The Miami Horns
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The Miami Horns are a horn section best known for touring and/or recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed and recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds, Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, Cissy Houston, Joe Cocker, Dave Edmunds, Darlene Love, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Ricky Martin. As individuals, the various members have worked with the likes of David Bowie, Duran Duran, Power Station, Graham Parker and They Might Be Giants.
The Miami Horns were first put together in 1976 by Steve Van Zandt as part of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Van Zandt is a talented horn arranger, among other things. The connection with the city of Miami is only tenuous. Van Zandt had acquired the nickname Miami, due to his dislike of winter, and consequently the horn section also adopted the name. They have also been referred to as The Jukes' Horns, La Bamba's Mambomen, The U.S. Horns, The J.A.M. Horns, The Tunnel Of Love Horns and The Late Night Horns. In addition players have formed their own bands such as La Bamba & The Hubcaps and The Mark Pender Band.
Throughout their career many players have come and gone, and some have returned. However Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone), Mark Pender (trumpet) and Eddie Manion (saxophone) have provided a core. Other notable players have included Stan Harrison and Jerry Vivino (both tenor sax). Past and present members include Tony Palligrosi, Bob Mucklin, Nelson Bogart, Mike Spengler and Chris Anderson (all trumpet) and Carlo Novi, Joey Stann, Mario Cruz, Bud Matlin, and Frank Elmo (all saxophone). The line-up is very much impromptu and seems to depend on who is available at the time. As a consequence it has varied in size from a duo to a big band.
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[edit] Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen
The original personnel featured Rick Gazda (trumpet), Bob Malach (tenor sax), Deacon Earl Gardener (trumpet), Bill Zazagni (baritone sax) and Louie Parente (trombone). This quintet played on I Don't Want To Go Home, the debut album from Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and toured with Bruce Springsteen in 1976. However this line-up was only short lived and by 1977 only Gazda remained. He was now joined by Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg and Eddie Manion as well as Tony Palligrosi and Carlo Novi. This line-up was featured on Live At The Bottom Line and This Time It's For Real and, minus Rosenberg, toured with Springsteen again in 1977. A highlight in their career, Hearts Of Stone, which featured Stan Harrison for the first time, also stems from this era . The Miami Horns have continued to tour and record with both Southside Johnny and Springsteen ever since.
[edit] Diana Ross, Gary U.S. Bonds and Little Steven
In the early 1980s Southside Johnny temporarily broke up The Asbury Jukes, and the Miami Horns, featuring Mark Pender for the first time, went on tour with Diana Ross. Van Zandt also used them on Dedication, an album he produced for Gary U.S. Bonds, and featured them prominently on his own debut Men Without Women. This was released under the name Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul and they were credited as La Bambo's Mambomen.
[edit] The Tunnel Of Love Express Horns
For his Born In The U.S.A. Tour, Bruce Springsteen had apparently intended to use a horn section but the plans failed to get off the ground. The Miami Horns did however make several guest appearances, most notably at Meadowlands Arena in August 1984; a version of "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" from that night, featuring Rosenberg, Manion, Pender, Spengler, and Harrison, was later featured on Live/1975-85. The subsequent Tunnel Of Love Express tour of 1988 , did however feature a horn section much more prominently. Rosenberg, Manion, Pender, Spengler and Mario Cruz accompanied Springsteen throughout the tour.
[edit] Better Days
Touring with Springsteen again raised the profile of The Miami Horns even further and led to more work, including sessions with Joe Cocker. In 1989 they also toured as part of Dave Edmunds' Rock 'n' Roll Review which also featured Graham Parker, Dion, Kim Wilson and Steve Cropper. In October 1991 they played at the Legends Of Guitar Festival in Seville, performing with such artists as Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Jack Bruce, Robert Cray, Phil Manzanera, Robbie Robertson, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Bo Diddley and again with Edmunds and Cropper. The concert was broadcast live on TVE2 and some of the recordings also appeared on the Manzanera album Million Reasons Why.
In 1991 Rosenberg, Pender, Manion, and Harrison recorded an eponymous album as La Bamba & The Hubcaps. They also recorded Better Days with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. This album, produced by Van Zandt, was effectively a Jukes reunion. It also featured guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and honorary Jukes, Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent. The horns were provided by Rosenberg, Pender, Manion, Gazda, Stann, Elmo and for the first time, Jerry Vivino. Van Zandt also used the horns on All Alone At Christmas, a single he wrote and produced for Darlene Love. It was also used on the Home Alone 2 soundtrack. Manion and Pender also played and arranged horns on the acclaimed Robert Cray album, Shame + A Sin. Manion would become a full-time member of The Robert Cray Band.
[edit] The Max Weinberg 7
In 1993 Max Weinberg became music director for Late Night With Conan O'Brien and when putting together a band, he was quick to recruit Rosenberg, Pender and Vivino. The three continue to play with the The Max Weinberg 7 today and can regularly be seen on TV. When not on TV, this trio has worked regularly as session musicians.
In 2006, when not tied down with Late Night duties, the three appeared and were heavily featured on the Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
- I Don't Want Go Home (1976)
- Live At The Bottom Line (1976)
- This Time It's For Real (1977)
- Hearts Of Stone (1978)
- The Jukes (1979)
- Love Is A Sacrifice (1980)
- Reach Up And Touch The Sky (1981)
- Trash It Up (1983)
- In The Heat (1984)
- At Least We've Got Shoes (1986)
- Better Days (1992)
- Messin' With The Blues (2000)
- Goin' To Jukesville (2002)
- Into the Harbour (2005)
[edit] Bruce Springsteen
- Live 1975-85 (1986)
- Chimes Of Freedom (1988)
- Tracks (1998)
- 18 Tracks (1998)
- The Rising (2002)
- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
- We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
[edit] Gary U.S. Bonds
- Dedication (1981)
- Standing In The Line Of Fire
[edit] Debbie Davies
- Picture This (1993)
- Loose Tonight (1994)
[edit] Phil Manzanera
- Manzanera Collection (1995)
- Million Reasons Why (1997)
[edit] Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- Talkin' About The Blues (1998)
- Xtra Acme USA (1999)
- Emergency Call From Japan (1999)
- Magical Colours (2000)
[edit] Selected Others
- Various artists: The Sounds Of Asbury Park (1980)
- Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul: Men Without Women (1982)
- David Bowie: Tonight (1984)
- Power Station: Power Station (1985)
- J.A.M: We've Got The Love / Save Love, Save Life (1986)
- Joe Cocker: One Night Of Sin (1989)
- La Bamba & The Hubcaps: La Bamba & The Hubcaps (1991)
- Killer Joe: Scene Of The Crime (1991)
- Tyler Collins: Tyler (1992)
- Various artists: Home Alone 2 (1992)(soundtrack)
- Robert Cray: Shame + A Sin (1993)
- Bon Jovi: These Days (1995)
- Cissy Houston: He Leadeth Me (1997)
- New York Voices: The Songs Of Paul Simon (1997)
- Joe Pesci: Vicent Laguardia Gambine (1998)
- Various artists: Where Have All The Flowers Gone (1998)
- Lucky Peterson: Lucky Peterson (1999)
- Various artists: A Very Special Christmas Live (1999)
- Son Seals: Lettin' Go (1999)
- The Max Weinberg 7: The Max Weinberg 7 (2000)
- Ricky Martin: Sound Loaded (2001)
- Various artists: Autofocus (2002)(soundtrack)
- Sherie Rene: Men I've Had (2002)
- Various artists: Camp (2003)(soundtrack)
- Sinner: There Will Be Execution (2003)
- Joe D'Urso & The Stone Caravan: Both Sides Of Life (2003)
- Bradley Cole: In Our Time (2004)
- They Might Be Giants: Spine (2004)
- Sean Costello: Sean Costello (2004)
[edit] External links
- [1] La Bamba & The Hubcaps
- [2] The Mark Pender Band
- [3] Eddie Manion
- [4] Southside Johnny
- [5] Little Steven
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