Pete Myers: Article 2
Pete Myers: Article 3

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.

 

Joe Newman: Interview 1

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