History of the Airmen of Note

 

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The Gene Egge Band (1972-1974)

Kenny Smukal, Jimmy Lay, Dick Perry, Tim Bowen or Larry Trautman (tp), Dave Steinmeyer (tb), Jerry Johnson (tb-arr) or Harry Stephens or Lee Robertson, Mike Smukal (tb), Dave Boyle or Paul Rawlins (btb), Ernie Hensley, Tim Eyermann (as), John Dodge (ts), Roger Hogan (ts-arr), Dave Napier (bs-arr), Gil Cray (p-arr), Brent McKesson (b), Rick Whitehead (g), Dave Palamar (d), Miki Bellamy (vcl), Mike Crotty (arr)

Capt. Egge came to the Airmen of Note after 26 years in the Air Force music program, starting as a percussionist and working his way up to a commission as a bandleader.  His previous big band experience consisted of leading the dance band at several of his field band assignments. 

Just prior to coming on the Note, he had served as Deputy Director of the Bands Branch in the Pentagon.  Gene had long been an admirer of the Note, and he considered this assignment to have been one of the high points of his career.

Like his predecessor, he felt that his best musical policy would be to keep on doing the things that the Note had been doing so successfully in recent years.  He devoted much of his attention to choosing programs that would both spotlight the band’s capabilities and please the audiences.  This meant playing pop and rock-jazz for high school assemblies, Glenn Miller standards at dances attended by senior military personnel, and a heavy dose of contemporary jazz for the more sophisticated concert audiences.

Airmen of Note vocalist Miki Bellamy

With the exception of the trombone section, the personnel remained fairly stable during Gene’s tour as leader.  One notable addition, however, was Larry Trautman, who was to serve in the trumpet section for the next 16 years.  Gene also added a full-time vocalist for the first time since 1966, Miki Bellamy, a Californian with a contemporary singing style.

Probably Gene’s greatest accomplishment as leader was to encourage the development of arrangers Roger Hogan, Gil Cray, and Mike Crotty - the men who were to be the mainstays of the Note’s arranging staff for some years to come.  Crotty had studied under Phil Wilson at Berklee and brought to the Note a flair for exploring new musical frontiers.  He was also an accomplished performer on a number of instruments and subbed in the Note’s sax and trumpet sections on a number of occasions.  Cray originally came in to play piano, but he eventually became a full-time arranger.  He was particularly effective writing some of the prettier things, such as ballads and vocal backings.

Hogan was a compulsive writer, and when the band was out on the road he always seemed to have a manuscript book in his hands.  The men enjoyed playing his charts because they “seemed to lay just right.”

The band also received some excellent new charts from outside arrangers like Pat Williams, Mike Barone, and Airmen of Note alumni Sammy Nestico and Kim Richmond. 

Shortly after Gene took over the band, the Note embarked on a two-and-a-half week tour of Southeast Asia, where they entertained GIs at bases on Guam, Okinawa, Taiwan and Thailand.  They were scheduled to go into Vietnam also, but this had to be canceled due to restrictions on large gatherings of personnel in the war zone.

 

Captain Egge and the Note entertaining troops in Southeast Asia; Roger Hogan is the sax soloist

Gene Egge and guest artist Sue Raney at a Serenade in Blue recording session in 1972

The Serenade in Blue recording sessions also continued to occupy much of the band’s time, and some of the guest artists that the band backed during this period were Bud Brisbois, Frank Sinatra Jr., Damita Jo, John Gary, Sue Raney, Helen Forrest, Billy Daniels, James Darren, Della Reese, the Four Freshman, Dick Haymes, Rosemary Clooney, Bob Eberly, and Louis Jordan.  A particular thrill was the opportunity to record again with Sarah Vaughan.  The feeling was mutual.  Sarah so enjoyed working with the Note that she went on to perform in concert with the band on several memorable occasions.
Concert tours included the greater Los Angeles area (including a date at Disneyland), the Northeast, the Midwest and Virginia/Tennessee/Arkansas.  Summer park performances became a big item, with the band doing fifteen around the DC area in 1973.  About this time the Note started participating in the winter Guest Artist concert series at Constitution Hall.  This series had been instituted by Col. Gabriel and generally featured the concert band backing well-known performers.  Once or twice a year the Airmen of Note was called on to be the host band. 
In 1973 they did another Music of Black America concert, with Clark Terry, Donald Byrd, Ethel Ennis and a vocal group from Howard University.  It was on this occasion that Gen. “Chappie” James delivered his famous narration on the heritage and responsibilities of freedom, accompanied by music composed by Roger Hogan.

This performance led to the recording of an album of arrangements and original compositions by Roger Hogan entitled Brothers in Blue.  The highlight of this album, which was produced for the Air Force Reserve, was the live recording of the Chappie James Suite.  Also recorded under Gene Egge’s leadership were The Airmen of Note Come Out Swinging and Two Sides of the Airmen of Note, both of which featured a blend of jazz charts and guest artist performances.

Airmen of Note album Brothers in Blue

The Note again served as host band at the Mobile Jazz Festival in 1973 and 1974, and they performed at the Mid-East Instrumental Music Conference in Pittsburgh and the Northern Virginia Stage Band Festival.

Captain Egge retired on October 1 1974, and Sgt. Dave Napier assumed leadership of the Airmen of Note.