the big bands are back
in a new and exciting way
JANUARY 2011
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian
CHRISTOPHER POPA
SATCHMO COLLECTION ONLINE
The new year is underway and it should be a terrific one for fans and students of trumpeter - bandleader Louis Armstrong.
"The world is more interested than ever in Louis Armstrong," says Michael Cogswell, Director of The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens, NY. "That's evident not only from the ever-increasing number of people from around the world who visit our Museum," he reports, "but also from the number of researchers using our archives and the great popularity of recent Armstrong films and books."
Because in part of a $105,384, two-year grant from the Museums for America program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), cataloging for the three largest collections at the Armstrong House Museum is already online.
By the end of 2011, the entire collection will be included.
"Thanks to the vision and generosity of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, we have been able to build a world-renowned research archives," says Cogswell. "And now, thanks to this IMLS grant, our catalog will be online for everyone to peruse and enjoy."
Project Archivist Ricky Riccardi, an Armstrong expert, has spent the past 15 months arranging, preserving, and cataloging more than 200 cubic feet of Armstrong material.
"Working with this collection has been an absolute dream come true, but getting to share it online with other Armstrong lovers from around the world really makes this something special," Riccardi enthuses. "And it's not just for Armstrong experts; the online catalog will appeal to music fans, art historians, 20th-century pop culture buffs, musicians, photographers, you name it. There's something for everyone."
Cogswell adds, "One of our most common reference questions is, ‘What kind of trumpet did Louis Armstrong play?' Now, anybody, anywhere in the world 24/7, can simply go on the web to learn the make, model, and serial numbers and to see photos of Louis's own gold-plated trumpets."
According to publicity, "The Louis Armstrong House Museum holds the world's largest archives devoted to a single jazz musician. Its collections encompass more than 5,000 sound recordings, 15,000 photographs, 30 films, 100 scrapbooks, 20 linear feet of letters and papers, and six trumpets. Researchers, record companies, publishers, film producers, public school students, and many others routinely use these materials. Since 1994, more than a dozen books and recordings have been published based on research from the collections, including Terry Teachout's Pops, a notable book of 2010.
The research core of the archives is the Louis Armstrong Collection, comprising Satchmo's vast personal trove of home-recorded tapes, photographs, scrapbooks, manuscript band parts, and other materials discovered inside his modest house in Corona, Queens, after his wife, Lucille, passed away in 1983. A grant from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation made possible the Museum's acquisition of the world's largest private collection of Armstrong material from Jack Bradley, Armstrong's friend and a noted jazz photographer."
Bradley's items included hundreds of candid, previously unpublished photographs of Armstrong taken or collected by Bradley over five decades.
The direct link to The Louis Armstrong House Museum's catalog is louisarmstronghouse.org/collections/online_catalog.htm.
As Louis would sing, "Oh... yeah!"
ED BURKE COLLECTION ACQUIRED
It has been officially announced that the private holdings of big band aficionado Ed Burke were recently acquired by The Glenn Miller Archive at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Burke, who is still alive but reportedly in ill health, gathered transcriptions, radio broadcasts, and other audio recordings, along with photographs, magazines, and other memorabilia. He offered some of the music to collectors through his self-run record and CD labels, including Fanfare, Soundcraft, and Jazz Hour.
In late 2006, he attempted to sell his entire accumulation on eBay, with a starting bid of $85,000. The description posted there stated, "Rare Vintage Music Radio Broadcasts from 1929 - 1960. 95% directly from 16 inch transcriptions . . . Over 11,000 hours on high speed tape. Open reel 7 1/2 or 15 ips."
With the collecton now in the hands of The Glenn Miller Archive, a formal reception in Boulder is to be announced later this year.
It was stated in a press release that "Many future generations will be able to better appreciate and enjoy a very special era in American popular music, carefully preserved, because of this significant agreement."
NECROLOGY
Verne Langdon, 69, d.Jan. 1, 2011. Nephew of Red Nichols and creator of the official
Red Nichols website, rednichols.com.
Brian Rust, 88, d.Jan. 5, 2010. Author (The American Dance Band Discography; The
Complete Entertainment Discography; et al).
Margaret Whiting, 86, d.Jan. 10, 2011, "of natural causes." Vocalist who recorded with
Slack (That Old Black Magic) / Weston (It Might As Well Be Spring) / Butterfield (My
Ideal; Moonlight in Vermont) / J. Gray (Guilty).
David Nelson, 74, d.Jan. 11, 2011, "complications of colon cancer." Son of Ozzie Nelson.
Georgia Carroll, 91, d.Jan. 14, 2001. Vocalist with Kyser '43-'45 and was married to him
from June 1944 until his death on July 23, 1985.
Barrie Lee Hall, 61, d.Jan. 24, 2011. Trumpeter with Ellington '73-'74 and the Ellington
Orchestra '75-'11; and leader of the Ellington Orchestra '96-'97? [ and occasionally
relieving Paul Mercer Ellington since then ].
Steve Lipkins, 93, d.Jan. 29, 2011, Parkinson's disease. Trumpeter with T. Dorsey '36;
Berigan '37-'38; Shaw '41-'42; Miller '42; J. Dorsey '42-'43.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Frank Wess, saxophonist, b.Jan. 4, 1922. With Eckstine '46; Millinder '47; Basie '53-'64.
Marian Monroe, widow of Vaughn Monroe, b.Jan. 7, 1912. Was married to Monroe from
April 2, 1940 until his death on May 21, 1973.
Bucky Pizzarelli, guitarist, b.Jan. 9, 1926. With Monroe '43 / '46-'52; Goodman '67 / '69
Reader's Digest / '70 / '71 / '72 / '73 / '74 / '75 / '77 / '79 / '80 / '81 / '85.
Nat Peck, trombonist, b.Jan. 13, 1925. With Miller AAF '43-'45.
Ray Anthony, trumpeter, b. Jan. 20, 1922. With A. Donahue '40; Miller '40-'41; J. Dorsey
'42. Own band '46- .
Benny Golson, tenor saxophonist, b. Jan. 25, 1929. With Gillespie '56-'58.
Dick Nash, trombonist, b.Jan. 26, 1928. With S. Donahue '47; G. Gray '49; Beneke '50;
May '53.
Ed [ "Eddie" ] Shaughnessy, drummer, b.Jan. 29, 1929. With Byrne '48; Ventura '48-'50;
Millinder '51-52.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Count Basie Orchestra directed by Dennis Mackrel. Jan. 27: University of Nevada, Las
Vegas, NV; Jan. 28: Fox Theatre, Tucson, AZ; Jan. 29: Scottsdale Center for the
Performing Arts, Scottsdale, AZ; Jan. 30: Dale E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts,
Wickensburg, AZ.
Jan Garber Orchestra directed by Howard Schneider. Jan. 7: Sundial Recreation Center,
Sun City, AZ; Jan. 11: Las Palmas Grand, Mesa, AZ; Jan. 17: Leisure World, Mesa, AZ;
Jan. 22: Sundial Recreation Center, Sun City, AZ.
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke. Jan. 9: Modesto, CA; Jan. 24: Marathon,
FL; Jan. 25: Key Largo, FL; Jan. 30: Bradenton, FL.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Gary Tole. Jan. 14: private, The Village Church, Shell
Point, Fort Meyers, FL; Jan. 16: Coral Springs Center for the Arts, Coral Springs, FL;
Jan. 17, Lake Mary High School, Lake Mary, FL; Jan. 18: Buchholz High School,
Gainesville, FL; Jan. 20: Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC; Jan. 21: Carolina
Theatre, Greensboro, NC; Jan. 22: Fountain Inn Civic Center, Fountain Inn, SC; Jan. 23:
Clayton State University, Morrow, GA; Jan. 26: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL; Jan.
27: Florida Community College, Jacksonville, FL; Jan. 30: Lely High School, Naples, FL.
Artie Shaw Orchestra directed by Matt Koza. Jan. 18: Mount Dora High School, Mount
Dora, FL; Jan. 29: Centenary, Hackettstown, NJ.
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Louis Armstrong. "Integrale Louis Armstrong 9: 'Jeepers Creepers' 1938-1941,"
Fremeaux & Associes [ Fr ] FA1359. 3-CD set, which continues Fremeaux's "complete"
Armstrong recordings.
Larry Elgart. "The Elgart Sound," Montpellier [ UK ] MONTCD072. 22 tracks selected
from the LPs "Easy Goin' Swing" (RCA Camden CAS-575) and "Sophisticated Sixties"
(MGM SE-3891).
Benny Goodman. "AFRS Benny Goodman Show Volume 5," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ]
DSOY840. Programs 9 and 10.
Stan Kenton. "Rosengarten - Mannheim, Germany 23rd April 1956," Sounds of YesterYear
[ UK ] DSOY839. 2-CD set.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Ray McKinley. "Dance Anyone?," Montpellier [ UK ]
MONTCD075. 18 tracks selected from the RCA Victor LPs "On Tour with The New
Glenn Miller Orchestra" (LSP-1948) and "Dance, Anyone?" (LSP-2193).
Various artists. "Jo Stafford At the Supper Club Part II," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ] DSOY
841. Guests include Benny Goodman and Xavier Cugat.
BEING PREPARED
Mosaic is working on a 7-CD "complete" set of Jimmie Lunceford on Decca, which would cover 1934 to 1945.
But their planned, 7-CD Red Nichols set of Brunswick recordings has evidently been scrapped due to copyright problems.
In its place, the rumor is that Jazz Oracle, in the United Kingdom, will be doing their own series of nine Nichols CDs, covering his "Five Pennies" and associated groups.
Also in the UK, Sepia will soon be releasing 2 CDs titled "75 Glenn Miller Masterpieces," based around the 1959 3-LP RCA Victor set "For the Very First Time." A full review is expected to appear in the March 2011 Big Band News.
IN PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Brian Belton. "B.B.'s Big Band Beat: Brian Belton takes a look at the big band scene,"
In Tune International, No.227 / Jan. 2011, p.35. Reviews of recent CD releases of
Flanagan and J. Dorsey.
Anne Blythe. "Kyser, model, art lover, dies at 91," [ Raleigh, NC ] News & Observer,
Jan. 16, 2011. Reporting the death of Georgia Carroll.
Tony Middleton. "Book & DVD Reviews: Classic Musical Shorts From the Dream Factory,"
Jazz Journal, Volume 61 No.1 / Jan. 2011, p.19. Middleton calls the 4-DVD set "an
amazing assortment."
Robert W. Rice. "Stateside," In Tune International, No.227 / Jan. 2011, p.17+. Mentions
the centenary of the birth of bandleader - trumpeter - singer Louis Prima.
Bryant Simon. "The Man Whom Elvis Learned From: Louis Prima and 'That Old Black
Magic,'" popmatters.com, Jan. 11, 2011. According to Simon, when asked where he
learned his distinctive body shakes, Elvis Presley responded, "From Louis Prima, of
course."
"So Long, Phil...," The Great Escape! / dixieswing.com, Issue No.22 January/February 2011,
p.1+. Remembering Phil Holdman, former record salesman, drummer, and leader of
The Browsers, who died at the age of 92 on Dec. 22, 2010.
Victoria Stilwell. "Local leader dies at age 91: Georgia Carroll Kyser leaves legacy,"
[ Chapel Hill, NC ] Daily Tar Heel, Jan. 18, 2011.
"Tattoo artist Shaw pleads not guilty in gun case," Wall Street Journal, Jan. 11, 2011.
Jonathan Shaw, 57, son of Artie Shaw, had been arrested in November on dozens of
weapons charges, after he tried to have a stash of guns and knives sent from New York
to California. He is out on $250,000 bond. Shaw's lawyers said that he bought the
weapons legally years ago and had no intention of using them.
Beth Velliquette. "Remembering Georgia Carroll Kyser," [ Durham, NC ] Herald-Sun,
Jan. 18, 2011.
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Louis Armstrong in 1954
