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Rob McConnell

Rob McConnell (valve trombonist, arranger, composer, big band leader) was born on February 14, 1935 in London, Ontario, and passed away on May 1, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 75

McConnell took up the valve trombone in high school and began his performing career in the early 50’s, performing with saxophonist Don Thompson in Edmonton, Bobby Gimby and fellow Canadian Maynard Ferguson.He also studied arranging and composition with Gordon Delamont. In 1968, Rob formed the Boss Brass, a big band that would become his primary performing and recording unit through the 1970’s and 80’s.

A unique musical voice, cutting wit and meticulous leadership on the bandstand were just a few of McConnell’s trademarks.He was consummate professional, a perfectionist and difficult task master- an arranger of the highest order and one hell of a trombone player. For all of us that knew and worked with Rob, he made our lives richer in the process.

McConnell was an extraordinarily talented arranger, a lyrical trombonist and a bandleader with a reputation for perfection and artistic drive that made The Boss Brass the renowned band it became after it’s debut in the late '60s. A unique musical voice, cutting wit and meticulous leadership on the bandstand were just a few of McConnell’s trademarks.

In 1988, Rob took a teaching position at the Dick Grove School of Music in California , but gave up his position and returned to Canada a year later. In 1997 , McConnell was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 1998 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

“A trombonist, bandleader, composer/arranger, songwriter, and the music educator, he wore many hats and all contributed to his great body of work and his unwavering devotion to the music he loved”, stated Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys.

His sense of storytelling and humour infused his dynamic career, which will be remembered and appreciated for generations to come! “Rob was one of our greatests gifts to music. His stature, talent and importance in Canadian jazz should rank him with Oscar Peterson”, said Ross Porter, President and CEO of Jazz. FM91.

The Boss Brass

“The Best Damn Band In The Land” may have been coined by Rob McConnell himself, for one of the dozens of albums he recorded with his legendary big band, but it wasn’t an undeserved boast. The Boss Brass set a standard and defined the Canadian sound for big band music for decades.

The Rob McConnell Sextet: Old Friends / New Music

Read "Old Friends / New Music" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
July 2, 2023

Rob McConnell was a valve trombonist, arranger, composer and leader of the big band called the Boss Brass, which set a new standard for jazz writing through the use of complex passages and close section harmony, and in 1983 won a Grammy. In this digital-only release by Cornerstone Records, McConnell leads a sextet comprised of Guido Basso on trumpet/flugelhorn, Rick Wilkins on tenor sax, Ed Bickert on guitar, Steve Wallace on bass and Terry Clarke on drums in a session ...

Play This!

Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass: Easy To Love

by Brian Eaton
March 3, 2023

Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass was perhaps one of the most underrated jazz big bands. This world-class band from Toronto, Canada was led by trombonist, composer, and arranger Rob McConnell and featured top-notch players including altoist Moe Koffman, guitarist Ed Bickert, flugelhornist Guido Basso, and Eugene Amaro on tenor. Released back in 1985 on their album Atras Da Porta (Innovation/LiquidJazz), “Easy To Love" (written by Cole Porter and arranged by McConnell) is a shining example of the brilliance and ...

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Album Review

Rob McConnell and the SWR Big Band: So Very Rob

by Jack Bowers
February 1, 2004

Few big bands anywhere have a more far-reaching or well-deserved reputation for excellence than Germany’s SWR Big Band, which began life in the early ’50s as Erwin Lehn and his Southern Radio Dance Orchestra. When Lehn stepped aside in 1991 after forty years at the helm, the Stuttgart-based band didn’t miss a beat, swinging resiliently onward first as the SDR Big Band and later the SWR. It was in 1992, barely a year after Lehn’s departure, that composer/arranger/bandleader/valve trombonist extraordinaire ...

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Album Review

Rob McConnell: Rob McConnell Tentet

Read "Rob McConnell Tentet" reviewed by AAJ Staff

by AAJ Staff
February 1, 2001

After decades of recording on a number of labels, including most recently a long stint with Concord, Rob McConnell is releasing once again another one of his almost-annual CD's. At the start of the millennium, he is recording for the first time on the Canadian label, Justin Time, appropriately enough.Recording Rob McConnell Tentet in Toronto, McConnell still reminds his listeners of the reasons for his groups' distinctiveness: fresh, swinging arrangements that belie the relatively few musicians executing his ...

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Album Review

Rob McConnell: Tentet

by Craig Jolley
February 1, 2001

Rob McConnell has trimmed his 17-piece Boss Brass to a streamlined tentet. Besides the advantage of economics the smaller band lends itself to extended soloing and to a flexible ensemble swing. McConnell's intelligently spaced voicings generally avoid the thin sound that sometimes comes out of cut-down bands. (The missing horns are most noticeable when a section backs a soloist.) Personally I prefer the open sound of the smaller band, notably on a subtly fashioned arrangement such as “Speak Low." A ...

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Album Review

Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass: Big Band Christmas

Read "Big Band Christmas" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
November 1, 1998

Having recorded two recent theme–oriented albums for Concord Jazz ( Play the Jazz Classics, Even Canadians Get the Blues ) Rob McConnell and his valorous Boss Brass confront the definitive musical “theme” in a Big Band Christmas. The carols and other seasonal offerings, all expertly arranged by McConnell, are wonderfully recited by an ensemble that is known and respected as much for its tastefulness as for its power and precision. As Rob says in the liner notes, “My ...

410

Album Review

Rob McConnell: Big Band Christmas

Read "Big Band Christmas" reviewed by Jim Santella

by Jim Santella
November 1, 1998

The clear precise intonation of Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass lends itself to Christmas music. And the swinging, fun-loving arrangements are a natural for any holiday season. Rob McConnell has put them together and the result is one swingin’ good time.Robert Murray Gordon McConnell founded the Boss Brass in 1968 as a working group for his talented arranging skills. Since then he’s released about two dozen albums which feature Toronto’s finest, the leader’s valve trombone melodies, and superb arrangements. ...

Birthday