11th at Brunswick Community College in Supply; and then on the 12th at the Duplin County Events Center in Kenansville.
A short drive south gets them to the University of South Carolina in Lancaster, SC on the 13th and to the Newberry Opera House in Newberry, SC on the 14th.
Dates for the second half of the month include the 16th at the Arts Center in Athens, TN; the 18th at the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL; the 19th at Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, AL; and the 20th at the University of Mississippi in University, MS.
Still more performances will be the 21st, Holmes Community College, Grenada, MS; the 22nd, Sam's Town Hotel & Casino, Shreveport, LA; the 25th at the University of Texas in El Paso, TX; two concerts on the 27th at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Scottsdale, AZ; and the 28th at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.
THE FLORIDA SOUND OF RENOWN
Les Brown's Band of Renown, directed by Les Brown Jr., appears for four days this month at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL - the 13th through the 16th.
TD BAND DOWN SOUTH, TOO
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Buddy Morrow will appear on the 1st at the Athens Theatre in Deland, FL and on 2nd at the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL.
JD BAND IN THE MIDWEST
On the 12th of this month, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Bill Tole plays in Glasgow, KY, then on the 14th in Walker, MN.
GARBER GOODIES
You can take your choice between Jan Garber's band from the past or the Garber Orchestra of today. But why not enjoy both?
The present Jan Garber Orchestra directed by Howard Schneider will perform on the 20th at the Sun Dial Recreation Center in Sun City, AZ. And be sure to ask Howard how to get a copy of Garber's holiday album, "Christmas Dance Party" (Decca DL78932), recorded in 1959, that has now been transferred to CD.
OVER IN TEXAS
The annual Eddie Durham Jazz Celebration was held February 5th at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.
Durham [1906-1987] played guitar with or arranged music for such big bands as Bennie Moten and Count Basie (for the latter, Durham arranged such tunes as Out the Window,
Topsy, and Time Out). Durham also wrote charts for Jimmie Lunceford (Lunceford Special and Blues in the Groove), Artie Shaw (In the Mood), and Glenn Miller (Slip Horn Jive, Glen Island Special, and Wham).
Guests at the Celebration this year included big band trumpeter Joe Wilder and jazz historian-author Dan Morgenstern.
MISSION IN MOSCOW
Lionel Hampton's legacy lives on with the 44th annual University of Idaho "Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival," being held in Moscow, ID on the 24th through the 27th of this month.
It's a combination of jazz music by performers of today and jazz education for the musicians of tomorrow. For example, scheduled to play there on the 25th is former Vaughn Monroe guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and his sons John and Martin, then the Lionel Hampton New York Big Band including vibraphonist Chuck Redd "and an open dance floor" on the 27th.
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Louis Armstrong, "Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation
Hall Music Outreach Program," Preservation Hall Records [ vocals from a 1962 live
performance by Armstrong combined with a new background recorded by the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band ].
Count Basie, "Basie in London," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSR-CD566 [ 16 tracks;
NOTE: title already released on CD in 1990 by Polygram ].
---, "Dance Along with Basie," Poll Winners Records 27206 [ the Roulette album of the same
name + an extra track not included on the original album that completes the sessions +
tracks from the period that appeared as singles or on compilations ].
---, "Hall of Fame," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSR-CD567 [ NOTE: previously on CD in
2004 on Verve ( Japan ) UCCV-9137 ].
Duke Ellington, "Festival Session," Poll Winners Records 27209 [ the 1959 album of the
same name + extended, live versions of Copout Extension and Idiom '59, recorded at
Newport two months before the studio session ].
---, "Original Album Series," Rhino ( Eur ) [ includes material from the Reprise LPs "Will
the Big Bands Ever Come Back?," "Mary Poppins," "Ellington '65," "Ellington '66" ].
Ralph Flanagan, "Plays for Dancing," Sounds of Yester Year ( UK ) DSOY808 [ 28 songs;
from six separate Voice Of America radio transcriptions ].
Dizzy Gillespie, "The New Continent," Jazz Collectors 430 [ Gillespie's 1962 big band
album released for the first time in its entirety on CD ].
Benny Goodman, "The Sound of Music," American Jazz Classics 99010 [ the MGM "Sound
of Music" album (S3810) recorded Nov.20, 1959 + a live set by the same band taped
Nov. 13, 1959 ].
Woody Herman, "Let's Go to Town," Sounds of Yester Year (UK ) DSOY806 [ 20 tracks;
complete shows from National Guard radio transcriptions numbers 97 thru 100, including
guest stars Les Paul and Mary Ford performing separately ].
Stan Kenton, "'Live' From Freedomland 1962," Sounds of Yester Year ( UK ) DSOY803
[ Kenton's "mellophonium" band ].
Guy Lombardo, "Sweet As a Song," Bygone Days ( UK ) BYD77052.
Ralph Marterie, "The Voice of America," Sounds of Yester Year ( UK ) DSOY807 [ 20
tracks; with guest stars Les Paul and Mary Ford performing separately ].
Louis Prima, "The Best of Louis Prima Featuring Performances By Keely Smith and
Lily Ann Carol," Columbia 61814 [ recorded 1944-1951 ].
various artists, "Dorothy Collins: Get Happy!: Star of Television's 'Your Hit Parade,'"
Jasmine ( UK ) JASCD 668 [ incl. backing by the orchestras of Raymond Scott;
Lawrence Welk; others ].
---, "Jack Montrose: Blues and Vanilla & The Horn's Full," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp )
FSR-CD 2252 [ incl. Red Norvo; others ].
HINDSIGHT SOLD
The label which big band fan and recording engineer Wally Heider formed in 1977, Hindsight Records, has changed hands again.
In 1979, businessman Thomas Gramuglia acquired rights to Hindsight's catalog. By 2005, he completed the acquisition of Hindsight and merged it with his Michelex Corporation.
Now, it has become part of United Consortium Ltd.
Marc Offenbach, a former Senior Marketing Executive at Sony Music, was named President of United Consortium.
NEW DVDS
Xavier Cugat, "Holiday in Mexico," Warner Archive Collection [ 1946 ].
Jimmy Dorsey, "I Dood It," Warner Archive Collection [ 1943 ].
various artists, "Hollywood Singing and Dancing: Movies That Swing," Koch 8115
[ cover shows posters from "King of Jazz," "Hollywood Hotel," "Las Vegas Nights," "Ship
Ahoy," "The Fabulous Dorseys," and other films; musical selections by Benny Goodman,
Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Cab
Calloway, Kay Kyser, and more ].
---, "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round," Alpha Video ALP 5984D [ 1937 motion picture with the
bands of Cab Calloway, Louis Prima, and Ted Lewis ].
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Snooky Young, b.Feb. 3, 1919. Trumpeter with Lunceford '39-'42; Basie '42 / '43 / '45 /
'46-'48 / '57-'62; Hampton '44-'45.
Sammy Nestico, b.Feb. 6, 1924. Arranger - composer with Basie '67-'84.
Buddy Morrow, b.Feb. 8, 1919. Trombonist with Shaw '36-'37; T. Dorsey '38-'39; Whiteman
'39-'40; Crosby '41-'42. Bandleader '50-'73; Miller Orch. '74; T. Dorsey Orch. '77- .
Gene Lees, b.Feb. 8, 1928. Author of Echo and Narcissus: The Life of Artie Shaw; Leader
of the Band: The Life of Woody Herman; Meet Me at Jim & Andy's: Jazz Musicians and
Their World; Gene Lees' Jazzletter.
Elliot Lawrence, b.Feb. 14, 1925. Pianist and bandleader.
Peggy King, b.Feb. 16, 1930. Vocalist with Spivak '50; Flanagan '51; J. Gray '55 "Stand
By for Music."
Pete Christlieb, b.Feb. 16, 1945. Tenor saxophonist with J. Gray '63-'64; Zentner '65;
Bellson '67; Severinsen / Tonight Show '72-'92.
Orrin Tucker, b.Feb. 17, 1911. Saxophonist and bandleader.
Buddy DeFranco, b.Feb. 17, 1923. Clarinetist with Fio Rito '42; Barnet '43-'44; T. Dorsey
'44-'45 / '45-'46 / '47; Basie '50. Bandleader '51; Miller Orch. '66-'74.
Joe Wilder, b.Feb. 22, 1922. Trumpeter with Hampton '46; Lunceford '47; Basie '53-'54.
Joe LaBarbera, b.Feb. 22, 1948. Drummer with Herman '72 "The Raven Speaks."
Dave Pell, b.Feb. 26, 1925. Tenor saxophonist with Brown '48-'55.
NEW IN-PRINT
Jane Clinton. "Malcolm Laycock: Family Slams BBC," [ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight
Serenader, Number 325 / 5th Edition 2009, pp.9-10 [ friends and family of the late
Malcolm Laycock, who hosted the popular "Sunday Night at 10" big band radio program,
have criticized the BBC for its callous treatment of him (Laycock died Nov. 8, 2009) ].
Tony Eaton. "What's New?," [ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight Serenader, Number 325 /
5th Edition 2009, pp.6-7 [ items include a review of milestones which occured during
2009, such as the 100th anniversary of the birth of Glenn Miller's favorite lyricist, Johnny
Mercer ].
Nat Hentoff. "Keeping the Big-Band Sound Alive," Wall Street Journal, Feb. 3, 2010
[ Hentoff discusses the American Big Band Preservation Society, which was recently
granted 501c3 IRS tax-exempt status ].
Leslie Kenton. Love Affair: The memoir of a forbidden father-daughter relationship
(London: Vermilion, 2010) [ shocking 384-pg. book by Stan Kenton's daughter, Leslie,
who claims that he raped her when she was 11 and continued to do so until she was 13 ].
Alan Luff. "Anec-dotage: This month celebrating the most successful commercial musician
of all time in (careful) jazz," Jazz Journal, Feb. 2010 / Volume 63 No.2, p.9 [ re: Glenn
Miller ].
Jeff Shepherd. "Dorsey Orchestra wows full house at the Athens in DeLand," West
Volusia [ FL ] Beacon, Feb. 2, 2010 [ The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Buddy
Morrow, who turns age 91 this month, "nearly filled the house"; a few trombone solos
were taken by Morrow, but band member Herbie Bruce played some others ].
Roland Taylor. "Miller's Mighty Service Band: The ensemble in focus," [ Glenn Miller
Society ] Moonlight Serenader, Number 325 / 5th Edition 2009, pp.2-5 [ chronology of
Miller's AAF orchestra continues, now through Jul. 23rd, 1944 ].
Bob Weir. "Gerald Wilson: Music man for all seasons," Jazz Journal, Feb. 2010 / Volume
63 No.2, pp.6-8 [ Wilson ( Lunceford '39-'42 ) is now age 91 ].
NOW ONLINE
Besides his respected "Glenn Miller Fans" Yahoo Group, Dave Smith of sunny Crystal River, FL, hopes for active participation in his Yahoo discussion forum about other fine musical performers, "BigBandsAndPopularVocalists."
So, to name a few examples, if you want more about Les (Brown), are keen on Gene (Krupa), or have something to say for Ray (Anthony), check it out!
Just don't blame Dave for that corny wording - Chris said this LOL.
COMING UP
Planning is underway now for "Racing with the Moon IV," the fourth gathering of The Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society, to be held the weekend of May 14-17, 2010 in Atlantic City, NJ.
Previous outings were held around Martin County, FL; Boston; and New York City.
Additional details will soon be posted to their website, vaughnmonroesociety.org.
And, by the way, like the "Glenn Miller Fans" and "BigBandsAndPopularVocalists," they, too, have a Yahoo "bulletin board" group about their favorite, "Vaughn Monroe."
THE CHIEF OF NEW ORLEANS: LOUIS PRIMA
Singer Tony Bennett's portrait of Louis Prima will be reproduced as the 2010 New Orleans Jazz Festival poster, in honor of the centenary of Prima's birth this coming December.
New Orleans was Prima's hometown.
"Louis Prima was an absolute original," Bennett commented, "and I was thrilled to be asked by the Jazz Festival to paint his portrait for this year's poster art - he was an exceptional performer and a dear friend and he embodied the buoyant spirit of New Orleans."
go to Big Band Library homepage
FEBRUARY 2010
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian
CHRISTOPHER POPA
The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
A HANDFUL OF STARS
Within the last couple months, three men who, each in their own way, helped to keep alive the memory of Glenn Miller have passed away. Though I never personally met any of them, I certainly knew their names.
One was Geoffrey Butcher, who, some 60 years ago in London, founded The Glenn Miller Appreciation Society, which still flourishes today.
After serving as a newspaper reporter, Butcher was, in fact, employed as a Chartered Librarian in the Civil Service, until he took early retirement in 1985.
But, on his own, he spent much time chronicling Miller's life and accomplishments.
For the Miller Society, he served as Editor of its informative journal, The Moonlight Serenader, from the very first one published on August 26, 1950 through the September 1956 issue.
When His Master's Voice began releasing a series of Miller LPs in the United Kingdom, Butcher, appropriately, wrote the sleeve notes.
For one of the first full books prepared about Miller, Dr. Stephen F. Bedwell's A Glenn Miller Discography (London: Glenn Miller Appreciation Society, 1955), Butcher acted as Editor and provided additional material. A second edition was printed in 1956.
Throughout the years, Butcher continued to write liner notes for various Miller LP and CD titles, as well as numerous magazine articles and radio scripts.
His own excellent book, Next to a Letter From Home: Major Glenn Miller's Wartime Band (Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing Company, Ltd., 1986), traced the band's history, and included a day-by-day chronology of the orchestra from June 28, 1944 to July 28, 1945. A paperback edition of the work was published by Warner Books in 1994.
Butcher remained a big band enthusiast and record collector for the rest of his life, though his last years were reportedly spent in poor health.
He died on December 20, 2009 at what I believe was age 83.
Geoffrey E. Butcher
(1926-2009)
SWINGING ON
The world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien continues to work more than other big bands nowadays. This month, the group is traveling down South and out West, avoiding the harsher weather of the North and East.
They begin on the 2nd at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines, NC; spend two days, the 4th and the 5th, at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, AL; followed by the 6th at the Grand Theatre in Cartersville, GA; and the 7th at the Bibb Mill Event Center in Columbus, GA.
Returning to North Carolina, they perform on the 9th at Northwood High School in Pittsboro; on the
The marquee of the Orpheum Theater in Witchita, KS as it appeared recently when the Glenn Miller Orchestra performed there. Photo © by Jaime Parker. Used with permission.
Meanwhile, another Glenn Miller aficionado, Pete Cruze, is being remembered by many friends as intelligent, kind, and generous.
Cruze, a native of Indiana, played trombone, the same instrument as Miller.
He built up an impressive collection of Miller's recordings, broadcasts, and other performances which chronologically filled a reported 150 compact discs. And it is said that he was always willing to share the music, or his time and knowledge, with others.
He was a regular visitor to the annual Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Festival in Clarinda, IA, participating as a member of a panel of experts discussing Miller's legacy and playing in a big band which performed his music.
Cruze died on January 23rd at the age of 55.
It was as a result of the dedicated efforts of people like Geoffrey Butcher and Pete Cruze that others since (even all these years later) have continued to admire Miller's accomplishments and enjoy his sounds.
Pete Cruze
(1954-2010)
ADDITIONAL NECROLOGY
John Dankworth, 82, saxophonist ("Cleo Laine with the Duke Ellington Orchestra: Solitude,"
RCA Victor 68124) - arranger ( Heath '49 Move ), d.Feb. 7, 2010.
Jake Hanna, 78, drummer (Herman '58 / '62-'64 / '83; James '61-'62), d.Feb. 12, 2010,
complications from a bone marrow disease.
A third person familiar to Glenn Miller fans was Hunton L. Downs, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, who, because of his beliefs about Miller's fate, became a controversial figure to some.
Downs did not believe the conventional story that Miller lost his life on an airplane over the English Channel, so he spent some 60 years trying to get at something he could accept as the truth.
Downs' book, The Glenn Miller Conspiracy: The never-before-told true story of his life - and death (Beverly Hills, CA: Global Book Publishers, 2009), reported that the bandleader was killed by the Nazis while on a secret mission for Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and that the government covered up the details.
He had earlier suggested a similar story in his Murder in the Mood (Southhampton, England: Wright Books, 1998), a fictional novel which he said was "based on facts."
Downs passed away on February 13th at the age of 91.
Hunton Downs
(1918-2010)
