Billy Joel's Band

[Scott Ramminger]

I was in Vegas on business and wound up seeing Billy Joel. I wouldn't have shelled out my own bread for this. But a supplier took me to the show, and we had seats right up front. Turned out to be very good, and he had a killer band.

A fairly sax-heavy band. I forget what the first tune was, but two guys were playing soprano. I could see a bunch of brass laying around (trumpet, flugelhorn, bone), but I saw no players for those horns.

Then, a couple of tunes later, one of the guys who had been playing soprano picks up a flugelhorn and RIPS. During the same tune, he put that down and picked up a trumpet and blew a great solo on that. I am guessing trumpet is his primary instrument.

Most of the band seemed to be from the New York area. The main sax player was a guy named Mark. He took all of the sax solos, basically playing whatever was on the record. I forget what the trumpet/sax player's first name was.

Later, a black woman who mainly played percussion, picked up an alto and joint the other two guys to form a three-horn sax section.

The main sax player played guitar on a couple of tunes. The woman percussionest/sax player also played a bit of guitar.

Just wondering if any of you guys know who the trumpet/sax player and the main sax guy in that band are. They played nice.

Scott

[dagnabbit]

Mark Rivera has been Billy Joel's main sax player since sometime in the '80s. I believe Crystal Taliefero is the woman you saw--she's also been with him since about '89. I don't know about the trumpet player.

[Scott Ramminger]

You got those two right. I recognize the names. I'd still like to know who the trumpet/sax player was. Thanks.

Scott

[dagnabbit]

According to Wikipedia's Billy Joel entry, there's a guy named Carl Fischer who plays trumpet, trombone, and sax (when needed). I googled him, and it looks like he played with Maynard Ferguson as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_joel