Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Thomas “Bones” Malone was born June 16, 1947 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He began playing professionally as lead trumpeter for Brenda Lee at a club in Jackson, Mississippi while enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi. In response to a call from Warren Covington, leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, he began contracting musicians. After transferring to North Texas State University, Malone continued working as both a player and a contractor for groups. He graduated from North Texas State University with Lou Marini, and both were members of the One O’Clock Lab Band at North Texas.

After graduation, he worked in bands of Woody Herman in 1969, and during the early Seventies he worked with Duke Pearson, Louie Bellson, Doc Severinsen, Frank Zappa, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. In 1973, Malone began a close, fifteen-year association with Gil Evans, whom he has called a mentor. He recorded albums with Evans and toured Europe, Japan, and the Far East. In 1975 Malone toured with Billy Cobham and in 1976 with The Band.

From 1975 to 1985 he worked as arranger for Saturday Night Live and from 1981 to 1985 as musical director. He wrote the chart for the skit that introduced John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the Blues Brothers and worked on the film score for Blues Brothers 2000. He joined the CBS Orchestra in 1993, and contributed more than 1,600 arrangements to the Late Show with David Letterman.

As a studio musician, he has been heard on more than 1,000 records, more than 3000 radio and television commercials, and over 4,000 live television shows. In 2007 Bones was invited by music director Geoffrey Moull to arrange and perform a concert with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. In 2011 Malone was a guest artist with the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.

Trombonist, arranger, and producer Tom Malone, who also plays saxophone, trumpet, tuba, flute, and bass guitar, continues to expand his creative reach.

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