Robert Murray Gordon McConnell (14 February 1935 – 1 May 2010) was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger.Jeff Sultanof.
Experiencing Big Band Jazz: A Listener's Companion
'. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; 8 November 2017. . p. 150. McConnell is best known for establishing and leading the big band The Boss Brass, which he directed from 1967 to 1999.

Biography

McConnell was born in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

, Canada, and took up the

valve trombone The valve trombone is a brass instrument in the trombone family that has a set of valves to vary the pitch instead of (or in addition to) a slide. Although it has been built in sizes from alto to contrabass, it is the tenor valve trombone pitched ...

in high school. He began his performing career in the early 1950s, performing and studying with

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

, Don Thompson, Bobby Gimby, and later with Canadian trumpeter

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

. He studied

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

with Gordon Delamont. In 1968 he formed ''The Boss Brass'', a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

that became his primary performing and recording unit through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s."Boss Brass founder Rob McConnell dies at 75"
''CBC Arts'', May 03, 2010 McConnell assembled the original Boss Brass from Toronto

studio musicians A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...

. The instrumentation of the band was originally sixteen pieces, consisting of trumpets, trombones, French horns, and a rhythm section but no saxophones. He introduced a saxophone section in 1970 and expanded the trumpet section to include the fifth trumpet in 1976, bringing the total to twenty-two members. In 1977, McConnell recorded a double LP called ''Big Band Jazz''. This was a 'direct cut' LP using Direct-to-disc recording. A small number of albums that recorded direct-to-disc began to appear on the market in the late 1970s and were marketed as "audiophile" editions, promising superior sound quality compared with recordings made using the more common multi-track tape recording methods. On McConnell's direct cut double LP, an entire side (15 minutes and 2 seconds) was devoted to a version of Gershwin's "

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' ( ) is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy (play), ...

". The double album won the Juno Award for Best Jazz Album in 1978. His 1983 '' All in Good Time'' album won the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for Best Large Jazz Ensemble recording. In 1988, McConnell took a teaching position at the

Dick Grove Richard Dean Grove (December 18, 1927 – December 26, 1998) was an American musician, composer, arranger, and educator. He is best known as the founder of the Dick Grove School of Music. Its students include Jerry Finn, Michael Jackson, Linda R ...

School of Music in California, but gave up his position and returned to Canada a year later. In 1992 he was presented with a SOCAN jazz award. In 1997, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 1998 was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. He remained active throughout the 2000s, touring internationally as both a performer and educator, running music clinics around the world and performing as a leader and guest artist. The Rob McConnell Tentet, a scaled-down version of the Boss Brass featuring many Boss Brass alumni, recorded three albums, ''The Rob McConnell Tentet'' (2000), ''Thank You, Ted'' (2002), and ''Music of the Twenties'' (2003). McConnell died of

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

on May 1, 2010, in Toronto at the age of 75.

Discography

The Boss Brass * ''The Boss Brass - Rob McConnell'' (1968), Canadian Talent Library * ''Rob McConnell's Boss Brass 2'' (1969), Canadian Talent Library * ''The Sound Of The Boss Brass'' (1970), CBC Radio Canada * ''On a Cool Day'' (1971), Canadian Talent Library * ''Rob McConnell's Boss Brass 4'' (1972), Canadian Talent Library * ''The Best Damn Band in the Land'' (1974), United Artists Records * ''The Jazz Album'' (1976), Attic Records * ''Nobody Does It Better'' (1977), Canadian Talent Library, Phonodisc * ''Big Band Jazz'' (1978), Umbrella Records * ''Again!'' (1979), Umbrella Records * ''Are Ya Dancin' Disco?'' (1979), New Ventures * ''The Singers Unlimited with Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass'' (1980), MPS Records * ''Present Perfect'' (1980), MPS Records * ''Tribute'' (1981), Pausa Records * ''Live in Digital'' (1982), Sea Breeze, Palo Alto Records * ''Big Band Jazz Volume 1'' (1983), Pausa Records * ''Again! Volume 1'' (1983), Pausa Records * ''Big Band Jazz Volume 2'' (1983), Pausa Records * '' All in Good Time'' (1983), Sea Breeze, Palo Alto Records * ''Again! Volume 2'' (1983), Pausa Records * ''Atras Da Porta'' (1985), Innovation Records * ''Boss Brass and Woods'' (1985), Innovation Records * '' Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass'' (1986), Concord Jazz * ''The Brass Is Back'' (1991), Concord Jazz * ''Brassy and Sassy'' (1992), Concord Jazz * ''Our 25th Year'' (1993), Concord Jazz * ''Overtime'' (1994), Concord Jazz * ''Don't Get Around Much Anymore'' (1995), Concord Jazz * '' Velvet and Brass'' (1995), Concord Jazz * ''Even Canadians Get the Blues'' (1996), Concord Jazz * ''Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass Play the Jazz Classics'' (1997), Concord Jazz * ''Big Band Christmas'' (1998), Concord Jazz * ''The Concord Jazz Heritage Series'' (1998, compilation), Concord Jazz * ''Two Originals (Brass My Soul & Tribute)''(1998, compilation), MPS Records * ''...One More Time! Live At The Old Mill Inn'' (2008), JAZZ.FM91 The Rob McConnell Tentet * ''Rob McConnell Tentet'' (2000), Justin Time Records * ''Thank You, Ted'' (2002), Justin Time Records * ''Music of the Twenties'' (2003), Justin Time Records * ''Justin Time For Christmas Four'' (2004), Justin Time Records Other * ''A Canadian Christmas - Noël Canadien'' (1980, with Bob Hamper), CBC Radio Canada * ''Trombone Rob'' (1982), Canadian Talent Library * ''Mutual Street'' (1984, with Ed Bickert), Innovation Records * ''Old Friends, New Music'' (1985, with Rick Wilkins, Guido Basso, Ed Bickert, Steve Wallace and Terry Clarke), Unisson Records * ''The Boss of the Boss Brass'' (1988, orchestra with strings and woodwinds), Duke Street Records * ''Live At The 1990 Concord Jazz Festival, First Set'' (1991, with Ed Bickert,

Alan Dawson Alan Dawson (July 14, 1929 – February 23, 1996) was an American jazz drummer and percussion teacher based in Boston. Biography Dawson was born in Marietta, Pennsylvania and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Serving in the U.S. Army durin ...

Harry Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard back ...

, Al Grey,

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds tri ...

Benny Powell Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr. (March 1, 1930 – June 26, 2010) was an American jazz trombonist. He played both standard (tenor) trombone and bass trombone. Biography Born Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, he first played pr ...

and Neil Swainson), Concord Jazz * ''The Rob McConnell Jive 5'' (1990, with Ed Bickert, Jerry Fuller, Neil Swainson and Rick Wilkins), Concord Jazz * '' Manny Albam, Rob McConnell And The SDR Big Band Featuring Herb Geller'' (1993), Intercord * ''Trio Sketches'' (1994, with Ed Bickert and Neil Swainson), Concord Jazz * ''Three for the Road'' (1997, with Ed Bickert and Don Thompson), Concord Jazz * ''Riffs I Have Known'' (2000), Recall/Snapper Music * ''Live with the Boss'' - Rob McConnell & Big Band Brass (2001),

Black & Blue Records Black & Blue Records was a record company and label founded in France in 1968 that specialized in blues and jazz. Black & Blue reissued music from small American labels before producing original releases. Some of these releases were by black mu ...

* '' So Very Rob, Boss Brass Revisited'' (2003, with The SWR Big Band, recorded in Germany), Hanssler Guest and backing appearances, arrangements, compilation inclusions * ''Cool and Hot Sax'' - Moe Koffman Septette (1957),

Jubilee Records Jubilee Records was an American independent record label, specializing in rhythm and blues and novelty records. It was founded in New York City in 1946 by Herb Abramson. His partner was Jerry Blaine. Blaine bought Abramson's half of the company ...

* ''Color Him Wild'' -

(1964), Mainstream Records * ''Love Talk'' - Guido Basso (1971), Kanata Records, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation * ''Songs for the New Industrial State'' - Doug Randle (2009), Kanata Records, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation * ''Jazz Canadiana: All Star Jazz In Concert'' (1973, compilation), CBC Radio Canada * ''My Heart Belongs To Me'' - Rick Wilkins Orchestra (1977), Phonodisc * ''And All That Latin Jazz!'' - Guido Basso (1978), Canadian Talent Library * ''Back Again'' -

The Hi-Lo's The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is a reference to both their extreme vocal and physical ranges (Bob Strasen and Bob Morse were tall; Gene Puerling ...

(1979), MPS Records * ''Out of the Shadows'' - Chris Vadala (1979), Art of Life Records * ''Swing Fever'' - All Star Swing Band (1982), CBS Direct * ''Play The Compositions And Arrangements Of Bill Holman'' - Vic Lewis West Coast All Stars (1989), Mole Jazz * ''Let's Eat Home'' - Dave Frishberg (1990), Concord Jazz * ''Plays Bill Holman'' - Vic Lewis West Coast All Stars (1993), Candid Records * ''From Lush To Lively'' - Oliver Jones, Justin Time Records * ''Lookin' Good'' - Dave Frishberg (2001), Concord Jazz * ''Justin Time Records 20th Anniversary Compilation'' (2003), Justin Time Records * ''Jazz Moods: Sounds Of Autumn'' (2004, compilation), Concord Special Products * ''Jazz Moods: Jazz At The North Pole'' (2004, compilation), Concord Special Products * ''Instant Party'' - Mel Tormé (2004, compilation), Concord Jazz * ''I'm New Here'' - MHCC Jazz Band (2004), Sea Breeze * ''From the Top - Music! Its Role and Importance In Our Lives'' (2005), Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Education * ''Jazz After Dark II'' (2005), Playboy Jazz * ''Swingchronicity'' -

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

Jazz Ensemble (2007), Jazzed Media * ''Just Friends'' - The Texas Christian University Jazz Ensemble (2009), Sea Breeze Vista Records * ''The Complete Quebec Jam Session July 28, 1955'' - Clifford Brown (2009), Rare Live Recordings * ''The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings'' - Paul Desmond Quartet (2020), Mosaic Records

Awards and nominations

Juno Awards * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass ''The Jazz Album'',

Juno Awards of 1977 The Juno Awards of 1977, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 16 March 1977 in Toronto at a ceremony hosted by David Steinberg at the Fairmont Royal York, Royal York Hotel. The ceremonies were bro ...

* Winner, Best Jazz Album, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, ''Big Band Jazz'', Juno Awards of 1978 * Winner, Recording Engineer of the Year - David Green, ''Big Band Jazz'', Juno Awards of 1978 * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, ''Again!'', Juno Awards of 1980 * Winner, Best Jazz Album, ''Present Perfect'', Juno Awards of 1981 * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, ''Live In Digital'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1982 * Winner, Best Jazz Album, ''All In Good Time'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1984 * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, ''Atras De Porta'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1986 * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, ''Old Friends, New Music'', The Rob McConnell Sextet, Juno Awards of 1986 * Nominee, Recording Engineer of the Year - Phil Sheridan, "Ellington", ''Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass'', Juno Awards of 1987 * Winner, Best Jazz Album, ''The Brass Is Back'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1992 * Nominee, Best Jazz Album, ''Brassy and Sassy'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1993 * Nominee, Best Mainstream Jazz Album, ''Our 25th Year'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1994 * Nominee, Best Mainstream Jazz Album, ''Overtime'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1995 * Nominee, Best Mainstream Jazz Album, ''Even Canadians Get the Blues'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Juno Awards of 1997 * Winner, Best Traditional Jazz Album, ''Rob McConnell Tentet'', Rob McConnell Tentet, Juno Awards of 2001 * Nominee, Traditional Jazz Album of the Year, ''Thank You, Ted'', Rob McConnell Tentet,

Juno Awards of 2003 The Juno Awards of 2003 were presented in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on 6 April 2003. The primary awards ceremony was hosted that evening by Shania Twain at the Corel Centre (now Canadian Tire Centre) and televised on CTV. The 2003 Juno Awards wer ...

Grammy Awards * Nominee, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, ''Big Band Jazz'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, 1979 * Nominee, Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), "Tangerine", ''The Singers Unlimited with Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass'', 1980 * Nominee, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, ''Present Perfect'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1981 * Nominee, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, "Tribute", ''Tribute'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1982 * Nominee, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, ''Live In Digital'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1983 * Winner, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, ''All In Good Time'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 26th Annual Grammy Awards, 1984 * Nominee, Best Arrangement On An Instrumental, "I Got Rhythm", ''All In Good Time'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1984 * Nominee, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance, ''The Brass Is Back'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1992 * Winner, Best Arrangement on an Instrumental, "Strike Up The Band", ''Brassy And Sassy'', Rob McConnell,

35th Annual Grammy Awards The 35th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1993 and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The nominations were announced on January 7, 1993. The evening's host was the American stand-up comedian Garry Shan ...

, 1993 * Nominee, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance, ''Brassy And Sassy'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1993 * Nominee, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance, ''Our 25th Year'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1994 * Winner, Best Instrumental Arrangement With Accompanying Vocal(s), "I Get A Kick Out Of You", '' Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass'', Rob McConnell, 38th Annual Grammy Awards, 1996 * Nominee, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance, ''Even Canadians Get The Blues'', Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, 1997 * Nominee, Best Instrumental Arrangement, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", ''Big Band Christmas'', Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Rob McConnell, 1999 * Nominee, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, ''Rob McConnell Tentet'', Rob McConnell Tentet, 2002 * Nominee, Best Instrumental Arrangement, "Autumn In New York", ''So Very Rob, Boss Brass Revisited'', Rob McConnell And The SWR Big Band, Rob McConnell, 2004 Canadian National Jazz Awards * Arranger of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2002 * Trombonist of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2002 * Arranger of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2003 * Trombonist of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2003 * Acoustic Group of the Year, The Rob McConnell Tentet, 2003 * Big Band of the Year, The Rob McConnell Tentet, 2003 * Arranger of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2004 * Trombonist of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2004 * Big Band of the Year, The Rob McConnell Tentet, 2004 * Big Band of the Year, The Rob McConnell Tentet, 2005 * Trombonist of the Year, Rob McConnell, 2006 * Big Band of the Year, The Rob McConnell Tentet, 2006

Honours

* Awarded, Honorary

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Fran ...

, 1986 * Awarded, SOCAN Jazz Award, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, 1992 * Awarded, Prix

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival international de Jazz de Montréal is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival. Every year it features roughly 3,000 ar ...

, 1997 * Inducted, Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Juno Awards of 1997 * Named, Officer of the

, 1998 * Awarded, SOCAN National Achievement Award, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, 1999

References

External links