The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
AUGUST 2013 "BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Louis Bellson. “Big Band Jazz From the Summit / Small Band Unreleased Studio Session,”
Fresh Sound Records (Sp) FSRCD 783. Recorded in 1962. Compositions by, among
others, Benny Carter (Who’s Who, Amoroso, Gumshoe, Doozy, Lou’s Blues) and Larry
Clinton (The Dipsy Doodle).
Xavier Cugat. “Cugat Plays Continental and Popular Movie Hits,” Sepia ( E ) 1233.
Recordings made for Mercury, such as Petite Fleur, Apache, Moon River, and Over the
Rainbow. Includes 6 additional tracks with vocals by the then Mrs. Cugat, Abbe Lane.
Billy Eckstine. “don’t worry ‘bout me / Broadway Bongos and Mr. ‘B’,” Sepia ( E ) 1230.
Recordings made for Mercury. Songs include If Ever I Would Leave You, Stranger in
Paradise, Til There Was You, and What Kind of Fool Am I.
Les and Larry Elgart. "Elgart au Go-Go / Sound of the Times," Vocalion ( E ) CDLK 4501.
Two original Columbia LPs from 1965 and 1966, including Downtown, King of the Road,
Sloop John B, A Sign of the Times, and A Taste of Honey.
Duke Ellington. "The Famous Berlin Concert," Sounds of YesterYear ( E ) DSOY 935.
Live in Berlin, Germany in 1959. 2-CDs. Selections include Jam with Sam, Rockin’ in
Rhythm, V.I.P. Boogie, and Satin Doll.
Jerry Gray. “Re-Stringing The Pearls: 1949-1951 Recordings.” Amazon.com CD-R.
Includes Minuet in G, Dancing in the Dark, This Can’t Be Love, and 24 others
recorded for Decca.
Ted Heath. “Rare Transcription Recordings of the 1950s, Volume 7: Seven Eleven,”
Vocalion ( E ) CDEA 6218. Done at the BBC in 1959, the tunes include Besame Mucho,
Perfidia, and Close Your Eyes.
Stan Kenton. “Artistry in Bossa Nova,” Capitol ( J ) TOCJ-66623. The 1963 Capitol album
ST 1931. Includes Brasilia, Jump for Joe, and Kentonova.
Stan Kenton. “Flying High in Florida,” Sounds of YesterYear ( E ) DSOY 934. Live in
concert on March 22 and 23, 1972 at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, FL. Tunes
include A Little Minor Booze, Theme For Autumn, and Girl Talk.
Glenn Miller. "Artie Malvin Sings: With Glenn Miller's Army Air Forces Band and Tex
Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra," Sounds of YesterYear ( E ) DSOY 936.
22 songs including I'm Headin' for California, To Each His Own, and Serenade in Blue.
Paul Weston. “The Great Hit Sounds Of Paul Weston: Morningside Of The Mountain,”
Jasmine ( E ) JASCD243. 2-CD set with 52 selections such as Planter’s Punch,
Nevertheless, Wonderful Copenhagen, And So to Sleep Again, Odd Man Out,
and Bimbo.
Si Zentner. “Big Band Classics,” Stardust Records CD-R. 29 songs originally recorded for
Liberty.
NEW DVD
Various. "Hollywood Canteen," Warner Archive Collection. Originally released by Warner
Bros. on December 15, 1944, the movie includes J Dorsey and Cavallaro.
Various. "Presenting Lily Mars," Warner Archive Collection. Originally released in 1943
and including T Dorsey and Crosby.
NAME BANDS LIVE
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke. Aug. 11, Honolulu, HI.
Hal McIntyre Orchestra directed by Don Pentleton. Aug. 2, Veterans International Stage,
Shrewsbury, MA; Aug. 11, Maudsley College for the Performing Arts, Newburyport, MA.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. Aug. 1, East Side Park, Norwich, NY;
Aug. 3, Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD; Aug. 6, Riviera Theatre,
Three Rivers, MI; Aug. 7, Schoenbrunn Amphitheatre, New Philadelphia, OH; Aug. 8
Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, OH; Aug. 24, Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
John Miller, b.Aug. 3, 1941. Nephew of Glenn Miller; leader and vocalist with The Herb
Miller Orchestra.
Urbie Green, b.Aug. 8, 1926. Trombonist with Savitt '45; Carle ’45; Krupa ’47 / ’50;
leader of T Dorsey Orch ’66-’67.
Frank Capp, b.Aug. 20, 1931. Drummer with Kenton ’51; Hefti ’52.
Peter Appleyard, b.Aug. 26, 1928. Vibraphonist with Goodman ’71-’77.
Med Flory, b.Aug. 17, 1926. Saxophonist with Thornhill ’50; Mooney ’52?; Herman
’53 / ’59.
Jerry Dodgion, b.Aug. 19, 1932. Alto saxophonist with Carter ’55; Goodman ’59-’60 /
’61 / ’62.
NECROLOGY
Marilyn King, 82, d.Aug. 7, 2013, cancer. Youngest member ('51-'85?) of The King Sisters
vocal group which sang with Alvino Rey's band.
Eydie Gorme, 84, d.Aug. 10, 2013. Vocalist with T Tucker '50; Beneke '50-'51.
Jane Harvey, 88, d.Aug. 15, 2013, cancer. Vocalist with Goodman '44-'45; Arnaz '46.
Albert Murray, 97, d.Aug. 18, 2013. Jazz critic and novelist. Co-authored Count Basie's
autobiography, Good Morning Blues.
Marian McPartland 95, d.Aug. 20, 2013, natural causes. Pianist with Goodman '63.
REMEMBERING YOU
Les Elgart, b.Aug. 3, 1918. Trumpeter with Berigan ’40?. Leader of own band / band
with his brother Larry.
Claude Hopkins, b.Aug. 3, 1903. Pianist - leader of own band.
Charlie Shavers, b.Aug. 3, 1917. Trumpet – arranger with Kirby ’36?-’44. Trumpeter with
T Dorsey ’45-’49 / ’53; Goodman ’53 / ’54; Dorsey Bros ’54?-'56; T Dorsey
Orch-Donahue ’61-’65.
Jess Stacy, b.Aug. 4, 1904. Pianist with Goodman ’35-’39 / ‘43; Crosby ’39-’42;
T Dorsey ’44. Leader of own band.
Luis Russell, b.Aug. 5, 1902. Pianist with Armstrong ’35-’43. Leader of own band.
Norman Granz, b.Aug. 6, 1918. Producer of “Jazz At the Philharmonic” ’44-‘50s;
record label owner - producer (Clef / Verve / Pablo).
Warren Covington, b.Aug. 7, 1921. Trombonist with I Jones ’39; Heidt ’43?; Brown ’46?.
Leader of T Dorsey Orch ’58-’61. Leader of own band.
Freddie Slack, b.Aug. 7, 1910. Pianist with J Dorsey ’36-’39; Bradley ’39-’41.
Leader of own band.
Benny Carter, b.Aug. 8, 1907. Leader of own band.
Lucky Millinder, b.Aug. 8, 1900. Leader of Mills Blue Rhythm Band ’34-?. Leader of
own band.
Arnett Cobb, b.Aug. 10, 1918. Tenor saxophonist with Hampton ’42-’47.
Claude Thornhill, b.Aug. 10, 1909. Pianist – arranger with Noble ’35-’36; Shaw Navy
band ‘42. Leader of own band.
Russell Procope, b.Aug. 11, 1908. Saxophonist with Webb ’29-’30; F Henderson '31-’34;
Carter ’34; Teddy Hill ’34-’38; Kirby ’38-’45; Ellington ’46-'61 / '61-'74.
Joe Puma, b.Aug. 13, 1927. Guitarist with Shaw ’53; Bellson ’54?.
Frank Devito, b.Aug. 14, 1930. Drummer with DeFranco ’49 / ’51.
Morey Feld, b.Aug. 15, 1915. Drummer with Pollack ’36; Joe Haymes ’38; Goodman
’44-’45; Hackett ’53.
Joe Garland, b.Aug. 15, 1907. Tenor saxophonist for Millinder ‘30s; Hayes ‘30s;
Redman ‘30s; Armstrong ’41-’46?. Composer of Leap Frog and In the Mood.
Tommy Pederson, b.Aug. 15, 1920. Trombonist with Krupa ’40-’45; T Dorsey ’43;
Barnet ’44 / ’46.
Al Hibbler, b.Aug. 16, 1915. Vocalist with McShann ’42; Ellington ’43-’51.
Larry Clinton, b.Aug. 17, 1909. Arranger – composer for I Jones ’33; Hopkins ’33;
Dorsey Bros ’34; G Gray ’35-’36; T dorsey ’37; Berigan ’37. Leader of own band.
George Duvivier, b.Aug. 17, 1920. Bassist with C Hawkins ’41; Millinder ’42. Arranger
for Lunceford ’42 / ’45-’47.
Ike Quebec, b.Aug. 17, 1918. Tenor saxophonist with Calloway ’44-’51 [ not continuous ].
Jack Sperling, b.Aug. 17, 1922. Drummer with Berigan ’41-’42; Beneke Navy band
’43-’45 / Beneke-Miller Orch ’46-’49 / Beneke ‘60s / ‘70s [ not continuous ];
Brown ’50-’54 / '60s / '70s [ not continuous ]; Crosby ’54-’57.
Don Lamond, b.Aug. 18, 1920. Drummer with Herman ’45-’46 / ’47-’49; Shaw
Capitol LP ’68.
Eddie Shu, b.Aug. 18, 1918. Saxophonist with Hampton ’49-’50; Barnet ’50-’51; Krupa
’54-’58.
Eddie Durham, b.Aug. 19, 1906. Arranger – composer for Lunceford (Pigeon Walk,
Lunceford Special, Blues in the Groove); Basie (Out the Window, Topsy, Time
Out); Miller (Slip Horn Jive, Glen Island Special, Wham).
Spud Murphy, b.Aug. 19, 1908. Saxophonist – arranger for Garber ’31-’32; Hallett ’33;
Joe Haymes ’34. Arranger for Goodman; G Gray.
Jimmy Rowles, b.Aug. 19, 1918. Pianist with Goodman ’42; Herman ’42-’43 / ’46;
Crosby ’47-’51.
Frank Rosolino, b.Aug. 20, 1926. Trombonist with Chester ’46-’47; G Gray ’47;
Krupa ’48-’49; Pastor ’49; Auld ’51; Kenton ’52-’54.
Joya Sherrill, b.Aug. 20, 1927. Vocalist with Ellington ’44-’48 / ’57.
Jack Teagarden, b.Aug. 20, 1905. Trombonist with Pollack ’28-’33; Whiteman ’34-’38;
Armstrong ’47-’51. Leader of own band.
Count Basie, b.Aug. 21, 1904. Pianist with Moten ’30?-’35. Leader of own band.
Bob Crosby, b.Aug. 23, 1913. Vocalist with Dorsey Bros ’35. Leader of own band.
Paul Webster, b.Aug. 24, 1909. Trumpeter with Lunceford ’35-’42; Calloway ’44-’52
[ not continuous ]; Barnet ’46-’47 / ’52-’53; Oliver ‘50s.
Billy Moore, b.Aug. 25, 1917. Composer – arranger for Lunceford ’39-’42? (incl
Belgium Stomp, What’s Your Story Morning Glory, Chopin Prelude No.7, Bugs
Parade, Monotony in Four Flats); Barnet ’44 (incl Skyliner).
Jimmy Rushing, b.Aug. 26, 1903. Vocalist with Moten ’29; Basie ’35-’50; Goodman
’58 / ’59.
Frances Wayne, b.Aug. 26, 1924. Vocalist with Barnet ’42; Herman ’43-’46?; Hefti
’52-’53 / ’74. Married Hefti ’45.
Lester Young, b.Aug. 27, 1909. Tenor saxophonist with Kirk; Basie ’36-’40 / ’43-’44.
Charlie Parker, b.Aug. 29, 1920. Alto saxophonist with McShann ’41; Hines ’43;
Eckstine '44.
Dinah Washington, b.Aug. 29, 1924. Vocalist with Hampton ’43-’46.
Willie Bryant, b.Aug. 30, 1908. Leader of own band.
Edgar Sampson, b.Aug. 31, 1907. Saxophonist with Ellington ’27; F Henderson ’31-’33.
Saxophonist / composer – arranger with Webb ’33-’37. Arranger for Goodman
’36-’38. Composer of Blue Lou, If Dreams Come True, Stomping At the Savoy,
Don’t Be That Way, Lullaby in Rhythm.
NEW IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Alan Luff. "Anec-dotage: Alan Luff marks two more big birthdays: Bob Crosby and
Charlie Barnet," Jazz Journal, Volume 66 No.8 / Aug. 2013, p.17. An appreciation of
the two bandleaders.
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