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Bob McChesney

Trombonist Bob McChesney was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1956, and began studying the trombone at the age of nine. McChesney holds a bachelor's Degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia. In 1979, Bob moved to Los Angeles where he remains, working as a studio musician and in a wide variety of musical situations including film, television, records, jingles and can be heard on the most recent CD recordings by Grammy winner Diana Krall -”When I Look In Your Eyes”, Barry Manilow “Tribute to Sinatra”, Chicago “Night and Day- Big Band”, Natalie Cole, Mel Torme, Joey DeFrancesco, Art Garfunkel, Buddy Greco, Facundo Monty, Matt Catingub, Steve Allen, Adam Sandler, Bill Watrous, George Graham, Rebeka, Atlantic Rap - Tribute to Phil Collins, Louise Baranger, Barbara Morrison, Calabria Foti, Curtis Amy, Carl Saunders, Bobby Milano, Steve Lippia and Anita O'Day.

As a jazz soloist, McChesney is featured on Horace Silver's first album for Sony/Columbia Records “Its Got To Be Funky” and on Bob Florence's Grammy winning CD “Serendipity 18”, and Florence's “Earth” and “All the Bells and Whistles”. He has performed live with Arturo Sandoval, Nancy Wilson, Kenny G, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Robb McConnell, Lalo Schifrin, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Rosemary Clooney, Jack Jones, Bill Holman, Jack Sheldon, Frank Capp and Juggernaught, The Woody Herman Band, Supersax, and was recently seen on the Tonight Show..

Some of his film and television credits include “Titan A.E.”, “Soldier”, “The Siege”,”First Wives Club”,”Space Jam”, “Dracula - Dead and Loving It”, “Graceland”, “Robin Hood - Men In Tights”, “George of the Jungle”, “The Durango Kid”, “A Will of Their Own”, “Rhapsody in Bloom”, “Dennis the Menace II”, - TVs “Jag”, “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy”, “The King of the Hill”, “From Earth to the Moon”, “Futurama”, “Providence”, “Diagnosis Murder”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “The Gregory Hines Show”, “America's Funniest Home Videos”, “PBS's Great Performances”, “Access Hollywood”. and a variety of cartoon shows. McChesney's extensive music computer experience has earned him album credits as computer programmer on recordings such as Patti Austin's “Carry On”, “Handel's Messiah - A Soulful Celebration”. and the double platinum album “The Songs of West Side Story”. - featuring Michael McDonald, James Ingram and Kenny Loggins.

“I admire the legendary guys, Jack Teagarden and J.J. for sure. I was in college when I first heard Bill Watrous who made a huge impact on me.”

In addition to his work as a performer and studio musician, McChesney has authored the trombone method on doodle tonguing entitled Doodle Studies and Etudes. (Chesapeake Music). Critically acclaimed and endorsed by the great trombonists Carl Fontana, Bill Watrous and Joseph Alessi, McChesney's book and recording is an in-depth analysis of the fast-legato multiple tongue technique. Respected as one of the foremost authorities on doodle tonguing, McChesney has contributed an article to the International Trombone Association Journal on his teaching method for the technique.

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Album Review

The Jazz All Stars: The Jazz All Stars Volume 1

Read "The Jazz All Stars Volume 1" reviewed by Jim Worsley


The gigless times of 2020--the year of the Covid-19 pandemic--could have brought musicians and the industry to their collective knees, gasping for air. Instead, it resulted in more new music than ever before. It filled our lungs with fresh air. It filled our hearts and souls, not to mention our ears. New businesses opening, defying the odds and pursuing their dreams, is a relevant factor. Le Coq Records, emerging in 2020, boldly presents an all-star ensemble—featuring many of ...

3
Album Review

Dave Slonaker Big Band: Intrada

Read "Intrada" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Don't be put off by the name. Intrada, composer / arranger Dave Slonaker points out, is “a musical form often composed as a prelude, overture or fanfare," one whose upbeat phrases give rise to an exhilarating curtain-raiser on Slonaker's initial big-band recording. Rest assured this is a world-class ensemble and there's no doubt whose steady hand is at the helm: Slonaker wrote every number save the standard “It's Only a Paper Moon" and arranged the complete package. ...

1,266
Interview

Trombonist Bob McChesney

Read "Trombonist Bob McChesney" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Many of the most memorable moments in life will often occur under the most unexpected of circumstances. This could be due to the situation being absolutely ordinary (resulting in unanticipated pleasure), utterly intolerable (unlikely but eagerly accepted pleasure), or simply unpredictable (the pleasure of pure, raw surprise). The true jazz fan revels in being startled and frequently seeks this sensation through deliberately challenging his or her own musical sensibilities (i.e., leaving the proverbial “comfort zone"). Ideally, this will ...

401
Album Review

Bob McChesney: No Laughing Matter: McChesney Plays Steve Allen

Read "No Laughing Matter: McChesney Plays Steve Allen" reviewed by Richard Hague


The -Ahem- shagbutt or sacbut was the 15th century forerunner of what we now know as the Wind-powered, Slide-activated, Embouchure-modulated Pitch Approximator... i.e., the Slide Trombone.

Many were the young men who, disregarding the sage and heartfelt entreaties of parents ("You'll be poor'") and clergy ("Eternal damnation'"), acquired first shagbutts, then trombones, anyway. They spent as much as an entire week of their young lives woodshedding- some would say, “frittering away precious time"- the B Flat-down-to-E slur and back. And ...

204
Album Review

Bob McChesney Quartet: No Laughing Matter - Plays Steve Allen

Read "No Laughing Matter - Plays Steve Allen" reviewed by Dave Nathan


A well respected studio player as well as having recorded with such jazz studded groups as the Phil Norman Tenet and the Bill Watrous and Bob Florence big bands, trombone player Bob McChesney has chosen to honor the compositions of Steve Allen for his maiden album as a leader. This means that there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the play list is comprised of tunes which one doesn't hear all that often, ...

183
Album Review

The Bob McChesney Quartet: No Laughing Matter,,, Plays Steve Allen

Read "No Laughing Matter,,, Plays Steve Allen" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


West Coast-based session musician, audio engineer, author and most of all a trombonist who possesses otherworldly and enviable chops; Bob McChesney is clearly a name to keep in mind which is a fairly easy task thanks to the “Bob McChesney Quartet” .... No Laughing Matter -Plays Steve Allen.

The legendary humorist and talk show host Steve Allen has also authored nearly 8000 tunes during his celebrated lifetime. Now in his 70’s Allen must be overjoyed with the winning formula represented ...

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Album Review

Bob McChesney: No Laughing Matter

Read "No Laughing Matter" reviewed by Jim Santella


Steve Allen’s songs provide a starting point for the Bob McChesney Quartet to hand out a healthy portion of its modern mainstream stew. Combining the trombone’s somber timbre with an excellent rhythm section, McChesney elaborates on each fundamental melody. All ten songs are by Steve Allen, but they were written at various points in his career. Yes, Allen has written over 8,000 now.

Throughout the session, plenty of time is allotted to solo time from pianist, bassist, and drummer. But ...

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Video / DVD

Correspondence, Illustrated: Bob McChesney

Correspondence, Illustrated: Bob McChesney

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey


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Video / DVD

Weekend Extra: McChesney Heard and Seen

Weekend Extra: McChesney Heard and Seen

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

My biography of Paul Desmond includes Desmond solos that Bill Mays, Bud Shank, Brent Jensen, Gary Foster and Paul Cohen transcribed for the book. They analyze or comment on the solos and John Handy analyzes Cohen's transcription of “Take Five." In the text I suggest that playing the recordings and following along with Desmond would help readers appreciate his creative process in improvising. Even if their music-reading skills were slight or nonexistent, a general impression of the flow of notes ...

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Book / Magazine

Doodle Studies and Etudes By Trombonist Bob McChesney

Doodle Studies and Etudes By Trombonist Bob McChesney

Source: All About Jazz

With Demonstration/Play-along CD

by Bob McChesney

“Doodle Studies and Etudes" by trombonist Bob McChesney was first published in 1992. For more than a thousand students and professional players it has proven to be an extremely valuable tool in improving fast legato skills on the trombone. Covering all aspects of the doodle tongue technique, this book was written for students, teachers and professionals alike. This complete method explains the fast legato technique in a step-by-step fashion, from how to correctly form ...

Jim Lutz
trombone
Skip Dolt
trombone

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