The Las Vegas Boneheads - Attack Of The Wind Driven Pitch Approximators (2017)

Curt Miller - Trombone - Leader; Matt Johnson - Trombone; Nathan Tanouye - Trombone; Nate Kimball - Trombone; Sonny Hernandez - Bass Trombone; Ralph Pressler - Bass Trombone; Andrew Boostrom - Trombone (on "Attack of the WDPA"); Uli Geissendoerfer - Piano; Steve Flora - Bass; Larry Aberman - Drums.

The Boneheads—originally founded by Abe Nole in the early 1960’s—had six trombones and three rhythm players (piano, bass, and drums). The founding members were professional trombone players in the Las Vegas showrooms and consisted of Abe Nole, Charlie Loper, Archie LeCoque, Tommy Hodges, Pat Thompson and Bill Smiley. They rehearsed on the second floor of the old Silver Slipper on The Las Vegas Strip and occasionally at Abe’s home.

By the early 1970's (Generation 2) the group typically rehearsed backstage at the Frontier Hotel, or the at the Village Pub, and had changed personnel. At that time the tenor trombones were Bill Booth, Jim Huntzinger, Ed Morgan and the legendary Carl Fontana. The bass trombones were Bill Rogers and Ralph Pressler. The musicians would work two shows per night, six or seven nights a week, and then get together after hours for their own enjoyment. They would perform with every star on the strip, from Sinatra’s Rat Pack to Elvis and numerous production shows.

Other trombone players that were members of the group during the late 70’s and early 80’s (Generation 3) were Curt Miller, Dick McGee, Bob Scann, Ron Sprouse, Jimmy Trimble, Marty Harrell, Dick “Stretch” McQuary, Dwight Davis and “Hoot” Peterson. “Stretch” arranged a number of Bobby Brookmeyer compositions in the early 1970’s that eventually became the foundation of the “new” Boneheads’ book.

The group and the book disappeared sometime in the mid 1980’s and was not heard from again until 2011 when Curt Miller decided to reconstruct the nearly fifty-year-old ensemble. Such notable composers/arrangers as Gary Anderson, Jim Belk , Steve Flora, Nate Kimball, Curt Miller, and Barry Ross have contributed new charts to the book and updated the concept of the group.

The group has become known as the “ultimate trombone band” – the players always jump at the chance to play with the group. Curt Miller is the leader and coordinator of the group, and the players that routinely play with the group are Matt Johnson, Nate Kimball, Nathan Tanouye, Sonny Hernandez, Ralph Pressler, and Andrew Boostrom. The rhythm section is comprised of Uli Geissendoerfer on piano, Steve Flora on bass and Larry Aberman on drums.. With the exception of a few live recordings, the group had never formally recorded anything, so we decided to take on the first CD project - 55 years after the inception of the group! I am humbled to be the current curator of a group so rich in history!
Curt Miller