All Star Big Band

Pony Boy All-Star Big Band

The Pony Boy All-Star Big Band is a conglomeration of the best professional musicians in the Seattle area. Led by drummer and arranger Greg Williamson, this collection of musicians is truly All-Star. The 17 members have played with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Harry James Orchestra, Count Basie, Natalie Cole, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Diana Krall, Steve Allen, Ernestine Anderson... recently backing up Don Rickles and Joan Rivers. From New York to LA to around the world, the list goes on and on. They have pulled together an amazing library of arrangements dating back to the original swing hits of the 40’s - all the way up to todays large jazz ensemble orchestrations. As well as being an arranger himself, Greg has led many smaller groupings, releasing many CDs on his own label, Pony Boy Records, which serves as the moniker for this large swinging unit.

This band can set the scene for a black tie affair, with smooth swinging sounds and the classic sharp big band look! Add a vocalist for a truly authentic performance. And of course they play the modern big sounds with flair and energy...

The All-Stars: (L-R)
Greg Williamson (drums), Jon Hamar/Larry Holloway (bass), John Hansen/Larry Fuller (piano)
saxes: Travis Ranney, Alexey Nikolaev, Tracy Knoop, Clark Gibson, Travis Ranney, Matso Limtiaco (Mike West, Bill Ramsay)
trombones: Greg Schroeder, Dan Marcus, Gary Shutes, Dave Bentley (bs trb)
trumpets: Jay Thomas, Andy Omdahl, Al Keith, Jake Bergevin (Greg Lyons, Vern Sielert, Ted Bowden)
vocalists: Karen Shivers, Bernie Jacobs, or Jake Bergevin


Pony Boy All-Star Big Band The Pony Boy All-Star Big Band is a conglomeration of the best professional musicians in the Seattle area. Led by drummer and arranger Greg Williamson, this collection of musicians is truly All-Star. The 17 members have played with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Harry James Orchestra, Count Basie, Natalie Cole, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Diana Krall, Steve Allen, Ernestine Anderson... recently backing up Don Rickles and Joan Rivers. From New York to LA to around the world, the list goes on and on. They have pulled together an amazing library of arrangements dating back to the original swing hits of the 40’s - all the way up to todays large jazz ensemble orchestrations. As well as being an arranger himself, Greg has led many smaller groupings, releasing many CDs on his own label, Pony Boy Records, which serves as the moniker for this large swinging unit. This band can set the scene for a black tie affair, with smooth swinging sounds and the classic sharp big band look! Add a vocalist for a truly authentic performance. And of course they play the modern big sounds with flair and energy... The All-Stars: (L-R) Greg Williamson (drums), Jon Hamar/Larry Holloway (bass), John Hansen/Larry Fuller (piano) saxes: Travis Ranney, Alexey Nikolaev, Tracy Knoop, Clark Gibson, Travis Ranney, Matso Limtiaco (Mike West, Bill Ramsay) trombones: Greg Schroeder, Dan Marcus, Gary Shutes, Dave Bentley (bs trb) trumpets: Jay Thomas, Andy Omdahl, Al Keith, Jake Bergevin (Greg Lyons, Vern Sielert, Ted Bowden) vocalists: Karen Shivers, Bernie Jacobs, or Jake Bergevin
	Pony Boy "MINI" Big Band Can't fit 16 guys in a room? Try the seven piece configuration.
MEDIA AND RECOURCES Songlist from the Library of Arrangements: PDF One sheet information: PDF Hi-resolution photo MP3 AUDIO CLIPS: live @ Fred Hutch Auction All of Me April In Paris In the Mood My Lean Baby Soul Bossa Nova I Like the Way You Move (Outkast) Peter Gunn "Charlie May & All Star Big Band Play Gaylord Jones" Rifette mp3 Rifette shout chorus mp3	saxes recording at Kelly's
Pony Boy Orchestra Claude Thornhill's "Real Birth of the Cool" Jim Wilke's "Jazz Northwest" - KPLU FM88.5 Sunday, December 19, 1:00pm Pacific Time listen to online archive at kplu.org Recorded live at the Seattle Art Museum Earshot's Art of Jazz Series Seattle Art Museum Downtown, Amphitheater Thursday, December 9, 2010, 5:30pm In the late 1940's, Big Band leader and pianist Claude Thornhill commissioned young Gil Evens and Gerry Mulligan to write smooth bop influenced charts for his big band. Slightly ahead of it's time, this rare music is the precursor to the more famous Miles Davis/Gil Evans recording, several years later. Most notable is the size of the orchestra - an expanded band with two french horns, and an army of clarinets and bass clarinets. Music almost-lost has been researched, edited and readied for publication by Dr. David Deacon-Joyner, director of Jazz Studies at Pacific Lutheran University, who will be conducting the Pony Boy Orchestra, led by drummer and composer Greg Williamson. Saxophone and Clarinets: Tracy Knoop, Travis Ranney, Jim Cutler, Mike West, Bill Ramsay Trumpets: Jay Thomas, Andy Omdahl, Al Keith Trombones: Gary Shutes, Greg Schroeder French Horns: Tom Varner, Mike Simpson / Tuba: Bill Park Piano: John Hansen / Guitar: Milo Petersen Bass: Nate Parker / Drums: Greg Williamson 2009/10 A-Y-P Large Ensemble Jazz Music for Seattle's 1909 AYP Expo 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival, Seattle City Hall, Snoqualmie Park, KPLU FM Concurrently Consecutive Antiphonal Sonic Sculpture Stationary Traveling Big Band & Dance Musicians wandering through public spaces find their way to each other through "antiphonal"--call and response--musical pieces, and gather to perform well-loved American big band and jazz standards. see the Kent performance on YouTube.com with 4 cameras split-screen! Earshot Jazz Festival Oct 20 - Nov 6, 2005 Jazz Traditions: Conversations & Deconstructions Consolidated Works 8pm - pdf poster a new work of interview samples and 14-piece jazz ensemble
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