With a program featuring a mix of well-known American favorites and music from south of the border, the Coastal Communities Concert Band will celebrate its 43rd anniversary with a performance in Rancho Bernardo.
The concert will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7 in Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church.
Since several of the pieces on the program are heavily focused on the band’s trombone section, Conductor Mitch Fennell has invited Alex Iles to perform as a soloist for four of them.
“Alex is one of the preeminent recording artists in Los Angeles,” Fennell said. “He has worked at the studios on many records and movie scores, such as for John Williams. He is very well known and it is exciting to have him as our trombone soloist.”
Iles’ career has included working with a wide range of artists, including Josh Groban, Henry Mancini, Harry Connick Jr., Paul McCartney, Prince, Meghan Trainor, Hans Zimmer, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand and The Tonight Show Band.
He has toured as lead and solo jazz trombonist with Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson, was an original member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and performed for numerous awards shows including The Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Soundtracks he has contributed to include “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Frozen,” “La La Land,” “Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Avatar” and “Transformers.”
Trombonist Alex Iles will be the guest musician during Coastal Communities Concert Band’s 43rd anniversary performance on March 7. (Diane Allancraig)
Since 2002, Iles has been the principal trombonist of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony and L.A. Chamber Orchestra. Iles has been a regular member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since 2014 and taught as a faculty trombone and jazz instructor at several universities, according to his bio.
Fennell and Iles have worked together on various projects.
“He’s a really nice guy, easy to work with and extremely talented,” Fennell said of Iles. “The audience will love him. The band certainly does.”
The first selection featuring Iles will be “Sambezi” from “Concerto for Trombone” by Philip Sparke.
Iles said it was a piece he was not familiar with, which made him look forward to learning the music.
“It is spirited and something fun to prep,” Iles said
Iles, who grew up in Arcadia, said he started playing trombone as a fourth-grader, an instrument assigned to him by his school’s music director because he was tall. He stayed in band through high school, but did not consider music as a career. Instead, he majored in economics at UCLA and after graduation worked in the insurance industry.
But throughout college and after he kept playing the trombone, along with other low brass instruments, with various groups.
“I really enjoyed music and a lot of people were encouraging me,” Iles said.
While saying he was “not a natural talent,” Iles said he saw that hard work paid off and more gigs kept coming his way. He also branched out by playing traditional jazz and contemporary music in addition to classical, which “helped me with studio work, because I could go in any direction, drawing on my experiences.”
For example, Iles said he recently got to explore his musical funny side by doing “silly stuff” while performing music for a cartoon.
“Every day is varied,” Iles said of his decades-long music career. “What I enjoy most … is that I get to play with amazing people.”
Sharing his love of music with younger musicians that he works with or teaches is also meaningful, he said.
The other concert selections featuring Iles as soloist will be “The Way We Were” by Marvin Hamlisch, “Moon River” by Henry Mancini and “Trombonology” by Tommy Dorsey.
Iles said he especially likes the ‘30s style “Trombonology” because it is among the few pieces that Dorsey wrote for himself. “It is fun to hear … Dorsey was pretty inspiring. People remember him from the Big Band era, but we trombonists remember him … as a trombone player.”
The entire trombone section will be featured in the concert during “Sweet Trombone Rag” by Al Sweet.
The concert will open with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which will be followed by the Latin-themed selections. In addition to “Sambezi” they will include “The Sinfonians” by Clifton Williams, “Izana” by Manuel Morales Martinez and “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla.”
The concert will close with another Latin-themed selection, “Os Pássaros do Brasil” by Klees Vlak. Fennell said the title translates to “Birds of Brazil.” It has three movements, “Pássaros Coloridos” (Multi-Colored Birds), “Pomba Triste” (Sad Pigeon) and “Os Pássaros no Carnaval” (The Carnival Birds).
“The three movements to the piece are at various tempos, slow, fast and Latin party music,” Fennell said.
When selecting music for the 90-minute concert, Fennell said he was looking for a combination of light classical and popular.
The band has around 60 members from all walks of life, he said.
“A few are working professional musicians, some are former teachers, others work in business but play because of their love of music,” Fennell said. “Our oldest is I believe 99 and the youngest 16.”
Conductor Mitch Fennell has been leading the Coastal Communities Concert Band for 10 months. (Courtesy of Mitch Fennell)
Fennell, who is also a trombonist, has been conducting the band for about 10 months. He is professor emeritus and retired director of bands and coordinator of wind studies at California State University, Fullerton. He joined the CSUF faculty in 1986 and during its tenure conducted the University Wind Symphony, Symphonic Winds and University Band. He lives in Brea.
While the band is based in Encinitas, Fennell said it plays in venues across North County as its members live throughout the area. It presents eight concerts per year, with one being a benefit concert for Meals on Wheels. It also gives two concerts at The Glen in Scripps Ranch.
After the Rancho Bernardo concert, two more are planned for this season. Its April 11 “Salute to Young Musicians” is a scholarship program, will include 32 students and be held at San Dieguito High School. The season will close on June 27 at Carlsbad Community Church with a salute to the United State’s 250th anniversary, Fennell said.
Tickets to the March 7 concert are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and free for students. They can be purchased with cash only at the door, in advance at cccband.com or by calling 858-761-8421.
Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church is at 17010 Pomerado Road.