A Little Knight Music

 Phone 561.498.8866 • knightmusic@bellsouth.net • Fax 561.498.8046

Jean BolducJean Bolduc

Drummer extraordinaire Jean Bolduc has enjoyed making music with Ted Knight since the 1980s.

They could only play together occasionally due to Jean's busy schedule, but whenever their paths crossed the results always seemed magical.

They often met on gigs with Ted's late father, Vic Knight, like the big band date below. The location was Erny's of Delray Beach, a well-known restaurant, saloon and jazz spot that closed in the 90s after a fifty-year run.

Vic Knight Big Band at Erny'sThat's Ted behind the baby grand, with Jean getting a real earful thanks to the close quarters. Click to enlarge.

In a twist of fate, it was after Jean and his family moved from Ft. Lauderdale to the Tampa area in 2000 that the friendship between Jean and Ted deepened.

Ted asked Jean if he would mind coming back to South Florida for an occasional date and was delighted when he said yes. Since then he's played for several of the annual big band breakfast concerts in Lantana, even though the concerts are always on a Sunday morning and he's more than four hours away by car.

Knight Music was growing, with gigs no longer just in southeast Florida. Ted called on Jean for Gulf coast dates like the annual yacht club ball at Boca Grande, and for weddings in Tampa and Sanibel. Jean came to the east coast to play with Ted's eleven-piece orchestra for a country club gala.

CD coverWhen Ted decided to record his first album, Jean came to Delray Beach for the session. With Paul Magersuppe on sax, Dave Gibble on trumpet, bassist Michael "Pops" Burns, and vocalist Evelyn Russell, they completed the album in a single Sunday afternoon.

Jean was the secret weapon, because in addition to being a fine drummer he's also a recording engineer. He's worked with such diverse performers as Gloria Estefan, The Gap Band, Deep Purple, Ronnie Milsap, and Ellis Marsalis.

Glen Rovinelli ran the recorder at the Knight Music session, but Jean's knowledge helped to get a great sound in Ted's living room studio. Marie, Ted's wife and manager, fixed dinner for everyone afterward. The resulting album, Beautiful Love, was released in 2007.

Jean Bolduc engineered or co-engineered each of the recordings below, and played drums on each cut as well. The first two are from a concert at Lantana Airport with Ted's twenty-piece big band. The next two selections are from a wedding at Sanibel Harbor Resort with the eight-piece Ted Knight Orchestra, and the last two are from from Beautiful Love. Also hear Jean's playing at the session in Rock Hill.