Bill Yeager Jazz Orchestra (BYJO) Plays The Music Of Louie Bellson
BYJO plays the music of Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson was deemed “the world’s greatest musician” by Duke Ellington, “the epitome of musical talent and a very gifted composer and arranger” by Oscar Peterson, and “the best person I ever met” by Tony Bennett.
He performed on more than 200 albums with a range of artists, including Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Wayne Newton, and Bellson's first wife Pearl Bailey.
Bellson composed more than 1,000 pieces and wrote a dozen books on drums and percussion. He received the prestigious American Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1994. He was also the recipient of awards from ASCAP and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was a six-time Grammy nominee, and held four honorary doctorates.
The Bill Yeager Jazz Orchestra (BYJO), in residence at San Diego State University, is comprised of some of the finest jazz talent in Southern California. It is largely comprised from alumni from Yeager’s 36 years as Director of Jazz Studies at San Diego State University and his 10 years as Founder/Director of the Los Angeles Jazz Workshop.
You can watch the BYJO's complete live performance of the Louie Bellson Concert here:
PERSONNEL
DIRECTOR - Bill Yeager
SAXES
Alto1 Christopher Hollyday
Alto2 Charlie Arbelaez
Tenor1 Tim Nunnink
Tenor2 Chaz Cabrera
Baritone Bradley Nash
TRUMPETS
1. Brad Steinwehe
2. Jeff Beck
3. Billy Edwall
4. Karl Soukup
5. Derek Cannon
TROMBONES
1. Matt Hall
2. Kevin Esposito
3. Jordan Morita
4. Brandon Jagow
RHYTHM
Piano. Markus Burger
Guitar. Louis Valenzuela
Bass. Mack Leighton
Drums. Don Kuhli
Vibes/Percussion. Chris Potente
Set List – BYJO – 10/16/21
“Explosion” arr. Matt Catingub
Charlie Arbelaez, alto
Christopher Hollyday, alto
Don Kuhli, drums
“A Salute to Elvis Costello” arr. Matt Catingub
Tim Nunnink, tenor
Markus Burger, piano
Karl Soukup, flugelhorn
“Time Check” arr. Don Menza
Chaz Cabrera, tenor
Tim Nunnink, tenor
Louis Valenzuela, guitar
“Concord Blues for Blue” arr. Don Menza
Chis Potente, vibes
Christopher Hollyday, alto
Mack Leighton, bass
“Stars in a Lonely Sky” arr. Paul McKee
Matt Hall, trombone
“Cinderella’s Waltz” arr. Don Menza
Markus Burger, piano
Derek Cannon, trumpet
“Santos” arr. Matt Catingub
Chaz Cabrera, tenor
Brad Steinwehe, trumpet
Don Kuhli, drums
Billy Edwall, trumpet
PRODUCERS
Executive Producer: Bill Yeager
Produced by: San Diego State University Foundation
The Pitt Warner Endowment
KPBS Television
LOCATION SERVICES
Recorded "Live at SDSU Smith Recital Hall" Oct. 16, 2021
Peggy Shannon, Dean College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Kevin Delgado, SDSU Director School of Music and Dance
AUDIO PRODUCTION
Recording Engineer James Linahon, LMP Studios
House Engineer: Nick Czerwiec
FILM PRODUCTION
Producer: Markus Burger, Septer Media
Associate Producer: Louis Valenzuela, Electric Louie Land
Camera crew: Justin Joyce and Joel Ginsberg
FILM POST PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Louis Valenzuela, Electric Louie Land
Audio Mix/Mastering: James Linahon, LMP Studios
Bill Yeager has a diverse musical background, both as a conductor, performer, composer/arranger and educator. He is an Emeritus Professor of Music at San Diego State University and is a well-known studio/jazz/classical trombonist performing on hundreds of records (Ray Charles), films (Rocky), TV shows (Bob Hope) and commercials (Apple).
Bill has performed with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Mel Torme and Dizzy Gillespie, to name a few, and has toured throughout the world. He has played in practically every big band in the LA/San Diego area including long time associations with Louie Bellson and Les Brown.
Bill played lead trombone in Louie Bellson’s band for 17 years. Bellson donated his entire music library to Yeager, that now resides at SDSU. This concert is comprised of some of the challenging music from his extensive library.