Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bill Watrous and Michael Tyler

[@chopsjazz1]

Great band, cool arrangement. I think playing the flugelhorn horn like that is illegal in some states! What a great player!

[@bryandickerson5365]

Damn - a killer band and Mr Tyler, the Flugal horn soloist, is the real star of the show! I attended North Texas in the ‘80s and feel this KU band sounds as good as many of the NTSU lab bands of the era, and they all sounded amazing!

[@2BKing4aday]

Bill knew this wasn’t a kids band. He brought it. I never heard him play with that kind of energy and abandon. Respect.

[@AspartameBoy]

Too many notes

[@Uptown59]

Have you heard "The Manhattan Wildelife Refuge"?

[@alexalani10110]

This is amazingly beautiful, I’m so glad this was posted, and cool to see the comments of those personally involved! Holds up across the pond 🇬🇧🫡

[@SuperKeswick]

Amazing by Bill and this great band

[@pokemaniac0075]

What an experience! Thanks for sharing!

[@tonislane7071]

Awesome! I never saw Bill play live. Band is very good.

[@davidkline1355]

I saw him live twice. Both times it was like a recording. He seldom had a bad day playing.

[@donalddelatorre5808]

​@davidkline1355 What a gem! Thank you. Incredible musicianship by everybody. I love the drummer, I'm a drummer, too. I saw Bill Watrous in the San Fernando Valley, CA. I was super close and was amazed. I really enjoyed his playing on Chick's Nite Sprite album, too. Bill's playing is so smooth, and his tone wow. Thanks, again.

[@davecooper2319]

@@donalddelatorre5808 The drummer is Andrew Jaimez. He's fantastic.

[@andreluisflautista168]

Bill Watrous ❤🔥

[@brendantrott5118]

Gee the audio was great for '88 transfer from vhs, they look like babies but are blowing with the best of them. I think the flugel is terrific, very Freddie, even the manor he was playing it. The energy well what can I say.

[@mbond88h]

amazing

[@jeckcenidoza7121]

Thanks for sharing😍

[@jamesjeffley4926]

Thanks for sharing! I'd love to see the whole concert.

[@SarrusophoneMan]

James! You look so cool and laid back! 😎

[@marcoscosta2299]

Yes

[@davecooper2319]

Where did you find this? This is the University of Kansas Big Band at the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival, under the direction of Dr. Ronald C. McCurdy. I did the arrangement, which featured Bill Watrous and Michael Ray Tyler.

[@simonjonestrombone]

Is the chart for sale? Would love to purchase it! Great arrangement!!

[@davecooper2319]

Thank you so much! I did an updated version of this arrangement that I hope to have published by the end of the year. I'll post a link when it's ready.

[@srconrad]

Nice arrangement, man! Can’t believe I had to wait until 2024 to hear a 1988 performance! But it is was worth it. 😊

[@davidkline1355]

Hey Dave, I'm a trombone player and play in a big band with Phil Thomas here in San Antonio. He asked me to convert the VHS tape to digital and I did. I loved the performance and asked if I could post the tunes on KZbin. Fortunately not all things are lost due to years gone by.

[@davecooper2319]

Thanks for posting this! I talked to Phil, and he filled me in. I think you and I met in 2013 when I came to San Antonio and sat in with the Prime Time Band. It's so fun to see this again. Thanks, David!

[@grantcurry4839]

The correct title of this song is OVER THE RAINBOW.

[@irawong]

What’s the personnel of this band? They sound fantastic.

[@1975CAMARO454]

What album is he talking about at the end??

[@davecooper2319]

Reflections. 1987, Soundwings Records

[@dgoldfar]

I think it’s a cool arrangement. Of course we know it as a ballad, but it’s interesting to hear it as an up tempo modern chart. I was wondering what became of Michael Ray Tyler who seems so talented at this young age and saw that he passed away in 2023.

[@pokemaniac0075]

Did he really? Thats a shame. I also learned he led his own big band

[@davecooper2319]

@@dgoldfar Mike was a brilliant player and writer. He lived and worked in Las Vegas for many years after leaving college. We lost him much too soon.

[@jamesf1525]

Great playing but better suited to the trumpet vs. flugel.

[@larrytasker7043]

Great playing, great band, BUT sorry don't like the treatment of what is a ballad.Just my opinion. Too busy too fast too frantic.