T.O.

Rob McConnell (McKonk Music-CAPAC)
Soloists: ROB McCONNELL, RICK WILKINS
From the album "Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass Live in digital"
Recorded at: THE EL MOCAMBO, Toronto Canada Dec. 1-3, 1980
From the album liner notes:
Opening the album is a knock out. T.O. is a theme written for Ted O'Reilly's jazz show on radio CJRT. O'Reilly is a 23 year veteran jazz broadcaster on the Toronto outlet and T.O. has different stylistic things indicative of his spectrum of jazz programming--Henry Red Allen, Jelly Roll Morton, Miff Mole and Duke Ellington to Freddie Hubbard and Anthony Braxton. The custom made theme is ideal--20 seconds of loud roaring stuff to get underway followed by 40 seconds which goes down to the soft tutti (as an under announcement on the air)--then it roars again and goes to half time at the end for the closing. There's a Dixieland section, and Ed Bickert's wonderful guitar and McConnell's saucy, swinging valve trombone inject a small group sound by playing alone for 64 bars. "Then a quasi-rock section where Rick plays tenor for awhile and goes back to swing," relates McConnell, "then there's a far-out section (an open section), and every night it's played differently and sometimes it's so plain. And the brass section is written far-out: some start at the top, others at the bottom and they all meet in the center in a big cluster--then back to the bridge of the tune as the drums take it away, gets us back to home base and then it goes to half time for ending." As a tag he adds, "there's no substitute for getting it done properly even though I think that none of this is really too complicated."

[@georgeguerrette]

Absolutely ON FIRE. Lead trumpeter, the late Arnie Chycoski, was always a monster but JESUS this is perhaps his most monstrous -- and LIVE, people! This was the best damned band around. Canada's BEST players. Rob's absolutely incredible arrangements. Thank you, Rob, for the amazing inspiration you provided to us all.

[@kindngentle]

Back in 1981, I was living in San Francisco. I had heard about this band and that it was coming to the Monterrey Jazz festival for its first major US appearance. Couldn't get to the festival but the local jazz radio station, KJAZ i believe, was broadcasting live from the stage. The band was supposed to be the last act, taking the stage around 9 or so. Things ran long and they didn't kick it off until after midnight. I stayed up to tape it and was blown away by the fire, artistry and exuberance. They played TO mid set and I damn near died from joy, the 4/4 blues coda seared my Count Basie loving heart. The tempo is a bit faster than here and the sax solo kills. I played that tape to anybody and everybody I knew who appreciated big bands. Somewhere along my later moves I lost it. But a recording of the show exists on line at bossbrass.com. Years later I had moved to LA and the band came there for a week. I caught them several times and they never disappointed.

[@hmengland41]

This great to hear again! Rob once told me it was written as the theme song for a Toronto jazz radio DJ named Ted O'Reilly and was heard at the top of his daily show for years. (The title "T. O." is for him, not the the nickname for Toronto). Rob asked him who were his favourite players in the band and made the song to feature them.You can hear how well-crafted it is as a theme, with a hard opening, a part to talk over, and back to the main motif. Then it goes on to represent the O'Reilly show -- small group feel with the duo of McConnell and Ed Bickert, a tenor solo by Rick Wilkins, a romping Dixieland section, some free-form avant-garde and back to the hard-swinging full big band and a half-time feel and out.Rob must have liked O'Reilly, because when the show switched to a daytime slot, he wrote a second milder-drive-time-theme called (of course) "T.O.2". It was on a Concord Records album. I wonder if that's still available.Remember that this is a LIVE to two-track recording, no fixing up in the studio! This band could play!

[@paulmccluskey3444]

The Concord Blue Devils played this in 1982 and 1983. Our version, arranged by DCI Hall of Fame Member Wayne Downey was based on this version. Rob McConnell was the commentator that year on the broadcast and address the history of the song, as well.

[@gitgeronimo9375]

BD absolutely slayed this tune

[@onceovereasy1529]

I believe Ted O'Reilly used this track on his radio show. I sure miss Ted...his show was the best.

[@holdommi7505]

That trombone solo is nuts

[@joeheid2776]

My high school jazz band played this piece in competition in 85. Clinched 1st place.

[@quenzerbrau1]

If you could pull this off in convincing fashion then anyone else should have been a distant second at best. My high school band played this as well, was either '84 or '85, but only for a non-competitive festival as I recall. Of course most of us in the band felt we pulled it off great, I think realistically though not so much, which is why our director (smart man) never let us compete with it.

[@joeheid2776]

What a great piece it is! We had perfect storm back then. All 5 saxes were seniors and our lead bone and trumpet player play professionally now. Jay Bocook was one of the judges and his comments made it seem we did more than pull it off. Anyhow u don't attempt this piece unless you're an outstanding jazz band, or you have a lunatic as a director.

[@clintsmith5086]

My high school played this in 85 also and we won 1st place also.

[@JonnySledge]

My high school jazz band, Fitch Senior High in Groton, CT, played it in either '82 or ''83. We also played McConnel's Sambanice. Our director had this version of T.O. and I burned a coy to cassette. Crazy to hear it again so many years later.

[@joeheid2776]

@@JonnySledge I can never get enough of this. We played Things are Getting Better. My buddy's dad was a musical arranger and had all McConnell's albums. My favorite big band.

[@danielscheff7384]

sizzling, cooking, shimmering, blazing, live... Rob's solo is amazing, but you gotta love Ed Bickert's comping during it. Wouldn't be the same without that

[@mikegillespiemusic]

boy this album is HARD to find!

[@joeheid2776]

Mike Gillespie My buddy's dad who is a professional arr shared this with me. Great album.

[@davidmartin7099]

I played the chrome of my bootlegged cassette of this album years ago... would love to replace it.

[@rikishimazu616]

1982 blue devils !

[@earlviney5212]

Also 1983 BD

[@sdssteward]

And also Disneyland's Magic Kingdom Korps (the Anaheim version of "Future Corps".

[@shulamar1367]

Can you please post the entire album “live in digital”?...or at least the tracks “Sambanice and Louisiana” I played trumpet growing up and these songs won a jazz festival for us in high school my senior year. Great memories

[@Macy1ify]

* W ... O ... W ..... ! :)

[@Yuppie.Mike.]

Thanks so much for your video bud. But I have this album and the sound quality I get from my CD is so much Superior to this I cannot subscribe. Update your audio and I will subscribe

[@joeheid2776]

I thank God to youtube to hear this incredible piece

[@joeheid2776]

I'd kill to have this on cd

[@clarkharrell158]

Joe Heid It’s on Amazon. CD wasn’t expensive at all. I’ve had pretty good luck buying used cd’s on Amazon.

[@johnmclelland6626]

What .. a .. band ! ✨🎶😎