N.Z Musician’s Success In U.S. Dance Bands

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29082, 19 December 1959, Page 14

N.Z Musician’s Success In U.S. Dance Bands

Dressed for comfort in a red sports shirt buttoned to the neck and a dark raincoat, and clutching his trombone in a soft leather case, Mr Patrick y‘Paddy”) Thompsort, a former Christchurch musician, set foot on South Island soil yesterday morning for the first time in eight years and said: “I’ve got a cold —North Island variety.”

Mr Thompson, a quiet, unpretentious man more willing to discuss other musicians he has played with in America than his own career, went to Canada eight years ago to study the trombone, and ended up playing it in several of America’s top dance bands.

His last job was playing the lead trombone in Buddy Morrow’s band.

With his attractive Canadian wife, Mel, he is in Christchurch for a brief holiday. On hand to greet him at Lyttelton yesterday morning were relatives, friends and a few Christchurch musicians who staged an impromptu “jam session” on “When the Saints Go Marching In” as the Hinemoa slid up to the wharf. Short, stocky and sporting black suede shoes and a decidedly transatlantic accent, Mr

Thompson looks more like a. successful dentist than a jazz musician.

It is just eight years since he left New Zealand for Toronto, to “hear American bands and study the trombone.” As soon as he could he went from Toronto to Philadelphia. His first job in America was playing in a small “road” band, touring the country and playing every night. “Work in a dance band in the United States is hard, travelling a lot of the time and playing for long hours,” he said. “There are no small dance sets—you begin playing at nine and go till perhaps 1 aim., with only a couple of short breaks.” Good musicians had no trouble finding work in America, he said. “My playing was pretty terrible when I left here—l know, because some friends sent me a tape made in Auckland shortly before I left. Honestly, it embarrassed me.” Working musicians practised up to five or six hours a day, he said. Mr Thompson has filled trombone chairs in the bands of Ralph Flanagan, Tex Benecke, Billy Butterfield. Ray Eberle and the Commanders—six of the top dance bands in America. With the Benecke band he accompanied Jimmy Durante. “He is the same in person as you see him in the movies,” he said. “Jimmy is a naturally funny comedian.” His job has also included recording with Billy May, the Ray Charles singers, and innumerable vocal groups. "We even did a rock ‘n* roll tour with Danny and the Juniors and the Pony Tails,” he said with a grin. “Hard Work” “Recording is hard work for musicians,” he said. “To get one album with the Buddy Morrow band—l2 numbers—means three sessions of three hours. We generally need four or five takes of each tune. “With Buddy we recorded for RCA with Rosemary Clooney, but my biggest thrill ever was when I sat in at a rehearsal with the Count Basie band one afternoon,” he said. “I went along to this rehearsal, and a trombonist was missing. I couldn’t have done too badly, because they let me play all afternoon.” Mr Thompson is home on a vacation—“more or less”—for six weeks. He has his trombone with him—“got to practise”— and hopes to “play with the fellows here.” When he returns to America his job with Morrow will still be available, but he hopes to fill a vacancy in the Stan Kenton band in February or March. The Kenton band is a leading jazz group, and has been a proving ground for many famous jazz players.