Bubba Kolb

Bubba Kolb

Red Holloway, Bubba Kolb, and Sonny Stitt
at the World Village Lounge, Walt Disney World
1970s; photo by Laura Kolb
Background information
Birth name Franklin Dial Kolb
Born (1940-09-13) September 13, 1940
Durant, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres jazz, big band
Occupation(s) leader, jazz pianist, trombonist
Instruments piano, trombone
Years active 1960s-present

Franklin Dial "Bubba" Kolb (born September 13, 1940 in Durant, Oklahoma) is an American jazz pianist and trombonist who, from 1975 to 1981, led a jazz trio, "The Bubba Kolb Trio," in residence at the World Village Lounge at the Lake Buena Vista Village, Florida. The trio backed major jazz artists appearing nightly as guests, two-weeks each, year-round. The artists included Carl Fontana, Rich Matteson, Benny Carter, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Hank Jones, Red Norvo, Charlie Byrd, Barbara Carroll, Clark Terry, Barney Kessell, Buddy Tate, Buddy DeFranco, Louis Bellson, Marian McPartland, Art Farmer, Kai Winding, Kenny Burrell, Flip Phillips, Al Grey, Bobby Hacket, Pee Wee Erwin, Vic Dickenson, Milt Jackson, James Moody, Ira Sullivan, Billy Taylor, Teddy Wilson, Laurindo Almeida, Art Pepper, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Jimmy Forrest.

The Bubba Kolb Trio at the World Village Lounge

The Bubba Kolb Trio initially consisted of Kolb on piano, Harvey M. Lang, Jr. (1929–1998) on drums, and Louise A. Davis (née Stuart; born 1929) on bass. The project, originally a market test, was adopted by Disney to promote jazz with the aim of developing a venue of major rank for big name jazz artists.[1]

Kolb also led the Disney All-Stars — with David Allen Joy (born 1953) on trumpet, Keith C. Wilson (born 1959) on drums, and Donald S. Mikiten (born 1933) on sax, and Rondal Miller on bass – at the 1986 Montreux International Jazz Festival in Switzerland.[2] They performed July 5 at the Montreux Casino.

Bob Cross (William Martin Cross, Jr.; 1917–2003), an orchestra leader, who had moved to Orlando in 1971 to work as an entertainment booker at Walt Disney World, pioneered the World Village Lounge jazz concept that lasted two decades.[3]

In the 1980s, Kolb was replaced by Donald E. Scaletta (born 1937), Davis was replaced by Clifford Brown's ex bassist, George Morrow (1925–1992). When Lang died, Barry V. Smith (born 1957), and sometimes Don Lamond (1920–2003), took over on drums.

Selected discography

Rich Matteson (bass trumpet), Wayne Harrison (trombone), Bubba Kolb (piano), Leon Breeden (director)
Recorded in Denton, Texas, December 2, 1969
  1. The song is you
Recorded in Denton, Texas, December 12, 1969
Rich Matteson (bass trumpet), Wayne Harrison, (trombone), Bubba Kolb (piano), Dave Hungate (bass), Matt Betton (drums), Leon Breeden (director)
  1. The song is you
Denton, Texas, April 21, 1970
Jim Sharples (tenor sax), John Eplen (vibes, arranger), Bubba Kolb (piano), Dave Hungate (bass), Duane Durrett (drums)
Joe Venuti (violin) Bubba Kolb (piano), Louise Davis (bass), Harvey Lang (drums)
Recorded in 1976
Recorded at Bee Jay Recording Studio,[4] Orlando, Florida, 1980[5]
Bubba Kolb (piano), Louise Davis (bass), Harvey Lang (drums), Marian McPartland (piano 1)
Recorded at the World Village Lounge, Disney Village, Florida, February 6 & 8, 1982
Zoot Sims (ts) Bubba Kolb (piano), Louise Davis (bass), Harvey Lang (drums)
Recorded in Tampa, Florida, 1993
Glenn Zottola (trumpet 1, flugelhorn, alto sax, tenor sax), Bubba Kolb (piano), Charles Silva (bass), Hugh Barlow (drums)

Education

In junior and senior high school, Kolb studied trombone and arranging with Bob Seibert (Robert M. Seibert) in Dallas. He began the serious study of piano at the University of North Texas College of Music. During the 1969–1970 school year, was a pianist with the One O'Clock Lab Band. In 1971, he earned a bachelor of music degree.

Family

On February 3, 1970, Bubba married flutist Laura Ann Dean (born 1946), in Denton, Texas. Laura earned a bachelor of music degree from North Texas in 1969.[6] Bubba's brother, Nathaniel Key Kolb (1933–2006) was an architect and professor of architecture who had studied with Louis Kahn.[7][8][9][10][11]

References

General references

  1. Bob Rusch (Robert D. Rusch; born 1943), The Bubba Kolb Trio, Cadence Magazine, Vol. 7, 1981
  2. Harvey Lang Exhibit, Chicago Jazz Archive, University of Chicago Library OCLC 606927077
    Guide to the Harvey Lang Collection 1930s–1998, University of Chicago Library
  3. Jack Simpson (born 1924 England), Memories of Jazz in the Magic Village, The Note (magazine of the Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection, East Stroudsburg University), Vol. 19, No. 1, Issue 48, pps. 20 & 21 (Winter/Spring 2009)

Inline citations

  1. ↑ Susan Barbosa (1947–2002), Village Lounge Has Talented Trio as Band, The Ledger, July 6, 1979, Section C, pg. 1
  2. ↑ Tom Duffy, Disney Will Be Heard From When Music Starts In Montreux, Orlando Sentinel, July 6, 1986
  3. ↑ Dorimar Mercado, Orchestra Chief Bob Cross Shaped Music For Disney Venues, Nixon, Orlando Sentinel, May 2, 2003
  4. ↑ Recording Studio Has Only Feature in the Country, Lakeland Ledger, April 22, 1978, pg. 4B
  5. ↑ Bee Jay Recording Studio was owned by Eric Tener Schabacker (born 1943); he sold it in the 1980s and now lives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
  6. ↑ Marriage Index, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814–1909 and 1966–2002,
  7. ↑ Who's Who in Technology; Sixth edition, two volumes, Gale Research, Detroit (1989) OCLC 611590610 ISBN 0810349515 ISBN 9780810349513
  8. ↑ Who's Who in Technology; Seventh edition, Gale Research, Detroit (1995) OCLC 33824948 ISBN 0810374676 ISBN 9780810374676
  9. ↑ Who's Who in Technology Today; Third edition, four volumes, edited by Jan W. Churchwell (born 1942), J. Dick & Company (John H. Dick; born 1946), Highland Park, Illinois (1982) OCLC 9895590 ISBN 0943692008 ISBN 9780943692005
  10. ↑ Who's Who in Technology Today; Fourth edition, five volumes, edited by Barbara A. Tinucci. Research Publications, J. Dick Publishing (John H. Dick; born 1946), Lake Bluff, Illinois (1984) OCLC 11372774 ISBN 0943692156 ISBN 9780943692159
  11. ↑ Who's Who in Real Estate; The directory of the real estate professions, Warren, Gorham & Lamont, Boston (1983) OCLC 11428115 ISBN 0882628763 ISBN 9780882628769
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