Buddy Baker Alive XVI: ”This One’s for Buddy!” · benevolence, the teaching of the jazz...
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Buddy Baker by Tim Diem “I’ve been playing the trom- bone for 54 years now. I started when I was 12 and I’ve played it ever since.” Sitting in his office at the University of Northern Colo- rado, Edwin “Buddy” Baker smiles as he recalls his introduc- tion to the trombone. “I always liked the sound of the trombone. When I was young, I had an old bugle, an old army bugle and I greased up the tuning slides and got it to work so I could actually get different pitches. It was like I had the first four positions on the trombone slide. So, I was playing that thing. Then one of the music teachers said, ‘We need to get that boy a slide trombone.’ That must have been about 6th grade. “I’ve been playing ever since. I mean, there haven’t been any gaps in that time. I played it all the way through high school, all the way through college, I flew airplanes for the service in the army over in Germany and I still played all I could during that time. Generally when I was flying in the airplane I had it behind the second seat so if I got weathered in I could play it and practice. After that I did some masters work and some road work and then started teaching at the University of Indiana.” That was 40 years ago. Now, after a long career educating students on the finer points of the trombone, the legendary instructor at the University of Northern Colorado has decided the time has come to move on. In May of 1998, Baker retired from UNC. He credits his hometown of Alexandria, Indiana with giving him an excellent start to his lifelong career. “There were only about 4000 people in that town; but, they had a real good music program. At the time I started, the band director, his name was Carol Copeland, a marvelous director, had a really good concert band, a really good marching band and he even had what he called the dance band. We’re talking the ‘40s here — we’re talking 1946. He had such a tradition going that I got a lot there. He had us writing arrangements for his dance band, conducting the bands, doing solo work, and he had us in small ensembles as well as the large ones. You can’t believe the music education I got in that high school.” “Another thing I had was an old euphonium player living just a block away who had played in the circus bands at the turn of the century. He was a really good player, and he took me under his wing and really spent a lot of time with me; got me going on solos and things.” “Then, I was fortunate in high school, when I was a junior, to meet some other kids from Muncie, Indiana that were into jazz. I met them at a solo contest: Alan Kiger and Alan Plank. One was a piano player and the other was a trumpet player and they had gotten help from some really good people. I heard them in a room getting ready to do their solos and they were doing a little bit of jazz. I came in and introduced myself and we became good friends. They really got me into jazz. They really knew what they were doing. They knew chords and scales and had pretty good record collections. I didn’t even have a record player.” “By the time I got to college I had already done a lot of good things. I got a scholarship to Indiana University; starting there in 1950 when I was 18. There was no jazz program there but man, there were a bunch of good jazz players. There were probably three big bands working every weekend. David Baker was in those bands; Jerry Coker was in those bands; Med Flory was playing alto. I got in right away playing with some really good players.” For additional information on the UNC Jazz Studies Program, please contact: Gene Aitken, Director UNC Jazz Studies Program University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 80639 (970) 351-2577 VOX (970) 351-2536 FAX [email protected] www.arts.unco.edu/UNCJazz/main.html All rights to record music and arrangements cleared through Harry Fox, New York, NY and UNC Jazz Press, Greeley, CO Alive XVI: ”This One’s for Buddy!” Gene Aitken directs UNC Jazz Lab Band I Copyright 1998 UNC Jazz Studies All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of all applicable laws For free United Jazz Artists’ catalog, please write or call: United Jazz Artists’ Records PO Box 23 Greeley, CO 80632 (970) 351-1943 VOX (970) 351-2536 FAX
Transcript of Buddy Baker Alive XVI: ”This One’s for Buddy!” · benevolence, the teaching of the jazz...
Buddy Bakerby Tim Diem
“I’ve been playing the trom-bone for 54 years now. I started when I was 12 and I’ve played it ever since.”
Sitting in his office at the University of Northern Colo-rado, Edwin “Buddy” Baker smiles as he recalls his introduc-tion to the trombone.
“I always liked the sound of the trombone. When I was young, I had an old bugle, an old army bugle and I greased up the tuning slides and got it to work so I could actually get different pitches. It was like I had the first four positions on the trombone slide. So, I was playing that thing. Then one of the music teachers said, ‘We need to get that boy a slide trombone.’ That must have been about 6th grade.
“I’ve been playing ever since. I mean, there haven’t been any gaps in that time. I played it all the way through high school, all the way through college, I flew airplanes for the service in the army over in Germany and I still played all I could during that time. Generally when I was flying in the airplane I had it behind the second seat so if I got weathered in I could play it and practice. After that I did some masters work and some road work and then started teaching at the University of Indiana.”
That was 40 years ago. Now, after a long career educating students on the finer points of the trombone, the legendary instructor at the University of Northern Colorado has decided the time has come to move on. In May of 1998, Baker retired from UNC.
He credits his hometown of Alexandria, Indiana with giving him an excellent start to his lifelong career.
“There were only about 4000 people in that town; but, they had a real good music program. At the time I started, the band director, his name was Carol Copeland, a marvelous director, had a really good concert band, a really good marching band and he even had what he called the dance band. We’re talking the ‘40s here — we’re talking 1946. He had such a tradition going that I got a lot there. He had us writing arrangements for his dance band, conducting the bands, doing solo work, and he had us in small ensembles as well as the large ones. You can’t believe the music education I got in that high school.”
“Another thing I had was an old euphonium player living just a block away who had played in the circus bands at the turn of the century. He was a really good player, and he took me under his wing and really spent a lot of time with me; got me going on solos and things.”
“Then, I was fortunate in high school, when I was a junior, to meet some other kids from Muncie, Indiana that were into jazz. I met them at a solo contest: Alan Kiger and Alan Plank. One was a piano player and the other was a trumpet player and they had gotten help from some really good people. I heard them in a room getting ready to do their solos and they were doing a little bit of jazz. I came in and introduced myself and we became good friends. They really got me into jazz. They really knew what they were doing. They knew chords and scales and had pretty good record collections. I didn’t even have a record player.”
“By the time I got to college I had already done a lot of good things. I got a scholarship to Indiana University; starting there in 1950 when I was 18. There was no jazz program there but man, there were a bunch of good jazz players. There were probably three big bands working every weekend. David Baker was in those bands; Jerry Coker was in those bands; Med Flory was playing alto. I got in right away playing with some really good players.”
For additional information on theUNC Jazz Studies Program, please contact:Gene Aitken, DirectorUNC Jazz Studies ProgramUniversity of Northern ColoradoGreeley, Colorado 80639(970) 351-2577 VOX(970) 351-2536 [email protected]/UNCJazz/main.html
All rights to record music and arrangementscleared through Harry Fox, New York, NY and UNC Jazz Press, Greeley, CO
Alive XVI: ”This One’s for Buddy!”
Gene Aitken directs UNC Jazz Lab Band I
Copyright 1998 UNC Jazz StudiesAll rights reserved. Unauthorizedduplication is a violation of allapplicable laws
For free United Jazz Artists’ catalog,please write or call:United Jazz Artists’ RecordsPO Box 23Greeley, CO 80632(970) 351-1943 VOX(970) 351-2536 FAX
ProductionProduced by Gene Aitken1st Mixdown Engineer Jim Linahon2nd Mixdown Engineer Dean RestumMixdown at Diyar Studios Van Nuys, CA Nelsonics Audio Ontario, CARecording Engineer Anthony WalkerRecorded live at Union Colony Civic CenterSound Reinforcement Greg HeimbeckerCD Mastering Robert Voison Capitol Records Hollywood, CAOverdub Engineer Greg HeimbeckerDigital Editing Greg HeimbeckerPhotography John BlakeCD Layout Ann Marie Martinez
UNC Jazz Lab Band IUNC Jazz Lab Band I is recognized as one of the finest jazz ensembles in
the United States. With numerous awards from Down Beat magazine for the band and its personnel including the 1997 Outstanding Performance Award, Lab I continues to set musical and stylistic trends. The band has performed for several International Association of Jazz Educators’ Conventions as well as at regional jazz festivals and conventions across the country. In April, 1998, the band performed for the Music Educators’ National Conference in Phoenix, AZ, as well a being featured on the nationally-televised Black Entertainment Network.
Album DedicationThis album is dedicated to Buddy Baker, Professor of Trombone at the
University of Northern Colorado who retired this past May, 1998, after 33 years of service to the institution. Professor Baker started the UNC Jazz Studies Program in the early 70s.
His commitment to excellence, his outstanding musicianship and his impact on music educators and professional musicians throughout the world are just a few of the contributions Buddy has made during his tenure at UNC. He is an artist’s artist. We wish him the best! Gene Aitken, October, 1998
Tributes — To a Great Musician!I first met Buddy while we were both at Indiana University. The two
suggestions I remember him giving me were, “Get yourself a pitch pipe and carry it with you—work on recognizing intervals, chords, scales, etc.” and, “don't practice on the bandstand!”
Buddy has always been one of my favorite people and his playing and teaching are an inspiration to all.
Jamey Aebersold, October, 1998
Buddy Baker and I were at Indiana University at the same time, he in the School of Music, and I in the Political Science Department. That was in the early to mid-fifties. In those days a 12 to 15 piece “Big Band” could, and did, work weekend gigs and find a playing job during the summer months that might last 6 or 8 weeks. You not only had a chance to play, but to play with good musicians (often better musicians than yourself) and make money as well! Both of us did that! …gaining professional experiences was an important bonus. So let me add that in my own memory, with Buddy as an important part of that, those were the best of times! Al Cobine, October, 1998
Jazz Lab Band I PersonnelSaxophones TrumpetsLance Rigby Brad SteinweheDan Boulton Paul PughFarrell Vernon Ted DiSantiC. J. Kocher Jeremy Brekke (3,4,13,14)Nick Frazee Gary Cellar Steve Roach
Trombones Rhythm SectionWade Eisinger Ryan Frane, KeyboardsDave Wiske Kyle Malone, GuitarGeoff Libby Greg Garrison, BassCraig Gosnell Terry Vermillion, DrumsAndy Wolfe (11,14) Willie O’Burke, Percussion (6)Thad Reatherford (10) Jeff Davis, Congas (4)
RecordingThe album’s music was recorded live in
concert at the 1700-seat Monfort Concert Hall in Greeley’s Union Colony Civic Center. The performances were recorded on 32 tracks of Alesis ADAT using Shure SM 81 and AKG 414 microphones.
Final mixdown was sent to an Otari 8S DAT with CD mastering by Robert Voison at Capitol Records, Hollywood, CA. CDs were pressed by CDS located in Pasadena, CA.
I have known Bud Baker for 48 years! As undergraduates at Indiana University, we were roommates, and played together constantly in dance bands, I.U. Philharmonic, even the marching band, and in innumerable jam sessions. We shared so many of life’s experiences in those days as to defy a reasonable recounting. He was, and is, a truly remarkable trombonist, improvisor, composer/arranger, and teacher. We also shared, thanks to Bud’s benevolence, the teaching of the jazz program at I.U. But his greatest qualities are the ones relating to his spirituality, Buddy is one of God’s finest creations! Congratulations on a life well-done (and still going), and on your recent retirement, Bud. Love always.
Jerry Coker, October, 1998
“Buddy” Baker is a musician’s musician, a trombonist’s trombone player, a teacher’s teacher and a wonderful friend. If all of the people Bud has influenced in a positive way were assembled at one time (including me, of course), you’d probably have to hold it in Shea Stadium! He is the best of the best of the best—enjoy some extra fishing time, Bud—you’ve earned it! Roger Pemberton, October, 1998
The band has released 16 albums and CD’s under several major labels including Night Life and Sea Breeze record companies. Their recent discs are released through Los Angeles-based label, United Jazz Artists. The band’s albums have been reviewed by magazines such as Cadence, Jazz Forum, Jazz Journal, Jazz Podium, Down Beat, Jazz Times, CD Review and many others. The band performs with major jazz artists at one of the largest non-competitive jazz festivals in the world, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. In recent years, UNC Jazz Lab Band I has performed with such artists as Billy Eckstine, Mavis Rivers, Milt Hinton, Rob McConnell, Clark Terry, J.J. Johnson, Joe Williams, Arturo Sandoval and many others.
In 1997 and 1998, U.S. News and World Report listed the UNC Jazz Studies Program as one of the five top Jazz Studies Programs in the nation.
Many of the compositions and arrangements recorded on this CD are available from:UNC JAZZ PRESSUniversity of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO 80632(970) 351-2577 VOX(970) 351-2536 [email protected]/UNCJazz/main.html
