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 BILL CRAIN AND MICHAEL MCGRAW © 1996 Mike Metheny The Trilogy Big Band and the Boulevard Big Band share common ground. Both are comprised of some of the finest jazz musicians in the Kansas City area, and both, quite coincidentally, have released albums with the same label, the Los Angeles-based Sea Breeze Records. JAM talks with Trilogy's Crain and Boulevard's McGraw about two of KC's finest big bands.
MM: Well, Sea Breeze (Records) has a publishing company, too. And two of my favorite big band writers, Tom Kubis and Matt Catingub, were available exclusively through that publishing company. I bought a lot of music from them, and I knew that they'd put out the Kubis band on CD and the Catingub band on CD and several other very hot Los Angeles big bands. So I knew of the existence of the label from that. Back when my band first started, one of my ultimate goals was to record, even though I knew it would be several years away. Eventually, I had the writers, and things got to the point where I thought we should go for it. I talked to Danny (Behan at Sea Breeze), sent him a rough tape of some of the things we'd done, and that was the beginning of the relationship. JAM: And what's the Trilogy story, Bill? BC: We did a three song demo tape back in '92 mainly to get some college (concert) work, that sort of thing. But we said, "Hey, let's send this off to some places and see if there's any interest." And there was some interest in two or three different places, one of which was Sea Breeze. So we said: OK, let's go ahead and record this thing (a complete tape) ...which was easier said than done. Even though I own a recording studio! (laughs) Like Michael knows, there are so many problems with logistics. I remember the first album we recorded, we would go for a period of four months at a time when we didn't record anything. Not a note. Because we couldn't get people together. It's not L.A. here, where you can sit down at the phone for an hour and you've got a big band together. JAM: Let's talk about each band's most recent release. Trilogy has one that came out just last fall... a Christmas CD. BC: The Christmas album was actually done in a relatively short amount of time. Because it had to be. We'd started talking about doing a Christmas CD about year before, and we approached Sea Breeze about it and they loved the idea. So, I started telling the writers we used that we needed straight-ahead arrangements of Christmas songs; arrangements that would be listenable in May (laughs). Charts started coming in, say, one every three months, and it went on like that for a while. Finally, I called up Sea Breeze and asked, "So, when does this have to be done?" "August 1st," they said! (laughs) And this was the middle of June! So I called up the writers and said, "OK, Steve (Herold), you've done one chart -- I need two more. Dave (Aaberg), can you get me a Latin chart... by next Monday?!" And they did! And they were great charts! So the pressure was on, and all of the sudden we had ten or eleven tunes happening. JAM: Even though it's a Christmas album, will it remain available throughout the year? BC: Yes. As a matter of fact, even though we got it to (Sea Breeze) on time, only about one third of the distributors opted to pick it up this year. They thought it was too late. In August! So next year is actually going to be the "real" release of the album. JAM: How about Boulevard's new CD? MM: It will be available by the time Eric (Marienthal) is here to play with us on February 12th (at the Drum Room). I'd asked Eric to be on the first one, but it didn't work out because of his schedule. For this one, though, it turned out that everybody was available at the same time Eric was here (with his band), so he came in and did three cuts with us that day. Then we spent the next six months putting the rest of the album together (at Soundtrek studio). Once again, it was a combination of logistics: getting the charts done, getting the players together... just like Bill was saying. "...These (Boulevard, Trilogy) aren't dance bands. They're far from dance bands. The sad thing is that more people aren't aware that they're different from the Glenn Miller band... that this is not dance band music! Every once-in-a-while someone will wander in to the Drum Room on a Monday night who's never heard a big band, and you should see their faces!" -- Michael McGraw, Boulevard Big Band JAM: Eric is prominently featured on the album, right? MM: Eric is on three things. One is an alto feature by Steve Owen, a beautiful chart; another is an original by Dan Gailey that's really gonna slay people; it's a tenor battle between Bill Caldwell and Eric that's pretty scary. And the other is Chuck Tumlinson's arrangement of "St. Thomas." JAM: What's the name of the new CD? MM: "Stellar." There's a chart on the album by Chuck (Tumlinson) that's a re-working of "Stella By Starlight." JAM: How would each of you respond to the cliché "big bands are dead?" BC: Hmmm... (pause) I think the people who say that are talking about the '40s-type big bands, the dance bands, that sort of thing. And yes, as a viable, commercial thing these days, they are dead. That music is reserved for country clubs, special events. So, compared to what they were in the '40s, they're dead. However, the modern jazz big band is far from dead. Are they commercially successful? Absolutely not. But those bands and that music are the basis for the instruction of jazz in most colleges. Having taught college for six years, I know that's true. One of the reasons it is a basis is that it involves many more people than, say, a combo does. And it also involves people who aren't necessarily talented as soloists, but who can learn jazz styles and enjoy that part of it. So no, big bands are not dead as far as jazz big bands are concerned. There is a call for this music. As a matter of fact, the Trilogy band already has two concerts booked for next fall. JAM: Are big bands dead, Michael? MM: I see the sticker that says "Big Bands Are Back" as much as I see the one that says they are dead. And I'm not sure I believe either one of them. Bill's right... the dance bands are dead, I suppose. But these (Boulevard, Trilogy) aren't dance bands. They're far from dance bands. The sad thing is that more people aren't aware that they're different from the Glenn Miller band... BC: Yeah, that's true... MM: ...that this is not dance band music! Every once-in-a-while someone will wander into the Drum Room on a Monday night who's never heard a big band, and you should see their faces! Maybe I'm just an old fart, but I'm sure that there are a lot of young people out there who would go nuts if they heard this music for the first time. BC: I've seen that happen! MM: Right. I mean, Buddy Rich was saying that in 1968 when he reformed his band. He said, "I'm gonna play all these hip charts..." and they started doing "Norwegian Wood" and going around to college campuses and driving people bats! So no, they're not dead. Probably never will be. "...The modern jazz big band is far from dead. Are they commercially successful? Absolutely not. But those bands and that music are the basis for the instruction of jazz in most colleges. Having taught college for six years, I know that's true. ... So no, big bands are not dead as far as jazz big bands are concerned. There is a call for this music. As a matter of fact, the Trilogy band already has two concerts booked for next fall." -- Bill Crain, Trilogy Big Band JAM: Bill, of the handful of big bands that are out there working today, which are your favorites? BC: Different favorites for different things. I really like what Bob Florence (& The Limited Edition) does; the way he writes for his soloists. The GRP Super Band is an awesome group, even though it isn't really a "band"... it's just (the label's) best guys thrown together. But what an incredible listening experience that is! I mean, when you've got a band that's so good, that on its entire (live) album, Ernie Watts doesn't get a solo.... (laughter). JAM: Michael? MM: Well, first of all, there are "studio bands," and then there are the bands that play regularly. There's a distinction there. Matt Catingub's is a studio band, but god, I love his writing. And he's got all those horses from L.A. I mean, every single chair is just a killer player. BC: And he could sit in every chair! JAM: Didn't he make a whole record doing that? MM: Yes, he did. Played all the parts. It's amazing. So, I love that band. I also love the Tom Kubis band -- I think they're still playing every Monday night in Orange County. John Fedchock and Maria Schneider have bands in New York that have basically the same personnel. There are still a lot of good big bands around. JAM: What coming up for the Trilogy Big Band, Bill? BC: Right now we're on a two or three month break. We've been playing steadily for a year and a half now. And we put so much into the album that, for now, we're just kind of laying back. JAM: Is there another album planned? BC: Yes. We already have two charts ready for it. Others are being written. JAM: For Sea Breeze? BC: Yes. JAM: And you're going back into the studio when? BC: Probably this summer.
MM: Well, we're thinking about bringing in some guest soloists to play with us on our Monday nights at the Drum Room. As soon as we work out the financial things... see who's available... all that. JAM: So, you're playing every Monday at the Drum Room? MM: For now. But hopefully Bill's band will be back in March. BC: The two bands are scheduled to alternate Mondays, but we're still on a break. MM: Starting in March it will go back to that. BC: At least that's the plan. MM: Please! (laughs)
JAM: And both bands have an interesting cross-section of "real" occupations, don't they? BC: Bankers... a studio owner, which is me (laughs)... teachers, of course... freelance musicians... students... paint salesmen... furniture salesmen... a dentist... Keep in mind, though, all of them are college trained and they do work (as musicians) professionally. But like most of the average professional musicians in America today, they are part-time players. MM: We have some full-time musicians, but they're all rhythm (section) players; they're the only ones who work! (laughs). But yes, like Bill, we have several college professors, people from Sprint, high school teachers, a banker... a little bit of everything. And once again... BC: ...they're all good musicians. MM: That's right; they're all serious players. And excellent players. For information about recordings, bookings and appearances by the:
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