BIGBANDJUMP NEWSLETTER

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

FRANKIE CARLE INTERVIEW

It was a casual mention by the nice folks at KLFF in Phoenix that led to our interview with bandleader- pianist Frankie Carle. It turns out he lives in a Phoenix suburb, and still plays some weekends. As with most musicians, Frankie Carle still "lives" his music, prac­tices daily and wishes the Big Band days would return. He’s in his eighties, but bright-eyed and spry, enjoying every minute of his life.

BBJ: Tell us about your musical life before Horace Heidt.

FC: Before that I was with a great band called Mai Hallett, a band from New England with members like Gene Krupa, Jack Teagarden, Jack Jenney; I was in that same band for three years and featured all the time at the piano. We didn’t go any farther west than Chicago, I believe.

BBJ: Did playing the piano come naturally to you, or did you have to work at it?

FC: (Laughs) Thanks to my mother, God bless her soul, she’s gone. She had me practice at least two or three hours a day... at breakfast... at school lunchtime ... and after school. I did that for sixteen years.

BBJ: Did you like that regimen?

FC: No, I didn’t like it, but thanks to her it was a blessing, I guess, and I just kept at it and got to like it. When I was about thirteen years old I did my first job. I was paid a dollar a week with my Uncle’s band in Providence, Rl.

BBJ: You were a star with Horace Heidt, weren’t you? Didn’t you get top billing?

FC: All the time, every place we went. In theaters, on the POT O’GOLD show, the TREASURY PROGRAM ... I was featured, I believe, for four and a half years. That’s what really made me with Horace Heidt.

BBJ: When did you get the idea to start your own band?

Rockwell, the president of GAC which booked all the bands, you know, asked me if I’d like to have a band, and I said no. Horace said, "Frank, I think it’d be a good idea to start your own band, and I’ll tell you what. If you start your own band, Mr. McCabe of the Pennsylvania Hotel will guarantee you a seven year contract." So I took it. My first theater date with my own band was in April, the same year I opened at the Pennsylvania Hotel.

BBJ: SUNRISE SERENADE has, without doubt, been one of your top hits.

FC: Yes, it’s played all over the world. In fact, just the other day I got a sad note. The man who really made SUNRISE SERENADE a success... a publishing friend of mine ... passed away. If it wasn’t for Bill Lacken- baugh no one would have ever heard of Frankie Carle. Nobody wanted the tune, but Bill came to Milford, CT where I had a small band, and he said, "I understand you’re a songwriter. Give me something different." I gave him SUNRISE SERENADE. He published it. Another thing. Not one publisher in New York City including the first man I showed it to, Jack Mills of Mills Music, wanted it because it was so different at the time. And that’s how I started that style of piano playing.

FC: It wasn’t my idea, it was Horace Heidt’s idea. Tom

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

BBJ: Who recorded SUNRISE SERENADE first?

FC: It was originally introduced by the Casa Loma Orchestra at the Waldorf in New York, and then six weeks later, Glenn Miller recorded it. The reason Glenn didn’t record it first was because he was mad at my publisher. Then he decided it was a pretty good thing, and recorded it. (It was back-to-back with MOONLIGHT SERENADE on that original 78). He oversold everybody else. I’ve got so many records of SUNRISE SERENADE, even from foreign countries. Even my good friend Ray Charles did it.

BBJ: SUNRISE SERENADE has been good to you, hasn’t it?

FC: It’s been really great. One of the biggest record­ings in Europe just about three months ago. Wish I could write some more, but if I do, who am I going to sell them to?

BBJ: What year did you actually get your own band started?

FC: February 13, 1944. I recorded my first record session in about April of 1944.

BBJ: Tell us the story behind hiring your most popular vocalist, Marjorie Hughes.

FC: Well, that was a strange thing. I was listening to a lot of records, and I couldn’t find a vocalist, so my wife gave me an audition record to listen to. I didn’t know who it was, and that night my wife said, "Let’s go out dancing and listen to some music." I didn’t look at the stage, but I heard this vocalist, and I turned around and it was my daughter, and I couldn’t believe it. My wife asked me if I wanted to hire her, and I said no. I didn’t want anybody from the family in the band. My wife talked me into it, and I’m so glad she did; Marjorie really had ta lent... not because she’s my daughter, but she really had it.

BBJ: Does Marjorie still sing?

FC: No, she gave it up. She does other work around Phoenix here; she lives a couple of miles from me, and we see each other every Sunday. We talk about the old times. She wouldn’t even sing on the demo record I wanted her to make for me ... one of my new songs. When she said she quit, she quit. Even the late Bing Crosby offered her a seven year contract on the old Kraft Music Hall and she didn’t show up for rehearsal. She was given a contract with Columbia Records on her own; she did a couple of recordings and then didn’t

do any more. Don’t ask me why ... I can’t tell you why.

BBJ: Can you describe your piano style? Can you tell us why it was so popular?

FC: Melody, number one. Even if I play a jazz tune, you can always hear the melody, but the style is different. I can’t describe it; nobody can. They’re teaching my style of music in Texas, in colleges ... in quite a few colleges, but I can’t describe it. All I can say is it’s a lilting style. Instead of quarter notes, I used eighth notes.

BBJ: Would you like to be back in the band business?

FC: Yes, I would. I really would like to be on the road again, but my last tour was with Jack Morgan (Russ Morgan’s son) in 1984,1 believe it was. We did three months of one-nighters on a bus. When I was a kid, I loved that travel. When I was with Mai Hallett, we did three years of one-nighters, with the exception of six weeks each year when we played the Roseland Ball­room in New York.

BBJ: Do you still play for your own enjoyment?

FC: I practice every day for an hour. Sometimes a couple of hours. I like to keep playing to keep my ear tuned.

BBJ: Tell us about your personal life.

FC: Well, I was married for fifty-six years, and my wife passed away here in Arizona. We were married in 1923, and she lived until 1979. It was a beautiful marriage, with one daughter... Marjorie ... and two grandchildren.

BBJ: What occupies most of your time now?

FC: I have a nice lady friend. We go to dances... goto the horse races... go to the dog races. I have a great time.

BBJ: Do you anticipate ever giving up the piano?

FC: I’m going to play until the man upstairs say it’s time to quit. What else is there in life? Music makes every­body happy; I’ve made many people happy through­out the world. I get letters every day, and I know this is hard to believe, but I get more mail now than I did when I had my big band. I don’t understand it. I get letters from Canada, Italy, England, Germany, Norway.

BBJ: Why is Big Band music so popular in Europe?

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

FRANKIE CARLE CONTINUED...

FC: I can’t answer that. A friend of mine went to Europe and told me all about it. They’re playing more of our music of the 30’s and 40’s than the United States does. They play my records as if it was yesterday.

BBJ: Do the royalities still come in from your records?

FC: You bet they do! If I didn’t get those, I’d be selling pencils on Broadway. (Laughs)

After doing the interview with Frankie Carle, he said to tell all BBJ listeners he loves them, and he hopes they love his music.

SIDELIGHTS

A collection of anecdotes about the bands, the artists and the scene, taken from various sources.

BOBBY HACKETT The electric guitar was an innovation in 1941; not many bands used one. Bobby Hackett, who played rhythm guitar for Glenn Miller, was asked by Miller that year to buy an electric guitar in order to keep up with the latest technical innovations. Hackett did as he was told and faithfully carried the bulky amplifier and connecting cords with him on the road, setting up the speaker at every location ... but Hackett said he never plugged it in. Glenn Miller probably never knew it. It’s Bobby Hackett’s trumpet solos we remember, anyway.

REQUESTS Various musicians have re­ported unusual requests they’ve received. One lady in an upscale restaurant asked the strolling string en­semble to play MOONLIGHT SINATRA. A written list of song requests received by a band at a Manhattan hotel included TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000. The most interest­ing request though, must have been the one sent to the bandleader at Roseland some years ago. It read, "Please play START US."

HERB JEFFRIES A couple of wonder­ful stories were recalled by Herb Jeffries, the vocalist most famous for his recording of FLAMINGO with Duke Ellington. Herb remembers telling the Duke, "It must be great to be standing up there where you are."

The Duke said, "Yeah, yeah, it is. But there’s no place to sit down." Herb says he never forgot that

remark. It’s great to be famous, but you have to keep going to keep your career from slipping. You "never get a chance to sit."

Herb Jeffries also tells the story about Tony Martin recording FLAMINGO about six months after Herb made a million-selling hit of it. Herb told Tony he knew he copied his recording, and then explained to Tony how he knew. It turns out Herb Jeffries didn’t have the music with him when he went into the studio to record the song, and when he got there he was so excited he couldn’t think of two of the words in the lyrics, so he made up his own words in their place. Tony Martin used the same two incorrect words in his recording of FLAMINGO, never knowing until Herb told him that they weren’t the ones written for the song.

BOB ZURKE AT THE PIANO (Montgomery Collection)

ISHAM JONES ORCHESTRA (Rutar Collection)

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

SIDELIGHTS CONTINUED

SY OLIVER Jack Kapp, the man whofounded Decca Records, phoned arranger Sy Oliver after he got out of the army and asked him if he’d make arrangements for Decca artists. Back then, major record companies had two divisions, white records and race records; Sy told Jack Kapp he didn’t know anything about race records. "I don’t do that sort of thing," he said. Kapp said, "I don’t want you to do that. I want you to write for a[| our artists." When Sy Oliver told Jack Kapp he wanted to use some black musi­cians, there was a hesitation, but he finally simply told Sy, “Get the best person for the job."

BILLY MAY Billy May, who worked for manyof the great stars in the music business, recalls his early days with Capitol records when Frank Sinatra was recording for that company. Nelson Riddle was leading a session with about thirty-five musicians, and Frank would find something wrong with every take, even to questioning the position of the microphones. When they got up to over twenty takes every one’s wondering what or who Frank’s going to pick on next, and from the trumpet section in the back of the studio comesthe voice of Sweets Edisionyelling, “Shit, daddy, you can’t do it no better than that." Everybody laughed, including Frank, and that was the take they used. From then on that phrase from the lips of Sweets Edison became a standard comment when things got rough in the studio.

CHARLIE BARNET A revealing comment from Charlie Barnet about his own sax work: "I guess I was a pretty good saxophone player, but being a band leader takes away the freedom of playing. I did not pursue the playing part as much as I perhaps should have, although I think I was respected. I couldn’t possibly compete with guys like Charlie Parker or Johnny Hodges in a melodic way, but I had the respect. In a way, I regret it. On the other hand, think of all the fun I would have missed.

LES BROWN Les Brown commenting onDoris Day: "I never heard her out of tune on any note, ever. If anything, the only criticism I ever had of her was that she was a little too cute at first, but she got rid of that cuteness, and you’d have to put her down as one of the great singers of all time."

(Our thanks to ALLEGRO, the house publication of the New York musician's union, and to OFF THE RECORD, the excellent book by Joe Smith, reviewed in this issue, for some of the above insights and stories.)

CRUISE UPDATE

Just in time for this issue of the BBJ NEWSLETTER, we got the word about the artists to be featured on the S/S Norway Big Band Jump Cruise scheduled for departure from Miami this year on the 17th of Novem­ber. Here’s the lineup:

The Tommy Dorsey ghost band, led by trom­bonist Buddy Morrow. Many musicians con- siderthis band to be the finest ghost band on the road today. Buddy Morrow himself is quoted as saying, "The ghost would have been pleased."

The Glenn Miller ghost band, directed by Larry O’Brien playing all the original Miller arrangements, preserving the sound and memories we all recall.

One of the great names of the Big Band Era, Connie Haines, will be singing with the Dorsey Band, adding authenticity and nostalgia to an already excellent band.

Les Elgart will be on board directing the ship’s band in those distinctive Elgart ar­rangements.By popular request, Erskine Hawkins will be back with his original book. Erskine’s music and personality were both hits on the 1989 Norway cruise.

The Big Band Jump passengers on the S/S Norway will be invited to a meet-the-stars cocktail party, there’ll be a seminar about Big Band music, and this year we'll have our own BBJ trivia games.

Reservations are going quickly this year because so many folks who went last year have made early ar­rangements. To get details and a free brochure, please phone toll free: 1 -800-288-4882.

BOOKS TO CONSIDER

BENNY GOODMAN AND THE SWING ERAJames Lincoln Collier

Oxford University Press - New York

This one is fairly new, published in 1989. It’s almost like a doctoral thesis, but with some insights into the real personality of Benny Goodman, and some interesting

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

behind-the-scenes material. There’s a great deal of technical musical detail and record evaluation, making it a tough read for non-musicians, but worth slogging through to get to the human interest and carefully researched facts. Author Collier is himself a jazz musician. If you’re a long-time Goodman fan, it's an enlightening insight into his early years, his success, his family and his later activities.

OFF THE RECORD Joe Smith

Warner Books - New York

Originally published in hardback in 1988, this book consists of in-person comments from some of the key players in popular music from Artie Shaw through Billy Joel. Now that it’s in soft-cover, it’s worth the cost for Big Band enthusiasts to get just the personal views of such luminaries as Tex Beneke, Lionel Hampton, Art Lund, Sammy Cahn, Woody Herman, Charlie Barnet, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy May, Sy Oliver, Buddy Rich, Max­ine Andrews, Sammy Kaye, Herb Jeffries, Ray An­thony, Paul Weston, Jo Stafford, Jack Leonard, Les Brown, Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Margaret Whiting, Frankie Laine, Henry Mancini, Ed Ames, Les Paul and Tony Bennett. The rest of the book deals with more modern artists, just as important in their era, perhaps, but not of much interest to Big Band buffs. Worth the price, though, to hear what the above personalities had to say.

JAZZWilliam Claxton

Twelvetrees Press - Pasadena, CA

It’s a coffee table book of moody black and white images of both well-known and unknown jazz artists seen in their own environment. From a New Orleans funeral procession to a dressing room shot of Joe Williams; from an animated Dinah Washington to a workmanlike Shelly Manne in the studio, the full-page photos capture the sometimes ethereal nature of jazz. Jack Teagarden in a wide grin, the Kenton Band on the beach at Balboa silhouetted by the setting sun, George Shearing lost in creativity, a pensive Anita O’Day, a barefoot June Christy between takes at the Capitol studios; it’s the visual reflection of varied jazz settings.

BIG BAND JAZZAlbert McCarthy

Exeter Books - New York

Albert McCarthy worked for various jazz and Big Band publications in Britain; hence the depth of information

imparted in this 1974 book covering the early synco­pated bands, the Chicago pioneers and pre-swing era bands, the territory groups, and Big Band jazz in Eu­rope. Full of rare photos. The writing style is stiff but the facts indicate considerable research. It’s the sort of book you read a few minutes at a time, absorbing the connections between the scores of names tied-in with the development of Big Bands. Mr. McCarthy knows his subject and presents it in a straight-ahead style.

BIG BAND TRIVIA QUIZ

The booking agency which arranges for the bands on cruise ships came up with a couple of trivia quizzes that are excellent. See if you can match the slogans on the left with the band on the right. The slogans refer to either the band itself, or in some cases the leader.

I.A. Fashions In MusicB. The Light BrigadeC. The Idol of the Air LanesD. Tic Toe MusicE. Castles In The AirF. The Ol’ MaestroG. Swing and SwayH. The Sweetest Music

This Side of HeavenJ. Rippling RhythmK. College Of Musical Know­

ledge

II.Kay Starr was a featured vocalist with which of these three bands?

_ Glenn Miller _ Joe Venuti

__ Charlie Barnet

III.Jimmy Dorsey recorded six songs on May 26th, 1939. Helen O’Connell sang two of them and so did Ray McKinley. Match the songs with the vocalist.

A. Home In The Clouds Ray__ Helen___B. All I Remember Is You Ray__ Helen___C. Shoot The Meatballs To Me Ray___ Helen___D. Show Your Linen Miss Richardson Ray__ Helen___

(ANSWERS FOUND ELSEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE)

Art Kassell Shep Fields Guy Lombardo Ben Bernie Mitchell Ayers Kay Kyser Enoch Light Gray Gordon

Sammy Kaye Jan Garber

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

LETTERS TO THE BBJ NEWSLETTER

As in the previous issues, letters are edited for space considerations, but the meaning is preserved. All letters to either the Newsletter or the radio program are answered, but we cannot publish everyone’s letter. We attempt to print a representative cross-section.

AL TOWNSEND A couple of months ago youGregory, Ml played the theme from the nowdefunct TV Show AFTER MASH. I’m fairly certain the trombonist’s name was Urbie Green, the famous New York studio trombonist and former first trombonist with the Gene Krupa band. I am myself aformer trombonist with the same band and know Urbie personally.

I now have my own twenty piece band and after hear­ing Urbie play AFTER MASH I wrote a big band ar­rangement around the trombone solo and recorded it.

Editor’s Note: CBS-TV in Los Angeles told us the haunting trombone work on the theme from AFTER MASH was by Bill Watrous, a Los Angeles studio trombonist.

You can get Al’s LP by writing to: AL TOWNSEND & THE AMBASSADORS - 7537 Noah’s Landing - Gre­gory, Ml 48137

D. J. LAMAR IE We hear the Don Kennedy pro-Northport, NY gram on Sunday and enjoy itvery much. I’m a long time tenor player with local big bands. I’m an old fan and acquaintance of Georgie Auld. See if you can get Don Kennedy to have a musical celebration of his life (his birthday is May 19, 1919 ... as good a time as any).

Editor’s Note: There’s a MAIL BAG programscheduled for the weekend of March 31-April 1, listed in the upcoming program titles. There’ll be some Georgie Auld in that show.

ROBERT L MONROE How do you get those old 16 Alden, NY inch radio transcriptions youtalk about on the program? Can you help me locate the address of Helen Forrest? I know she lives in California and I believe she’s in her early 70’s. She is my favorite female vocalist of the Big Band Era.

Editor’s Note: We bought the transcriptionsyears ago from station managers who wanted to clean out their basements or transmitter shacks; probably no longer possible. There are now auctions at various places in the nation.

Helen Forrest may be reached through her manager: JoeGraydon-P.O. Box2001 -Toluca Lake, CA-91602

SYL DIAMOND We enjoy your program veryPlymouth, Ml much. Please continue thegood work, but, Saturday night you said that Dick Haymes was the greatest Big Band vocalist ever. Did you ever listen to Joe Sanders of the COON-SANDERS BAND? Joe Sanders and Carlton Coon were the first Big Band vocalists (they used megaphones) long be­fore bands started to use microphones. Joe had a vocal range of four octaves.

DALE CFIAIG The BBJ covering New YearsPerrysburg, OH Eve Band remotes was a clas­sic. Unfortunately, the networks no longer continue these band remotes on New Years Eve. It would be a great idea if you could repeat your New Years Eve remote and others, featuring Big Band remotes from the past.

Editor’s Note: Please see the BIG BANDJUMP program title listing for March 3-4 in this issue. It consists in part of remote Big Band broadcasts.

TRIVIA ANSWERS*A

t

I. A-Mitchell Ayers II. All three*A

B-Enoch Light A

C-Jan Garber III. A-Helen A

D-Gray Gordon B-HelenA

*E-Art Kassell O-Ray A

F-Ben Bernie D-Ray É

G-Sammy Kaye A

H-Guy Lombardo A

J-Shep Fields *K-Kay Kyser A

i

Big Band Collages to order.20 X 24" (average size) dimensional collages with pictures of full orchestras and leaders, handmade and framed for hanging.RICHARD H. MEYER - 6507 KENTUCKYVIEW DRIVE - CINCINNATI, OH 45230/513^232-3750

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

COMMENTARY FROM HAGEN WILLIAMS________

Save us from the "literal translators" of the world. They see only the numbers, the tangibles, the action without the reason behind it, and with no human adaptation to add warmth.

Go to a fast-food establishment and the counter per­son greets you with a phrase something like: "WelcometoBurgerBiggieMayltakeyourorder?" The sentence is delivered with no feeling, no smile, no idea of why... it’s just done because the counter person was told to do it.

Try to introduce an innovation at a large corporation. "We’ll do some research on that," they’ll say. "First we’ll survey a cross-section of our potential customers, then do a time and motion study." They’ll reduce your idea to a series of numbers.

Take your car to a repair shop, and ask how much a specific repair will cost. "The book says it’ll take 4 and a quarter hours ... that’ll be X dollars." The estimate doesn’t come from the mechanic who knows what the problem is ... with all its unique ramifications; it comes from a book.

Try to tell a joke to a literal translator. They won’t understand it, chances are, forthe punch line depends on imagination and free association... qualities absent from the literal mind.

We’ve been, in my opinion, reduced to a civilization (if that’s the word) based on numbers. Quantity is the only factor considered, but any grade school kid knows a two is more than a one. It takes intuition, inventive­ness, confidence and a reasonable dose of self-es­teem to come up with an idea from the heart (or gut) and believe in it, knowing it’ll work because you have a "feeling" it will.

Computers may have done this to the more timid of us, who depend on them for intelligence rather than for simplification ... for justification rather than help.

There’s a musical point to all this. The electronically amplified bass that resembles a guitar has taken the place of the ole’ acoustic bass, the human gradations and shading have been lost. Bob Haggart told us he sounds the same playing such an electronic bass as any other bass players, but can inject his style and personality into the acoustic bass. Drum machines often are used in recordings today. They keep perfect

time, have the ability to duplicate every kind of snare sound or bass drum effect or cymbal crash, but each of these is always the same. Accurate and un-erring in time, but lacking the flare and human warmth of a flesh and blood thinking, feeling, involved, inspired drum­mer.

This is not to say there aren’t some great musicians out there today. They’re better by and large than most musicians of the Big Band Era, according to most older musicians who know, but a technically perfect series of notes doesn’t make a recording swing. Only a musi­cian playing his version of the notes on the paper makes a selection swing.

A musician’s gotta’ feel it to play it, and to feel it he’s gotta’ have the qualities not available to the literal translator. The ideal swing musician (you can read that "jazz" if you like) is the one who takes chances, and maybe sometimes doesn’t make it, but when he does, it’s glorious. Electronic machines can’t take chances or feel the music; they simply play the notes. Fine musical technicians can play the notes on the paper with perfection; but it’s not jazz until they put them­selves into it. I would suggest that most classical musicians are literal translators, ideal for what they do, but put them in a smokey nightclub to back a jazz vocalist or work with an innovative piano man, and they’d be lost.

Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Tom Jefferson, John Steinbeck, Harry Truman ... none of them were literal translators, they were innovators who weren’t afraid to operate from their "gut" feelings, their intuition, their hearts, and damn the rest of the sheeplike crowd dependent on what’s been done before, "...but no­body’s ever done tha t..." has stopped more develop­ment in the world than possibly any other attitude.

In music or in life, we need the person who's not afraid to act on an idea or a style, no matter what others think. Deliver us from the literal translators.

RECORDS TO CONSIDER

HAVE BAND, WILL TRAVEL Lester Lanin Orchestra Columbia Special Products/LN 3520 While society music isn’t the kind of recording we generally review, Columbia Special Products has is­sued a couple of Lester Lanin albums representative of the music danced to by the upper-crust with more

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VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

money than musical taste. Interesting if only as a reflection of a kind of dance music that provided jobs for so many musicians who would rather have been swinging. It’s a part of musical history, and the modu­lations from one tune to another in the medleys are worth the price of admission alone. (Ching ching ching ching ... REPEAT in another key.)

JACK TEAGARDEN Savoy Jazz SJL1162Recorded originally for VARSITY in 1940, these cuts have been carefully re-mastered. Kitty Kallen sings on four of the cuts; Teagarden on four, including MY MELANCHOLY BABY and IF I COULD BE WITH YOU ONE HOUR TONIGHT. Lots of Teagarden trombone; lots of good sound.

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY Harry Connick, Jr.Columbia SCT 45319This guy who sings and plays piano may just bring the Big Band sound and style back into the forefront. He’s

22 years old and plays piano with a jazz kick; he sings with a slightly foggy sound and the 1661" of swing. If you want to see music of the style of the Big Bands develop, this is one young man to support.

HARRY JAMES Savoy Jazz SJL 2262More cuts re-mastered from original VARSITY record­ings. These were made when Harry James was pri­marily a jazz band. He originally recorded for Colum­bia, but was dumped after less than a year... went with VARSITY from February to August of 1940, and then back to Columbia. First rate if you’re a James fan. Good if you’re not.

BOYD RAEBURN Savoy Jazz SJF 2250Thank goodness for radio transcriptions which cap­tured the essence of great bands even when the commercial recording companies did not. Raeburn played music few listeners wanted to hear at the time, but it has weathered time, proving his excellent musi­cianship and taste.

WHERE THEY’RE PLAYING/BIG BAND PERSONALITY BIRTHDATES* *

MARCHAPPEARANCES

DATE BIG BAND

1 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

2 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

3 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

10 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

11 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

12 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

15 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRATOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

PLACE DATE BIG BAND PLACE

COLD SPRINGS, MN KANSAS CRY, MO CHICAGO, IL INDIANAPOLIS, IN FINDLAY, IL CINN, OH ANN ARBOR, Ml ROCKINGHAM, NC MEDIA, PA KNOXVILLE, TN CLARKSVILLE, TN WATERLOO, PA COVINGTON, TN MILWAUKEE, Wl NEW ORLEANS, LA MINNEAPOLIS, MN OCALA, FL AURORA, IL VALPARISO, FL DAYTON, OH VA BEACH, VA

18

20

21

22

23

24

25

2627

28293031

WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA

GALESBURG, IL SPRINGFIELD, VA TOLEDO, OH WESTCHESTER, PA VERSAILLES, PA MILTON, PA CONNELLSVLLE, PA NATRONA, PA ALLENTOWN, PA CLEVELAND, OH BEN SALEM, PA ASHLAND, KY CHAMBERSBRG, PA CLEVELAND, OH ELKIN, NC MONROE, GA MANSFIELD, OH BLUE ISLAND, IL LAKEWORTH, FL KNOXVILLE, TN LAKEWORTH, FL

16 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA WINDSOR, ONT.TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA LOUISTOWN, WV

17 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA SANDUSKY, OH

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

APRIL

1 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA LAKELAND, FLTOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA ORANGE, FL

2 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA CAPE CORAL, FL3 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA BOCA RATON, FL4 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA VA. BEACH, VA6 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA VALPARAISO, IN

TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA WASHINGTN, DC7 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA OAK PARK, IL

TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA GLENNSIDE, PA8 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA ST. LOUIS, MO

TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA ROCHESTER, NY10 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA ZANESVILLE, OH13 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA WICHFTA, KS17 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA AUSTIN, TX18 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA BERGSTROM, TX20 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA TEXARKANA, TX

TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA MONTREAL, ONT.25 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA GRAND RAPIDS, Ml26 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA LORAIN, OH27 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA GRAND RAPIDS, Ml28 TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA DETROIT, Ml29 WOODY HERMAN ORCHESTRA ELKINS, WV

BIG BAND LEADERS BIRTHDAYS

MARCH

DATE BANDLEADER PLACE/YEAR

1 Glenn Miller Clarinda, IA/1904Teddy Powell Oakland, CA/1905

2 Desi Arnaz Santiago, Cuba/19176 Bob Wills Limestone, TX/19058 Joe Roblchaux New Orleans, LA/1900

Will Hudson Barstow, CA/1908Sam Donahue Detroit, MI/1918

11 Lawrence Welk Stasburg, ND/190312 Paul Weston Springfield, MA/191213 Sammy Kaye Rocky River, OH/1910

Bob Haggart New York, NY/1914Ina Ray Hutton Chicago, IL/1916

14 Les Brown Reinerton, PA/1912Les Baxter Mexica, TX/1922Quincy Jones Chicago, IL/1933

15 Jimmy McPartland Chicago, IL/1907Harry James Albany, GA/1916

17 Jimmie Grier Pittsburgh, PA/1902Benny Strong Chicago, IL/1911

18 George Olsen Portland, OR/1893Jean Goldkette Valenciennes, France/1899

19 Russ Case Hamburg, PA/191220 Ozzie Nelson Jersey City, NJ/1906

Bob Chester Detroit, Mi/190822 Chico Marx New York, NY/1887

Blue Baron Cleveland, OH/1911Sonny Burke Scranton, PA/1914

24 Paul Specht Sinking Spring, PA/189525 Frankie Carle Providence, RI/190327 Ferde Grofe New York, NY/1892

Hal Kemp Marion, AL/190428 Paul Whiteman Denver, CO/1890

Randy Brooks ?????/1917Thad Jones Pontiac, MI/1923

30 Ted Heath London, England/1900

DATE BANDLEADER PLACE/YEAR

31 Red Norvo Beardstown, IL/1908

APRIL

1 Zez Confrey Peru, IL/1895Eddy Duchin Cambridge, MA/1909

3 Bill Finegan Newark, NJ/19177 Percy Faith Toronto, Ont./Can./1908

Ftalph Flanagan Lorain, OH/19199 Gerry Mulligan New York, NY/192710 Fred Hall New York, NY/1898

Mark Warnow Monastrischt, Russia/190212 Johnny Dodds New Orleans, LA/1892

Frankie Masters St. Mary's, WV/190413 Peter van Steeden Amsterdam, Holland/190418 Harry Owens O'Neill, NE/190220 Lionel Hampton Louisville, KY/191325 Earl Bostic Tulsa, OK/1913

Ella Fitzgerald Newport News, VA/191827 Larry Fotine Camden, NJ/191129 Duke Ellington Washington, DC/1899

Russ Morgan Scranton, PA/1904Paul Nero Hamburg, Germany/1917

UPCOMING BBJ PROGRAM TITLES

MARCH $ 4 SUSPENSION IN TIME

Remote broadcasts and V-Discs of Gene Krupa, Bob Crosby, Benny Goodman and Will Bradley. It’s as if time has stopped, and we’re back in the forties.

MARCH 10-11 THE SIDEMEN

The men who sat in the sections with the Big Bands, doing one-nighters and driving from town to town recall those days with affection. Some humorous and insightful recollections.

MARCH 17-18 ROMANTIC RECORDS

Inspired by a letter from a lady in Iowa, who objected strongly to the “jump" music. All the moon, june, croon, spoon tunes of the Big Bands.

MARCH 24-25 LAWSON-HAGGART

Two greats of the Era comment on their talents, their experiences and their remembrances, along with the music of the World’s Greatest Jazz Band, co-led by Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart.

VOLUME VII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL 1990

PROGRAM TITLES CONTINUED

MARCH 31 -APRIL 1 THE MAILBAG

Letters from listeners with the music they request. Some Georgie Auld, some trombone from a listener with his own Big Band, plus unusual melodies men­tioned by letter writers.

APRIL 7-8 WARTIME JUKEBOX

The records that would have been on an imaginary juke-box covering the years 1941 through 1945, from the recollections of a music enthusiast of that time.

APRIL 14-15 THE IN-BOX

Records arrive weekly from various sources; this pro­gram looks into that collection of music that’s not been catalogued y e t... the recordings filling the in-box.

APRIL 21 -22 THEMES & STANDARDSRandom Records

Part of a continuing series of shows highlighting the themes of the Big Bands and their best-known stan­dards. Bobby Sherwood, Eddy Howard, Ted Weems, Ted Heath and Cab Calloway. After that, records at random from the shelves.

APRIL 28-29 CONNICK/RIFFUN’

The young man who may single-handedly bring "our’ sound back into prominence was discovered by most of us on the sound track of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. We investigate the sound track album, plus other cuts by Harry Connick, Jr. After that, we riffle through the records, looking into some re-mastered gems.

Bunny Berigan’s Orchestra (Rutar Collection)