When a well-known musician is interviewed, an inevitable question that will arise will be, “Who are your influences?”

I’m not a famous musician of course, but over time, I’ve mentioned the key influences in my musical life right here in this column.

My musical life began after seeing my neighbour Mike Mahoney playing the trumpet at W.T. Laing graduation in the late ‘60s.

I cannot explain it, but I was called to play the trumpet.

From there, Bob Jacks, Andy Botai and the WDSS “trumpet gods” Lonnie Aarssen and Gary Ewing inspired me. When Gary introduced me to the touring Big Bands that frequented Lambton College in my late high school years, I knew what my musical calling was!

In the twilight of their careers, I was fortunate to attend concerts by Count Basie, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, the recently passed Phil Nimmons and the ghost bands of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.

From there, I followed the careers of the Boss Brass, the Spitfire Band here in Canada, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and now I’m hooked on the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

For years, I stayed up late at night just to see if Doc Severinson and the Tonight Show Orchestra would be featured that night. Doc was a hero of mine and that band could swing like none other.

The big band format got its start in the mid-1930s but only lasted roughly 10 years.

Bands in the 1920s through roughly 1935 were smaller groups such as Louis Armstrong and his Hot 5, or later Hot 7 and played New Orleans style jazz.

Music trends are tough to follow as they evolve over time but by the mid-thirties, the bands had expanded considerably as the swing era........

© Sarnia Observer