Zurich Jazz Orchestra playing Rob McConnell

Rob McConnell (1935 – 2010) was a Canadian valve trombonist, composer, and arranger. McConnell is best known for establishing and leading his Grammy award winning big band The Boss Brass, which he directed from 1967 to 1999.

The big band music of Rob McConnell is solidly anchored in the jazz tradition but offers clever takes on well-known jazz standards which feature challenging (for the players) and exciting (for the audience) ensemble passages and ample space for the soloists of the orchestra. Additional hallmarks of Rob McConnell’s music are the expanded instrumentation that he used (11 brass including two french horns) and the sly sense of humor that permeates all his writing.

On a personal note, I met Rob for the first time in 1989, and we stayed in contact until his death. He was an incredibly warmhearted and funny person, which you can hear in his writing. In my opinion, he was also an under-recognized valve trombone soloist, only being surpassed in expression and virtuosity by Bob Brookmeyer.