R.I.P Henry Cuesta ~
TEP251Sax
Henry was excellent.I always liked his clarinet sound and the beauty he brought
to a melody. Not to mention-HE SWUNG HIS BACKSIDE OFF.
Read obit from L.A Times below..this guy was really cool.
My hat is off to guys like Henry or Marshall Royal, they really were unique.
Check out Henrys backround etc-very interesting.
WHAT A GREAT CLARINET PLAYER !!!! Tim Price
From this morning's Los Angeles Times:
Henry Cuesta, 71; Clarinetist Played With Lawrence Welk's Orchestra
By Dennis McLellan, Times Staff Writer
Henry Cuesta, a highly regarded clarinetist best known as a featured
musician with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, has died. He was 71.
Cuesta, whose technical mastery of the clarinet was often compared to that
of Benny Goodman, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in Sherman Oaks.
Cuesta performed with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra on television and in
concerts from 1972 to 1982, when Welk's weekly program ended after 27 years
on ABC-TV and in syndication. Welk died at 89 in 1992.
Cuesta later appeared on five Welk tribute specials on public television
that used archival segments of the original shows, including co-hosting "A
Champagne Toast to the Big Bands." He also hosted two of the weekly Welk
show rebroadcasts on PBS, which feature new 10- to 12-minute segments
wrapped around the old programs.
In recent years, Cuesta was one of the most popular of the featured
performers at the Welk Resorts in Branson, Mo., and San Diego, and for the
past few years he toured with "The Live Lawrence Welk Show."
Cuesta originally joined Welk's orchestra on a tip from big band trumpeter
Bobby Hackett that the bandleader was looking for a new clarinetist.
Cuesta was playing in Toronto when Welk called and invited him to appear
with his band in Lake Tahoe.
"I thought I was set," Cuesta told the Riverside Press Enterprise in 1992,
"but after the performance he asked the audience, 'How do you like this
man?' They applauded and he turned to me and said, 'OK, Henry, get yourself
a haircut and you have yourself a job.' "
Welk was a demanding bandleader, Cuesta said in another interview.
"He expected a lot of his musicians, and the clarinet chair was a hot seat
because Welk loved the instrument and featured it a lot," Cuesta said.
Pete Fountain had once occupied the chair for two years, the longest of
anyone before Cuesta was hired.
Cuesta was born in McAllen, Texas, on Dec. 23, 1931. He began studying
classical violin at an early age but switched to woodwinds before he was a
teenager. By high school he was invited to perform with the Corpus Christi
Symphony Orchestra.
He majored in music at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and after being
drafted into the Army in 1952, he entertained troops in England and Europe
while serving in the Special Services branch.
After his discharge, he toured the United States and Canada for eight years,
playing with the big bands of Jack Teagarden, Ted Lewis and Shep Fields.
While living in Toronto in the 1960s, he formed his own band.
Over the years, Cuesta appeared as a soloist with Mel Torme, Bobby Vinton
and Bob Crosby. He also performed in and conducted jazz festivals and pop
symphony concerts, conducted the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra on tour and played
at both of President Clinton's inaugural balls.
He is survived by his wife, Janette; daughters, Marion Cuesta and Lucinda
Mariscal; sisters, Olivia Hernandez and Sylvia Parra; brothers, Raul and
Lorenzo; and a granddaughter. Cuesta's son, Henry Cuesta Jr., preceded him
in death.
Funeral services will be private. Donations in his honor may be sent to the
Hospice Foundation, 2601 Airport Drive, No. 230, Torrance, CA 90505, or to a
favorite charity.
ansermetniac
tep2...@aol.com says...
I used to watch Welk with Guardala's Mother. I have often heard about
the difficulty of the "Break" on a licorice stick. But watching and
listening to Henry, one would think that the "Break" did not exist. Say
what you want about Welk. But he always had top players. If you could
hack the Welk band, you were pretty good. Their lead alto before Skeets
actually played like King Curtis, Dave Edwards. But he had to pay the
bills
Jeff
TEP251Sax
Jeff - very cool...was she still working for Berg Larsen then or not??? LOL ;)
> I have often heard about
>the difficulty of the "Break"
Henry-played things on the clarinet....
That most_CAN'T_ on the clarinet.
( @copyright-TEP...lol.. )
>. But watching and
>listening to Henry, one would think that the "Break" did not exist.
YES SIR!!!!!!!
Like most clary players of the day...you had to hold your own.No pussy
bullshit.
You had to have the chops and the sound.
No jivetime excuses.That era is gone :(
Ya had to swing & know the ax inside out.
Henry IMHO was as techinically hip as Benny.The only other clarinetist that
Iknow that kicks butt like that is Bostons Dick Johnson. ( speaking of today
etc )
Look at his backround...YIKES was he studied and experienced.
> If you could
>hack the Welk band, you were pretty good.
Actually, many guys like John Stubblefield thru even Nick Brignola have told me
they watched LAWRENCE cuz' they learned MELODYS there....and the way lyrics
went.
I hate to admit I played for Russ Morgan
in the 70s but I did, I needed a gig.
Playing in a section and in tune is a lost art.Today- everyone's a innovator/
star-lol.
That band ( Morgan) made Welk look like Sun Ra...LOL!!! ( EG- " Music In The
Morgan Manner "...I did lead alto/ bari & clary )
DAVE EDWARDS...that guy was a top L.A hired gun. Beautiful sound and tonal
inflections.
Tommy Newsome would of been another good choice.
Edwards played a stock Brill w/ Cigar Cutter.
BTW~ remember...no matter what anyone knows/thinks or even guess about King
Curtis...King came up in a day where knowledge WAS a weapon.
King had sooooooooo much together as
a _MUSICIAN_it wasn't even within our
view.
EG~ read " Jazz From The Beginning
by-Garvin Bushell " ...when King came to NyC from Texas- he called Garvin
months ahead to set up lessons. Matter of fact-
those lessons were EVERYDAY at 8:30. Monday thru Friday.
Garvin was a teacher/guide of mine on double reeds and clarinets and told me
that one day after drummer Sonny Payne
and I got our asses kicked by Garvin on the tennis court. Garvin then was 72.
And-in perfect shape!!! INSPIRATION...indeed.
( btw-I don't play tennis well at all...I do things on the tennis
court that _MOST_can't...ahhaha-Stevie Wonder might be better than me at
tennis..lol )
BUT,,
King was serious...so he HAD to know how to play lead alto in many contexts.
Dave Edwards was great.
Who was the great player w/ Welk on drums Paul Humphrys???
Anyhow Jeff,, what was the grey hair Hawk style tenor guys name???
Have a cool yule J.P ~ T.P
ansermetniac
tep2...@aol.com says...
Tim
Did Morgan still have Sunflower in the book. That was the song by Mack
David where Jerry Herman stole Hello Dolly.
I don't get the Berg Larson reference. Am I mising something?
Happy Holiday to you and Marcia
Jeff
TEP251Sax
>David where Jerry Herman stole Hello Dolly.
>
>I don't get the Berg Larson reference. Am I mising something?
JP-yes Morgan had that in the book.
It IS Hello Dolly.I think Jerry lifted it.
The Berg thing was a joke...HA!!!
You missed nuthin' ...except the
LAWRENCE refrence- yukyuk.
Enjoy your season and smack DG in the head for me :)
<Must be nice to be a millionaire huh Dave? >
Beaches, chicks, $$$ , midgets for butlers...lol.
~ T.P...
Mario
I do remember on Saturday night when I was a kid watching Lawrence Welk and
of course heard Henry Cuesta played so many times,what a player he sure
was!It is very sad that he had to go at such an early time!He will be
missed!My sympathie to his family,,Mario
"TEP251Sax" <tep2...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031222140643...@mb-m29.aol.com...
sam skelton
A true asset to the clarinet. He will be truely missed. Thanks to Tim
for keeping us up to date!!!
sam
tep2...@aol.com (TEP251Sax) wrote in message
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