Bill's resume is a long and impressive read.
He was born to a musical family in Wichita, Kansas, in 1935. He was a
musical prodigy ... he started playing at the the age of 4 1/2, played in
and won early talent shows, and was part of a high school trumpet trio that
performed on the popular Horace Heidt show.
Bill began playing in local bands when he
was just 14. He later pursued formal musical training at Westlake College of
Music, then in 1958 started his big-time big band career with the Jerry Grey
Orchestra. His band associations over the next 28 years read like a musical
Who's Who: Charlie Barnet, Harry James, Ray Anthony, Les Elgart, Les
Brown ... and were interspersed with runs in major house bands in Reno,
Tahoe, the Century Plaza Hotel and on luxury cruise ships.
Boll also "made the scene" in Hollywood and
played for several movies, including "Bugsy", "The Nutty Professor", "Room
at the Top", and "King of kings" as well as the hit television show
"Moonlighting".
Bill's first wife, Pat, died in 1985, and he
hitched up with Tove in 1986. In 1993 they moved to Fallbrook where Bill is
semi-retired, playing with our band as well as other bands and combos
throughout the area.
Among the many highlights of his career Bill
recalls, during his ling tenure with the Les Brown "Band of Renown", the
band took several overseas trips with Bob Hope, playing for U. S. servicemen
at bases in Cuba, Newfoundland, Greenland, Guam, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and
the Philippines.
Two questions that Bill is often asked: Who
was the best bandleader you played with, and who was the best trumpet player
ever? Bill's favorite band leader was the one he played with for 15 years,
Les Brown. The best trumpet player? Without hesitation, Harry James.
It should be noted that Bill does much more
than just call time-outs for mistakes ... he's equally quick to compliment
the Band or an individual when a song is played or sung well. The BB&JHF is
pleased and fortunate to have Bill Mattison's talent, wisdom and leadership
on our team.
From Perfect
Pitch, Summer 2002
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Mattison, who retired to Fallbrook a few years ago, played trumpet with the James orchestra for six
months back in 1964. It was a gig (job) among many he played with some of
the biggest names in the business.
Born and raised in Wichita, Kan., Mattison was playing his
trumpet on the radio at age four and a half; was in a dance band at age 14;
and was playing lead trumpet in a Marine Corps band before he was 21.
After leaving the Marine Corps in 1956, Mattison ended up at
Westlake College north of Los Angeles where he studied jazz. It was out of
that well-known music program that he started getting top jobs as a
musician.
His first big break came in 1958 when he joined the Jerry
Gray Orchestra. Gray will always be remembered as the key arranger for Glenn
Miller, ("String of Pearls," "Moonlight Serenade," "In the Mood").
"Jerry was one hellava nice guy," Mattison recalled. "A real
gentleman."
After two years with the Gray orchestra, Mattison hooked up
with some other top names from the big band era: Charlie Barnet, Ray
Anthony, Les Elgart, Les Brown, with a host of Latin bands around the L.A.
area in between.
"Charlie Barnet was a great guy and an excellent musician
(soprano saxophone). Ray Anthony was a little guy with a big ego, but a heck
of trumpet player, and you never knew when you were gonna get paid with
Elgart," he recalled.
During those days of the 50s through the early 80s when
Mattison was on the road with the various bands, money was comparably good
for a musician. It ranged from $125 a week (Elgart) to $250 a week with Les
Brown.
"I was with Les (Brown) two different times," Mattison said.
"Three years the first time (1960-63), and then I rejoined him in 1974 and
stayed with him until 1986."
Those years with the Brown orchestra were not only good
paying, but a lot of fun.
"We played all of Bob Hope's television shows, plus we'd go
on his annual holiday trips to the troops overseas," he recalled. "The best
job I ever had was with Les Brown."
So, why'd he quit?
"Being on the road all of the time got to be a drag,"
Mattison admitted. "For me, traveling is probably the biggest negative about
being a musician."
But, once on the bandstand, things change.
"Once we got where we were going, it was magic," Mattison
explained. "A good musician really lives to play."
Today, Mattison keeps busy playing small combo gigs, but his
main focus is the Oceanside-based Big Band & Jazz Hall of Fame Orchestra in
which he plays jazz trumpet and flugel horn. The band is filled with a
number of other musicians, some much older than he, who have their own
portfolio of historical gigs with great bands, but Mattison is looked upon
by his colleagues as sort of the band's unofficial "concert master," the guy
who kicks off the band and sets the tempo.
Mattison is one of those professional musicians who can
definitely say, "Been there, done that. Next."
Contact Tom Morrow via e-mail at: tmorrow@nctimes.com.
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