HISTORY

In the Spring of 1995, retired Hollywood studio musician, trumpeter Ollie Mitchell and his wife, Nancy moved to Puako, on the Big Island.   A month or two later, Ollie,  Bruce Byrd (trumpet), Terry Warner (trombone/banjo), John Peckham  (saxes/flute) and Harrell Baker (saxes/guitar) got together to play and improvise with rhythm CD's at Byrd's Audio in Waimea after store hours on Fridays at 7pm.   Pretty soon a drummer (Joe Gargiulo) showed up, then a bass player (Steve Toma) and a piano player (Peter Weinstock) joined the group…and they became a band.  One night while they were listening to a CD of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, that Ollie played on, Bruce came up with the name 'Olliephonic Horns'…and it stuck.   The band outgrew Byrd's store and moved their Friday nights to Terry's house in Waimea.

In February 1996 they started playing every Friday night at the Blue Dolphin, an open-air restaurant in Kawaihae.   Gary Washburn (bari sax/piano) and Peter Rowe (trumpet) came aboard.   Doug Johnson (vibraphonist/drums) started playing with the band when his busy schedule allowed and so did Mark Norman (trumpet).

The next year Ollie’s friend and fellow studio musician, trombonist Slyde Hyde and his wife Yolee moved to the Big Island and Slyde became part of the band.   The same year the Olliephonic Horns, Inc. became a non-profit corporation whose goal is to keep alive and increase awareness of American music for Big Island youngsters.

The band left the Blue Dolphin in 2002 and did some time at the Orchid, the Waikoloa Village Steakhouse and spent three years at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.

Since the band started eleven years ago, there have been a few personnel changes. 
At present the band is pretty much the folks in the ‘home page’ photo, with an occasional
guest artist.  You’ll find other familiar faces and names in the Photo Album.

by Nancy Mitchell
August 2006