On Friday, February 15th, John Magaldi, leader of 4th Tuesday's Primetime Jazz Orchestra,
will host For the Love of a Trombonist, a benefit for trombonists Ron Wilkins and Mike Pittsley. Mr. Magaldi has promised several guests including Butch Miles, current Count
Basie Orchestra drummer, plus a new outstanding vocalist on the scene, Jackie Sotelo of
San Antonio. There will be two exciting shows - 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM. Admission is $15 per person
and a percentage will go to the "Love A Trombonist" fund for jazz trombonists Ron and Mike
to help with medical expenses.
RON WILKINS
Ron Wilkins resides in San Antonio, Texas and is a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School. He attended North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) and later graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio. While attending NTSU, Ron performed with the 2 o'clock Lab Band, the NTSU Jazz Singers, and the College All-Star Big Band led by Clark Terry.
In 1984 Ron enlisted in the United States Air Force and performed in the USAF Band of the West as lead and bass trombonist, principal euphonium, second tubist, and feature vocalist. Ron is currently bass trombonist with Mid-Texas Symphony in Seguin, and he was the featured artist for the May 9, 2004 concert.
Ron's diversified career has led to performances with the San Antonio Symphony and Festival Orchestra, and Victoria, Texas Symphony. He plays tuba and bass trombone with THE CAPITOL OF TEXAS BRASS QUINTET out of Austin, Texas. Ron recently performed as Guest Artist with the Temple Symphony Orchestra and the Flint Michigan Pops Symphony Orchestra. His Broadway touring show credits include; "West Side Story," "Showboat," "The Producers," "Chicago," "Lion King" and many others.
Ron has also performed with Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and other well known entertainers. As a noted jazz musician, Ron performs with the Ron Wilkins 4tet in the San Antonio and Austin area at Luna Fine Music Club and the Elephant Room. SAN ANTONIO CURRENT Magazine featured Ron on the cover when the CURRENT named the Ron Wilkins 4tet best jazz group of 2004. Ron also occasionally performs with the group Small World, and is featured on Small World's CDs "Seasons of the Heart" and "Live at the Landing." In June of 2001, Ron performed with Small World at the American Federation of Musicians Union Annual Convention in Las Vegas. In May 2002, Ron was a featured artist in Denton, Texas at the International Trombone Association's 2002 International Trombone Festival.
As an educator, Ron cultivates a studio that produces many Texas All-State Band performers. He teaches alto/tenor/bass/trombone, euphonium and tuba methods, jazz improvisation, jazz combo, and voice. In January 2005, Ron became trombone instructor at The University of Texas in San Antonio
Ron has performed at numerous jazz festivals across the country including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Mile High Jazz Festival at Denver, Colorado, and the Wichita Jazz Festival, where he was named Outstanding Jazz Soloist. In November of 2001, Ron was Artist in Residence at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In September of 2003, Ron was guest artist with the Bob Snyder All-Star Big Band at the Grand Hotel-Mackinac Island Michigan Jazz Festival.
Ron is an Edwards Trombones clinician and plays them exclusively. He recently released his first CD, "Ron Wilkins: A Tribute to the Masters." At this time, he is working on his second CD, "The Sleeper has Awakened."
Ron has a beautiful daughter, Emily, handsome son-in-law, Salim, and brilliant new grandson, Xavier Everett James. Currently, Ron teaches private low brass and jazz improvisation in San Antonio, performs as a freelance artist, and happily lives with his wife Rhonda and their three cats, Lippy, Fluteytail and Alice.
MIKE PITTSLEY
Mike Pittsley was The Jim Cullum Jazz Band trombonist from 1978 until 2000 and appears on all Riverwalk broadcasts before 2000. Mike is a Sacramento native. He joined the band in 1978, and took a leave of absence to lead his own band before rejoining the Cullum band in 1980. Pittsley has performed in musical theater orchestras in California and upon occasion is a traditional jazz educator in schools and at the Sacramento Jazz Society's Traditional Jazz Band Camp.
Mike considers Abe Lincoln to be the hottest jazz trombonist of all time and has contributed a Web site devoted to his memory.
Mike holds a commercial aircraft pilot's license and enjoys flying whenever he can.
BUTCH MILES
The accomplishments of drummer Butch Miles continue to attract worldwide attention. Playing with such luminaries as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dave Brubeck, Mel Torme, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, Billy Eckstein, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Wild Bill Davison, Zubin Mehta, Itzak Pearlman, Michele Leeb, Dick Hyman and others, Butch displays the maturity of his experience with youthful imagination and unending energy.
Butch conducts jazz clinics at universities and high schools, continues to record CDs, and plays frequently in small group capacities at jazz parties and festivals around the globe, where he brings together technique, creative finesse and a love of the music that delights audiences.
As the drummer for the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra (1975-1979 and 1997-2007), Butch quickly became renowned for his swinging big band style and techniques. Butch has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival (now the "JVC Jazz Festival") in New York since 1975 and the Grande Parade Du Jazz in Nice, France nine times. He has performed at every major jazz festival in the world including: the Montreal Jazz Festival; North Sea Jazz Festival at the Hague, the Netherlands; the Montreux and Bern Jazz Festivals in Switzerland; the Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart Jazz Festivals in Germany along with many tours throughout Europe, Australia, the Far East, the Americas and the Caribbean. Butch has been a featured performer of the West Coast Jazz Party every year since it originated in 1995 (California - West Coast Jazz Party).
In 1976, Butch played a Royal Command Performance for Her Majesty the Queen of England, which was televised throughout all of Europe. Butch Miles has recorded over 100 albums (see Discography) and has been on four (4) Grammy winning albums, along with being nominated numerous times for the European equivalent of the Grammy.
He has appeared on
60 Minutes,
The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson,
The Merv Griffin Show,
The Dick Cavett Show,
the Mike Douglas Show and six times on
The Jerry Lewis Telethon. Internationally, Butch has made personal appearances on
radio and televisions stations throughout the world. He has also appeared in three motion
pictures: The Australian Jazz Fest filmed while Butch was touring Australia with the
Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Last of the Blue Devils filmed on location while he was
touring with the Count Basie Orchestra and briefly in Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Butch performed on the soundtrack of the 2003 film, The Alamo. He also travels for
the Ludwig Drum Company giving clinics and concerts worldwide (Ludwig/Musser). Butch
produced a CD, Straight On Till Morning in June 2003, from Nagel-Heyer Records
(Nagel-Heyer Records), Hamburg Germany. Butch was honored by the State of Texas Senate on
March 3, 2005 for his accomplishments as a drummer, and is currently a faculty member
in jazz studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.
A graduate of West Virginia State College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Butch lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Linda.
|
