Bandstand Stories

It was in the 1960's that I was working in Las Vegas and on arrival was advised that Duke was at the Desert Inn. After our show, we rushed to the Desert Inn and got there during an intermission. While we were waiting we were told that two of the band's trumpet players had been "busted" that afternoon (one of them was Willie Cook).

So who could Duke have found in Vegas to replace them? Turns out, Duke didn't even try. The band came back to the stand - there they were - Hodges, Carney, Gonsalves, Hardwicke .. all of them except ............ no trumpets at all. Not one of the two remaining trumpet players had showed up for the set. I wasn't sure I wanted to hang around for this. I was so wrong.

Ellington walked on stage to tumultuous applause, smiled and began to play. If he had noticed the four empty chairs in the top row, he gave no sign whatsoever. And you know something, the missing trumpet players didn't make a difference. I'll never forget it - I was absolutely floored, and I've never gotten over it. All of the music - solos, of course, but full-band passages ... all of it, every note - was pure Ellington. Vintage Ellington. Maybe as good as I've heard.

And when the band was charging ahead full-force, you know something? I swear I heard trumpets.

I know Duke heard them. He never looked so happy. Milt Bernhart

This recollection is reprinted here with the permission of Milt Bernhart. Milt studied tuba from the age of ten but took up trombone instead when he was 12. At 16 he belonged briefly to Boyd Raeburn's orchestra in Chicago, then moved to Hollywood in 1943. He was one of Stan Kenton's trombone soloists from 1946 to late 1951 and also played again with Raeburn in 1947 and with Benny Goodman in 1948-9. In the 1950s he recorded West Coast jazz on many occasions with such musicians as Maynard Ferguson (1950-55), Howard Rumsey (1952-3), and Shorty Rogers (1952-4). He was a member of the staff orchestra at Columbia Pictures from 1955 to 1958; later he worked as a freelance in clubs, television, films, and recording studios. Bernhart was in large measure responsible for the rounded tone of Kenton's trombone section; his numerous solos, many of which he played on ballads, are characterized by powerful playing, a full sound and harmonics typical of early bop. His style prefigured those of J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding.

Since this story was first published on this website, we were saddened to learn of the passing of this incredible trombonist. He died, at the age of 77, on Jan 22, 2004.

Return to Story Archive Menu