[TPIN] A Sad Announcement

[Tim Phillips]

Thanks for letting us all know Mike - this is sad news indeed.  From my 
earliers recollection of Kenton band recordings, the name Buddy Childers 
kept coming up, as well as yours.  What a thankless job he had nailing 
the crap out of all those lead lines to be eclipsed by Maynard another 
5th higher.  But his playing was solid, stylish and always a great model 
for young players to strive for - at least this young player (at the 
time).  Though the only time I heard Buddy live was at the MF Reunion 
concert that Rich Szabo put together a number of years ago at NYBC 
(thanks again Rich), the memories and legacy of his power, stamina, and 
heart will live on in my soul - and hopefully in my students which I 
will strive to make sure they know of this important person in trumpet 
and big band jazz history.

Tim Phillips
iplatrpt at unifourbrass.org
http://www.unifourbrass.org


Vaxtrpts at aol.com wrote:
> It is my sad task to let all of you know that one of the greatest lead  
> trumpet players in the history of big bands passed away last night.  Buddy  
> Childers died after a long illness.  Buddy was a good friend and the reason  that I 
> first wanted to become a lead trumpet player.  His numerous  recordings with 
> the Stan Kenton Orchestra were my real introduction to that  world.
> My Kenton Alumni Band actually did a concert yesterday afternoon at the  
> Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach, California, as part of the LA Jazz Institute  
> "Swing into Spring" weekend of 24 different big band performances.  We were  the 
> opening "special" concert as a tribute to Stan.  The Balboa Pavilion is  
> within a couple of blocks of the old Rendezvous Ballroom, where Stan made his  
> debut on Memorial Day Weekend of 1941.  It was a fitting place and time for  us 
> to perform.  During that performance, we performed "Solo for Buddy,"  written 
> in the early 50's for Buddy Childers by Bill Holman.  Carl Saunders  and I did 
> it as a duet.
> We actually had Norm Tompach from Friends of Big Band Jazz call Buddy on  the 
> cell phone so that he could hear us play this rare piece in his honor.   He 
> was sleeping and his son didn't want to wake him up.
> Little did we know that we would perform the piece on the exact day of his  
> passing.
> Rest in Peace, Buddy.  You showed us all how to play lead trumpet the  right 
> way!
> Mike Vax
>
>
>
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