Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Las Vegas Boneheads: Sixty and Still Cookin'

The Las Vegas Boneheads: Sixty and Still Cookin'

By Jack Bowers
April 29, 2023
View read count

The Las Vegas Boneheads: Sixty and Still Cookin'

There aren't many albums a listener might care to revisit again immediately after an initial spin. This is one of them. The Las Vegas Boneheads, a trombone-and-rhythm nonet formed by Abe Nole in 1962, marked their sixtieth(!) anniversary by recording Sixty and Still Cookin', an album that more than lives up to its name while presenting a master class in how contemporary jazz trombone should be played, individually and collectively.

There's never a dull or wasted moment here, thanks to an impressive inventory of standard and original tunes and superlative blowing by all hands including special guest

Andy Martin

trombone
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Martin who is eloquent and persuasive as always on

Gordon Goodwin

composer / conductor
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Gordon Goodwin's "Home Again," Curt Miller's "The Nervous Nellie" and

Ray Noble

composer / conductor
1903 - 1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Noble's "Cherokee." He's far from alone, however, as Miller and his frontline mates—Nathan Tanouye,

Nate Kimball

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Nate Kimball,

Andrew Boostrom

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Boostrom and

Ilai Macaggi

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Ilai Macaggi—are given ample room to stretch and make the most of every opportunity.

They are supported on most numbers by bass trombonists

Sonny Hernandez

trombone, bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Hernandez and

Ralph Pressler

trombone, bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Ralph Pressler and an exemplary rhythm section comprised of pianist Uli Geissendorfer (also a splendid soloist), bassist

Steve Flora

bass, acoustic
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Flora and drummer

Larry Aberman

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Aberman who are replaced for reasons unknown on the last tune,

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's "Giant Steps," by

Dave Richardson

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Richardson ,

Rochon Westmoreland

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Rochon Westmoreland and

Johnny Friday

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Friday. Besides "Nervous Nellie," Miller—who joined the ensemble in 1978 shortly after graduating from college—wrote the charming, light-hearted "Samba Deez Bones," while

Billy Rogers

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Rogers penned the incendiary opener, "

Al Cohn

saxophone, tenor
1925 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Al Cohn Tune,"

Bill Holman

composer / conductor
- 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Holman the irrepressible "Carl," presumably to honor one of the ensemble's several renowned alumni, the late great

Carl Fontana

trombone
1928 - 2003

" data-original-title="" title="">Carl Fontana.

Rounding out the seductive program are

Lee Morgan

trumpet
1938 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Morgan's gently swaying "Ceora,"

Hoagy Carmichael

piano
1899 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Hoagy Carmichael's enchanting "Skylark" and Jimmy Van Heusen/

Johnny Mercer

composer / conductor
1909 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Mercer's tender-hearted "I Thought About You." The Boneheads are brilliant on every one, leaping to the head of the class thanks for the most part to their high-grade intensity, blowing with the sort of stamina and enhusiasm that belies their newly-earned senior status. As noted, there's never a tedious moment, and the Las Vegas Boneheads are definitely still cookin' even at their advanced age. Let us hope that another sixty years don't pass before we hear more from this well-knit team of masterful musicians.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Al Cohn Tune; Ceora; Samba Deez Bones; Home Again; Carl; Skylark; The Nervous Nellie; I Thought About You; Cherokee; Giant Steps.

Personnel

Curt Miller

trombone

Album information

Title: Sixty and Still Cookin' | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Cellar Music Group

PREVIOUS / NEXT

David Hazeltine: Blues Quarters, Vol...
< Previous

A Tribute To Ryuichi Sakamoto & Emah...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.