John Fedchock
Trombonist, composer, arranger John Fedchock emerged onto the national and international jazz scene with Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd in the early 1980s. For several years, after earning degrees at Ohio State University and Eastman School of Music, John wrote arrangements and was musical director of Woody’s big band – solidly establishing himself as a versatile professional. Soon after, the Cleveland-born trombonist settled in New York City. Over the past 25 years, he has continued to actively lead and record with his New York Big Band and small groups, perform with notable jazz artists including T.S. Monk, Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, Louie Bellson's Big Band, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and others, in addition to doing clinics and workshops and serve as a jazz educator on the faculty at several universities.
Back in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, there was a renaissance of big bands. Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Basie and others were performing exciting new arrangements for listening rather than dancing – and most of the players were right out of high school or college. For many aspiring jazz players, playing in these bands was an inspiring goal. The big bands provided an ideal opportunity – a steady gig, often 40 or 50 weeks a year, and the chance to play great music, and develop one’s reading and soloing skills in a performance situation almost daily. If you also happened to be an arranger, there was even more opportunity – that of contributing to the band book by writing new arrangements, getting paid to do so, and developing your writing skills.
All of that was exactly what John experienced during his tenure with Woody Herman. John commented: “Working with Woody Herman’s band was something I had wanted to do since I first heard his band perform at my own high school in 1974. I became a big fan of the band, listening to their recordings, and attending any nearby gigs. By the time I joined the band at age 22, I was already well versed in its history, its repertoire and its unique 'sound,' as well as the rich legacy of great players that went through that band since 1936. Once Woody was aware of my passion for the band, I felt that our relationship became more than that of just leader and sideman. My early playing was inspired by the great trombonists that went through his band over the years, specifically Urbie Green and Carl Fontana.”
John continued by addressing the supportive environment for creativity in Woody’s band. “Because Woody was comfortable with my ‘voice,’ there were no problems when I wanted to stretch things melodically or harmonically. I never felt like I was boxed into an overly stylized way of playing, so I was able to grow and evolve as a player over the seven years I spent with the band.”
Woody Herman’s Thundering Herds established a long history of performing music for dancing and in later years, music for more of a listening or jazz audience. An arranger could potentially find himself constantly at the receiving end of instructions about what to write and what not to write. Between being a long time fan of the band and his active role performing in the trombone section, it came easy for Fedchock.
“When I began writing for Woody, I was once again at an advantage in knowing the band’s history. I knew the sound of the band, and it was present in my charts. I never felt like I had to ‘try’ to get the band’s sound. Woody accepted my writing immediately, and never imposed his infamous editing style on any of my charts. He trusted my opinion and my knowledge of the band and gave me responsibilities like running recording sessions and overseeing mixes. I was also able to stretch my writing concept within the context of the band, bringing in new elements that helped the band evolve during my tenure as chief arranger and musical director. When I first joined the band in 1980, it was still on the heels of experimenting with pop music and fusion. I’m proud to say that, by the time I left the road, the band was back to more of a straight-ahead jazz focus with a modern tinge, bringing Woody full circle with two Grammy-nominated recordings that brought the band quite a bit of notoriety before the end of his life in 1987. I feel that my own big band has continued that tradition.”
In time, after settling in New York, John expressed his continuing passion for big bands, and the tradition of Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, by organizing his own New York Big Band. “The logistical and financial aspects are certainly trying, and many times seem completely daunting, but the tough moments have always been balanced out by the good ones. My writing and playing have both evolved over the course of the band’s four CDs, and receiving a 2003 Grammy nomination for arranging has confirmed to me that the work I’ve put into the JFNYBB hasn’t gone unnoticed. I think the key to my success in the genre has been that I’ve never intended the band to be a project based upon financial goals, only artistic ones. I never pursued a commercial writing career. I think if I had been writing music for dog food commercials or sports TV, some of those commonplace, commercial sounds would have crept into my music and taken away from the individual sound I have always wanted to create. The band has given me an opportunity to express a variety of musical views.”
Working in Gerry Mulligan’s band had an entirely different vibe that Woody’s band.
“There was always an element of excitement in Woody’s bands, and he wanted that present in every chart. This was indicated mostly in his body language, and as long as the band responded appropriately, regardless of how, Woody was content. Gerry Mulligan was extremely fastidious about how he wanted his music interpreted, and would give explicit instructions to the smallest nuance. When on tour, he would regularly schedule talk-throughs when a rehearsal space was not available, giving us specific details he wanted fine-tuned or notes regarding the previous day’s performance. Because of his detailed approach, the band did in fact have a unique sound that was strongly based in nuance and phrasing subtleties. I learned a lot about how to shape a chart from my time with Gerry. He wanted the band to reflect the sound exactly as he had envisioned it in his head. He did not want any outside input, and when we performed at major jazz festivals, [he] would try to discourage us from hearing other performing groups. He didn’t want any outside influences to affect his players, possibly changing their performance approach in a way that was incongruous to his stylistic concept.”
When I asked John about how these experiences impacted his own leadership style, he revealed a very open-minded approach. “I think that my style of leadership is an amalgam of the styles of all three men. I give my players freedom to interpret things their own way, and many times it exceeds the vision I had in my head. I give the soloists absolutely no indication as to how to interpret my music when improvising and over time have adjusted my writing to showcase their special qualities. Gerry Mulligan’s influence comes in my attention to detail. I’m very meticulous about what I am looking for when I write, and every voicing, melody and rhythm is seriously scrutinized before the music is even put before my players. Then I let them interpret things as they see fit."
One of the fringe benefits of investing many hours each day for years in the practice room - meticulously practicing to perfect musical subtleties, and to develop one’s skills - is that it helps build self-discipline. When you’re on the road all the time, as John was with Woody’s band, there can be the temptation to become unfocused. John maintained clarity and his goals. “That band was on a bus most of the day, so I had to adopt a very efficient way of practicing my instrument, and an organized approach to music and life, which has served me well to this day. As I went along, I continued to readjust my long-term goals, and in doing so, set new short-term goals. There were things I wanted to pursue in my playing, my writing and my career, and I was always aware of where I stood in relation to those ultimate goals. I’ve never lost sight of that and continue to pursue a developmental process in all aspects of my career. In a life of music, it’s what has helped to keep me driven, positive, focused and grounded.”
If you’ll be aboard The Jazz Cruise 2012 this January, you’ll have the opportunity to hear John's writing and performing skills in 3-D as he leads a fabulous big band.
Eric Nemeyer is one of the true authorities on jazz in the country. He founded Jazz Improv Magazine (1997), Jazz Improv NY Magazine (2005), Jazz Inside Magazine and Jazz Inside NY (print, digital) to help industry participants market to the broadest demographic that populates the jazz landscape. Jazz Inside NY Magazine is available as a free download at www.jazzinsidemagazine.com.
Mr. Nemeyer also produced Jazz Improv LIVE! 2007 Convention in NYC, created 80 panels/workshops, booked the artists for all 100 performances, created the marketing materials, advertising and PR copy, managed direct mail campaigns, and participated in sales of sponsorships.
Additional accomplishments include having produced 40 jazz albums including projects for Bailey's Irish Cream, Vandoren and Conn-Selmer, and composing and arranging over 125 published arrangements for jazz ensemble, concert and marching bands.
Eric will be writing a monthly column in Jazz Cruises’ Notes, and we welcome his voice and insights.