The Fat City Horns
Nathan Tanouye
Born in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1974, Nathan Tanouye began studying music in elementary school, first with piano lessons and later on trombone. At age 11 he moved to Hawaii, where he attended high school and began college. While at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Mr. Tanouye studied trombone with members of the Honolulu Symphony, including Jim Decker and Mike Becker. After receiving a performance scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1995, Mr. Tanouye moved to Las Vegas and completed his degree in both classical and jazz performance.
As a freelance trombonist, he has performed with artists such as Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, The Temptations, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. In addition, Mr. Tanouye has been the principal trombonist in the Las Vegas Philharmonic since 1998. As a composer, he has written works for many different sizes of ensembles, ranging from jazz trio to concert band. In February of 2004, the UNLV Wind Orchestra Premiered Three Steps Forward, a piece written by Mr. Tanouye to feature Eric Marienthal, Will Kennedy, Jimmy Haslip, and Russell Ferrante, later recorded and released on the Klavier label. Mr. Tanouye has also done extensive work as an arranger, including arrangements for a diverse range of ensembles, including 18-piece jazz ensembles and flute and harp duo.
Currently Mr. Tanouye is performing and writing for Bette Midler in Las Vegas.