Майами Horns: Американдық сазды топтың тарихы

The Miami Horns are an American horn section best known for touring and recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U. S. Bonds, Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, Cissy Houston, Joe Cocker, Dave Edmunds, Darlene Love, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Ricky Martin. As individuals, the various members have also worked with the likes of Aerosmith, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Power Station, Graham Parker, and They Might Be Giants. The Miami Horns were first put together in 1976 by Steven Van Zandt as part of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. The connection with the city of Miami is only tenuous. Van Zandt had acquired the nickname Miami, due to his dislike of winter, and consequently the horn section also became known by that name. On occasions they have also been billed as The Jukes' Horns, La Bamba's Mambomen, The U. S. Horns, The J. A. M. Horns, The Tunnel Of Love Horns, The Horns of Love and The Late Night Horns. The line up is very much impromptu and seems to depend on who is available at the time. The As a consequence it has varied in size from a duo to a big band. Not unlike The Drifters, many performers have come and gone, and even returned. However Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone), Mark Pender (trumpet) and Eddie Manion (saxophone) have been the most consistent members. Other notable players have included Stan Harrison, Chris Anderson, Joey Stann and Mario Cruz. In 1991 Rosenberg, Pender, Manion and Harrison recorded an eponymous album as La Bamba & The Hubcaps.

In January 1976, Steven Van Zandt set about finding a record deal for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. As well as being a full time member of the E Street Band, Van Zandt also acted as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, manager, producer and arranger for the band, which he and Southside Johnny had co founded in the early part of 1975. At the time, the Jukes horn section consisted of just one permanent member sax player Carlo Novi. However, for the recording of their debut release, I Don't Want To Go Home, Van Zandt put together a horn section consisting of Rick Gazda (trumpet), Bob Malach (tenor sax), Deacon Earl Gardener (trumpet), Bill Zacagni (baritone sax) and Louie Parente (trombone). This quintet formed the original Miami Horns line up. However, with the exception of Rick Gazda, they all went their separate ways in March 1976 once the album had been finished. Bob Malach would briefly return in 1977 to play a solo on the second Jukes album, This Time It's for Real. On May 30, 1976, the Jukes celebrated the release of I Don't Want To Go Home with a show at The Stone Pony. It was broadcast live on nine radio stations, including WMMR, and featured guest appearances by Ronnie Spector, Lee Dorsey, Bruce Springsteen, and various members of the E Street Band. By this time, a new Miami Horns line up consisted of Carlo Novi (tenor sax), Eddie Manion (baritone sax), Tony Pallagrosi (trumpet) and Rick Gazda (trumpet). They eventually grew into a five piece with the arrival of Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone) in November 1976 and went on to tour and record regularly with Southside Johnny during the 1970s. They featured prominently on the album Hearts of Stone. In 1991 they also featured on Better Days, effectively a Jukes reunion album, produced by Van Zandt. It also featured guest appearances by Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and honorary Jukes, Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent. The horns were provided by Rosenberg, Pender, Manion, Gazda, Joey Stann, Frank Elmo and for the first time, Jerry Vivino.

As well as arranging the horn parts when they toured and recorded with Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt has also used the Miami Horns when he produced for other artists. In 1981 he used them on Dedication, an album he produced for Gary U. S. Bonds, and they then featured prominently on his own debut Men Without Women. This was released under the name Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul and the horns were credited as La Bamba's Mambomen. They also toured to promote the album. Van Zandt also used the horns on "All Alone on Christmas", a single he wrote and produced for Darlene Love which was also featured on the Home Alone 2: Lost in New York soundtrack.

In 1993 Max Weinberg became music director for Late Night with Conan O'Brien and when putting together a band, he recruited Rosenberg, Pender and Jerry Vivino. The three played until 2009 as members of The Max Weinberg 7, which moved that year with Conan O'Brien to become the latest iteration of The Tonight Show Band. When not on TV, this trio has worked regularly as session musicians. In 2010, the trio toured North America as part of the Legally Prohibited Band (essentially The Tonight Show Band under a different name, with Weinberg's place taken by James Wormwood) in support of Conan O'Brien's 32 city "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television" tour. They continued to be part of O'Brien's late night band as part of the Basic Cable Band on O'Brien's current show, Conan, until the band was removed from the show when O'Brien moved to a different format in 2019.

In the early 1980s Southside Johnny temporarily broke up The Asbury Jukes, and the Miami Horns, featuring Mark Pender for the first time, went on tour with Diana Ross. Manion and Pender also played and arranged horns on the acclaimed Robert Cray album, Shame + A Sin and between 1991 and 1994, Manion was a full time member of The Robert Cray Band.