Big Band Chronology (Nov 21 -27)

Nov 21

I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me

Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Roy Eldridge

• Tenor saxophonist, Coleman Hawkins, often referred to as the Bean and Hawk, was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, 1904. Hawkins joined Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds in 1921, and toured with them through 1923. Hawkins joined Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, where he remained until 1934, sometimes doubling on clarinet and bass saxophone. Hawkins's playing changed significantly during Louis Armstrong's tenure with the Henderson Orchestra during 1924-25. In 1934, Hawkins accepted an invitation to play with Jack Hylton's band in London, and toured Europe as a soloist until 1939, memorably working with Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter in Paris in 1937.
  

Nov 22

• Reedman Ernie Caceres was born in Rockport Tx., 1911. In 1938 Caceres became a member of Bobby Hackett's band, and thereafter became a highly sought sideman, playing with Jack Teagarden in 1939 and then in Glenn Miller's orchestra from February 1940 to September 1942. While with Miller, he made an appearance in the films Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942). Time with Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, and Tommy Dorsey followed later in the 1940s. At the beginning of the 1960s he played with the Billy Butterfield Band.

• Glenn Miller records In a Dutch Garden (v Eberle), This Changing World (v Eberle), On a Little Street in Singapore (v Eberle), and Vagabond Dreams (v - Eberle), 1939.

Band Roster
Trumpets: Clyde Hurley, Legh Knowles, Dale McMickle, Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Al Mastran, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo
Reeds: Hal McIntyre (as), Jimmy Abato (as,bs), Wilbur Schwartz (as, cl), Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Richard Fisher (g), Rowland Bundock (b), Maurice Purtill (d)
Vocals: Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton

• Glenn Miller records A Stone's Throw From Heaven (v - Eberle), Helpless (v - Eberle), Longtime No See Baby (v - Hutton), and You are the One (Eberle), 1940.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Billy May, Ray Anthony, Dale McMickle, Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jimmy Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo
Reeds: Hal McIntyre (as), Ernie Caseres (as,bs,cl), Wilbur Schwartz (as, cl), Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor(p), Jack Lathrop (g), Herman "Trigger" Albert (b), Maurice Purtill (d)
Vocals: Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton

Nov 23

• Trumpeter, trombonist, and composer, Johnny Mandel was born New York, 1925. In 1943 he played the trumpet with Joe Venuti, in 1944 with Billy Rogers and trombone with Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Rich, Georgie Auld and Chubby Jackson. From 1951 till 1953 he played and arranged music Elliott Lawrence. Mandel joined Count Basie in 1953. Mandel's most famous compositions include Suicide Is Painless (theme from the movie and TV series M*A*S*H), Close Enough for Love, Emily and A Time for Love. He co-wrote with Paul Webster The Shadow of Your Smile.

Nov 24

• Glenn Miller records Moonlight Sonata, Slumber Song, White Cliffs of Dover (v - Eberle), We're the Couple in the Castle (v - Eberle), and It Happened in Hawaii (v - Eberle), 1941.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Billy May, Reuben "Zeke" Zarchy, Dale McMickle, Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jimmy Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo
Reeds: Lloyd Skippy Martin (as), Ernie Caseres (as, cl, bs), Wilbur Schwartz (as, cl), Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Bobby Hackett (g), Doc Goldberg (b), Maurice Purtill (d).

• The Andrew Sisters record Bei Mir Bist du Schoen, 1937. This popular Yiddish song was composed by Jacob Jacobs (lyricist) and Sholom Secunda (composer) for a Yiddish musical, I Would if I Could (in Yiddish, Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht) in 1932. It became the Andrew Sister's first major hit, earning them a Gold Record, the first ever to a female vocal group.

• Pianist Teddy Wilson was born in Austin, TX, 1912. After working in the Lawrence "Speed" Webb band, with Louis Armstrong and also "understudying" Earl Hines in Hines's Grand Terrace Cafe Orchestra, Wilson joined Benny Carter's Chocolate Dandies in 1933. In 1935, Wilson joined the Benny Goodman Trio (which consisted of Goodman, Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa, later expanded to the Benny Goodman Quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton). The trio performed during the big band's intermissions. In joining the trio, Wilson became the first black musician to perform in public with a previously all-white jazz group.

• Fletcher Henderson records Shanghai Shuffle, NYC 1924.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Louis Armstrong, Elmer Chambers, Howard Scott
Trombones: Charlie Green
Reeds: Buster Bailey (cl), Don Redman (as), Coleman Hawkins (ts)
Rhythm: Fletcher Henderson (p), Charlie Dixon (bjo), unknown (b), Kaiser Marshall (d)

Nov 25

• Stan Kenton’s big break comes when he opens at the Hollywood Palladium for 5 weeks in 1941.

• Alto Saxophonist Willie Smith was born on this day in 1910. Smith's first instrument was clarinet. He received his chemistry degree from Fisk University. Nevertheless in 1929 he became an alto saxophonist for Jimmie Lunceford's band. He would be one of the main stars in Lunceford's group until 1942. Smith later went on to play with Harry James, Duke Ellington, and Billy May.

Nov 26

• Band leader Tommy Dorsey, age 51, dies at his Greenwich Ct home in 1956

Nov 27

• Billy Holiday (17) debuts with Benny Goodman in 1933 on the recording Your Mother’s Son In-law. Also recorded in that session was Tappin' the Barrell (v - Jack Teagarden).

Band Roster

Trumpet: Charlie Teagarden, Shirley Clay
Trombone: Jack Teagarden
Reeds: Benny Goodman (cl), Arthur Karle (ts)
Rhythm: Dick McDonough (p), Artie Bernstein (b), Gene Krupa (d)
Vocals: Billy Holiday, Jack Teagarden.

• First Bob Eberly / Helen O’Connell duet, Do It Again, is recorded with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in 1939.

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
Email Me

The Wizard of Waukesha

How High The Moon, The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise, and Vaya Con Dios
Les Paul and Mary Ford


Just a little over three months ago, one of music’s greatest legends passed away -- Les Paul of the famous duo Les Paul and Mary Ford. George Spink wrote a very fitting article for The Palomar on August 13th, the day that Les died, briefly covering his career.



I wanted to do a follow up on George’s piece as a result of watching a PBS Special presentation of American Masters called “Les Paul: Chasing Sound”. This special can be watched for free on Fancast.com. Click on this link to see it:

Les Paul: Chasing Sound

Lester William Polsfuss was born in Waukesha, WI in 1916 to parents of German ancestry. His mother was related to the founders of Blatz Brewing Company and the makers of the famous Stutz Bearcat automobile. [1]

He got his start in music at the early age of eight playing the harmonica and then moved to the banjo. By the age of 13, Les had learned to play the guitar and by the age of 17 Les landed his first real “gig” with Rube Tronson's Texas Cowboys. [1]

In 1937 Les teamed up with guitarist Jim Atkins (Chet Atkins older half-brother) and Ernie Newton to form the Les Paul Trio. By 1939, he and his trio migrated to New York, where they were hired by Fred Waring.

It was while in New York he had become dis-satisfied with the sound he was getting from his hollow body guitar so he crafted what was to become famously known as “The Log”. Les had taken a piece of a 4” X 4” lumber, something like a fence post, attached the fret board to the piece of wood, some electrical pickups and the body of an Epiphone hollow-body guitar, sawn lengthwise with “The Log” in the middle, thus the first Les Paul Guitar!

Paul approached the Gibson Guitar Corporation with his idea of a solid body electric guitar; they showed no interest until Fender began marketing its Esquire and Telecaster models. Gibson designed a guitar incorporating Paul's suggestions in the early 1950s and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a endorsement contract for what became the Gibson "Les Paul" model guitar.

After the war, Paul relocated to Los Angles, where he met a country-western singer, Colleen Summers. When they began working together, she adopted the stage name of Mary Ford. They married in 1949.



Paul and Mary recorded scores of songs during their marriage and have remained one of the most revered couples in modern music. They were divorced in 1963. Mary passed away in 1977. She and Les racked up 16 top 10 hits from 1950 to 1954. Mary Ford died of complications from diabetes at the age of 53. [2]

Paul once said that the one guitarist he most admired was Django Reinhardt with whom he became good friends after the war. One of his prized possessions was Django’s Selmer Maccaferri guitar given to him by Django's widow. Reinhardt's Les Paul Gibson guitar that he had received while on tour in the US with Duke Ellington was burned along with all his other worldly possessions, as was the Manouche tradition after one’s death. Paul thought so highly of Django that he furnished the headstone for Django’s grave.

When Les passed away in August, the list of guitarists who expressed their sorrow was a list of Who’s Who in the music industry: Trey Anastasio, Eric Clapton, Randy Bachman, Jeff Hanneman, Robby Krieger, B.B. King, Pete Townshend, Tad Kubler, Slash, Jeff Beck, Angus Young, Joe Satriani, Kirk Hammet, Brian "Head" Welch, Joe Perry, Eddie Van Halen, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Brian May, Tom Morello and Keith Richards. Paul was the godfather of rock guitarist Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band, to whom Paul gave his first guitar lesson. [1]

In 1979, Paul and Ford's 1951 recording of "How High the Moon" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, just one of the many awards that he received during his life, not only as one of the world’s greatest guitarists but as an inventor and musical innovator. Paul will be sadly missed by his fans worldwide.

Vaya con Dios to this great man.

Spencer "Wolf" Smartt
Dallas, Texas
Email Me

Footnotes
1. Les Paul
2. Mary Ford

Big Band Chronology (Nov 14 - 20)

Nov 14

• Singer Matha "Liltin' Miss" Tilton was born in Corpus Christi, Tx, 1915. An audition at a local radio station led to work singing at the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove, followed by a stint touring with Hal Grayson's band. In 1937, she was singing with a popular vocal quartet called "Three Hits and a Miss" that was hired for Benny Goodman's "Camel Caravan" radio program. As a featured vocalist with Goodman from 1937 to 1939, Ms. Tilton recorded more than 80 songs, among them the definitive version of Ziggy Elman and Johnny Mercer's And the Angels Sing. She also received ovations after singing Loch Lomond and Bei Mir Bist Du Schon at the band's Carnegie Hall concert on Jan. 16, 1938.
  

• During a series of recording sessions on Nov 14, 20, and 22, 1944, Tommy Dorsey records On the Sunny Side of the Street (v The Sentimentalsts) and Sy Oliver's Opus No. 1. Other charts recorded during these sessions include I Dream of You (v Freddy Stewart), Like someone in Love (v Bonnie Lou Williams), I Should Care (v Wiliams & The Sentimentalsts), Sleigh Ride in July (v Williams), Please Don't Say No (v Stewart), Your Driving Me Crazy (v The Sentimentalsts), and More and More (v Williams).

Band Roster

Trumpets: Vito Mangano, George Seaberg, Dale Pierce, Roger Ellick
Trombones: Tommy Dorsey, Nelson Riddle, Walter Benson, Colin Satterwhite
Reeds: Sid Cooper, Buddy De Franco, Bruce Branson, Gail Curis, Al Klink
Rhythm: Milt Golden (p), Rober Bain (g), Sid Block (b), Joseph Park (tuba), Buddy Rich (d)
Strings: 9 strings
Vocal: Bonnie Lou Williams, Freddy Stewart, The Sentimentals

Nov 15

• Drummer Gus Johnson was born in Tyler, Tx 1913. Played with Jay Mcshann, Earl Hines, and Count Basie.

• Cootie williams leaves Ellington to join Benny Goodman.

• Dorsey Brothers record Sandman, 1934. Other charts recorded in that session include Apache, It's Dark on Observatory Hill, and Blame it on My Youth.

Band Roster not availble for session. In August of 1934 the band had the following:

Trumpet: George Thow or Jerry Neary
Trombone: Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Don Mattison
Reeds: Jimmy Dorsey (as, cl), Jack Stacey (as), Skeets Herfurt (ts)
Rhythm: Bob Van Epps (p), Roc Hillman (g), Delmar Kaplan (b), Ray McKinley (d)
Vocals: Bob Crosby, Kay Weber

Nov 16

• In 2 sessions on Nov. 16 and Dec. 10, 1945, Woody Herman records Wild Root, Atlanta, G.A., Everybody Knew But Me, Let It Snow, and Blowin' Up a Storm.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Irving Lewis, Shorty Rogers, Neal Hefti, Sonny Berman, Pete Candoli,
Trombones: Bill Harris, Ralph Pfiffner, Ed Kiefer
Reeds: woody Herman (cl), Sam Marowitz, John La Porta, Flip Phillips, Mickey Folus, Skippy de Sair
Rhythm: Tony Aless (p), Billy Bauer (g), Chubby Jackson (b), Don Lamond (d), Marjorie Hyams (vibes)
Vocal: Frances Wayne

Nov 17

• Trumpeter Shorty Sherock was born in Minneapolis, Mn., 1915. Played with Jimmy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, Sam Donahue, and Nelson Riddle.

• Sam Donahue records Sax-O-Boogie, 1947.

Nov 18

• Bix Beiderbecke records for the first time with Paul Whiteman, 1927. Bix solos on Washboard Blues. Other soloists and members of the orchestra included:

Andy Secrest (tp), Tommy Dorsey (tb, tp), Jimmy Dorsey (cl, as, tp), Izzy Friedman (cl), Frankie Traumbauer (as), Min Liebrook (bass Sax), Carl Kress (g), Eddie Lang (g), Joe Venuti (v), Matty Malneck (v), Hoagy Carmichael (vocals)

Nov 19

• Bandleader Harry Freidland, better known as The Blue Barron (sometime King of the Mickey Mouse Bands) born Cleveland, 1913. His hits include Cruising Down the River (1948), Let Me In (1951), and You Walked By (1941).
  

• Ella Fitzgerald, 18, records My Last Affair, 1936 with a band called Ella Fitzgerald and Her Savoy Eight. Other charts recorded include Organ Grinder's Skill, Shine, and Darktown Strutters Ball.

Band Roster

Taft Johnson (tp), Sandy Williams (tb), Pete Clark (cl & bar), Teddy McRae (ts), Tommy Fulford (p), John Trueheart (g), Beverly Peer (b), chik Webb (d), ella Fitzgerald (v).

• Stan Kenton records Artistry in Rhythm 1943. Other charts recorded in that session include Harlem Folk Dance, Do Nothing Till you Hear from Me, and Eager Beaver.

Band Roster

Trumpet: Karl George, Buddy hilders, John Carroll, Ray Borden, Dick Morse
Trombones: Harry Forbes, Bart Varsalona, George Faye
Reeds: Eddie Mysers (as), Art Pepper (as), Red Dorris (ts), Maurice Beeson (ts), Bob Gioga (bs)
Rhythm: Stan Kenton (p), Joe Vernon (d), Bob Ahern (g), Clyde Singleton (b)

• Trombonist, trumpeter and bandleader Tommy Dorsey, "The Sentimenal Gentleman of Swing", was born in Shenadoah, Pa. 1905.

• Chick Webb records Blue Lou, 1934. Other charts recorded in tha session include Its Over Because We're Through, Don't Be That Way, and What a Shuffle.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordon
Trombones: Sandy Williams, Claude Jones
Reeds: Pete Clark, Edgar Sampson, Elmer Williams, Wayman Carver
Rhythm: Joe steele (p), John Trueheart (bjo, g), Chick Webb (d), John Kirby (b)
Vocals: Taft Jordon, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Linton

Nov 20

• Les Brown records Sentimental Journey with Doris Day on vocals, 1944.

• Vocalist June "Misty Miss" Christy was born Shirley Luster in Springfield, Il., 1925. After graduating from high school she headed to Chicago, where she landed a job with progressive jazz orchestra leader Boyd Raeburn and changed her name to Sharon Leslie. In 1945 She Joined Stan Kenton's band and changed her name to June Christy. Her hits with Kenton include Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy, the million-selling Tampico in 1945, and How High the Moon. Tampico was Kenton's biggest-selling record.
  Tampico - June Christy with Stan Kenton
  
  

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
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Big Band Chronlogy (Nov 7 - 13)

Nov 7

• Trumpet and flugelhorn player Milton "Shorty" Rogers, 70, dies in LA, 1994. Rogers played with Will Bradley, Red Norvo, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. He was one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz.
  

• Trumpeter Al Hirt was born in New Orleans. After the World War II, Hirt played for Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Ina Ray Hutton, and Horace Heidt.

Nov 8

• Singer Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer In Kansas City, 1927. She sang with Claude Thornhill, Stan Kenton, and Jerry Wald.

• Trombonist Keg Johnson, 58, died in Chicago 1967. Played with Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, and Cab Calloway.

• Glenn Miller records Fresh as a Daisey (v - Hutton, Lothrop, Beneke), Isn't That Just Like Love (v - Lathrop), Along the Santa Fe Trail (v - Eberle), and Do You Know Why (v - Eberle) 1940.
  

Band Roster

Trumpets: Billy May, Ray Anthony, Johnny Best, Dale McMickle
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jimmy Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo
Reeds: Hal MIntyre (as), Ernie Caceres (as,bar,cl), Wilbur Schwartz (cl,as), Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Jack Lathrop (g), Herman Trigger Albert (b), Maurice Purtill (d)

Nov 9

• Trumpeter and cornetist Francis Joseph Julian "Muggsy" Spanier was born in Chicago, 1906. Proponent of Dixieland.

Nov 10

• Trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger, Billy May was born in Pittsburgh 1913. May arranged Ray Noble's Cherokee for Charlie Barnet which became Barnet's biggest hit, and a key inspiration for bebop (Charlie Parker's Ko-ko is based on the changes in Cherokee). May rewrote the entire Barnet book from scratch after the original music burned in the Palomar Theatre fire in October 1939. May composed with Barnet the satirical chart The wrong Idea which lampooned sweet bands especially targeting Sammy Kay. In 1940, Glenn Miller hired May as an arranger and trumpet player. In the 50's May formed his own orchestra. May developed "slurping saxophones" sound--a glissando at the beginning of each phrase. He eventually sold the rights to the band and its book to Ray Anthony.
  

• Lionel Hampton records Midnight Sun, 1946
  
  Midnight Sun
  Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
  
  

Nov 11

• Pianist, singer, and composer Hoagy Carmichael is born in Bloomington, In, 1899. He is best known for writing Stardust (1927), Georgia On My Mind, and Heart and Soul, three of the most-recorded American songs of all time.
  

• Claude Thornhill records a Sunday Kind of Love in 1946. Fran Warren is on vocals.

Nov 12

• Trumpet player and arranger, Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton was born in Parsons, Ks, 1911. He played with Basie from 1937-1943.

• Alto saxophonist, Charlie Mariano was born in Boston, 1923. He played with San Kenton.

Nov 13

• Benny Goodman records Eddie Sauter's Benny Rides Again 1940. Other charts recorded in that session include Nobody, Henderson Stomp, and The Man I Love.

Band Roster

Trumpets: alec Fila, Jimmy Maxwell, Irving Goodman, Cootie Williams
Trombones:Lou MGarity, Re Gingler
Reeds: Benny Goodman (cl), Gus Bivona, Skippy Martin, Bob Snyder, Georgie Auld, Jack Henderson
Rhythm: Bernie Leighton or Fletcher Henderson (p), Mike Bryan (g), Artie Bernstein (b), Harry Jaeger (d)

• Bandleader and pianist Bennie Moten was born in Kansas City, 1894. In 1929 when Moten recruited Count Basie, Walter Page and Oran 'Hot Lips' Page for his band te Kansas City Orchestra.When Moten died in 1935 after a surgical procedure, the band unsuccessfully attempted to stay together. Then Basie formed a new band, which included many Moten alumni.
  

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
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The Original Bands - In Stereo

Most of us who were born too late to have heard the original big bands in person have long ago become accustomed to the narrow sound of most 78s. We try to imagine what it must have sounded like to hear the music as it was meant to be. Processes such as CEDAR and other filtering techniques can do a lot to fill missing bits of the sound spectrum, but it's almost impossible to artificially take apart the old monaural sound tracks and put them back together as stereo.

It's not for want of trying - almost from the day that electrical sound transmission was developed, engineers tried to give some sort of depth to the process. Schemes ranged from banks of microphones and speakers to the primitive stereo LP's developed by Bell Labs in the early 1930s.

For a number of reasons none of these experiments ever became commercially viable. It took the great Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Leopold Stokowski to help create the first generally available stereo recording. He realized that even if stereo records weren't practical, movie film was. Nothing prevented adding another sound track, or even tracks, so long as the playback equipment was available. Optical film tracks were also able to capture a far wider frequency range than discs. As we all know, the result was the "Fantasound" system on which he and the Fabulous Philadelphians recorded the soundtrack to Walt Disney's groundbreaking Fantasia. But in spite of being as much of a technical leap as CDs were from vinyl, Fantasound was prohibitively expensive for all except the largest theatres.

Even though Fantasound didn't work out, both Fox and MGM realized that a simplified version of it could improve film sound quality at a lower cost. Instead of putting stereo playback equipment in every theatre, they made multi-track recordings on their sound stage. The sound engineers then replayed the master tracks as many times as needed to create an optimum mono mix that could be presented anywhere.

And that's where the big bands come in. Through a happy accident of history, Fox and MGM began stereo recording just about the same time that several top bands were appearing in full-length musicals. Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw all put their orchestras on the studios' multi-mike stages.

Moonlight Serenade/I Know Why (Stereo)
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
Pat Friday, John Payne, and The Modernaires (Vocalists)
From Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
Twentieth-Century Fox
The Original Glenn Miller Orchestra In True Stereo
Viper's Nest VN-157 (1994)


The only problem for us some two-thirds of a century later is that the masters were thought of as intermediate steps that didn't necessarily have to be preserved so no one went out of their way to save them. But that neglect meant no one really went out of their way to destroy the masters either. Over the last couple of decades a tantalizing number of them have been found and restored. It's once again possible to hear at least a few examples of how those great bands sounded in full-dimensional, near-high fidelity.

Here are links to a few of the recordings available on George's site as well as YouTube. For the techies among us, MGM's system of track synchronization was far better than Fox's. You may hear bits of what's called "phase shift" in a couple of places on I Know Why, but that shouldn't detract from just how incredible it is to listen to the bands as they were meant to be heard.

Glenn Miller - Moonlight Serenade and I Know Why

Tommy Dorsey - Fascinatin' Rhythm
Here are three more songs that demonstrate big bands in stereo:

It Happened in Sun Valley
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra



Song of India
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra



Theme/Well, Git It!
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

Jeff Karpinski
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
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Big Band Chronology (Oct 31 - Nov 6)

Oct 31

• Stardust was first recorded as an up-tempo instrumental by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927. The band which consisted of the Emil Seidel Orchestra and the Dorsey brothers appeared on the record label as Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals. In 1929, Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics for the piece. Although a slow version of the song was recorded in 1928, it wasn't until Isham Jones recorded it on May 16, 1930 that it became a ballad.
  Stardust - performed by Glenn Miller, Spanky and Her Gang, and Bobby Byrne
  
  

Nov 2

• Trumpeter and bandleader, Bunny Berigan was born in Hilbert Wisconsin, 1908. In the early 1930's, he played with Fred Rich, FreddyMartin , Ben Selvin, Paul Whiteman, Abe Lyman, the Dorsey Brothers, and Glenn Miller's earliest recording dae. In 1935, Berigan joined Benny Goodman's orchestra, and was with Goodman at the Palomar Ballroom gig which is considered the start of the swing era. Berigan left Goodman to spend some time with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra; his solo on the Dorsey hit "Marie" became one of his signature performances.
  
  
  
  In 1937, Berigan assembled a band to record under his name, picking the then-little known Ira Gershwin/Vernon Duke composition I Can't Get Started. Berigan's business troubles drove him to declare bankruptcy in 1940 and re-join Tommy Dorsey for a brief period before leaving to form a new small group to play mostly one-night stands.
  

• Arranger and composer, Johnny Richards was born Juan Ricardo Cascales,in Querétaro, Mexico, 1911. He arranged for Stan Kenton in the 1950's. Richards composed the music for Young at Heart (1953) made famous by Frank Sinatra.
  

Nov 3

• Glenn Miller records String of Pearls, 1941. Other charts recorded in that session include Humpty Dumpty Heart (v Eberle), Ev'rything I Love (v Eberle), Day Dreaming (v Eberle and the Modernaires), Long Tall Mama and Baby Mine (v Eberle)
  

Band Roster:

Trumpets: Billy May, Alec Fila, Dale McMickle, Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jimmy, Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank, D'Annolfo
Reeds: Tex Beneke (lead as), Ernie Caceres (as, cl, bar), Wilbur Schwartz (cl, as), Irving Babe Russin (ts), Al Klinck (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Bobby Hacket (g, cornet), Doc Goldberg (b), Maurice Purtill (d)

• Woody Herman debuts as a band leader at the Roseland in Brooklyn, 1936.

Nov 4

• Pianist Ralph Sutton was born in Hamburg, Missouri 1922. Played with Jack Teagarden.

Nov 5

• Frank Sinatra cuts I've Got a Crush on You wit Bobby Hacket, 1947

• Guy Lombardo, 75, dies 1977 ending 50 years of "the sweetest music this side if heaven."

• Glenn Miller has his first coast-to-coast radio broadcast (WJZ network line via WBZ over NBC) 1937.

• Glenn Miller records Indian Summer (v Eberle), 1939. Other charts recorded include It Was Written in the Stars (v Eberle) and Johnson Rag.

Band Roster

Trumpets: Clyde Hurley, Legh Knowles, Dale McMickle, Johnny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller Al Mastren, Paul Tanner, Tommy Mack
Reeds: Hal McIntyre (as), Jimmy Abato (as, bar), Wilbur Schwartz (cl, as), Tex Beneke (ts), al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Richard Fisher (g), Rowland Bunbock (b), Maurice Purtill (d)

Nov 6

• Woody Herman records first records with his new band Nov 6/11 1936. Charts recorded include Wintertime Dreams, The Goose Hangs High, Someone to Care for Me, I Can't Pretend, Now that Summer is Gone and Old Fashion Swing.
  

Band Roster

Trumpets: Clarence Willard, Kermit Simmons, Joe Bishop (Fluegelhorn)
Trombones: Neal Reid
Reeds: Woody Herman (cl, vocal), Jack ferrier, Deane Kinkaide, saxie Manfield, Bruce Wilkins
Strings: Nick Hupfer (v)
Ryhthm: Tommy Linehan (p), Oliver Mathewson (g), Walt Yoder (b), Frank Carlson (d)

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
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Tuxedo Junction's Juke Box Pages

Juke Box Saturday Night
Larry O'Brien and The Glenn Miller Orchestra
with Nick Hilscher, Julia Rich, and The Moonlight Serenaders
In recent months, I have been building Juke Box Pages for our sister big band site, Tuxedo Junction. You'll now find nearly 50 of these Pages. Links to them appear in our sidebar on the left -- just scroll down. You'll also find them on these two Tuxedo Junction Pages:

Welcome Page - http://tuxjunction.net/welcome.htm

Juke Box Page - http://tuxjunction.net/jukebox.htm

Our Juke Box Pages allow you to play any song you wish. All you have to do is click the "Play" button. As you explore our Juke Box Pages, you'll find a variety of big bands and vocal groups -- and hundreds of songs!

Our Playlist Pages worked differently. Just sit back, relax, and listen to the songs play automatically, one after another. You'll find links to more than 60 Playlist Pages on this Page:

Playlist Pages - http://tuxjunction.net/playlistpages.htm

Finally, we have a separate Playlists Page on Tuxedo Junction that allows you to hear one Playlist after another. This Page has four FlashWidgetz Players each containing a variety of Playlists. Moreover, you'll find these four FlashWidgetz Players near the bottom of this page!

It will take you weeks, if not months, to listen to all of the music. Enjoy these pages when you can. Take your time! There is no hurry!

By the way, October 19th marked the ninth anniversary of Tuxedo Junction. I launched it because I knew from web surfing that there were many others on the Internet who shared my love of big band music, the Swing Era. Visitors to Tuxedo Junction come from all over the world. They live in more than 55 nations. I've met a few in person and have received emails from countless more who enjoy Tuxedo Junction and The Palomar.

Thank you for making our sites so popular!

George Spink
Moderator - The Palomar
Los Angeles, California
Email Me

Big Band Chronology (Oct 24 - 30)

Oct 24

• Trumpeter Edawad Farley and Mike Riley record their composition The Music Goes Round and Round, 1935. Lyrics were provided by Red Hodson. Tommy Dorsey recorded the hit in 1936. The song was later used that year in a the musical interlude for the Columbia movie "The Music Goes 'Round". The New York Times wrote: "If we really wanted to be nasty about it, we could say that this Farley-Riley sequence is the best thing in the new picture. At least it makes no pretense of being anything but a musical interlude dragged in by the scruff of its neck to illustrate the devastating effect upon the public of some anonymous young busybody's question about the workings of a three-valve horn."

• Double bassist Wendell Marshall was born in St. Louis, 1920. After World War II, Marshall played with Stuff Smith and Mercer Ellington. From 1948 to 1955, he played with Duke Ellington.

Oct 25

• Composer, bandleader, Bassist Chubby Jackson was born in New York City 1918. Jackson performed and/or recorded with Louis Armstrong, Raymond Scott, Jan Savitt, Henry Busse, Charlie Barnet, Oscar Pettiford, Charlie Ventura, Lionel Hampton, Bill Harris, Woody Herman, Gerry Mulligan and others. He is perhaps best known for his spirited work both with the Herman bands, and as a leader of his own bands, big and small. Jackson composed Northwest Passage for Woody Herman.

• Tuba and bass player, violinist, and music educator Major Holley died in Maplewood, NJ, 1990. He played with Woody Herman and Ellington. Holley also taught at Berklee College of Music.

Oct 26

• Saxophonist and bandleader, Charlie Barnet was born in New York City, 1913. Although he began his recording career in October, 1933, Charlie Barnet was at the height of his popularity between 1939 and 1941, a period that began with his hit version of Cherokee, written by Ray Noble and arranged by Billy May. In 1944, Barnet had another big hit with Skyliner. In 1947, he started to switch from swing music to bebop. During his swing period his band included Buddy DeFranco, Roy Eldridge, Neal Hefti, Lena Horne, Barney Kessel, Dodo Marmorosa, Oscar Pettiford, and Art House, while later versions of the band included Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, and Clark Terry. Trumpeter Billy May was an arranger in the Charlie Barnet Orchestra before joining Glenn Miller in 1940. He was one of the first bandleaders to integrate his band; the year is variously given as 1935 or 1937. Barnet was an outspoken admirer of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. In 1939, Basie once lent Barnet his charts after Barnet's had been destroyed in a fire at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles.
  
  
  
  Throughout his career he was an opponent of syrupy arrangements. In the song The Wrong Idea, he lampooned the "sweet" Big Band sound of the era.
  

• Adelaide Hall records Creole Love Call with Ellington, 1927.

Band Roster:

Trumpets: Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf
Trombones: Joe "Trick Sam" Nanton
Reeds: Rudy Jackson (ts, cl), Otto Hardwick (as), Harry Carney (bs)
Rhythm: Duke Ellington (p), Fred Guy (bjo), Billy taylor (b), Sonny Greer (d)
Vocals: Adelaide Hall

Oct 27

• Bandleader and saxophonist Boyd Raeburn was born in Faith, SD 1913. In the 30's the band started out as a traditional orchestra. In 1942, Raeburne started transforming the band into a jazz orchestra.

Oct 28

• Trombonist Bill Harris was born in Philadelphia 1916. Early in his career, Harris performed with Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Eddie Condon. He is renowned for his broad, thick tone and quick vibrato that remained for the duration of each tone. He went on to join Woody Herman's First Herd in 1944. He was also in the Four Brothers Second Herd during the late 1940s, and he worked with Herman again in the 1950s.

Oct 29

• Woody Herman passes away on October 29, 1987.

• Trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader Neal Hefti was born in Hastings, Nebraska, 1922. In 1942, Hefti played with Charlie Barnet for whom he wrote the classic arrangement of Skyliner. He played with Charlie Spivak in 1943. After playing with Horace Heidt in Los Angeles for a few months in 1944, Hefti met up with Woody Herman and joined the progressive First Herd band as a trumpeter. He composed and arranged some of First Herd's most popular recordings, including two of the band's finest instrumentals: Wild Root and The Good Earth. He also wrote band favorites such as Apple Honey, Blowin' Up a Storm, and a magnificent arrangement of Happiness is a Thing Called Joe that featured Frances Wayne on vocal.

October 30

• Woody Herman cuts first vocals with Isham Jones, 1935.

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
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Big Band Chronology (Oct 17 - 23)

Oct 17

• Drummer William Randolph "Cozy" Cole was born in 1909 in East Orange, New Jersey. His first music job was with Wilber Sweatman in 1928. In 1930, he played for Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, recording an early drum solo on Load of Cole. Cole spent 1931–33 with Blanche Calloway, 1933-34 with Benny Carter, 1935-36 with Willie Bryant, 1936-38 with Stuff Smith's small combo, and 1938-42 with Cab Calloway. In 1942, he was hired by CBS Radio music director Raymond Scott as part of network radio's first mixed-race orchestra. After that Cole played with Louis Armstrong's All Stars.
  

Oct 18

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra

• Tommy Dorsey cuts his theme song I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, 1935. Other charts recorded in this session include: Now You've Got Me Doing It, I've Got a Note, It's Written in the Stars, and One Umbrella for Two.
  

Band Roster:
Trumpets: Andy Ferretti, Sterling Bose, Bil Graham, Cliff Weston
Trombones: Tommy Dorsey, Ben Pickering, Dave Jacobs
Reeds: Sid Stoneburn, Noni Bernardi, Clyde Rounds, Johnny Van Eps
Rhythm: Paul Mitchelll (p), Mac Cheikes, (g), Gene Traxler (b), Sam Rosen (d)
Vocals: Edythe Wright

• Singer Anita Belle Colton better known as Anita O'Day was born in Chicago, 1919. She sang with Gene Krupa recording 34 sides including Let Me Off Uptown, a novelty duet with Roy Eldridge, that became her first big hit. When Krupa's band broke in 1943, O'Day briefly joined Woody Herman . She joined Stan Kenton's band in April 1944 recording 21 sides. And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine became a huge seller and put Kenton's band on the map. She also appeared in one soundie with Kenton, performing I'm Going Mad for a Pad and Tabby the Cat. In 1945 she rejoined Krupa's band and stayed almost a year.
  

Oct 19

• Bob Crosby records I'm Free (later renamed What's New?), 1938. During a three-day recording session the following charts were also recorded: What Have you Got that Gets Me, You're Lovely Madame, Two Sleepy People, Wait to My Heart Finds Out, Deep in a Dream, Hurry Home, Honky Tonk Train Blues, I'm Prayin' Humble, Swingin' A the Sugar Bowl, Diga Diga Do (pts 1 & 2), Summertime and My Inspiration.
  

Band Roster:

Trumpets: Zeke Zachery, Sterling Bose, Billy Butterfield
Trombones: Ward Silloway, Warren Smith
Reeds: Irving Fazola (cl), Matty Matlock, Gil Rodin, Joe Kearns, Eddie Miller
Rhythm: Bob Zurke (p), Nappy Lamare (g), Bob Haggart (b), Ray Baudauc
Vocals: Bob Crosby, Marion Mann

• Band Leader Isham Jones, 62, dies in Hollywood, 1956.

Oct 20

• Trumpeter Johnny Best was born Shelby, NC, 1913. In the 30's, Best played with Les Brown, Charlie Barnet, and Artie Shaw (1937-39), then joined Glenn Miller's orchestra from 1939 to 1942. He spent a short time with Bob Crosby before serving in the Navy during World War II playing in Shaw's military band in 1942-43 and Sam Donahue's in 1944-45. Following a stint with Benny Goodman in 1945-46, he relocated to Hollywood, where he worked with Crosby again on radio from 1946-51 and played in many studio big bands in the late 1940s and 1950s. He did a tour with Billy May in 1953 and led his own group locally later in the decade. In 1964 he toured Japan with Crosby, and joined Ray Conniff for worldwide tours in the 1970s.
  

• Trumpeter Ray Linn was born in Chicago 1920. Linn played with Tommy Dorsey (1938-41) and Woody Herman (1941-42). He would return to play with Herman again several times, in 1945, 1947, and 1955-59. In the 1940s he spent time with Jimmy Dorsey (1942-45), Benny Goodman (1943, 1947), Artie Shaw (1944-46), and Boyd Raeburn (1946).
  

• Glenn Miller records Dreamsville, Ohio (v Eberle, Moderaires), Papa Niccolini (v Eberle, Beneke, Modernaires), Jingle Bells (v Beneke, Caceres, Modernaires), This is no Laughing Matter (v Eberle), 1941
  

Band Roster:
Trumpets: Billy May, Alec Fila, Dale McMickle, Johny Best
Trombones: Glenn Miller, Jimmy Priddy, Paul Tanner, Frank D'Annolfo
Reeds: Benny Feman (as), Ernie Caceres (as, bar, c), Wilbur Schwartz (as, c), Tex Beneke (ts), Al Klink (ts)
Rhythm: Chummy MacGregor (p), Bobby Hacket (g, Cornet), Doc Goldberg (b), Maurice Purtill (d)

Oct 21

• Trumpeter John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, cofounder of Bop, was born in Cheraw, SC 1917. Gillespie joined Teddy Hill's orchestra in 1937.In 1939, Gillespie joined Cab Calloway's orchestra, with which he recorded one of his earliest compositions, the instrumental Pickin' the Cabbage, in 1940. He left Calloway in late 1941 over a notorious incident with a knife. Dizzy then freelanced with a few bands - most notably Ella Fitzgerald's orchestra, composed of members of the late Chick Webb's band, in 1942. In 1943, Gillespie joined the Earl Hines orchestra.
  

• Jan Savitt records Quaker City Jazz, 1938.

• Tenor saxman Don Byas was born in Muskogee, OK, 1912. Played with Lionel Hampton, Don Redman, Andy Kirk, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter. His big break came in 1941 when Count Basie chose him to succeed the post of Lester Young in his big band.
  

• Benny Goodman records Clarinet Ala King, 1941. Other charts recorded in that session include Let's Do It, Shady Lady Bird, and Buckle Down Winsocki.
  

Trumpets: Cootie Williams, Jimmy Maxwell, Billy Butterfield Al Davis
Trombones: Lou McGarity, Bob Cutshall
Reeds: Benny Goodman (cl), Skippy Martin, Clint Neagly, Vido Musso, Charles Gentry, George Berg
Rhythm: Mel Powell (p), Tom Morganelli (g), Sid Weiss (b), Ralph Collier (d).
Vocals: Peggy Lee

Oct 22

• Benny Goodman records Popcorn Man with Martha Tilton on vocals, 1937. Popcorn Man became one of the rarest of all Benny Goodman recordings when it was recalled shortly after its release. The reason for the recall is obscure for there was nothing wrong with the lyrics, but possibly less than a dozen copies of the record escaped being destroyed. Other charts recorded were Can't Teach My Old Heart Knew Tricks (v Martha Tilton) and I've Hitched My Wagon to a Star (v Tilton).
  

Band Roster

Trumpet: Gordon Griffin, Harry James, Ziggy Elman
Trombones: Murray McEachern, Red Ballard
Reeds: Benny Goodman (cl), Hymie Schertzer (as), George Koenig (as), Arthur Rollini (ts), Vido Musso (ts)
Rhythm: Jess Stacey (p), Allen Reuss (g), Gene Krupa (d)
Vocals: Marta Tilton

• Arranger, composer, pianist Ralph Yaw was born in Enosburg Falls, Vt., 1898. Yaw wrote arrangements for a great many swing-era bandleaders during the '30s and '40s, including Isham Jones, Cab Calloway, Eddie Barefield, Count Basie, and Les Brown, but Yaw is best-known for his work with Stan Kenton, for whom he wrote and arranged in the early '40s. Kenton put together his first band in 1941; from the beginning, it was an "arranger's band" and Yaw took advantage. He was (along with Kenton himself) responsible for much of that early band's book, arranging and composing dozens of original pieces for the band, including the notable Two Moods.
  

Norm Gluckman
Cedarville, New Jersey
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What Does It Take To Be A Musician?

George Spink
Moderator - The Palomar
Los Angeles, California
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