LAS VEGAS BONEHEADS
The Boneheads—originally founded by Abe Nole in 1962 —had six trombones and three rhythm players (piano, bass, and drums). The founding members were professional trombone players in the Las Vegas showrooms and consisted such legends as Abe Nole, Charlie Loper, Bill Harris, Archie LeCoque, Tommy Hodges, Pat Thompson, Dick “Stretch” McQuary and Bill Smiley. They rehearsed on the second floor of the old Silver Slipper on The Las Vegas Strip and occasionally at Abe’s home.
By the late 1960’s the group typically rehearsed backstage at the Frontier Hotel, or the at the Village Pub on Koval Lane, and had changed personnel. At that time the tenor trombones were Bill Booth, Jim Huntzinger, Ed Morgan and the legendary Carl Fontana. The bass trombones were Bill Rogers and Ralph Pressler. The Boneheads would perform at UNLV or after hours at the musician’s union hall. Some of the rhythm section players over the years were: Piano – Mike Breen, Frank Collett, Tommy Todd and Ronnie Simone. Bass: Carson Smith, Bob Badgley, Brace Phillips and Ken Seiffert. Drums – Clyde Duell, Karl Kiffe, Tom Montgomery and Santo Savino.
The musicians would work two shows per night, six or seven nights a week, and then get together after hours for their own enjoyment. They would perform with every star on the strip, from Sinatra’s Rat Pack to Elvis and numerous production shows.
Other trombone players that were members of the group in the during the late 70’s and early 80’s were Curt Miller, Dick McGee, Bob Scann, Ron Sprouse, Jimmy Trimble, Marty Harrell, Dick “Stretch” McQuary, Dwight Davis and “Hoot” Peterson. “Stretch” arranged a number of Bobby Brookmeyer compositions in the early 1970’s that eventually became the foundation of the “new” Boneheads’ book.
The group and the book disappeared sometime in the mid 1980’s and was not heard from again until 2007 when Curt Miller decided to reconstruct the nearly fifty-year-old ensemble. Such notable composers/arrangers as Gary Anderson, Jim Belk , Steve Flora, Nate Kimball, Curt Miller, and Barry Ross have contributed new charts to the book and updated the concept of the group.
The players rotate depending on availability, and the group has become known as the “ultimate trombone band” – the players always jump at the chance to play with the group. Curt Miller is the leader and coordinator of the group, and the players that routinely play with the group are Curt, Nate Kimball, Nathan Tanouye, David Philippus, Sonny Hernandez and Ralph Pressler. The rhythm section is comprised of Dave Loeb on piano, Steve Flora on bass and Johnny Friday on drums.
The Las Vegas Boneheads completed their first CD recording in early 2017, and in 2022 a 2nd CD was released in mid-November entitled “Sixty and Still Cookin'” featuring the incredible Andy Martin as guest artist.
CD Reviews
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
JACK BOWERS - 4/19/2023
There aren't many albums a listener might care to revisit again immediately after an initial spin. This is one of them. The Las Vegas Boneheads, a trombone-and-rhythm nonet formed by Abe Nole in 1962, marked their sixtieth(!) anniversary by recording Sixty and Still Cookin', an album that more than lives up to its name while presenting a master class in how contemporary jazz trombone should be played, individually and collectively.
THE JW VIBE
JONATHAN WIDRAN - 5/30/2023
Ever wonder what those busy trombonists who play in ensembles and orchestras on the Vegas Strip do when they stop blowing and sliding and the stage goes dark after a gig? In 1962, a rehearsal band of them formed by Abe Nole launched an increasingly popular after hours hang that evolved over the years into a unique collective also featuring a killer rhythm section. In the mid-80s, several years after Curt Miller took the reins, the group disbanded, lying dormant until 2011, when he resurrected the vibrant concept for a whole new generation of horn masters.
PHILSPICKS
PHILSPICKS - 4/20/2023
Sixty years is a major milestone for anybody to reach. That includes not only individuals, but groups, too. Reaching sixty years means someone has been doing something right for quite a while. And last year, the musical collective known as The Las Vegas Boneheads (yes, that is really the group’s name) marked its sixtieth anniversary. In celebration of the new milestone, the band released its new album, Sixty and Still Cookin’.
JAY HARVEY UPSTAGE
JAY HARVEY - 4/7/2023
Curt Miller is at the helm of Las Vegas Boneheads.
Now a group with a history extending back almost to that era, the Las Vegas Boneheads, has released its second CD since it was reconstituted a dozen years ago after a quarter-century hiatus. "Sixty and Still Cookin'" (Curt Miller Music) is a project shepherded by Curt Miller, who is joined by colleagues working the Strip for this banquet of ten tunes, a few of them originals and all with fresh arrangements by Miller and other band members. It has the same appeal as what grabbed me in my distant past as a struggling instrumentalist.