Jim Anderson and Jim Pugh; Photo Credit: Ulrike Schwarz
A visit with two Jims from Butler, PA - who went to Butler High School and spent their early years deep in the music program - and also making many travels to Pittsburgh as their talents and interests developed.
Now, grammy winning recording engineer Jim Anderson and acclaimed trombonist Jim Pugh have partnered, yet again, with a release called New American Symphonies (out August 14), a new album featuring the first-ever recording of Roy Harris’s long-lost trombone symphony, originally written for Tommy Dorsey in 1938. Only two of the symphony’s movements were recorded - and one of the two movements was long thought to be lost.
We visit with BOTH Jims at the same time (which gets a bit confusing for me, but the stories are great!), and hear how, after leaving Butler High School, they kept running into each other on concert stages and recording studios, especially in New York City.
Jim Pugh tells the detective story of finding the Roy Harris music after a tip from a Leonard Bernstein biography.
Jim Pugh has been heard with the Woody Herman band, with Steely Dan, Yo-Yo Ma and Paul Simon to Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatraa - more than 4,000 recording sessions in all.
The Roy Harris Trombone Symphony was recorded about thirty years ago (by Jim Anderson) and his paired with a new work by composer Scott Ninmer - Nightsuite (ALSO recorded by Jim Anderson) with a who’s who of the music community - including Dave Tofani, Ted Nash, Bill Charlap, Jay Leonhart, David Finck and also conductor Marin Alsop.
The liner notes are the recently departed composer, conductor, and Peabody Award-winning classical music radio host, Bill McGlaughlin.
Also, a new release from bassist Tony Grey featuring Bob James, and the latest reveal for the roster for the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival - Samara Joy!
The Scene - Thursday night at 6, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday at 5 on WZUM
