Tulsa Praise Orchestra, Claremore First Baptist Church
by Roger Due [7-7-2024].
I went to this same performance in Bixby on Saturday, but I forgot to take the external Sennheiser stereo shotgun mic that I use with my camera when recording videos like this. Fortunately, they performed the next day on Sunday at the Claremore First Baptist Church. This is always a learning experience. As you will see, when people stand up, my camera focuses on those in front of me instead of the orchestra, yet the sound is still great. Once I realized my error, it was too late to correct.
Both concerts featured the full Big Band along with their FrontLine Singers and some super special guests: National Gospel Music Legend Dave Boyer, International Trumpet Sensation Mike Williams, Amazing Sax Player Rich Gable & Awesome Vocalist Colleen Thompson. They performed non-stop for two hours.
The orchestra was founded by Bob Archer in the summer of 1995 and continues to thrive to this day. The band is made up of 5 Saxes, 5 Trombones, 5 Trumpets, Piano, Bass & Drums.
Our Conductor is Bob Holzman who has been at the helm of the group for over 20 years.
In 2011 we added the FrontLine Singers team and that group is under the leadership of Colleen Thompson, who is also, one of our Featured Vocalists.
Related
https://www.facebook.com/TulsaPraiseOrchestra
Dave Boyer [90yrs young this year]
Dave Boyer, was born in Baltimore, MD, but grew up in York, PA. As a teenager, he became the Master of Ceremonies at the "500 Club" in Atlantic City, New Jersey. At the advice of his manager, he changed his name to Joey Stevens and success came quickly. He performed with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Milton Berle. He also appeared with Martin & Lewis on the Today show when it originated from Atlantic City.
The life of a young, promising performer, who served in the armed service, saw the dependence for drugs and alcohol ruin a marriage and career. In 1965, less than a year after his wife, June, left him, his father Reverend Ralph Boyer passed away. Dave (or Joey, as he was called) decided at that point to end his self-inflicted miserable life. He began his journey to the railroad tracks in the town of Marietta, where he was going to kill himself, when he passed a small church. The church triggered long forgotten memories of his childhood, of his father and family, and of the happiness he once had. This flood of joyful memories brought him to his knees in tears, and he forced himself to make his way to a phone.
Confused and in pain, Dave called his brother who was a pastor at his late fathers church. His brother convinced him to stay where he was until he could get there. After hours of praying together on that fateful night, God reached down to Dave and touched his soul. Joey Stevens was laid to rest forever, and Dave Boyer was reborn through the Lord. This miracle was not over - after a two year separation, June and their daughter returned to Dave to begin building a Christ-centered life together.
Since 1966, Dave Boyer has been bringing the word of God to hundreds of thousands of people in all corners of the country. Dave carries with him a message of joy to the people of the church and world. His message is simple: You are not alone in your day to day struggles, God is always with you.
Dave's unique style of Big Band Gospel music reaches people of all ages. His powerful ministry and testimony has opened up doors for hundreds of youth programs all over the US. Dave's ministry and musical style are continuing to gain popularity with people from all walks of life in all age groups. Dave performs with church bands, orchestras, and solo. He has performed and recorded several albums with legendary composer and director Ralph Carmichael. Dave has performed at the White House for President's Ford, Carter, and Reagan.
Dave Boyer's life is a living testimony to the fact that God is forever with us, everyday, and everywhere.
Dave continues to perform dozens of concerts each year appearing alone, or with live bands around the country. He is booked several times each year with his long-time friend and publicist Jeff Brucculeri, a trumpet soloist and humorist.
Mike Williams, trumpet.
Mike Williams was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on July 30, 1957 and began playing the trumpet at age 13. His love for the trumpet continued through college where he received the degree of Bachelor of Music Education at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. There, he studied trumpet with Dr. J. Robert Smith. He then became Director of Bands at his alma mater, Northwood Jr-Sr High School near Shreveport. He taught for three years there and also performed with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra as well as the Rapides Symphony and the Longview Symphony during this time.
In 1983, Mike postponed his band directing career in order to pursue a career as a full-time professional trumpet player. He moved to Denton, Texas and attended the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University). For two years he played Lead Trumpet in the famed One O’Clock Lab Band directed by Neil Slater. He also studied trumpet with Keith Johnson and during the summers he studied with the legendary Don (Jake) Jacoby. During this time he recorded four albums with the One O’Clock Band which includes a tribute to Stan Kenton, With Respect to Stan, and Live in Austalia.
After three years at UNT, he traveled with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Two months later, he received a call from Frank Foster, jazz legend and leader of the World Famous Count Basie Orchestra, who asked him to join the band as the Lead Trumpet Player. In September of 1987, he joined the band and performed with them for 31 years!
Some of the highlights of being with the Basie Band include a Columbia Artists tour with both Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Eckstein (on the bus) for two months. With the Basie Band, he has recorded twenty-five CD’s and DVD’s, three of which were Grammy winners. He has performed in all fifty states and fifty-five countries and has performed for the King of Thailand, Presidential Inaugurations, and in Jazz Festivals in several countries. He has also been broadcast in numerous live television and radio shows across the world.
Mike teaches privately and performs as guest soloist and clinician with universities and high schools across the nation and abroad. He has made recordings as the Lead Trumpet Player with several other artists including Charles Tolliver and Steve Wiest. He freelances in the Detroit area and is the Lead Trumpet Player for the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Trails Big Band in Saginaw, the Lansing Symphony Jazz Orchestra, the Gull Lake Jazz Orchestra in Kalamazoo, and the Rhythm Society Jazz Orchestra in Detroit.
Mike has been Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at the University of Arkansas, Monticello, for several years and is currently one of the professors of the Master of Music in Jazz Studies degree offered there, a low residency and internet program.
Mike is a P. Mauriat Trumpets clinician and plays P. Mauriats exclusively. He is also a Warburton Mouthpieces endorser and has played Warburton mouthpieces exclusively since 1984. Mike resides in Lapeer, Michigan with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Wyatt and Stella.
Rich Gable is a musician, musical director, a sound designer, a producer and a lover of music. He has been on stage for most of his life playing for church services including Church on the Move, Saddleback, LifeChurch and most recently, Northstar Church. He has shared the stage with musical acts such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, Rita Moreno, and has toured extensively with Lauren Alaina and Stars Go Dim. He has produced music for countless live performances, church services, commercials and albums and has recently released a number of sample packs for “THAT WORSHIP SOUND”.