When Gill Harris picked up a trumpet and joined the seventh-grade band, he could not know he would one day be tutored by some of the most illustrious names of the Big Band era. Years later, however, he was learning the artistry of the music from Harry James and technique and dynamics from Stan Kenton. Kenton, Harris has said, also showed him how to lead a band, which Harris has been doing for decades to the delight of Big Band fans in the greater Golden Triangle and beyond.
As a measure of appreciation, a plaque honoring Harris was unveiled at Trotter Convention Center in Columbus Sept. 15. The tribute spearheaded by Elaine and Floyd Hegwood and approved by the Columbus City Council resulted in a handsome black and gold plaque mounted outside the entrance into Trotter’s ballroom, where Harris and his Big Band Theory musicians have entertained audiences annually for several consecutive years.
“Gill has provided music to the Columbus community since the 1970s, the last several years as the maestro of the Big Band Theory,” said Elaine Hegwood. “He’s kept everybody dancing — young, old, black, white, he’s kept us tapping our toes.”
Of the Big Band Theory’s 19 members convened by Harris, four are from Columbus, the orchestra leader said: vocalists Denise Reid and Roger Burlingame, stand-up bassist Dr. Rick Montalto and trumpeter Skip Burkart. The rest are professional musicians who perform nationwide with acts such as The Temptations, Frankie Avalon, Wayne Newton and, in the past, the late Natalie Cole.
The leader of the band
Speakers at the plaque dedication included Columbus Mayor Robert Smith, Harris’s son, John Harris of Ridgeland, and others who have closely witnessed the orchestra leader’s passion and commitment for bringing these concerts to the community.
Burlingame and Harris knew each other through their mutual work in the metal building industry before they met in Columbus or realized each other’s affinity for music. Harris, a civil engineer, moved to Columbus in 1962 to join Ceco Building Systems as the firm’s director of engineering. Burlingame was the chief information officer for a different corporation elsewhere. But after Burlingame accepted a Ceco position, moved to the city and came to know Harris personally, the relationship proved somewhat prophetic.
“One day, Gill said to me, ‘I heard that you sing,'” Burlingame laughed. That singing had been primarily with church choirs or the Columbus Choral Society, but soon Harris had his new vocalist on stage delivering Big Band and Frank Sinatra numbers under a spotlight. Harris provided the musical charts and arrangements from his extensive collection.
Burlingame noted the orchestra leader’s dedication to the annual concerts — assembling top-tier musicians from so many parts of the country who can perform together without prior rehearsal, planning the repertoire and organizing arrangements.
“He has done all that at great personal expense — monetarily, emotionally and physically,” Burlingame said.
The concerts have also provided vocalist Denise Reid with an opportunity to expand her performance songbook.
“I have always loved the old movies and musicals, with the starlet walking out in front of the Big Band in her glamorous gown to sing the wonderful old songs that I love. Gill gave me the chance to experience that,” she said at the unveiling. “It has been such a blessing to work with him … I am so grateful he took a chance on me.”
A class act
Harris’s lifelong musical passion had a profound impact on his children. Each learned to play instruments; they even had a family band.
“All of his children are very proud of Daddy and his love for music and what he has taught us,” said son John Harris by phone from his home in Ridgeland. “I hope people appreciate the bringing of good music to a small town; it’s the type of music you don’t get to hear just anywhere and everywhere, especially this quality of music.”
Father, husband, engineer, trumpeter, Mensa member, Big Band devotee — Harris wears all hats, even as he currently deals with health issues. And in customary fashion, he steers the focus toward the musicians rather than himself.
“They are indeed world class musicians,” he praised. “It is not only a delight to lead a powerhouse of talent like this, it brings out the Walter Mitty in me.”
“He’s a class act in every way,” said Big Band Theory trumpeter Mark Avant of the Tuscaloosa Horns. Avant has witnessed firsthand “the hoops you have jumped through and the wet cats you have herded to make an event simply perfect, time and time again,” he said in remarks addressed to Harris at the dedication. “We hope to share the stage with you even more. Bravo, Gill! Bravo!”
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.