Arranger profile of Sammy Nestico Review of new Jan Daley CD and yet another Sinatra book HUÍ IM .VW JV M > NEWSLETTER VOLUME 131 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2010 INTERVIEW - GARY TOLE The Background There was some question about putting two Glenn Miller bandleaders in sequence in this newsletter, but the announcement of West Coast trombonist Gary Tole as the end of the year replacement for Miller conductor Larry O’Brien goes beyond the singular replacement story. To recap: After over a quarter century of leading the official Glenn Miller “ghost” band, Larry O'Brien announced he was leaving the band. He stressed he was not retiring, but felt he should leave the band at a high point. “It's time,” he said. Most musicians and critics agree the Miller band under O'Brien's direction has achieved a musical perfection beyond the representa­ tion of the familiar Miller arrangements. He is passing on a top organization to Gary Tole. The larger story, though, is the fact that members of the Tole family now represent three of the top names from the Big Band Era. Younger brother Gary will lead the Glenn Miller Band, Bill Tole, also a trombonist, leads the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Tole’s sister, New Miller leader Gary Tole Nancy Knorr, is owner of the name and the current Tole will be in front of the Miller Band for January version of the Pied Pipers appearances in Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. The Scene Gary Tole grew up in a musical family. He began playing professionally around Pittsburgh, Pennsylva­ Gary Tole is a busy guy. He’s one of the prime nia, his hometown, at age fifteen. We begin with the trombone players for studio work in the Los Angeles event that took him on the road and away from Pitts­ area, he leads his own band called “Legends of Swing” burgh permanently. and now he’s preparing to take over leadership of the official Glenn Miller Orchestra. It was as a sideman for GT: In 1975 I was at Duquesne University and the Miller Orchestra that took him away from Pitts­ working for a trumpet player named Benny burgh, his hometown. He’s been living in Los Angeles Benack at a place called “Seven Springs” just outside now for most of his adult life. Pittsburgh when my dad called to say he got a phone call from Jimmy Henderson (the Glenn Miller leader at His youngest son is eighteen and away at college so the time) who needed a trombone player. Benny Gary Tole is in a perfect position to go on the road. He Benack wouldn’t let me go until after the weekend has signed a three year contract to lead the Miller Band shows, but I wound up playing with the Miller Band the beginning the first of January, 2011, following the following Tuesday in Toronto, Canada. Four years tenure of Larry O’Brien. As this is written, Gary VOLUME 131 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2010 later I was still on the band having a great time touring more pit work for Broadway Shows and working with Europe, Japan, South America and the U.S., of course. my own group and moving away from the recording I saw Capitol Records for the first time when I was industry. playing with that band. We did a recording session with the Glenn Miller Orchestra at Capitol and I just fell in BBJ: Tell us about your own orchestra. love with it. When I gave my notice in the fall of ’78, Los Angeles became my permanent residence. GT: The name of the band is “Legends of Swing” which came into existence in the year 2000. I BBJ: How did you make a living your first months in got a phone call to go over and play for the king of Los Angeles? Thailand, and so for the millennium I took 20 musi­ cians with me. That was the inception of the “Legends GT: It was very challenging. Fortunately I’d saved of Swing” and we had a successful run and the name a substantial amount of money when I was on has been fantastic. We do tributes to a lot of the great the road. My brother said if I wanted to get seen and Big Band artists of the past and also of the present and heard to go down to the local musicians union number we’ve been lucky enough to develop our own style and 47 and play with as many rehearsal bands you possibly our own following. In 2006 we recorded the band with can in a day’s time. Let people know who you are and a session at Capitol Records. We recorded it ‘live’ hear you play. My dad used to say, “It’s not what you with no pro tools; I wanted strictly musicians playing say as a person, it’s what you say at the end of the bell just the way it used to be back in the old days. Summit on your horn.” That was the fall of ’78. Records picked it up and put it on the market and it’s done fantastic ever since. In 2007 we were nominated A gentleman who was manager of the Harry James Orchestra, ‘Pee Wee’ Monte offered me a job playing first trombone with the James Band. I joined the band in January of ’79. Harry’s band was made up of top notch Los Angeles musicians so that kind of put me in that circle of quality. I left Harry’s band in the fall of ’79 and began free-lancing around. I got a phone call from Stumpy Brown, Les Brown’s brother who said they had an opening in the band. He asked, “You want to play with us?” I took that job beginning in January of 1980 and worked with Les’s band for four years, actually doing fill-ins as an alternate through ’86. We played with every great star you could think of includ­ ing the Bob Hope and Carol Burnett TV shows. Les Brown was one of my favorite bands of all time. BBJ: You were then an established player in Los Angeles? GT: Got a lot of work at NBC and more recording sessions, plus work at the motion picture stu­ dios, MGM, Paramount and Universal. It was great. It was a fun time. When I was younger my biggest dream was to get into the recording studios, but once I got into the studios I didn’t particularly like it. I like the feedback of the audience, the spontaneity of perform­ Gary Tole at work ing before a live audience. About 1995 I was doing 2 VOLUME 131 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2010 for three Grammys and in 2008 we won the Los Angles Glenn Miller’s Military Band and was a leader of the Inland Empire award for best jazz. ‘ghost’ band. BBJ: How did the Glenn Miller leadership come Demonstrating his friendship and involvement with about? Tex Beneke, Gary Tole raised money to place a Tex Beneke star on the Hollywood Walk o f Fame shortly GT: I was referred to them by a booking agency I ’ d before Tex died. previously worked with, and several other booking agencies recommended me and a couple of Next issue, the Tole family “ghost band dynasty” days later I got a phone call from Dave McKay, Jr. who continues to be explored in an interview with Gary's is the operator of Glenn Miller Productions. He said, sister, Nancy Knorr, who is lead singer and owner of “Larry O’Brien is leaving in December and would you the current Pied Pipers group. be interested?” Once the goose bumps settled, it took a couple of days to digest everything that had been LETTERS TO THE EDITOR discussed. I got more excited the more I thought about it and they flew me to New York for a meeting. I came Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJ NEWSLET­ back home and started working out a three year con­ TER may be sent to the address below or e-mailed to tract. [email protected]. When you e-mail, please give your name and address. All letters are an­ BBJ: How will you present the Miller standards? swered, but the volume of mail sometimes delays a timely response. GT: They are what made the band what the band is. I need to research my flexibility and see what BBJ NEWSLETTER I can and can’t do. Personally, I’ve been playing IN Box 52252 THE MOOD for a lot of years, and it can still be played Atlanta, GA 30355 with a lot of energy and excitement as it was first recorded. I’m an advocate of that to begin with. With one of my bands if we play LITTLE BROWN JUG or The published letters have been edited for space STRING OF PEARLS or IN THE MOOD. I tell my considerations, but the meaning has been preserved. guys, “Play it like it’s the first time you’ve ever seen G. Alan Sternbergh Wow! Winning the BBJ it.” You’ve got to sell the song. My goal is to go out Chambersburg, PA trivia contest was awesome. there and give the audience what it wants. The questions made you re­ ally think carefully BBJ: Do you anticipate being with the band beyond about the answers the contract term? Especially thought provoking were GT: I’m not looking at a short term by any means.