Big Band Library: August 2012 "Big Band News"

The big bands are back

in a new and exciting way!

AUGUST 2012 "BIG BAND NEWS"

compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA

MR. ANTHONY'S HOME

Legendary big band leader Ray Anthony has put his Hollywood Hills home, with its tremendous hillside view on about a quarter-acre of land, up for sale.

Located on a cul-de-sac at 9288 Kinglet Drive, it was custom-built for him in 1975.

The 3,881-square-foot house includes two bedrooms, three bathrooms, an office, a den, a gym, and two fireplaces.

For years, he used part of the home to sell LPs and CDs from his "Big Band Record Library" and "Big Bands '80s" enterprises.

According to Lauren Beale of The Los Angeles Times, Anthony, who turned 90 years old this past January, is selling to move closer to a friend in Beverly Hills.

The asking price for the property is $5.2 million.

Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services for Canada Post, estimated that the mark would be hand-stamped on a few thousand envelopes leaving the city during the summer.

"It's a kind of niche thing that's fun," Phillips told Gillian Wheatley of The London Free Press. "We do it to commemorate and honour local heritage."

BEST WISHES ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

John Miller, b.August 3, 1941. Nephew of Glenn Miller; leader and vocalist with The Herb

Miller Orchestra '87- .

Urbie Green, b.August 8, 1926. Trombonist with Savitt; Carle '45; Krupa '47 / '50 and leader

of T. Dorsey Orch. '66-'67.

Frank Capp, b.August 20, 1931. Drummer with Kenton '51; Hefti '52.

Peter Appleyard, b.August 26, 1928. Vibraphonist with Goodman '71-'77.

Med Flory, b.August 17, 1926. Saxophonist with Thornhill '50; Mooney '52?; Herman '53 /

'59.

Jerry Dodgion, b.August 19, 1932. Alto saxophonist with Carter '55; Goodman '59-'60 /

'61 / '62.

NECROLOGY

Von Freeman, 88, d.Aug. 11, 2012, heart failure. Tenor saxophonist with H. Henderson

'40.

Annie Kuebler, 61, d.Aug. 13, 2012, brain hemorrhage. Archivist with Smithsonian

Institution (Duke Ellington materials) and, later, Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers

University (Benny Carter materials).

Dick Shanahan, 91, d.Aug. 17, 2012. Drummer with Brown '43-'46; Barnet '46-'47 /

'59 / '61.

NEW COMPACT DISCS

Billy Butterfield. "What's New?: his 24 finest 1938-1959," Retrospective [ UK ] RTR4203.

Two dozen tracks featuring Butterfield, such as What's New with Bob Crosby and

Star Dust with Artie Shaw.

Duke Ellington. "My People: The Complete Show," Storyville [ Den ] 1018430.

Richard Himber. "The Complete Richard Himber, Volume Three," Renovation Records.

Recordings made for the Victor label in 1934 and 1935.

NEW DVDS

Glen Gray. "Time Out for Rhythm." Sony Pictures Choice Collection.

Various artists. "All Star Jazz Show," MVD Visual 5178D. Includes Hampton, Basie,

Gillespie. Originally telecast as part of CBS' "Lively Arts for Young People" series.

SEE A NAME BAND LIVE

Count Basie Orchestra directed by Dennis Mackrel. Aug. 5-7, Blue Note Jazz Club,

Tokyo, Japan; Aug. 23, "August Nights at Harkness," Old Lyme, CT.

Duke Ellington Orchestra. Aug. 8, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA.

Jan Garber Orchestra directed by Howard Schneider. Aug. 12, Surf Ballroom, Clear

Lake, IA; Aug. 19, Col Ballroom, Davenport, IA.

Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. Aug. 1-6, Great American Steamboat

Cruise; Aug. 9, Mt. Gretna Playhouse, Mt. Gretna, PA; Aug. 10, Sara Belle November

Theatre, Richmond, VA; Aug. 12, Leominster Elks, Leominster, MA; Aug. 13-14,

Westchester Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY; Aug. 15, Lake Placid Center for the

Arts, Lake Placid, NY; Aug. 16, Charles R. Wood Theatre, Glen Falls, NY; Aug. 18,

Spanish Ballroom Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD.

NEW IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE

Brian Belton. "B.B.'s Big Band Beat," In Tune International, No.246 / Aug. 2012, pp.

30-31. Positive reviews of Syd Lawrence, Goodman, Barnet, and other CDs,

though mistakenly says that Bernie Lowe was an alias for former Savitt arranger Jack

Pleis for some early '60s Cameo recordings in the style of the old bands.

"The Glen [ sic ] Miller Orchestra," mysunshinecoast.com.au, Aug. 5, 2012. Press

release announcing the appearance of a Glenn Miller Orchestra at The Events

Center in Caloundra on October 26, 2012. "This concert spectacular will celebrate the

unforgettable music of the 1940s, starring direct from the USA [ sic ] , THE GLENN

MILLER ORCHESTRA and THE MOONLIGHT SERENADE [ sic ] SINGERS,

performing those timeless, Big Band Hits from the Golden Era of Swing; songs made

famous by THE ANDREWS SISTERS and the nostalgic World War II melodies from

legendary stars such as VERA LYNN and romantic music from the FRANK SINATRA

SONGBOOK. And you will see the greatest swing dancing ever, performed by the

exciting BROADWAY SWING DANCERS," it is stated.

"Glenn Miller Orchestra at Pavilion Theatre, Worthing," Shoreham Herald [ Worthing,

UK ], Aug. 19, 2012. Quotes GMO UK leader Ray McVay.

"In the mood for a trip down memory lane," Derbyshire Times [ Chesterfield, UK ],

Aug. 30, 2012. A musical about Glenn Miller, "Bugle Boy," comes to the Buxton

Opera House for three days.

Brendan McCusker. "Stage Reviews: Bugle Boy, Bournemouth Pavilion," Southern Daily

Echo [ Southhampton, UK ], Aug. 9, 2012. "This is a pacy, authentic show," McCusker

writes. "The band and cast are outstanding, costumes and lighting atmospheric, and

the music . . . unforgettable."

"Musical to chart life story of music icon," Buxton Advertiser [ Derbyshire, UK ], Aug. 11,

2012. Also about "Bugle Boy."

David Schiff. The Ellington Century (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2012).

"Breaking down walls between genres that are usually discussed separately--classical,

jazz, and popular--this highly engaging book offers a compelling new integrated view

of twentieth-century music. Placing Duke Ellington (1899-1974) at the center of the

story, David Schiff explores music written during the composer's lifetime in terms of

broad ideas such as rhythm, melody, and harmony. He shows how composers and

performers across genres shared the common pursuit of representing the rapidly

changing conditions of modern life. The Ellington Century demonstrates how Duke

Ellington's music is as vital to musical modernism as anything by Stravinsky, more

influential than anything by Schoenberg, and has had a lasting impact on jazz and

pop that reaches from Gershwin to contemporary R&B." 336 pages.

Charles A. Sengstock, Jr. "The Empire Room of the Palmer House: A Class Act,

[ Chicago Local 10-208 Federation of Musicians ] Intermezzo, pp.12-13. Recalls

appearances at the Palmer House by Fields, Weems, G. Williams, etc.

Steve Voce. "Still Clinging To the Wreckage," Jazz Journal, Aug. 2012 / Volume 65 No.8,

pp.12-13. Remembering Maynard Ferguson's 1960s British triumphs.

Bert Whyatt. "Book & DVD Reviews: Bernard 'Bunny' Berigan," Jazz Journal, Aug.

2012 / Volume 65 No.8, p.14. Positive review of Michael P. Zirpolo's Mr. Trumpet:

The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan.

SNEAK PEEK

In next month's "News," a special guest writer tracks The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band in 1944.

go to Big Band Library homepage

NEW STAMP

OF APPROVAL

The legendary Guy Lombardo, born in 1902, may have sold about 300-million records before he died in 1977, to become Canada's biggest-selling musician, but many younger Canadians are not familiar with him.

So Lambeth Postmaster Timothy Lewis thought up a circular postage mark (or cancellation) which proclaims that London, Ontario, Canada was the birthplace of Lombardo and bears a maple leaf symbol from Lombardo's band, The Royal Canadians.

Mail sent from three Canada Post outlets (515 Richmond St. and 387 Wellington Rd. in London, and 2490 Main St. in Lambeth) will bear the mark.

image courtesy of Canada Post