Speaker 21:36
All right, well, thanks everybody. I hope you enjoyed the episode today of jazz outreach initiatives, the joy of jazz here on 91.5k to NB jazz and more. I'd like to thank the team here Wes and everybody at key when V also huge thank you to our show underwriter de augustinus Trattoria at the Augustine's Trattoria lv.com. And of course, my guest today, the esteemed Dr. Is Rhea Butler, this local album conga, man and more. For more information on jazz outreach initiatives, many programs, events, concerts, festivals, educational and outreach efforts and more. You can visit us at jazz vegas.org along with our social media pages at jazz outreach initiative on Facebook and Instagram. Or we're gonna pay it play out a final cut from Dr. Butler's Congo limit. This one being pennies from heaven. Tell us a little bit about these and then we'll do a quick sign off before we head to the song Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 22:31
this is a Johnson and Burke tune that came from one of them Benny greens albums separate from the easy living just one of my my favorite tunes so I thought it fitting to add to this album as well.
Unknown Speaker 22:44
All right, this will be pennies from heaven from the new album from his RIA Butler conga lament for jazz outreach initiative. This is Donnie Thompson and we'll be back again the third Sunday of July at 9am right here at k one v 91.5. Jazz and more K when VHD one and on the k one V mobile app. Until then, thank you for listening and as you head out the door today, make it a joyful day for you and for someone else.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai