Jazz Articles about Mike Vax

The Mike Vax Big Band Featuring Alumni of the Stan Kenton Orchestra: Sounds from the Road

by Nicholas F. Mondello
April 15, 2009

The traveling autobus--the road to the road--has frequently been used as a symbolic metaphor in movies, books, commercials and, of course, songs of all kinds. Bus travel seems to have an oddly romantic element. In the halcyon days of the barnstorming big bands, bus and car travel were the only direct ways to get to the gigs. Now that this bit of musical Americana is history, it takes awesome nerve for Mike Vax to briefly resurrect the concept of a ...

Mike Vax / Ohlone Wind Ensemble: Vaxuosity

by Nicholas F. Mondello
December 6, 2008

Aficionados of the 1960s TV series The Twilight Zone will remember an episode wherein a harried business exec regularly dream “visited" a tranquil, turn-of-the century nirvana called “Willoughby." There, before technology reigned supreme, times were much slower, calmer and the town's concert band gave weekly Sunday afternoon concerts to adoring audiences. While no ephemeral “Willoughby," Vaxuosity represents a dream-come-true project of long-time lead and jazz trumpet star, Mike Vax. Here Vax, accompanied admirably by the Ohlone Wind ...

The Mike Vax Big Band: Next Stop: Live... On the Road

by Jack Bowers
May 18, 2005

The Mike Vax Big Band Next Stop: Live... On the Road Summit Records 2005

Word is that the days when lesser-known big bands boarded buses and traveled from town to town in a series of grueling one-night stands are gone forever. Happily for those who appreciate live big-band Jazz, that word apparently hasn't reached the ears of trumpeter Mike Vax who keeps emptying the cookie jar and piggy bank, cashing in his ...

Mike Vax Big Band: Live... On The Road

by Jim Santella
April 4, 2003

Featuring alumni of the Stan Kenton Orchestra and original music in the Kenton style, Mike Vax’s big band recorded Live... On The Road while on tour through Pennsylvania two years ago. A significant number of exciting soloists and fresh musical arrangements make the show quite successful.

What defines the Kenton sound?

These arrangements, created by veterans such as Bill Holman, Kim Richmond, Steve Huffsteter, Joel Kaye and Johnny Richards, feature lush harmony, danceable rhythms with ...

The Mike Vax Big Band: Live... On the Road

by Jack Bowers
April 3, 2003

For anyone who missed the “big band era” and is wondering what all the fuss was about, the Mike Vax Big Band’s Live . . . On the Road should be required listening. In a more enlightened world it would be the music of choice for many others as well, but we’ll let that pass. Suffice to say that those who appreciate sharp and swinging big bands will surely dig this album, recorded during the ensemble’s East Coast tour nearly ...

Mike Vax Big Band: I Remember You

by William Grim
November 25, 2002

Subtitled "A Musical Tribute to Stan Kenton, Johnny Richards and Dick Shearer," this album features alumni of the Stan Kenton Orchestra from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in some of the finest big band performances recorded anywhere. Although Kenton's will forbade "ghost bands" (like those that endlessly repeat the music of Glenn Miller), trumpeter Mike Vax has been able to put together what has now become an annual tour of Kenton alumni (and newcomers) to perform the music of the ...

The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra: BigBandJazz.Net

by Jim Santella
July 1, 2002

Big band jazz has always been easy for the listener to bond with. It’s a familiar format. Some part of our backgrounds usually tugs at the thought of a solid team working together like that. These are artists who’ve trained together and who have continued, over the years, to maintain a forum where inexperienced jazz performers can get needed practice. The music of Stan Kenton and Count Basie is merged with that of Lennie Niehaus and other contemporary leaders. For ...