Pete Myers
Born in Manchester to a family of musicians, Myers took piano lessons but at 13 switched to trombone. He wrote music from an early age, was a professional at 17, worked in dance halls, played in the Army band after he was drafted, and attended the Royal College of Music. After graduating, he became a studio trombonist and arranger writing for the TV show Sunday Night at The London Palladium.
He relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he worked initially as a trombonist, but soon had so much work as an arranger that he phased out the trombone. He has written for television and films, has been musical director for Della Reese’s TV show, worked with Quincy Jones on The Wiz, written symphonic works and many miscellaneous assignments.
After stepping down from full-time arranging, he formed the Peter Myers Orchestra, dedicated to preserving American music and performing his arrangements of works by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver, Michael Jackson, Henry Mancini, Mike Stoller, Cedar Walton, Bill Monroe and Thelonius Monk.
Biography by Nick Clarke
A Peter Matz memorial concert
Pete Myers writes about the Peter Matz Memorial Concert at UCLA, Los Angeles, in November 2002.
Pete Myers: Article 3
Image Details
| Interview date | 1st January 2002 |
|---|---|
| Interview source | Jazz Professional |
| Image source credit | |
| Image source URL | |
| Reference number | |
| Forename | Pete |
| Surname | Myers |
| Quantity | 3 |
Interview Transcription
Los Angeles, Monday, 25th November, 2002
Today I attended the Peter Matz Memorial Concert at UCLA.
The artists, orchestra and sound system were all first-class.
Having worked with Pete for a number of years during the seventies, I did enjoy hearing his music played by a wonderful concert orchestra, assembled by his contractor, Joe Soldo. Although it may be a thing of the past, this type of vintage New York show music does have a timelessness to it. The orchestra that performed that evening could not have been outplayed anywhere at any time. It was a thrill to be in the audience.
The personnel was:
Saxophones: Gary Foster, Greg Huckins, Vince Trombetta, Gene Cipriano, Lee Callet
Trumpets: Warren Leuning, Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron, Larry Mcguire
Trombones: Chauncey Welsh, Bill Elton, Bob McChesney, George Roberts
French Horns: Brian O'Connor, Marty Rhees
Piano: Tom Ranier
Bass: Chuck Berghofer
Drums: Steve Houghton
Percussion: Bob Leatherbarrow
Guitar: Jim Fox
Violins: Assa Drori, Olivia Tsui, Liane Mautner, David Stenske, North Wood, Irina Voloshina, Jennifer Walton, Kirstin Fife, Ron Folsom, Hana Krejcova, Karen Jones
Violas: Ray Tischer, Harry Shirinian, Renita Koven
Celli; Armen Ksajikian, Stephanie Fife, John Krovoza
Harp: Julie Berghofer (from Manchester)
The Artists in order of appearance: Joel Grey, Melissa Manchester, Burt Bacharach, Elaine Stritch, Michael Jeeter, Maureen McGovern, Gary Foster, Sam Harris, Jason Alexander, David Hyde Peirce, Barbara Cook, Carol Burnett and Pete's widow, Marilynn Lovell Matz.
Barbra Streisand did not appear.
Pete Myers
