RODDY o-iii<O
Trumpet Celebrity Interviews
[ a celebration of the artistry of ALL styles of Trumpet ]
G E O R G E G R A H A M
Background info...
George Graham, Hollywood studio and freelance trumpet player is one of the most diverse musicians in the music business today. George has spent the last 40 years working in virtually every facet of the entertainment business, including movies, television, recordings and live performances. He has also, throughout the years, been an active instructor and clinician. Recently George has gone to the next level and established himself as a solo performer, both in concert and recording. Although born in Chicago, George Graham grew up in the Los Angeles area ---at a time when the world's best musical talent was flocking to "Hollywood" ---and talented children were surrounded by great performers and teachers to study with and to emulate.He has established himself among the top studio musicians. Along with his schedule of TV and movie sessions, George also performs and records with many artists and bands.....i.e., Bob Florence, Tom Kubis, Gerald Wilson, Ray Anthony, Louis Bellson, Benny Carter, B.B. King, Diane Shuur, Rosemary Clooney, and the late Frank Sinatra.
Throughout the years, George has particularly enjoyed participating in major events, such as the 1984 Olympics (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), Liberty Week-end (in New York), The 200th Anniversary of the Signing of the Constitution of the United States (in Philadelphia), and annual award shows such as the Essence Awards,The Teachers Awards, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz "Celebration of America's Music" at the Kennedy Center, as well as the Oscars and the Emmys. In 1999 George was a featured soloist for the sound track of the film "The Thomas Crown Affair."
Last year George was heard on 2 Grammy winning CDs, first with Diana Krall under the baton of Johnny Mandel, and also with Bob Florence and The Limited Edition on Serendipity 18. George continues to work on his own projects. His current release on the Pippo Avenue label is titled "With More Help From My Friends."
Since 1990 he has turned his attention more and more toward the educational field, believing that the future of music lies with the young and increasingly talented students in today's institutions. Acknowledging that the music business has been kind to him, George feels that "It's time to give some back."
"In this day the character of the music business has changed greatly. Where previous emphasis was placed on Music, The Art Form, it has now become Music, The Business. "
Even though the complexion of the beast has changed, the nature remains the same. The simple truth is that the basic skills that were required to operate the musical instruments have never changed, and continue to be of supreme importance. Also important, is the ability of the student to recognize and emulate the myriad variety of styles necessary to perform all the various kinds of music as authentically as possible.
"It is not my contention that acquiring these skills is essential to all students, as most will not follow the music "business" path to the ultimate end. But even the non-professional will find of great benefit the ability to perform many different styles, not to mention the increased enjoyment as a listener. After all, being involved in any phase of music does enhance the quality of life."
T H E I N T E R V I E W. . .
Your web address, and would you like to include an email?
www.trumpetgeorge.com
www.TRUMPETGEORGE.COM / flashsite
georgegraham.trpt2@verizon.net
Was your family background musical?
Yes. Very. My father, "Pappy" Graham, was a primo trumpet player in the Chicago area. For a while, he and Rafael Mendez were the staff trumpeters at CBS radio (WBBN?) in Chicago. In fact, during that time, Ralph and Robert Mendez and I were born (late 30's). My mother was a headline dancer in the various "speakeasies," owned by the Mafia. I'm not sure how they met, since my father never worked in the speakeasies. He also played with various big bands of the era, such as Vincent Lopez and Phil Spitalny (before Phil created his all female bands). He also played with Benny Maroff. In 1945, after WWII, most of the musicians that my dad worked with moved to Los Angeles with Frank Worth, a composer/conductor. Due to my Dad's health problems (diabetes), he had to stop playing trumpet, but continued to work with Frank in music prep, and served as the "ears" in the booth for Frank through 7 different radio shows a week, and the Roy Rogers TV show. When I was 12, I became the music copyist for the Roy Rogers Show, for which I made the grand total of $20.00 a week. Not bad money for a 12 year old. I also started studying trumpet during that time. I remember my dad offered me Rafael Mendez as my first trumpet teacher. I refused him, and studied with George Werth instead! George was Frank Worth's brother, and one of the top players in Los Angeles for the next 30 years or so. (In case you think I misspelled George's last name...he changed the spelling to avoid confusion)
What made you decide to play trumpet and when?
Having listened to my dad play on radio shows in Chicago ever since I was old enough to know what music was (probably from about 4 years old or so), I have always been attracted to the trumpet. As you can see on one of my CD covers, there is a picture of me with my dad's trumpet when I was 3 years old. For some reason, all through those years, I never considered that I wasn't going to become a trumpet player, even though I didn't start until I was 12. I can remember that even the mere thought that I wasn't going to succeed brought on a feeling of terror in me.
On leaving education, have you always been a full time musician?
Yes. Upon graduation from High School, I went straight into the Air Force Band. I was fortunate enough to always be stationed near cities where there was a good music scene. In fact, while over seas in the Philippines, after performing in one of the music festivals in Manila, I was voted the number 2 jazz trumpet player in the Far East Jazz Poll. Vestre Rojas was number 1, which struck me as odd, as Toots Dila seemed to be the most popular jazz player at the time. He also had achieved local fame for climbing up on the roof of the Manila hotel and playing our National Anthem while the American troops were making MacArthur's promised return come true.
Upon discharge from the Air Force, I enrolled in Los Angeles Valley College. There I studied with the then famous Bob MacDonald . As far as I know, Bob was the person responsible for starting the studio band concept in the Universities and Colleges, having done that since the late 40's at Los Angeles City College. About 1/2 of the studio musicians in L.A. had come through Bob's program. During that time at Valley College, I made many friends who became very successful, such as Bob Florence, Mike Barone, Warren Luening, Barry Sweig, and Mel Lee.
Then on the road with Si Zentner for 2 years, where I met Arnie Chykowski, Carl Saunders. Leaving Si Zentner after 2 years, I moved to Reno and spent the next 15 years in the various house bands, performing with virtually every star in show business at the time. I also traveled with Anthony Newley and Dionne Warwicke as their 1st trumpet player. I moved back to Los Angeles in 1980 at the invitation of Ian Fraser (14 Emmies) and Bob Florence (13 CDs plus a Grammay). It was while I was in Reno that I met Marvin Stamm, Bobby Findley, and the late Joe Davis,. Also, while at Harrah's Reno, we "baptised" 19 year old Ricky Baptist into the music business.
Describe your early experiences of semi / pro work.
I started playing dance jobs while I was still in High School. I would make $10 a night (kind of a drop from the $20 a week for Roy Rogers..and about 2 hours of work). That $10 would barely pay for the pizza we all would go and eat after the gig. All through the Air Force and College I always picked up gigs here and there. This was all very important in my development, because I was a sponge for learning new tunes (successful free-lance musicians have to have a HUGE memory bank of musical memorabilia and knowledge. I know a saxophone player who can play 2 weeks worth of gigs and never play a song twice).
You had to be creative in order to survive while only making the "semi pro" money. I never did anything outside of music, and I never had a wife with an office gig to support me. I remember in one period, when I was just treading the shoreline of the ocean of meaningful work....in other words, I would do a record date, but had to wait 3 weeks to get paid, but at the same time, wiped out my ability to collect unemployment during that week. I would buy a bag of popcorn, which I would wash down with a couple of bottles of "Ripple" (19 cents each). That would get me mellow enough to fall asleep.
What theatre experience have you had?
Not including the club acts as "shows," I have played in pit orchestras for Les Miz, Cats, Miss Saigon, My One and Only, and Chaplin (the best musical show of all, in my estimation, that never made it to Broadway).
What Orchestral / Big band experience have you had?
Let's talk about orchestra first. You can also check my website to find out the stuff I'm not going to mention.
In Junior High School, my first Youth Orchestra was the Kiwanis Youth Orchestra in the San Fernando Valley. I mention this only because we had a very young French conductor by the name of Leo Arnaud. Somewhere along the way in Leo's career, he composed the music that has been used (for the last 50 years) as the Olymic Fanfare. I know the youngsters among us will say "John Williams wrote the Olympic Fanfare." And he did, and I performed it at the '84 Olympics. But, long before that, and all the way through to the present, Leo's Fanfare has been the primary one used. Check it out.
Another Youth Symphony I played with was the Burbank Youth Symphony under the baton of Leo Damiani. Leo was a real task master, and served to toughen us all up in preparation for musical careers. While in High School I also played in all the "elite" statewide orchestras and bands (seewww.trumpetgeorge.com and while you are there, you can also check out all the orchestral stuff I've done since 1980).
Big bands....I spent 2 years with Si Zentner. I spent some time with Eddie Grady and the Commanders, and have performed and/or recorded with virtually all the name bands.
What film recording experience have you had?
AFI -100 Years…100 Movies / American Film Institute
Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, The (I & II) / ABC
Against The Mob
All The Right Moves / 20th Century Fox
Aloha Summer AKA Hanauma Bay / 20th Century Fox
Annie / Columbia Pictures1982
Another Stakeout / Walt Disney Pictures
Babes In Toyland / Orion Pictures Corp1986
Barbarosa
Beatrice - Life of the Party Columbia
Bigfoot
Big Top Pee-Wee / Paramount
Bingo / Tristar
Black Cauldron, The Walt Disney Pictures Blast From The Past / Avery Pix, Inc
Bodyguard, The / Warner Bros.
Boiling Point
Bonanza: The Next Generation / Gaylord Production Comp.
Bride of Boogedy / Walt Disney Pictures
Bugsy / Paramount Pictures
Cannon Ball Run II
Clifford / Orion1993
Clue / Paramount Pictures
Crazy Times / Warner Bros.
Cry Baby / Universal Television
Dark Wing Duck -Various Episodes Walt Disney Pictures
Davy Crockett Rainbow in Thu / Walt Disney
Deadly Medicine
Delirious / MGM & UA Services
Dick / Columbia
Dingo
Dinosaurs #12
When Food Goes Bad / Walt Disney Pictures
Disney's The Little Mermaid (Disney TVS) Walt Disney Pictures
Don't Look Back / Warner Bros.
Dream Is Alive:20th Anniversary Walt Disney Pictures
Dynasty-1983 Aaron Spelling
Fall From Grace / NBC1990
Fat Man And Little Boy / Paramount Pictures
First Family / Warner Bros.
First Monday In October / Paramount Pictures
Ghost Busters
Great White Hype / 20th Century Fox
Harlem Nights / Paramount Pictures
Hero In The Family AKA
Astronaut & Son / Walt Disney Pictures
Hot Pursuit The / Twilight Prod
I Posed For Playboy / Republic Pictures
Impulse / ABC1984
Indestructible Man AKA I-Man / Walt Disney Pictures
Intruders: They Are Among Us I & II CBS
Ironweed / Spelling Entertainment Inc.
Jake & The Fat Man - God Bless Viacom Jake & The Fat Man - #1662 My S
Jinxed / MGM and UA
Journey Of Natty Gann, The Walt Disney Pictures
Jury Duty: The Comedy AKA Great American Sex Steve White/Ventura Valley Films
Kaleidoscope / NBC
Katja
Kiss Me Goodbye / 20th Century Fox
Lady In White
League Of Their Own, A / Columbia
License To Drive / 20th Century Fox
Love Is Hell Love!
Valour!
Compassion / New Line Cinema
Lust In The Dust
Mad Dog Time / MGM
Me And The Kid AKA Going To Mexico / Orion Pictures
Meet The Munceys / Walt Disney Pictures
Mercury Rising / Universal Studios
Millie
Mrs. Santa Claus / Hallmark Entertainment
My Favorite Year / TBS
My Science Project / Walt Disney Pictures
Once Upon A Forest AKA Endangered / 20th Century Fox
Out On A Limb: 1 & 2 / ABC1987
Pennies From Heaven / TBS
Perry Mason:#2010-Murdered Madam, Case Of The / Viacom Int'l
Perry Mason:#2518-Fatal Fashion (?) / Viacom Int'l
Prince And The Pauper, The / Walt Disney Pictures
Return Of Ben Casey, The / Columbia
Rocky V / MGM
Sasquatch (AKA Bigfoot '87) Walt Disney Pictures
Scout, The / 20th Century Fox
Shadow Of A Doubt / Universal Television
Sharkey's Machine / Warner Bros.
Sledge Hammer '86/'87 Season
New World Small And Fyre / Walt Disney Studios
Some Kind Of Star
Spaceballs / MGM
Splash / Walt Disney Pictures
Splendor In The Grass / Warner Bros. TV Movie1981
Spy Hard / Walt Disney Pictures
Stella / Walt Disney Pictures
Stick / Universal
Stompin At The Savoy / Universal
Thomas Crown Affair, The / MGM 1999
Tiny Toons Volume 6: Fiendishly Funny Adventure / Warner Bros.(1990-91)
To Be Or Not So Be / 20th Century Fox
To Grandmother's House We Go / Warner Bros.
Two Of A Kind / 20th Century Fox 1983
Urban Cowboy / Paramount Pictures
Vacation (National Lampoon) Vegas Vacation / Warner Bros
Woman In Red / Orion Pictures Corp
Yellow Beard / Orion Pictures Corp
Zorro The Gay Blade Melvin / Simon Prod.
What session (Jingles / TV) experience have you had?
As for jingles, they are a blur. For TV.....
American Dream: The Jackson Family
Blockbuster
Bodies Of Evidence
Dallas
Dark Shadows
Dark Wing Duck
Davy Crockett
Dinosaurs
Dynasty
Fall Guy
Fanelli Boys
Growing Pains
Jake And The Fat Man
Leeza Gibbons Show (Barry Manilow & Big Band '94)
Love And War
Love Boat
Murder She Wrote
Nightmare Café
Perry Mason
T J Hooker
Tiny Toons
Tonight Show
Trapper John
20 Thousand Dollar Pyramid
Walker Texas Ranger
War And Remembrance Mini Series
Winds Of War Mini Series
Young RidersTV Specials
The Academy Awards ('84, '93, '94,'95, '96, '98, '99, 2001)
The Emmy Awards ('84, '88, '93, '94, '95, '98, '99)
American Music Awards
American Teachers Awards
Ann Margret Special
Barishnikov on Broadway
Carol Burnett 25th Anniversary Show
Celebration Of America's Music Christmas In Washington
Daytime Emmy Awards ('94 & '95)
Essence Awards ('93 thru 2000)
Golden Eagle Awards '92,
Horatio Alger Awards
Jackson Family Honors
Jerry Herman Special Liberty Weekend (Opening Ceremonies)
Linda Lavin Special
Linda Carter (2 Specials)
Liza Minelli Special
Michael Crawford In Concert
1984 Olympics, Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Pat Williams/Mary Tyler Moore Special
Shirley MacLaine (2 Specials)
Snowdon On Ice (2 Specials)
Steve Allen 75th Birthday Celetration
Television Hall Of Fame Awards '87 thru `96
A 70's Celebration: The Beat Is Back
200th Anniversary Celebration of the Signing
Of The Constitution Of The United States
Walt Disney and EPCOT (3 Specials)
20th Anniversary of Disney World
Disney's 50th Anniversary
What small group / ensemble experience have you had?
As a studio musician, I have played with every size and shape ensemble. I also have my own sextet LP (Vinyl 1984 or so). I've got plenty if anyone is interested.
Other work experiences? (Big Band etc...)
My favorite ones are all the big, important ones....which you can find on my website.
Would you list your past solo recordings?
"All the Right Stuff "(Outstanding Records) LP
l. "With A Lot Of Help From My Friends" (SeaBreeze Records)
2. "With More Help From My Friends" (Pippo Avenue Record/George Graham)
www.cdbaby.com
www.walkingfrog.com
3. "How About Me?" (Pippo Avenue Records/George Graham)
www.cdbaby.com
www.walkingfrog.com
John Killoch has a big band website in the UK, which also has the #2 & #3 above. www.btinternet.com/~j.r.killoch/home.htm
Any news on new projects? (hyperlinks?)
I have 3 I want to do. Under consideration are: Jazz Quintet, Dixieland, another Ballad album, possibly of Johnny Mandel tunes. Any suggestions? I don't know which will be first. None are yet past the planning stage. Rest assured, though, they will include Tom Kubis and/ or Bob Florence.
Favourite four albums?
Bill Potts, Jazz Soul of Porgy & Bess
Shelly Manne, My Fair Lady
Michelle Columbier, Wings
Bob Florence, Westlake and probably 20,000 others
Favourite two movies?
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
An American In Paris (because of Uan Rasey) and thousands more
Favourite three foods? (eg. Thai / Chinese / French)
You gotta be kidding. Look at my picture. Do I look finicky? Anything but boiled owl and mutton
Non-musical hobbies / points of interest you enjoy?
Photography, tennis, electronics.
Do you take days off from playing? (how does it affect you?)
Not intentionally. As long as I'm not on a 2 week hiatus, it doesn't affect me adversly. Having done this for 45 years or so, I've figured out how to get it back real quick.
Three Trumpet tips you wish to share with the readers.
1. Air..air...air. Trumpet is a wind instrument, therefore it requires wind (air).
2. If you don't play it musically, don't bother to play it. Even High notes can be played musically and in good taste. The same goes for faster and louder. Make it musical.
3. There is no gimick any where near as effective as practice. The guidance of a good teacher enables the practice to be effective
End of interview sentiment.
Roddy,
thank you for the opportunity to have this chat. Congratulations on this new project.
Pip, pip, tally-ho.
DATE: 22 April 2002
Highly recommended is George's flash site picture gallery...go see you won't be disappointed!!!www.TRUMPETGEORGE.COM / flashsiteThank you very much indeed for sharing your thoughts with the
' Trumpet Web Community '.