Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians
Fischer, Lou
Fischer, Lou, bass, educator, author; b. San Antonio, TX, 25 July 1952. His parents were Ralph E. Fischer and Jessie O. Fischer. His brother is James P. Fischer. His deceased brother and sister were William C. Fischer and Winnie C. Fischer.
He began playing guitar at an early age during family gatherings after dinner. He was soon featured on a weekly radio broadcast with his brother's rock group each Saturday as a lead solo guitarist. At age eleven Lou became interested in being a drummer, and was good enough to join a local r&b group. When the group could not find a replacement for the bass player, Lou volunteered to have a friend play drums and moved over to the bass. At fifteen, Lou was asked to join a popular local salsa band. A Euphonium/tuba player in middle/high school, Lou was selected to attend North Texas State University on a small tuba scholarship, and auditioned on electric bass there for the jazz lab band program. He remained in Dallas, Texas after college until he joined the Woody Herman Band in 1976. Upon leaving Herman, he returned to Dallas until 1979, when he left to Los Angeles to join The Crusaders, with Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, and Stix Hooper. While residing in Los Angeles, Lou made many contacts and performed with many established artists and groups. Lou returned to Dallas and started his own big band. In 1986, he left Texas for Colorado, and in 1992 completed his BM in Jazz Studies and MA in Music. He then moved to Muncie, IN to attend Ball St. Univ as a Doctoral Assistant. Upon completion of that program (Doctor of Arts in bass performance with a secondary in theory and composition), he was hired at Capital University in Columbus, OH., were he currently is Professor of Jazz Studies. Dr. Fischer is an honorary life member of Phi Mu Alpha and was inducted into Phi Kappa Lambda at BSU.
Forty-three years in the entertainment industry include composing and/or performing over two thousand commercial advertisements, over fifty Broadway shows, and extensive touring with Bill Watrous, Red Rodney, Rich Matteson, The Crusaders, Airto, Charlie Byrd, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Emmy Lou Harris, and the orchestras of Woody Herman, Louis Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Tex Beneke, and Jimmy Dorsey among many others. Fischer has appeared as guest director, soloist, clinician, and/or adjudicator at jazz festivals in Canada, Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Europe, Mexico, and at over one hundred high schools/colleges in the United States. He has directed the all-state jazz bands of Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Indiana and teaches in several summer jazz camps. He's held adjunct faculty positions are University of Denver 1990-92, Instructor Applied Jazz Bass, Basic and Advanced Jazz Improvisation and the University of Texas at Dallas 1983-84, Instructor Applied Jazz Bass.
Lou Fischer Music Publishing, Inc. 1982-95. He currently performs frequently with the Shelly Berg Trio,, and plays the Yamaha Silent Bass exclusively. He has also performed with Tito Puente, Clark Terry, Jiggs Whigham, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Dave Liebman, Jon Faddis, Louis Bellson, Ed Thigpen, Lee Konitz, Ed Shaughnessy, Peter Erskine, John Abercrombie, Steve Kahn, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Chuck Mangione, Joe Lovano, Louis Bellson, Jimmy Heath, The Columbus Jazz Orchestra and many others.
His children are a son, Patrick Taylor, born 1983, and a daughter, Emily Christina Gail, born 1989. His wife is Mary Ann Fischer.
Recordings as performer:
North Texas State University One O'Clock Lab Band: 25th Anniversary Celebration (1975), Lab '72, Lab'72-73 "LIVE!", Lab '73, Fifty Years of North Texas Jazz (1997); Lou Fischer's Big Band: The Legend (1981), Royal St. (1983), The Never Ending Blues (1986), Zoot Suit (1992); Thom Mason: Be Do Have; John Gary: Clouds; Pete Petersen/Collection Orchestra: Playing In The Park; Pete Brewer: Dancing Visions; Shelly Berg/Lou Fischer featuring Bill Watrous: Why Not! (Unreleased to date); Jeff Jarvis Solo Album (Unreleased to date); Rich Matteson Sextet featuring Louis Bellson: Pardon Our Dust (1990);Bill Watrous: Bone-i-fied (1992), A Time For Love (1993); SPECTRUM: Capital University Jazz Faculty (1996); Shelly Berg: The Joy (1996); Mile High Jazz Faculty Summer (1999); Sunny Wilkinson: High Wire (1999); Frank Mantooth: A Miracle (1999); Columbus Jazz Orchestra: Band at Work: Twenty-Five Years; YAMAHA Young Performing Artists Awards Concert (2001); Steve Houghton: The Manne We Love: Gershwin Revisited as scored by John Williams, (2002); Matteson-Phillips Tubajazz Consort: Tubajazz Superhorns Live!!!, (2002); Beaux J Poo Boo, All Things Are New (2005); KVIL Christmas: Vol. II; KVIL Christmas: Vol. I; Shirley Chauvin: Sneakin' Up On You, Wax Wing; High Rise: High Rise, Brown Door (1977); Sam Nix: Expressions, Rainbow; David Meece: David, Myrrh; Dave & Shirley Harris: Dave & Shirley Harris Trio, DSH; POCO, Richie Faray: Reunion Tour, Demo
Radio and television broadcasts:
"CBS Sunday Morning" Dr. Billy Taylor w/Red Rodney Quintet 1992
NPR Radio, Live from Four Queens w/Bill Watrous Quartet, Las Vegas, NV 1991, 92
NPR Radio, Austin City Limits w/High Rise, Austin, TX 1979
NPR Radio, Texas Homegrown Concerts w/High Rise, Austin, TX 1978
"A Man Called Sloan": starring Robert Conrad
"Best of Bette Midler": starring Jacklyn Frost
"PM Magazine"
Two Thousand Plus National Jingles Including [but not limited to):
HondaCrestZale's
Church's ChickenHoliday InnSix Flags Over Texas
Marriott Theme ParksSea World Theme ParksKWGN Movie Theme
Kentucky Fried ChickenHeineken Greyhound
Texas Rangers Baseball Wet Ones
Recordings as composer/arranger and/or conductor:
BEAUX J POO BOO, All Things Are New, Summit, 2005
DVD: OMNI VIDEO, TMEA 2002 Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble, (2002)
TMEA 2002 Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble, Mark Records (2002)
IMEA 1998 Indiana All-State Jazz Ensemble, Suttman Productions (1998)
SPECTRUM, Capital University Jazz Faculty (1996)
Shelly Berg, The Joy, DMP (1996)
U.S. Air Force Falconaires Thanks for the Memories (1994)
Shelly Berg/Lou Fischer featuring Bill Watrous: Why Not!, Unreleased to date
Lou Fischer's Big Band:
Zoot Suit, Mark (1992)
The Never Ending Blues, Mark Records (1986)
Royal St., Sea Breeze (1983)
The Legend, LFM (1981)
Shirley Chauvin: Sneakin' Up On You, Wax Wing
High Rise: High Rise, Brown Door (1977)
Compositions:
Published Compositions/Commissioned Works:
Transitions - IllinoisWesleyan University Jazz Ensemble
Weather You Needn't - Phi Mu Alpha, Ball State University
All Things Considered - Phi Mu Alpha,, Louisiana Tech University
Published Compositions/Large Jazz Ensemble:
*The Two of You, Bass Ball,
Shades of Winter, The D.U. Stomp,
*For My Son,*Colours,
*Sasquatch,While You're Down There,
Secrets, I Wonder Why, Can You Feel The Rush, Jessie
Published Compositions/Small Jazz Ensemble (Various Instrumentation):
Angel Fire, From Me To You,
Chinatown, Blue Ridge,
Chippawa,Icicles,
In The Morning,Menudo,
*Deedle, Deedle,On The Sly,
Samba After,Scattered Thoughts,
The Great Escape,Sonia,
Xanadu,The Moment After,
With All My Love
Registered Works/Commissioned Arrangements-Symphony Orchestra:
My Indiana - Muncie Symphony Orchestra
Compositions/Arrangements-Studio Orchestra (Various Instrumentation):
Santa BarbaraWindsong
French FryAnna
LadybirdClose To You
EvergreenThe Rush
Unpublished Chamber Music:
Solitude - Contrabass/Piano
Planet J - Brass Quintet/Electric Bass
Anita - Jazz Quintet
Compositions/Symphony Orchestra:
**Shades of Winter (Mt. Evans Suite) - Tone Poem (Four Movements)
Bibliography:
Works by Fischer:
Dissertation:
A Comparison of Jazz Studies Curricula in Master's Programs in the United States
University Microfilms Incorporated 2000
Textbooks:
Rhythm Section Workshop for Jazz Band Directors, DVD/Teacher's Manual, Five Workbooks, play-a-long CD, ALFRED Music Publishing 2006-prsent
Stylistic Etudes In The Jazz Idiom, Second Edition
Hal Leonard Music Inc. 1996-present
(Editor): Jazz Improvisation: The Goal Note Method
Lou Fischer Music Pub., Inc., Evergreen 1990
Stylistic Etudes In The Jazz Idiom
Lou Fischer Music Pub., Inc., Evergreen 1988
Journal Articles:
Jazz Ensemble New Music
IAJE Jazz Journal May 2003, Vol XXXVI, No. 6
A Typical Master's Program in the United States
IAJE Jazz Journal May 2003, Vol XXXVI, No. 6
Jazz Ensemble New Music
IAJE Jazz Journal May 2001, Vol XXXIII, No. 6
New Music Reading Session
IAJE Jazz Journal July 1996, Vol XXIX, No. 1
Practice Habits
Yamaha New Ways: In Music Education Fall 1995, Vol II, No. 1
At the Pinnacle of Jazz, An Interview with Rufus Reid
The Instrumentalist March 1995, Vol 49, No. 8
IAJE Anaheim Session
IAJE Jazz Journal July 1995, VOl XXVIII, No. 1
Jazz Improvisation: A Holistic Viewpoint
IAJE Jazz Journal May 1994, Vol XXVI, No. 4
IAJE Jazz Band Sight-Reading Library
IAJE Jazz Journal March 1994, Vol XXVI, No. 3
Setting Up The Big Band
IAJE Jazz Journal Spring 1990, Vol XXII, No. 4
Review of New Sight Reading Charts from the 1990 IAJE Convention
IAJE Jazz Journal Apr-May 1990, Vol XXII, No. 4
New Music Sight Reading
IAJE Jazz Journal Spring 1989, Vol XXI, No. 4
Electric Bass Techniques
IAJE Jazz Journal Apr-May 1988, Vol XX, No. 4
Awards/Appointments/Nominations:
Ohio Arts Council Premier Composition Fellowship Award 1998
Greater Columbus Arts Council Composition Fellowship Award 1997
Ohio Music Educator's Association Jazz Events Chair -Professional Conference 1998, 200
Arts MidWest Meet the Composer Grant Recipient 1996
International Association for Jazz Education
International Executive Board-United States Representative 2004-present
Ohio, State Chapter President 2001-03
Outstanding Musicianship Awards
Elmhurst Intercollegiate Jazz Festival 1993-94
University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival 1990-92
Ameritech Website Design Workshop Grant Recipient 1999
Tri-C Jazz Festival Outstanding Arranger/Composer Award 1998
Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year Nomination 1996
Gerhold Award Grant Recipient 1996
Eastern Lutheran College Association Grant Recipient 1996
Eastern Lutheran College Association Grant Recipient 1995
Directed All State Jazz Ensembles of: Texas, Colorado, North Dakota, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois
Contact information:
Dr. Lou Fischer
5940 Carnegie Cove Court
Columbus, OH 43213
(614) 598-6116
