Paul Hubinon Stories

[Rick]

Anyone have any interesting stories about the late-great studio trumpeter, Paul Hubinon??
I've been told that he was one of the top-call studio players back in the 1970s. I've always been interested in his career but have found few people who knew him well. He's been gone for a long time now -- maybe 30 years (?)

---<Rick

[JohnBennett]

Hi Rick,

I met Paul in the early 1960's and he was really blazing a trail around the Pittsburgh area...at least that was where I first met him. If I remember right, he was once featured with the Pittsburgh Symphony playing the Maynard chart of "Maria." They did a recording of it, but I haven't been able to locate a copy. Everyone was really amazed at the chops and talent of this young guy in his twenties!!

He later was on the road with some bands...I think Maynard's was one... and eventually he went to LA and Hollywood. He was one of the first call players there for a while. I heard that booze got the better of him...another young talent wasted.

John

[JohnBennett]

[ This Message was edited by: JohnBennett on 2004-06-13 16:19 ]

[dbacon]

DB

[Rick]

I was told his teacher, while at the Duquesne University School of Music, was Eddie Shinner. Is this the guy to whom you're referring??

---<Rick

[dbacon]

DB

[Rick]

I'm pretty sure you're correct about the dental work Paul had done. I had a friend who attended the same university in the mid-70s and studied with the same instructor as Paul had -- this is where some of my information originated. My friend also started have the same sort of dental work done but never followed it through to completion. The dental specialist who did the work on Shinner's students was located in New Castle, PA (I think). I've long ago forgotten the doctor's name.

---<Rick

[JohnBennett]

It's interesting that someone in an earlier post would mention the dental work that some students at Duquesne had.

When I first met Paul Hubinon during the 1960's in Pittsburgh, I was on the Warren Covington band and we were working a gig there. I had strong chops and was playing the high book...it had quite a few high G's in it and an occasional high A.

During the gig, a trumpet teacher from the University, possibly the Shiner that you mentioned, and two of his students came over to talk to me. They all asked to see my teeth (no one had ever asked me that before!)...anyway, when I showed them my teeth, the teacher said : "See, he has a high crown or curvature on his teeth...that's why he can play high so easy!" He told me then that he recommended that his students have dental work to put a higher crown or arch on their front two teeth. I thought that that was pretty radical stuff.

Regardless of whether I had high arches or curvature on the front of my teeth, it didn't exactly come easy for me, that's for sure....and I don't know if I would recommend anyone to have that sort of dental work to help your high range. Interesting concept tho.

John

[dbacon]

DB

[highnote]

Paul also played with the USAF Airmen of Note. He recorded Maria with them.

Jazzplayerradio.com has been featuring a performance by Paul and the Pittsburgh Pops of Holiday for Trumpet.

I have a few other things that Paul recorded with the AON that will also be up on JPR in the near future.

Paul is on a lot of the early 70's LA studio albums.

Kevin

[yarfo]

[yarfo]

The dentist was Lester Gordon from Mckeesport. I believe he rotated the two cental incisors slightly with a removable orthodontic appliance. He later committed suicide due to depression. I knew him as I am a dentist. A great guy who was always into new things and a good dentist, had no cocept of time and worked many late hours. R. Forbes

[Karen]

Paul was one of the more famous students of my trumpet teacher, Eddie Shiner. I took lessons from Eddie from the time I was in 6th grade until my first year of college at Duquesne University. It was in the Spring of 1981 when he had his stroke and never taught again. My father was one of his first students back in the late 1940s until he graduated from St. Vincent College where Eddie worked prior to Duquesne U. My Dad always told me stories about Paul Hubinon. One of these stories was that his mother used to take all of the tubes out of the television, I think there were 8 of them at that time, and Paul had to practice one hour to get a tube back. If he practiced 8 hours that day, he got to watch TV that night. The two names most frequently heard in relation to Mr. Shiner were Paul's and another trumpet player named Tommy Koneski. He was also an incredible player. You can hear a clip of him on the McKeesport High School Band website. Tom chose a different path and worked at Yamaha for a time, not playing much. Ironically, they both died young. Paul from an aneurysm, or so I heard, and Tom from a major airline crash in Chicago. Eddie was devastated when Paul died. He was so proud of him. As to the dentist, Dr. Gordon, yes some of Eddie's students had work done, but it was totally up to you. Nothing was forced on you. Eddie told me that since I had a high spot on my front teeth I did not even need to think about it, but then, I never was able to play lead.

I do have to say that Paul Hubinon is the reason I started playing again after stopping for many years. I looked him up online back in late 2011. I found the "Maria" cut with the Airmen of Note, and listening to that inspired me to not only start playing again, but to also start a professional brass quintet. Maybe it was because I saw his picture every Monday while having my weekly trumpet lesson with Mr. Shiner at his studio at Progressive Music in McKeesport, PA? At any rate, I have been playing and working with my quintet since then. Our bass trombone player was a student of Matty Shiner.
_________________
Karen Polak

[solo soprano]

[happyhorn]

I was just thinking about Paul Hubinon and Eddie Shiner. Going on 17 years since my original post! Time really does fly!