Alive XVI: ”This One`s for Buddy!”

He credits his hometown of Alexandria, Indiana with giving him an
excellent start to his lifelong career.
“There were only about 4000 people in that town; but, they had a real
good music program. At the time I started, the band director, his name was
Carol Copeland, a marvelous director, had a really good concert band, a
really good marching band and he even had what he called the dance band.
We’re talking the ‘40s here — we’re talking 1946. He had such a tradition
going that I got a lot there. He had us writing arrangements for his dance
band, conducting the bands, doing solo work, and he had us in small
ensembles as well as the large ones. You can’t believe the music education
I got in that high school.”
“Another thing I had was an old euphonium player living just a block
away who had played in the circus bands at the turn of the century. He was
a really good player, and he took me under his wing and really spent a lot of
time with me; got me going on solos and things.”
“Then, I was fortunate in high school, when I was a junior, to meet some
other kids from Muncie, Indiana that were into jazz. I met them at a solo
contest: Alan Kiger and Alan Plank. One was a piano player and the other
was a trumpet player and they had gotten help from some really good
people. I heard them in a room getting ready to do their solos and they were
doing a little bit of jazz. I came in and introduced myself and we became
good friends. They really got me into jazz. They really knew what they were
doing. They knew chords and scales and had pretty good record collections. I
didn’t even have a record player.”
“By the time I got to college I had already done a lot of good things. I got
a scholarship to Indiana University; starting there in 1950 when I was 18.
There was no jazz program there but man, there were a bunch of good jazz
players. There were probably three big bands working every weekend. David
Baker was in those bands; Jerry Coker was in those bands; Med Flory was
playing alto. I got in right away playing with some really good players.”
Alive XVI: ”This One’s for Buddy!”
For additional information on the
UNC Jazz Studies Program,
please contact:
Gene Aitken, Director
UNC Jazz Studies Program
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colorado 80639
(970) 351-2577 VOX
(970) 351-2536 FAX
[email protected]
www.arts.unco.edu/UNCJazz/main.html
All rights to record music and arrangements
cleared through Harry Fox, New York,
NY and UNC Jazz Press, Greeley, CO
Copyright 1998 UNC Jazz Studies
All rights reserved. Unauthorized
duplication is a violation of all
applicable laws
For free United Jazz Artists’ catalog,
please write or call:
United Jazz Artists’ Records
PO Box 23
Greeley, CO 80632
(970) 351-1943 VOX
(970) 351-2536 FAX
Gene Aitken directs UNC Jazz Lab Band I
Buddy Baker
by Tim Diem
“I’ve been playing the trombone for 54 years now. I started
when I was 12 and I’ve played it
ever since.”
Sitting in his office at the
University of Northern Colorado, Edwin “Buddy” Baker
smiles as he recalls his introduction to the trombone.
“I always liked the sound of the trombone. When I was young, I had an
old bugle, an old army bugle and I greased up the tuning slides and got it to
work so I could actually get different pitches. It was like I had the first four
positions on the trombone slide. So, I was playing that thing. Then one of the
music teachers said, ‘We need to get that boy a slide trombone.’ That must
have been about 6th grade.
“I’ve been playing ever since. I mean, there haven’t been any gaps in that
time. I played it all the way through high school, all the way through college,
I flew airplanes for the service in the army over in Germany and I still played
all I could during that time. Generally when I was flying in the airplane I had
it behind the second seat so if I got weathered in I could play it and practice.
After that I did some masters work and some road work and then started
teaching at the University of Indiana.”
That was 40 years ago. Now, after a long career educating students on
the finer points of the trombone, the legendary instructor at the University
of Northern Colorado has decided the time has come to move on. In May of
1998, Baker retired from UNC.
Album Dedication
This album is dedicated to Buddy Baker, Professor of Trombone at the
University of Northern Colorado who retired this past May, 1998, after 33 years
of service to the institution. Professor Baker started the UNC Jazz Studies
Program in the early 70s.
His commitment to excellence, his outstanding musicianship and his impact
on music educators and professional musicians throughout the world are just a
few of the contributions Buddy has made during his tenure at UNC. He is an
artist’s artist. We wish him the best!
Gene Aitken, October, 1998
Tributes — To a Great Musician!
I first met Buddy while we were both at Indiana University. The two
suggestions I remember him giving me were, “Get yourself a pitch pipe and
carry it with you—work on recognizing intervals, chords, scales, etc.” and,
“don't practice on the bandstand!”
Buddy has always been one of my favorite people and his playing and
teaching are an inspiration to all.
Jamey Aebersold, October, 1998
Buddy Baker and I were at Indiana University at the same time, he in the
School of Music, and I in the Political Science Department. That was in the
early to mid-fifties. In those days a 12 to 15 piece “Big Band” could, and did,
work weekend gigs and find a playing job during the summer months that
might last 6 or 8 weeks. You not only had a chance to play, but to play with
good musicians (often better musicians than yourself) and make money as
well! Both of us did that! …gaining professional experiences was an important
bonus. So let me add that in my own memory, with Buddy as an important part
of that, those were the best of times!
Al Cobine, October, 1998
I have known Bud Baker for 48 years! As undergraduates at Indiana
University, we were roommates, and played together constantly in dance
bands, I.U. Philharmonic, even the marching band, and in innumerable jam
sessions. We shared so many of life’s experiences in those days as to defy
a reasonable recounting. He was, and is, a truly remarkable trombonist,
improvisor, composer/arranger, and teacher. We also shared, thanks to Bud’s
benevolence, the teaching of the jazz program at I.U. But his greatest qualities
are the ones relating to his spirituality, Buddy is one of God’s finest creations!
Congratulations on a life well-done (and still going), and on your recent
retirement, Bud. Love always.
Jerry Coker, October, 1998
The band has released 16 albums and CD’s under several major labels
including Night Life and Sea Breeze record companies. Their recent discs
are released through Los Angeles-based label, United Jazz Artists. The
band’s albums have been reviewed by magazines such as Cadence, Jazz
Forum, Jazz Journal, Jazz Podium, Down Beat, Jazz Times, CD Review and many
others. The band performs with major jazz artists at one of the largest
non-competitive jazz festivals in the world, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival.
In recent years, UNC Jazz Lab Band I has performed with such artists as
Billy Eckstine, Mavis Rivers, Milt Hinton, Rob McConnell, Clark Terry, J.J.
Johnson, Joe Williams, Arturo Sandoval and many others.
In 1997 and 1998, U.S. News and World Report listed the UNC Jazz
Studies Program as one of the five top Jazz Studies Programs in the nation.
“Buddy” Baker is a musician’s musician, a trombonist’s trombone player,
a teacher’s teacher and a wonderful friend. If all of the people Bud has
influenced in a positive way were assembled at one time (including me, of
course), you’d probably have to hold it in Shea Stadium! He is the best of the
best of the best—enjoy some extra fishing time, Bud—you’ve earned it!
Roger Pemberton, October, 1998
Jazz Lab Band I Personnel
UNC Jazz Lab Band I
UNC Jazz Lab Band I is recognized as one of the finest jazz ensembles in
the United States. With numerous awards from Down Beat magazine for the
band and its personnel including the 1997 Outstanding Performance Award,
Lab I continues to set musical and stylistic trends. The band has performed
for several International Association of Jazz Educators’ Conventions as well
as at regional jazz festivals and conventions across the country. In April,
1998, the band performed for the Music Educators’ National Conference
in Phoenix, AZ, as well a being featured on the nationally-televised Black
Entertainment Network.
Saxophones
Lance Rigby
Dan Boulton
Farrell Vernon
C. J. Kocher
Nick Frazee
Trumpets
Brad Steinwehe
Paul Pugh
Ted DiSanti
Jeremy Brekke (3,4,13,14)
Gary Cellar
Steve Roach
Trombones
Wade Eisinger
Dave Wiske
Geoff Libby
Craig Gosnell
Andy Wolfe (11,14)
Thad Reatherford (10)
Rhythm Section
Ryan Frane, Keyboards
Kyle Malone, Guitar
Greg Garrison, Bass
Terry Vermillion, Drums
Willie O’Burke, Percussion (6)
Jeff Davis, Congas (4)
Production
Produced by
1st Mixdown Engineer
2nd Mixdown Engineer
Mixdown at
Recording Engineer
Recorded live at Sound Reinforcement
CD Mastering
Overdub Engineer
Digital Editing
Photography
CD Layout
Gene Aitken
Jim Linahon
Dean Restum
Diyar Studios
Van Nuys, CA
Nelsonics Audio
Ontario, CA
Anthony Walker
Union Colony Civic Center
Greg Heimbecker
Robert Voison
Capitol Records
Hollywood, CA
Greg Heimbecker
Greg Heimbecker
John Blake
Ann Marie Martinez
Recording
The album’s music was recorded live in
concert at the 1700-seat Monfort Concert Hall
in Greeley’s Union Colony Civic Center. The
performances were recorded on 32 tracks of
Alesis ADAT using Shure SM 81 and AKG
414 microphones.
Final mixdown was sent to an Otari 8S
DAT with CD mastering by Robert Voison at
Capitol Records, Hollywood, CA. CDs were
pressed by CDS located in Pasadena, CA.
Many of the compositions and
arrangements recorded on this
CD are available from:
UNC JAZZ PRESS
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO 80632
(970) 351-2577 VOX
(970) 351-2536 FAX
[email protected]
www.arts.unco.edu/UNCJazz/main.html