Full Count Big Band: Spotlight

Band Member Spotlight

Al Leibowitz, Trumpet

I began life, not at birth, but rather at age 11, when my uncle took my sister and me to see his favorite bandleader: Harry James at the Paramount Theater in New York City. The next day, I delivered an ultimatum to my parents: "get me a trumpet, or I'm joining the army". Miraculously, I got the trumpet, lessons, and all of Harry James' then available phonograph records. My parents and sister were actually always 100% supportive of me in all of my music endeavors.

After a year, they bought me a Harry James model, (a French Selmer trumpet), which, to this day I still play with Harry as my inspiration, I was able to make rapid progress (it didn't hurt that most of the good trumpet players in the country were older than me and away in the army) and achieved the following:

§ played in my elementary school orchestra before my 12th birthday

§ played in my high school dance band as featured soloist while still in elementary school

§ received the "master musician medal" upon graduating from high school

I played for many of show business' biggest stars as staff musician at Bill Miller's Riviera in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, at Copa City in Miami, while attending the University of Miami on a music scholarship, and at many other similar venues.

A few months after graduating from high school, I joined the Raymond Scott orchestra, traveling the US for a year.

§ played briefly with the Billy Butterfield orchestra, Lee Castle and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, and others.

§ played with a well-known latin-american band, lead by Pupi Campo at the Capitol Theater in NYC, only a few years and a few blocks up Broadway from where and when i first saw my idol; Harry James, at the Paramount Theater.

More recently, I have played with several local big bands including, currently, the #1 big band in NJ…..Full Count.

Meet the Band!