IN THIS ISSUE: An interview with BILL TOLE BIG * k Reviews of BOOKS AND RECORDS to consider BAND ★ A SMALL GROUPS JUMP TRIVIA QUIZ NEWSLETTER ★ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR about PAT FRIDAY, LORRAINE ELLIOTT, VIBES, TURNTABLES, BALLROOMS & OTHERS BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER FIRST-CLASS MAIL Box 52252 U.S. POSTAGE Atlanta, GA 30355 PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 2022 % \\ V % BIG BAND JIMP VOLUME LXXIV BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MAY-J UNE 2001 BILL TOLE INTERVIEW The Background For years we’ve seen the name Bill Tole listed as a member of the trombone section of various bands recorded on the west coast, then we became ac­ quainted with two CDs he had released with a solid band under his own name. Little by little, as information tends to accumulate, we discovered that Bill Tole is the brother of singer Nancy Knorr, who works with the Bill Tole as Bill Tole Jimmy Dorsey orchestra directed by Jim Miller. We also found out that Bill has a brother who is also a trombonist, and also works in the west coast studios. We got to know Bill Tole on a one-to-one basis when he led a Tommy Dorsey style orchestra on a spring BBJ cruise on the S.S. Rembrandt. We didn’t know until then that he’d portrayed Tommy Dorsey in a feature motion picture years earlier, assuming the Dorsey mannerisms, and of course playing the Dorsey music. He is a personable, easy-to-know musician who is fully dedicated to just that.... being the best musician he can be. Bill Tole as Tommy Dorsey Why, you might ask, would a relative unknown such as however. The following is the product of that race. Bill Tole be interviewed for the newsletter? The motion The Interview picture portrayal of Tommy Dorsey is one reason, but more than that, Bill Tole is a logical choice in the future In view of the fact that everyone in the Tole family to lead the official Tommy Dorsey Orchestra if a seems to be involved in music, there was a logical leadership change should occur. There are a couple of j umping offpoint: other Tommy Dorsey tie-ins, too. His sister, Nancy Knorr, owns the rights to the name Pied Pipers and also BBJ: Tell us about your family’s musical background. the rights to the name of the Tommy Dorsey small group, the Clambake Seven. There may just be a Big BT: There are four children in my family, I have two Band dynasty forming! sisters and a brother, and we’re all involved in music. Actually, Mom is a piano player and a vocalist The Scene who sang with master chorales around Western Penn­ sylvania, and played piano. My Dad is a piano player and The interview was conducted in an upper deck cabin on a trombone player and taught school for many years and the ship, and there was a friendly race up the staircase has played professionally all his life; still is playing to see whether Bill Tole or Don Kennedy would reach professionally at the age of 85. I’m the oldest child and the cabin deck first. Bill Tole won with no apparent they tried to get me to play piano, but I never had any effort, but Kennedy wasn’t far behind, breathing heavily, interest in piano. A brass instrument was my love, so VOLUME LXXIV BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MAY-JUNE 2001 I’ve been playing trombone since I was about 11 or 12 Air Force I moved to New York City, and worked in the years old. My sister is a vocalist named Nancy Knorr studios there for several years. At a point in the mid­ and travels with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with Jim fifties a lot of the work seemed to be going to the west Miller and also is the lead singer and featured vocalist coast. I was working with Billy Byers and Quincy with the Pied Pipers. My younger brother is also a Jones, and quite a few of the composers in New York trombone player and has hisownband in the Los Angeles who were doing a lot of their work in California. They area. We both live out on the west coast and work in the encouraged me to move in July of ’57 and I’ve been in studios. My youngest sister is not interested in playing an Los Angeles ever since. instrument, but she’s probably our biggest fan. BBJ: Are you staying busy? B B J : How old were you when you decided to make music your life’s work? B T : Oh, yeah. The studio work isn’t what it was. In the ’60s and ’70s it was really swinging.... a BT: Right away. By the time I got into high school lot of TV, a lot of movie work, a lot of recordings. It’s I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my changed somewhat, but I’m doing other things. I’m life. My Dad had played a job in Wisconsin for the probably busier now than I was then just doing a variety whole summer with the Bob Rhodes Band, and the of things. I’m fronting my own band, I tour in Australia band featured two pianists and Dad was one of the and New Zealand every year fronting a band and I teach piano players.... but only one trombone, and evidently private students several days a week, so I really don’t the trombone player became ill and had to leave the have any days off. I’m finding there’s something to do engagement early, so Dad finished the job on trombone. every day. I’m either busier than I ever was, or now that When he came back at the end of the summer the I’m a little older I do everything slower and it just takes trombone went into the closet and Dad went back to more time! teaching school. I guess I found the trombone in the closet and started playing it, and they right away sent B B J: You played Tommy Dorsey in the movies. me to take private lessons. B T : Right. About 1975 or ’761 got a call from my We always had records playing in the house, especially friend Orrin Tucker who told me they were Tommy Dorsey records and I think right from the very looking for someone to play the role of Tommy Dorsey beginning I fell in love with trombone and knew from in the motion picture NEW YORK, NEW YORK, and that point on what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, he suggested I should go down and take a screen test. and I’ve been trying to do that ever since! (Laughs) That would be something I never tried before. I never did want to become an actor, but I thought it might be fun B B J : You played for the Pittsburgh symphony. to try. He suggested I look for some glasses and try to look like Tommy Dorsey, which he thought I did. At the BT: I did a few engagements with them. At the time I didn’t think so at all. When I took the screen test time I didn’t perform the symphonic works. on video tape, I got the part, and it surprised me. When they did a light pops orchestra or when they featured a jazz group, I was in the jazz portion. I thought I’d take a shot at it. I explained to Martin Scorcese, the director of the show, that I had a band the BBJ: What took you to the west coast? same size as Tommy Dorsey’s that worked around Los Angeles and we did a lot of Dorsey-type songs. I asked BT: After four years of school I left Duquesne if he’d be interested in hiring the whole band. He said University, went on the road with the Tommy that would probably be a good idea, but the only thing that Dorsey Orchestra directed by Warren Covington and we require is that I have somebody that looked like toured with them for about fifteen or sixteen months, Buddy Rich, someone like Charlie Shavers and some­ ended up in the Airmen of Note Jazz Band in Washing­ one to look like Buddy DeFranco. That was the era of ton, D.C. with the Air Force, and after four years in the the Tommy Dorsey band they wanted to portray. As it 2 VOLUME LXXIV BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MAY-JUNE 2001 turned out they didn ’ t want a Buddy Rich look alike, and all the particulars they wanted didn ’ t really materialize, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR so I ended up having most of my band do it. Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJ NEWS­ B B J: Is the movie available on VCR? LETTER may be sent to the address below, or e­ mailed to: [email protected]. All letters BT: Yes, it is. are answered, but the volume of mail sometimes delays a timely response. B B J: What’s in the future for you? BBJ NEWSLETTER B T : Well, I’m gonna’ keep doing this until I get it Box 52252 right, I guess. I’m still fronting the band and Atlanta, GA 30355 doing a lot of work in and out of the L.A. area. I’m just going to keep active. I’ve got two CDs with my band, The published letters have been edited for space ON THE MOVE and BIG BAND MEMORIES, and considerations, but the meaning has been preserved.