Rob McConnell, Trombone, 1935, London, Ontario, Canada
Rob is noted as a bandleader, composer and arranger as well as a trombonist. During the late '50s and early '60s he played valve trombone and arranged for several bands in the Toronto area. In the mid '60s he worked with Maynard Ferguson in New York but returned to Canada and worked with several prominent bands in Toronto. In 1968 he formed the group Boss Brass. At first the band did not include any reed instruments. A sax section was added in 1971, and eventually the band grew to 22 members. By the late '70s it was presenting a repertoire consisting of jazz standards and charts by McConnell. The band performed occasional performances in the U.S. and acquired an international reputation in the1980s. The band won a Grammy Award in 1984.
Jack Lesberg, Bass, 1920, Boston, MA
During the 1930s Jack played the violin in clubs in Boston, and in 1940 worked with Muggsy Spanier. He moved to New York in 1944 where he played with the New York Symphony Orchestra until1948. Over the next two decades Jack performed with numerous prominent musicians throughout the country. He also toured the world several times and lived for a period in Europe. The first half of the '70s found Lesberg in Australia working as a classical and jazz musician. He returned to the U.S. in 1977 and recorded with a group of his own. At this time he was also part of a group with Ruby Braff and Yank Lawson, called Tribute to Louis Armstrong. During the 1980s he was director of jazz parties in Texas and Minneapolis.
Dwike Mitchell, Trumpet, 1930, Dunedin, FL
