Bob Kuban's Book

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:42 am

http://www.booksonstlouis.com/bobkumysiofb.html

Since I recieved this free copy from my old bandleader, I owe him a plug here, and around town.

He was like a Teamster Dock Boss as a bandleader, but I was fortunate enough to work with the country's finest horn sections which rotated with the late great Maynard Ferguson Band. This was where I learned to write out horn arrangements, and use synths to add extra flavors. The CS80 as much as I disliked it in later rock groups, was great w/ brass sections, as it had a super band pass filter that blended perfectly. It was an eleven piece group w/ saxes, trombones and trumpets. Frank Goessler from Maynard's band was my mentor.

I even had a pick of me using the Rhodes, D6, and CS80 on the dance floors of the world largest river boat the S.S. Admiral, as well as a shot of me playing the Hogan's Heroes Theme song on the giant aluminum Steam Calliope that was attached on the roof. My father used to get off of work at 5:00PM and could hear me from the riverfront over a mile away in St.Louis. I had to wear gun hearing protection from a cop to keep from damaging my ears !!

Bob Kuban and the In Men had the # 1 hit in 1966 called the Cheater.

We played all of the home Cardinal Football and Baseball games ( cheerleaders made my balls smoke ) Political parties, Mafia weddings, ground breaking ceremonies, and I was on the Merv Griffin show.

At any rate I was a child in a world of professionals, who soaked up everything like a sponge, and also delved deeply into the riches of the cultures I encountered. ( Fine Ho's ).

skwawks · Post by **skwawks** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 3:21 am

Ah Jimmy .....video games or not ya gettin old mate ....just keep suckin it up

dbmac · Post by **dbmac** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:31 am

Hey Jimmy, I bet I'm the only other old fart around here who's familiar with BK & the In-Men.
Here's a pic from the back cover of The Cheater LP - Bob hasn't aged much eh - except he had less hair then.

"He's gonna build you up just to let you down"

/dave

ps - the in-men: keyboard player is Greg Hoetzel, Mike Krenski - bass, Ken Smith - guitar, Pat Nixon, Harry Simon & Skip Weisser - horns. And of course (Sir) Walter Scott on vocals

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:38 am

Damn Nice Pic !!

All the girls in my neighborhood would pay 50 cents back in '67 when I was 10, to dance in a fenced in area around his drums while he played. What a Ham. I told him I was going to be his keyboard player when I was 15, he laughed and said dream on schoolboy. I got the audition and the job when I was 19 instead.

I did the Playboy Clubs w/ Walter Scott, lot of Stevie Wonder covers, and other soulful tunes. He was a character.

Did you know how his tragic career ended? They found his body in the bottom of a well at his house. His X-wife and new boyfriend wacked him, then dumped the body. I knew something was wrong when I didn't get a Christmas card from him.

We were doing the big disco craze back then w/ BK, and since I lost the audition to Maynard's band to my buddy Jay Olivier, Old Blood and Guts ( BK ) picked me up.

I sure miss the big horn sections. BK still plays all of the best big paying jobs in St.Louis. He is a warrior, even though they sound kinda cheezy these days. He said if I ever run out of work to give him a call. Fat Chance of no work in Nevada. We can play here till we decide not to, and turn down more gigs than we do. It's a live players paradise, and of course the ridiculous amount of fine ho's never ceases to amaze me.

I Hope The Echo Pro Is Serving You Well, and Thanks For The Pick.