Don Menza / WDR Big Band part 1

[@hmengland4161]

The drummer here is Menza's fellow UpState New Yorker Joe LaBarbera, who had played with Woody Herman and the Bill Evans Trio. Very musical family, with brothers John and Pat. There's something in the blood of Italian UpState New Yorkers I guess.

[@jasongarey8329]

Didn't they both play in Buddy's band in the late 60s too?

[@hmengland4161]

@@jasongarey8329 I'm guessing you mean Pat, not Joe. Pat's a great tenorman who was indeed with Buddy Rich for quite a long while. Pat and Don were indeed in Rich's band in late 1968 into 1969. Obviously, Joe LaBarbera wouldn't have been in the Rich band, but he did play with Woody Herman, as I said.

[@jasongarey8329]

Don has always loved dueling tenors. Him and Christlieb with Louie's band were some of the best I've ever heard.

[@Guest-dl2vw]

"Red" graduated from Grover Cleveland HS, Buffalo, NY, 2 bears before I did; if not, then it was 4 years. I had privilege of hearing him at a jazz club in Buffalo; unbelievable. Menza and Coltrane, God, best of best.

[@bobgreen1236]

One of my favorite Buddy Rich charts

[@moviemadness2009]

I just discovered this wonderful man today. Today was a wonderful day.

[@empirecanada6479]

La meilleure pièce de big band jamais écrite

[@MrBoybergs]

Sooooo good. Excellent band and superb ts battle.

[@cjorg16]

Monday nights at the Riviera, my favorite memories of annual trips to Las Vegas. Thank you Don for the music, arrangements, and great playing. A great band including young and old, all playing with lots of heart and energy.

[@fredyoung3739]

When I was going to Fredonia "Red" would come down from Buffalo with Charts he had written for the Band. Sometimes in the 50 mile trip he would write a 16 pcs Chart in the back seat, no piano, out of his Head ... this was the year after He and the Band won the Villanova Jazz Festival, Best Soloist, and Best Arranger. 1962

[@hommefriday]

How I envy you - a dream of all of use who love these musicians and the music they play. I heard a similar anecdote told by Tubby Hayes when he was about 22: Jimmy Hamilton was taken ill a few days before a London concert, so the Duke asked him to play in the concert. Not till he sat took his chair at the rehearsal did he realize where he was when he turned his head and saw - Paul Gonsalves and to the right Johnny Hodges to the left!

[@colbolt449]

One the tenor rippers. GOLD😀

[@dwardtrumpet]

aww man this just swings! v. nice

[@MegadethAcdclover]

man funny how his kid in Mgadeth got me curious to chek him out...and now not only i dig his son's (Nick menza-ex magadeth drummer) but also Don, he is fantastic!

[@MAJORSNODGRASS]

The other sax players looked defeated but the other band members were loving it!

[@sanblem]

Stupendo!

[@HenryBarron1]

@ansyf125, It vamps 2-5-1 in g-minor until the bridge, and then goes Cm7 during the bridge for two bars, then back to Gm. Then it does some chromatic 2-5s to get back to Gm. Hope that helps.

[@vhondystrickland5262]

Yeah!!

[@TonyAguirreJazz]

Great Piece,

[@theZodiacDigital]

you know who kicks ass? nick menza. what a player.

[@valvetrom]

Heard Don In Munich ca 1984, in a Jam session in a jazz bar in Schwabing he played about close to 20 chorusses,maybe he was a Bipolar bear?? exciting stuff though.

[@JorgeSilva-oi7jj]

ESSE ORQUESTRA, MUITA BOA!!! ADORRO SOLA DA SAXOPHONA!

[@TimPriceJazz]

Joe LaBarbera on drums.

[@pebblefrog196]

The Don played one gnarly ass solo.

[@mrsandbergmusic]

The drummer is Joe LaBarbera. Phenom. What a groove-keeper.

[@hommefriday]

Jeff Sandberg sorry, but at the crescendo - he is no big band drummer. Don is trying to get him to drive the band- as a big band drummer. Spoilt this great WDR performance.

[@brianbogle5050]

Someone commented that he's playing a Brihart Ebolin. Actually it's probably a "Tonalin" (White, nor Ebony?) but I can also guarantee you that the mouthpiece has been hugely modified by Don. He buys old rubber pieces and changes them. I'd love to try one. He has or had his own line of custom mouthpieces out there. Anyone know which horn he's playing here? The video is kinda fuzzy and I can't tell.

[@TonyAguirreJazz]

Thats not an SX90 but a Superba 1. Great horns

[@TonyAguirreJazz]

Funny

[@jukesjointOG]

Red Menza!

[@PTLux2]

@hommefriday Hi, I was thinking the exact same thing! I would loved to have taken a shot at this chart myself. I have some of my solo drum clips on here (I'm not a professional player though). I used to see Don Menza every week at the Rivera Hotel in Las Vegas years ago. About the only place you could find real jazz in this town. I really miss those concerts. Music is pretty much dead here in Vegas now. Sad for guys like me.

[@jazzsaxmaniac]

I love watching Menza play easier stuff so the other tenor is like I can take him...then when they duel each other Menza walks over everything that dude plays. The other tenor is good too which makes Menza even more awesome...even though he's a jerk in real life XD

[@Scottjazz55]

Good points. Isn't it funny how some of greats are just SO nice/wonderful as human beings (Louie Bellson) and don't have anything to prove and just want to share with other people. But others are not (Buddy Rich) even though they didn't get the memo that they also have nothing to prove in that area as well.. go figure..

[@richardnadson3975]

Don Menza was a guest artist with our jazz ensemble at TCU in 1977 or1978. I was a TA in the bands and picked him up/drove him to the hotel, etc. After our concert, there was an "official reception" with people from the music department and some of the jazz ensemble. Don just wanted to go and party with the grad students and others in the band and ditch the "adults." We took him to my and my room mate's apartment (a ranch house) and had a great time with him. He could not have been more gracious. We expected him to talk about music/stories of gigs, etc. but he wanted to talk about his hobby of restoring cars from the 50's in his garage. We took him back to the hotel later. When we picked him up in the morning to take him back to the airport, he had bought a special light for my special plants! He couldn't have been nicer. And I think he was wearing the same leather jacket as in the video.

[@ansyfrancois]

anyone happen to have chord changes during menza's solo?

[@bobgreen1236]

How would you like to be the second tenor player that had to follow THAT?

[@Gemashke]

Olivier Peters (a.k.a. The second tenor player) is one of the best tenor sax players in Europe and also played on Buddy Rich's band in the United States among others. He is right up there with the best of them!

[@bobgreen1236]

@@Gemashke Didn't say he wasn't great, but good lord that solo of Don's was phenomenal!

[@Guest-dl2vw]

menza was a genius, best of the best along with Coltrane.

[@cryphofobia7450]

Still is!! Going strong at 87

[@kbZEROpxn]

I love Buddy's Steve Marcus, but Menza wrote this like a tailored suit. Phrasing is less jerky in the saxes opening too.

[@ansyfrancois]

@HenryBarron1 Quick question, I'm assuming these are the changes in the written key of 'G' minor for tenor? or in concert pitch? Thanks

[@gregbush608]

Take no prisoners.

[@HenryBarron1]

@ansyf125 Yes It's concert F minor.

[@bimmerfun]

@jefferysax41 Gee, I thought everyone knew about Don Menza!!! Monster!

[@MuriMorello]

dude!

[@katella12]

Looks like Joey Barron on drums.

[@mikekaupa9190]

Buffalo’s favorite son!

[@hommefriday]

@TimPriceJazz I felt he was not the driving type of drummer for this arrangement. Butch Miles would have been the ideal - and done justice to the original Buddy Rich recording.

[@mikebuddy1]

@hommefriday Yea Butch would swing the band through this great chart, although pat worked with bill evans etc, i thought he plays great on the W. Herman album The Raven Speaks circa 1972 . what a band!

[@valvetrom]

sorry was 1964

[@HenryBarron1]

@ansyf125 But you should really just listen to the bassist and the pianist to hear the changes. They're pretty simple and typical.

[@thebritandtheyank3821]

2nd tenor plays with a wonderful, straight-ahead and dare I say "Coltranesque" sound that comes right out of the tradition, he swings and phrases too. Some cats pontificating below need to get an education - or go shine trump's shoes. Dig?

[@Gemashke]

The second tenor player's name is Olivier Peters.

[@dylancramer9164]

Menza is boring with a capital B - just a big show off

[@zootMKVI]

Late post but good luck if you're as good!