Sammy Nestico, SWR Big Band - No Time Like The Present (2007)

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Decebal Badila; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Klaus Graf; Alto Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Flute, Flute [Alto] – Axel Kühn; Baritone Saxophone – Pierre Paquette; Drums – Holger Neil; French Horn – Gregor Fas, Heinrich Lohr, Raymond Warnier; Guitar – Klaus-Peter Schöpfer; Percussion – Jörg Gebhardt; Piano, Electric Piano [Fender- Rhodes] – Klaus Wagenleiter; Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Flute [Alto] – Andreas Maile, Jörg Kaufmann; Trombone – Ernst Hutter, Georg Maus, Ian Cummings, Marc Godfroid; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Claus Reichstaller, Felice Civitareale, Karl Farrent, Rudolf Reindl; Vibraphone – Matthias Haus. Recording Dates: Track 1 to 15 on Nocv. 09 - 11,2005 at SWR Sendesaal, Villa Berg, Stuttgart; Track 16 on May 05,2005 at KKL,Hegelsaal, Stuttgart.

Famous for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra, Sammy Nestico -- a cousin of tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico -- has always had a productive, if lesser-known, solo career. Self-taught on the trombone, at age 17 Nestico was skilled enough to be a studio musician in Pittsburgh. He served in the military, gained a music degree at Duquesne University in 1950 and was staff arranger for the U.S. Air Force Band for many years. Nestico was also a busy freelance arranger: he worked with the U.S. Marine Band starting in 1963 and led the orchestra that performed at functions at the White House. Nestico started contributing arrangements to Basie in 1967 and during the next 15 years would occasionally write for an entire Basie album (including Have a Nice Day, ) Prime Time, Warm Breeze and the big band tracks on 88 Basie Street). Nestico has also written extensively for films and television, has been a significant jazz educator and recorded one album as a leader: Dark Orchid (a 1982 Palo Alto release). ~bio by Scott Yanow