‘King of the Honkers’ Still Going Strong

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Big Jay McNeely made some of the biggest waves on the 1940s R&B scene with his screaming tenor sax and still reigns supreme

His mighty tenor sax squawking and bleating with wild abandon, Cecil “Big Jay” McNeely blew up a torrid R&B tornado from every conceivable position — on his knees, on his back, being wheeled down the street on an auto mechanic’s “creeper” like a modern-day pied piper. As one of the titans who made tenor sax the solo instrument of choice during rock’s primordial era in the late 1940s, McNeely could peel the paper right off the walls with his sheets of squealing, honking horn riffs.

Big Jay had been retired from full-time music for 20 years, but in 1983 he returned to performing and hasn’t looked back. He is still tearing it up at venues around the world and knows how to delight and entertain an audience of any size, from small clubs to stadium crowds. He speaks here with Linda A. Rapka about his incredible musical career.

You became known as “the king of the honkers” as much for your skill on your instrument as for your flamboyant stage presence.
“I first started playing in Clarksville, Tennessee, a small little country town down south. People didn’t respond to our music. After intermission I was trying to figure out what I could do, so I got on my knees and laid on the floor. The crowd went wild. After that I said lemme try this again. I laid down anywhere I could get the suit clean the next day. When I got to L.A. a couple sax players started copying my act.” Continue reading →

Television Music Comes Alive at Score! Concert

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Courtesy of the Television Academy

Today’s hottest TV music came to life at Royce Hall May 21 with the Score! concert, presented by the Television Academy in its first live showcase of television music as performed by a full  orchestra and choir led by the composers themselves.

The unprecedented musical event boasted an orchestra of more than 70 of Los Angeles’s top musicians, contracted by David Low and featuring many of the same musicians who originally recorded the scores. Sharing the stage was the 40-voice LA Chorus directed by Steve Lively, and conducting the performances of today’s iconic television themes were the very composers who wrote them.

See the full story at listen-la.com

Mayor Garcetti Endorses Listen Up!

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — recently named Honorary Member of Local 47 — shows his support of  Listen Up! pictured above with rank-and-file Listen Up! campaign members Elizabeth Hedman, Marc Sazer, Phil Ayling, Doug Tornquist, Rafael Rishik, and Neil Samples. Photo by Kori Chappell

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — recently named Honorary Member of Local 47 — shows his support of  Listen Up! pictured above with rank-and-file Listen Up! campaign members Elizabeth Hedman, Marc Sazer, Phil Ayling, Doug Tornquist, Rafael Rishik, and Neil Samples. Photo by Kori Chappell

L.A. city leader joins with AFM in calling on film production companies to end practice of offshoring film scoring jobs; AFM Local 47 reaffirms support of campaign

by Linda A. Rapka

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced in June his support for the American Federation of Musicians’ Listen Up! campaign, which calls upon film production companies that benefit from taxpayer-funded film credits to score their films in the United States.

“I’m fighting for good paying middle-class jobs across California, and our work to pass legislation — which will boost production and music scoring — must be with that goal in mind,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. Continue reading →

AFM Local 47 Says ‘Listen Up!’

Listen Up Logo

The Executive Board of AFM Local 47 passed a resolution June 24, 2014 reaffirming its support and commitment to the AFM’s Listen Up! campaign.

In a unanimous vote it resolved to communicate this support and participation to its members urging that they also endorse this campaign.

For more information about Listen Up! and to get involved, visit listenupnow.org.

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“Listen Up! is our flagship campaign, and we invite all Local 47 musicians to join, to participate, to get informed and to make a difference.” — Vince Trombetta, President

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“Let’s bring together fellow musicians, labor and community and say no more to outsourcing, no more to exploitation of musicians, and yes to Listen Up! and AFM musicians!” — John Acosta, Vice President

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“The Listen Up! campaign is all about creating employment for musicians by building our strength and developing support among organized labor, elected officials and community leaders.” — Gary Lasley, Secretary/Treasurer

In Memoriam: Hagny Farestveit

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It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Hagny Farestveit.

Many of you will remember Hagny as our receptionist and operator here at Local 47. Having started in 1989, for over 20 years she cheerily fielded phone calls and greeted members as they entered the financial offices. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 28, 1pm at Salem Lutheran Church, 1211 N. Brand Blvd., in Glendale. Hagny’s children extend an open invitation for all who wish to attend and pay their respects.

Woo-Hoo! Interview with ‘Simpsons’ composer Alf Clausen

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Clausen reflects on 25 years making music for TV’s favorite dysfunctional cartoon family

When “The Simpsons” first aired in 1989, no one expected it to become the longest-running situation comedy ever on TV — especially not composer Alf Clausen, who almost didn’t take the job. Clausen, who this year celebrates 25 years with the show, was initially more interested in composing for dramas and repeatedly turned down requests from Fox producers and show creator Matt Groening to compose for the show. After much cajoling, he signed on with “The Simpsons,” starting off with “Treehouse of Horror,” the third episode of season two, in 1990. He’s been with the yellow-skinned dysfunctional family ever since, and to date has scored 534 of the 550 episodes, receiving two Emmy awards and 21 additional nominations for his work on the show along the way. Clausen speaks here with Linda A. Rapka about spending the past quarter century with “The Simpsons.”

Your “Simpsons” music was just performed the TV Academy’s Score! concert. What was it like to hear it live?
“I thought it was great, it was so inspirational. I know the crowd really enjoyed it too. The orchestra played it beautifully.”

I love that you chose “Stonecutters Song” from “Homer the Great” – a personal favorite of mine. Whose idea was it to change the lyric from “Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star” to “Kim Kardashian”?
“And ‘Oscar’ to ‘Emmy.’ That was producer Mark Watters’ doing. It was really funny.” Continue reading →