Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Bob McChesney

"This supremely gifted and, indeed, gentle musician is as technically proficient and musically inventive as anyone on the scene." - Richard Hague (All About Jazz.com)

Bob McChesney was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and began playing the trombone in the fourth grade as part of his public school music program. He has since evolved into a world-renowned trombone soloist and an authority on trombone pedagogy. Bob McChesney's trademark as a trombonist is the beauty of his sound, a lightening-fast technique, and his emotional connection to the music. With complete mastery of the instrument and extensive knowledge of jazz harmony, McChesney has distinguished himself as one of the pre-eminent soloists in the world, not only in the realm of jazz and improvisation, but as an interpreter of the most difficult and highly technical Classical repertoire, as well.


Primarily self-taught, at a young age, Bob discovered a unique way of articulating on the slide trombone, called "doodle tonguing". He has since authored what is considered to be the definitive treatise on the subject, called, "Doodle Studies and Etudes". The method book has been critically acclaimed and endorsed by trombonists and music educators all over the world.

A resident of Los Angeles, Bob is a fixture in the recording studios, where he has enjoyed a long career with studio orchestras scoring hundreds of films and television shows. He can also be heard on CDs for Barbra Streisand, Shakira, Michael Buble', Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Chicago, Michael Bolton, and the following Grammy-winning CDs: "Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company", Diana Krall's "When I Look in Your Eyes", and most recently, Arturo Sandoval's "Dear Diz", where he was a featured soloist. Legendary composer and conductor Lalo Schifrin exclaimed, "Bob McChesney is a virtuoso and has the gift to bring us the joy of music at the highest level."

A pre-eminent jazz educator and clinician, Bob has been a welcomed guest artist all over the US and Canada. Bob has been featured twice with his Quartet at the International Association of Jazz Educators convention, and The International Trombone Festival, where he has spoken and performed for audiences as large as 5000 in attendance of his demonstrations, workshops and performances.


Bob is thrilled to have worked with legendary composer and entertainer Steve Allen before his death in 2000. McChesney and Allen co-produced what would be the last CD from Allen's prolific songbook, resulting in the highly acclaimed and perennial favorite on Top Ten Jazz CD Lists, "No Laughing Matter - The Bob McChesney Quartet plays Steve Allen".

Friday, March 6, 2015

The Bob McChesney Big Band Album

by Bob McChesney

The Bob McChesney Big Band Album

Keeping with the tradition of this tlmeless musical genre, renowned trombonist Bob McChesney aims to record a ‘magnum opus’ of newly arranged music for big band, with an exciting ensemble of today’s top players and soloists. The Bob McChesney Big Band Album is currently slated for production in Bob’s hometown of Los Angeles featuring a team of L.A.’s best musicians, composers, arrangers, engineers and special guest soloists.

Bob’s reputation as a trombonist speaks for itself, and his body of work as a recording artist, arranger, producer, music educator and author is world-renowned. The Bob McChesney Big Band Album will share the musical tradition of the big band era with the next generation of musicians, students and fans. With his unique playing style, Bob’s dream is to connect the music of the past with present and future students and lovers of big bands and great jazz.


Because they are expensive to create, new big band recordings are becoming increasingly scarce. In the current environment, big band recordings are rarely funded by record companies. Because of the unfortunate scarcity of funding sources, this project needs your financial support. Your provisions will help create what we believe will be a timeless recording and an artistic showpiece of the highest musical quality, possessing the same excellence and musical joy that all projects bearing the name of Bob McChesney possess. We hope you consider contributing to Bob’s vision and thank you in advance for sharing your resources to help make this important musical project a reality. We are deeply grateful to you!

read more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823582920/the-bob-mcchesney-big-band-album

Friday, November 12, 2010

Correspondence, Illustrated: Bob McChesney


Bob McChesney writes: "I put up a little video of me demonstrating the first trombone part to "I Love You" live."