Bobby Militello

Подробности

Biography

Bobby Militello has played with many artists for the last 4 decades, along with leading his own groups. Since 1982 he has been playing alto & flute with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and has recorded over 20 cds, played with almost every major orchestra in the U.S., Canada and Europe, appeared in many International jazz festivals, television and radio shows. A childhood dream come true, his tenure with Dave Brubeck has proven to be one of the highlights of his life and career.

From 1975 to 1979, Bobby played with Maynard Ferguson, also a childhood dream, on baritone sax and flute. During his tenure with Maynard, he appeared in the Downbeat Readers polls from 1976 to 1979 on bari and flute and received critical acclaim in numerous articles and reviews throughout the United States and Canada. He also became Maynard's road manager for 3 years.

1982 and 1983 were especially great years. In 1982 Rick James, who lived in Buffalo, heard Bobby's fusion group, RPM. After coming to many gigs, Rick set Bobby up with a contract with Motown Records to record his first solo album Bobby M Blow”. That's right cats, albums were still being recorded then. This was a funk, R&B project. Executive producer Rick James and co-produced by Bobby and the great jazz drummer and producer Lenny White. While in the process of putting the project together and beginning to record, Bobby got a call from Dave Brubeck.

Dave had heard Bobby in 1977 with Maynard Ferguson, in Sugarbush Vermont. He was looking for a new horn player and wanted Bobby to come to New York and audition for the band. He did and has been with Dave ever since. While living in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1991, Bobby worked with many of the local resident world renowned composers and arrangers. To name a few, The Don Menza Quintet, The Dee Barton Big Band, Chuck Flores Big Band and Quartet, Steve Hoffstetter Latin Big Band, the Jeff Stradling Fusion Quintet, The Kim Richmond Jazz Orchestra and Big Band, The Steve Segal Big Band and various television sessions at Lorimar Studios. Bobby played alto, flute and clarinet with The Bill Holman Big Band and recorded with him as well. He also played tenor, clarinet and flute with The Bob Florence Big Band, who he also recorded with. Through a calibration with pianist, arranger and composer Corey Allen, Bobby met Emiel van Egdom, composer, arranger and guitarist from Maastricht in the Netherlands.

Emiel recorded his first of many recordings in Los Angeles and Bobby played alto, tenor and flute on six of Emiel's recordings, along with some of the greatest studio players in Los Angeles. Bobby and Emiel have remained good friends for almost 25 years now and still tour and record together. Again, through his association with Corey Allen, Bobby began playing with Cheryl Benteen, vocalist from the world acclaimed vocal group Manhattan Transfer, playing tenor and clarinet and recorded on her first solo album. When Bobby moved back to Buffalo, NY, in 1991, he was a contract player for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra where he began playing for Doc Severinson. This lead to him joining Doc in various orchestra concerts, around the country, and then to a chair in the Tonight Show Band playing tenor, clarinet and flute, touring with the band for 2 years.

Toward the end of 1991, Bobby moved back to Buffalo. While still playing with Brubeck and Doc Bobby began recording his first solo CDs, since recording “BobbyM Blow” for Motown. Over the next 3 years he recorded a Cd each year. Heart and Soul, Easy To Love, Straight Ahead. At the same time he was playing with a few big bands in Buffalo and began a collaboration with trumpeter, arranger and composer, Jeff Jarvis, performing on three of Jeff's CDs and various concerts throughout the U.S. Throughout his career, spanning some 40 years, he has formed various groups of his own ranging from Fusion/Funk to Bebop.

His first national recording, Primal Scream, was with Maynard Ferguson in 1975 and his first solo album was recorded in 1982 on Motown Records, entitled BobbyM Blow. Enjoying a large range of musical styles, Bobby has merged his love for many types of music into his present style of bop. This, combined with his obvious ability to express emotion in his playing, makes for a unique sound and approach to playing the alto sax, tenor sax, flute and soprano. He is one of those artists that prefers to record live, when possible, in order to truly exhibit the qualities that make jazz so interesting. Bobby has been on over 150 recordings and various television and film scores.

Born: March 25, 1950

Militello has done some great work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, including:
(1983) Bobby M Blow - Motown album (alto sax, tenor sax, flute) 1st national
solo album
(1993) "Heart & Soul" - Positive Music. 2nd solo CD
(1994) "Easy to Love" - Positive Music. 3rd solo CD
Dave Brubeck recordings:
(1987) Anniversary Charlie Brown
(1989) JVC World Class Sampler, Vol. 2
(1991) Quiet As The Moon
(1995) "Straight Ahead" - Positive Music 4th solo CD
(1994) Late Night Brubeck
(1995) Night Shift
(1996) To Hope! A Celebration
(1997) So Whats New
(1998) 40th Anniversary Tour of the UK
(1998) Double Live From the US & UK
(1999) Playing Our Songs - Various Artists
(1999) Duke Ellington Swings!
(2000) Retrospective Collection - Compilation
(2000) Ford Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival
(2001) The Crossing
(2001) Live with the LSO
(2002) Park Avenue South
(2002) 80th Birthday Concert: Live With the LSO
(2003) Classical Brubeck
(2004) London Flat, London Sharp
(1979-2005) The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Compilation
(2005) London Flat, London Sharp - (alto sax, flute)
Maynard Ferguson:
(1976) Primal Scream - Baritone Sax, Flute and Piccolo
(1977) Conquistador
(1978) New Vintage
(1979) Carnival
(1980) Hot