Ira Nepus

Ira Nepus is an American jazz trombonist and educator.

Nepus has worked and recorded with many leading jazz musicians including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (Jeff Clayton, John Clayton-Jeff Hamilton, Jeff Hamilton) and Woody Herman.

He has also worked on music for a few movies and television shows.

Ira Nepus was born Guy Ira Nepus in Los Angeles, California. His mother was a professional Spanish dancer and his father was a jazz musician who was one of the founders of "Quintette du Hot Club de France" in Paris during the late thirties.

Growing up in an artistic family, Nepus got his start in music at a young age. He began studying the trombone at age 10, taking lessons for nearly eight years with Harold Diner, a studio musician with Paramount Pictures. He also studied privately with Bob Edmondson, Dick Nash, Robert Marsteller, Roy Main, Donald S. Rheinhardt, and Trummy Young. He was featured in his first jazz concert at the age of 15.

Nepus received his B.A. in music and education from the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, and his M.A. in music and jazz studies from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Later in his career, he taught at the University of Southern California for several years.

As an additional instrument, he mastered the trumpet. Among his favorite trumpeters are Clark Terry, Louis Armstrong, and Lee Morgan.

In the early 1970s, Nepus was in saxophonist Woody Herman's Orchestra. On September 19, 1970, the orchestra performed "Body And Soul" at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, California. Nepus played trombone with fellow trombonists Curt Berg and Lutten Taylor, and trumpeters Rig Powell, Forrest Buchtel, Tony Klatka, Tom Harrell, and Bill Byrne. The recording of the live performance, Jazz Monterey 1958-1980, was released on Palo Alto Records (1985) and the Spanish label Fonomusic (1986).

Also in 1970, Nepus played on Herman's album Woody.

In March 1971, he recorded Herman's blues/jazz album Brand New at Wally HeiderRecording in San Francisco. In the album produced by Herman and Ray Shanklin, he was accompanied by Alan Read (bass); Ed Soph (drums); Michael Bloomfield (electric guitar); Wally Heider (engineer); Brian Gardner (mastering); Alan Broadbent (piano); Gene Smookler, Frank Tiberi, Sal Nistico, and Steve Lederer (reeds); Bobby Burgess, Don Switzer (trombone); Bill Bryne, Buddy Powers, Forrest Buchtel, Tom Harrell, and Tony Klatka (trumpet).

On March 17, 1979, Nepus was a part of the live recording of Herman's album Light My Fire (Moon Records at International Inn, Tampa, Florida.

In 1997, Nepus with Woody Herman's band provided the music on the track "Hitch-Hike On The Possum Trot Line" for Michael Bloomfield's best-of album (Takoma Records).

In August 1987, Nepus performed at the Lansing Recital Hall at Biola University in La Mirada, California, for the recording of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (HMA Records). He was accompanied by Harvey Newmark (bass); Alan Johnson, Morris Repass, Bob Sanders, Phil Teele, Jeff Reynolds, and Don Waldrop (trombone); Mark Stevens (drums); Bob Florence (keyboards); Michael Boshears (mastering); Alan Kaplan, Dick Nash, Bill Tole, Charlie Loper, Chauncey Welsch, Ernie Carlson, Jim Sawyer, Randy Aldcroft, Bob Payne, Roy Main, Tommy Pederson, and Bill Booth (trombone).

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

In the late 1980s, Nepus was a member of the Jeff Clayton-John Clayton-Jeff Hamilton Jazz Orchestra with William Green (alto saxophone, clarinet); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Rickey Woodard (tenor saxophone, clarinet); George Bohanon, Thurman Green, George Bohanon, Thurman Green (trombone); Clay Jenkins, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young (trumpet). In September 1989, he played on the orchestra's jazz album Boogie Down (Concord Jazz Records), featuring singer Ernestine Anderson; saxophonists and clarinetists Jack Nimitz and Herman Riley; and pianist Larry Fuller. The album was engineered by Darren Mora. The following year saw the release of their album Groove Shop (Capri Records).

Since then, Nepus has appeared on several of Clayton-Hamilton recordings.

Matt Catingub

In December 1990, Nepus played trombone on Matt Catingub Big Band's recording of the jazz album I'm Getting Cement All Over You (Ewe) (Sea Breeze Records) featuring vocalist Mavis Rivers. Other artists on the album are—Dave Stone (acoustic bass); Jim Hershman (guitar); Kevin Winard, Rey Catingub, Steve Rosenblum (backing vocals); Kevin Winard (drums); Kevin Axt (electric bass); Mike Faue, Roger Burn (percussion); Albert Alva, Chris Stewart, Mark Roland, Steve Rosenblum, Bill Green (saxophone); Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Luis Bonilla, Nick Lane, Rich Bullock (trombone); Buddy Childers, John Thomas, Ron King, Steve Huffsteter, Wayne Bergeron (trumpet); and Kelli Vold (vocals).

In the 2000s, Nepus performed and recorded with Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra West alongside Dave Richards, Kye Palmer, Anthony Bonsera, and Anne King (trumpet); Brian Williams (baritone saxophone); Richard Bullock, Scott Whitfield, Gary Tole (trombone); Jeffrey Colella (piano); Jennifer Leitham (bass); Kendall Kay (drums); Kirsten Edkins (tenor + soprano saxophone, clarinet); Rusty Higgins (alto + soprano saxophone, flute). In the fall of 2021, they recorded Postcards From Hollywood for Summit Records. The album covers a collection of popular themes for various Hollywood productions:

• The Magnificent Seven main theme: Elmer Bernstein
• Breakfast At Tiffany's, track "Sally's Tomato": Henry Mancini
• Cleopatra, Entre'act/First Love Theme: Alex North
• The Sand Pebbles main theme: Jerry Goldsmith
• Gone With The Wind, Tara's theme: Max Steiner
• American Dream, track "A Time For Love": Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster
• The Bad And The Beautiful, main theme: David Raksin
• Spellbound, main theme: Mack David and Miklós Rózsa
• The Pawnbroker main theme: Quincy Jones
• Star Wars, "The Force": John Williams
• North By Northwest, main theme: Bernard Herrmann

In 2012, Nepus, with the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, recorded "My Very Good Friend The Milkman" for Paul McCartney's fifteenth solo studio album Kisses On The Bottom (Universal Music Group) at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

In 2013-14, he played trombone on Leon Russell's blues/rock album Life Journey (Universal Records), which was produced by Tommy LiPuma with Elton John as executive producer.

Over the years, Nepus has also performed/recorded with Gerald Wilson, Natalie Cole, Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles, Bob Crosby, Benny Carter, Harry James, Herbie Hancock, Frank Sinatra, George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Phil Woods, Cab Calloway, Tom Scott, Sammy Davis Jr., Neil Diamond, Nelson Riddle, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Gladys Knight, Nancy Wilson, and Lou Rawls, among others.

Nepus has played live at the Santa Barbara Jazz Festival (1981); All-Women Jazz Festival in Tokyo, Japan (1991); Hawaii International Jazz Festival (1994); Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival (2001); Camarillo Arts and Jazz Festival (2003); Playboy Jazz Festivals; Monterey Jazz Festivals, California, USA; and Red Sea Jazz Festival, Eilat, Israel.

Movies and television

Nepus has worked as a studio musician for a few movies and television series.

• 1985: TV series Safe at Home, episode "The Letter"
• 1985: Movers & Shakers. Director: William Asher, starring: Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, Vincent Gardenia, Tyne Daly. Nepus wrote "I've Realty Got to Have You" and "Sid and Livia's Wedding" for the soundtrack.
• 1998: Body Count. Director: Robert Patton-Spruill, starring: David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames, Donnie Wahlberg. Nepus worked with composer Curt Sobel for the soundtrack.

Television commercials

Nepus has contributed to music for television commercials for many well-known brands including EverReady Batteries, Toyota, Pepsi, MCI, Nintendo, Sprint, Nike, Miller Brewing Co., Mazda, Dr.Pepper, Kodak, and Disneyland.