The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
JULY 2010 "BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Ray Anthony. "1954 TV Shows," Montpellier ( UK ) MONTCD070 [ 28 songs performed on
"TV's Tip Top Tunes," including Trumpeter’s Lullaby, Three Coins in the Fountain,
In the Chapel in the Moonlight, Jersey Bounce, Sh-Boom, Toy Trumpet, I Understand
Just How You Feel, It Ain’t Necessarily So, and Hey There ].
Count Basie. "The Band of Distinction," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSRCD 588 [ 2-CD
set; Clef recordings from 1953-54 ].
---. "Basie Rides Again!," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSRCD 587 [ 2-CD set;
Clef studio performances from 1952 plus selections broadcast from Birdland in New
York City ].
---. "The Swinging Count," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSRCD 589 [ 1952 Clef sides ].
Jimmy Dorsey. "Let's Go to Town, Sounds of Yester Year ( UK ) DSOY822 [ National
Guard transcriptions with guest singer Patti Page; selections include So Rare,
Manhattan, That's a-Plenty, You Belong to Me, Release Me, and This Is My Song ].
Dizzy Gillespie. "Complete Studio Sessions 1956-1957," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp )
FSRCD 585 [ 2-CD set; = LPs Norgran MG-N1084 / Verve MG-V8174, Verve MG-V
8017, Verve MG-V8222, plus other tracks ].
Benny Goodman. "Benny in Brussels," Jazz Plaza Music JPM 8807 [ = the Columbia 2-LP
set C2L 16; NOTE: previously available on CD in 2001 as Collectables COL-CD-6897
and in 2010 as part of Avid Jazz ( UK ) AMSC1004 ].
Glen Gray. "Spotlight On Swing," Montpellier ( UK ) MONTCD063 [ = the 1958 Capitol LPs
ST 1147, "Spotlight On Swing," + ST 1289, "Swingin' Decade: Sounds of the Great
Bands of the 40's"; NOTE: "Swingin' Decade" was previously available on CD in 2008
as Collectables COL-CD-6768 ].
Coleman Hawkins. "And His Confreres," Fresh Sound Records ( Sp ) FSRCD 592
[ = the 1958 LPs Verve MG-V8346, "Coleman Hawkins and His Confreres," and
Felsted SJA 2005, "The High and Mighty Hawk," plus an alternate take from the Verve
session ] .
---. "Complete Recordings with Ray Bryant," Solar Records 4569873 [ 3-CD set; = the
1958-59 Prestige LPs "Soul" ( PRLP7149 ) / "Hawk Eyes" ( PRLP7156 ) and more ].
Paul Whiteman. "Radio Hall of Fame: Volume 1," Radio Archives RA 178 [ five Blue
Network radio shows from 1944-45 with Whiteman's band and various guest stars,
sponsored by Philco Corporation ].
various artists. "The Music of the 1930s: Volume 1," Radio Archives RA 175 [ 10-CD set
with 35 rare & historic programs; orchestras include Arnheim, Grier, others ].
NEW GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
For a number of years, Jan Slottenas of Sweden has been leading his own band, doing a wonderful and skilled job performing Glenn Miller music.
Not only did their two most recent CDs show off their talents quite well, there were several tunes, such as Anchors Aweigh and Caribbean Clipper, posted to YouTube, in which the Slottenas band got a quite authentic sound and, in my opinion, were great.
Now, under license from Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., he has become the leader of The Glenn Miller Orchestra in... Sweden!
NEW PERFORMANCES
Count Basie Orchestra directed by Bill Hughes. July 28, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA.
Cab Calloway Orchestra directed by C. Calloway Brooks. July 15, Astoria Park, Queens,
NY.
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Bill Tole. July 12, Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA;
July 18, Wilkes Barre, PA; July 25, Chambersburg, PA.
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke. July 2, Boston, MA; July 4, "battle of the
bands" with Artie Shaw Orchestra, "Montreal Jazz Festival," Montreal, Canada; July 31,
"battle of the bands" with Glenn Miller Orchestra, Portland Center for the Performing Arts,
Portland, OR.
Sammy Kaye Orchestra directed by Roger Thorpe. July 19, Saratoga Country Club,
Saratoga Springs, NY.
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians directed by Al Pierson. July 10, Ford County Fair,
Melvin, IL; July 24, Okemos High School, Okemos, MI; July 28, Lake Front Park,
De Pue, IL.
Hal McIntyre Orchestra directed by Don Pentleton. July 17, Gannon Country Club, Lynn,
MA.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien. July 9-10, Redlands Bowl, Redlands, CA;
July 15, Community Center Theater, Sacramento, CA; July 16, Performing Arts Center,
Fresno, CA; July 17, USS Hornet, Alameda, CA; July 20, Sun Valley Resort, Sun Valley,
ID; July 22, Pioneer Park, Grangeville, ID; July 24, Trail, British Columbia, Canada;
July 25, Nakusp Arena Auditorium, Nakusp, British Columbia, Canada; July 27-28,
Northern Quest Casino, Airway Heights, WA; July 31, "battle of the bands" with Harry
James Orchestra, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Portland, OR.
Russ Morgan Orchestra directed by Jack Morgan. July 8, Bearcreek Farms Resort, Bryant,
IN; July 10, private, Duesenberg Museum, Auburn, IN; July 11, "Hudson Music Festival,"
Hudson, OH.
Artie Shaw Orchestra directed by Matt Koza. July 2, Fredonia Opera House, Fredonia,
NY; July 4, "battle of the bands" with Harry James Orchestra, "Montreal Jazz Festival,"
Montreal, Canada; July 8, Astoria Park, Queens, NY.
NEW BIRTHDAY WISHES
Doc Severinsen, b.July 7, 1927. Trumpeter with Fio Rito '45; Barnet '47-'49; S. Donahue
'48; T. Dorsey '50.
Roc Hillman, b.July 13, 1910. Guitarist with Dorsey Brothers '34-'35; J. Dorsey '35-'40;
Kyser '40-'47; composer.
Buddy Moreno, b.July 13, 1912. Vocalist with Griff Williams '40?; Jurgens '40-'42; James
'43-'44.
Larry O'Brien, b.July 15, 1933. Trombonist with T. Dorsey Orchestra '61-'65 and leader of
Miller Orchestra '81-'83 / '88- .
Danny Bank, b.July 17, 1922. Saxophonist with Barnet '42-'44; Goodman '45-'46;
Whiteman '47; Shaw '49-'50.
Kay Starr, b.July 21, 1922. Vocalist with Crosby '39; Miller '39; Venuti '39-'42; Barnet
'43-'45.
Michael P. Zirpolo, b.July 22, 1950. Jazz historian and author (various pieces for IAJRC
Journal; forthcoming Bunny Berigan biography to be published by Scarecrow Press).
Gloria DeHaven, b.July 23, 1925. Singer with Savitt '42.
Ronny Lang, b.July 24, 1927. Saxophonist with Ennis '47; Brown '49-'90? [ not continuous ].
Peter Duchin, b.July 28, 1937. Son of Eddy Duchin and pianist - bandleader.
NEW IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Graham Ball. "Books: Review: The Glen [ sic ] Miller Conspiracy," [ London, England ]
Sunday Express, July 4, 2010 [ Ball writes, "In a brilliantly researched dissection of the
facts, ( Hunton ) Downs explains that Miller was never on the plane that plunged into the
sea and was in reality killed by Nazis in Paris . . . It’s an odd fact that even today, 66
years after the event, Glenn Miller’s military records are still kept secret by the US
Government." ].
Chris Barton. "Pop music review: A night of big band at the Hollywood Bowl: A triple bill
headlined by the Count Basie Orchestra honors the big band's rich history while also
showing where it stands in the present," Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2010 [ Barton
wrote, " . . . the night downshifted into nostalgia with the Count Basie Orchestra. In its
staggering 75th year (26 of them since the death of its namesake bandleader), the CBO
was certainly a favorite of the below-capacity crowd as it touched on deep swinging
classics . . ." ].
Irwin Block. "Big bands polish their horns for battle: Tribute to Harry James and Artie
Shaw," Montreal [ Canada ] Gazette, July 4, 2010 [ a "battle of the bands" at Theatre
Maisonneuve of Place des Arts ].
Harvey G. Cohen. Duke Ellington's America (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press,
2010 [ 720 pages; Ellington's life and times, using the Ellington papers held at the
Smithsonian Institution ].
Tony Eaton. "CD Reviews," [ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight Serenader, Number 327 /
2nd Edition 2010, p.7+ [ including a mention of Hot Record Society HRS110, "The
Benny Goodman Story & The Glenn Miller Story" ].
---. "What's New?," [ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight Serenader, Number 327 / 2nd Edition
2010, p.6 [ including word that the U.S. Glenn Miller Orchestra now has its own Facebook
page ].
Philip Furia and Laurie Patterson. The Songs of Hollywood (New York City: Oxford
University Press, 2010) [ in discussing the film "Sun Valley Serenade" on p.170, the
authors make the rude comment "While his homely, pockmarked face was not a
problem on radio or recordings, ( Tex ) Beneke donned a comic winter parka and cap
to forestall any expectations of glamour." ].
Edward Guthmann. "Susan Raeburn helps clients face the music," San Francisco [ CA ]
Chronicle, July 19, 2010 [ Boyd Raeburn's daughter, Susan, now age 59, is a clinical
psychologist specializing in addiction recovery ].
Nat Hentoff. At the Jazz Band Ball: Sixty Years On the Jazz Scene (Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press, 2010) [ 272 pages; a collection of 64 interviews, essays,
and recollections - many previously published ].
Phil Holdman. "Goodman vs. Shaw: 'Who Was Better'," The Great Escape! / dixieswing.
com, Issue No. 20 July-August 2010, p.6 [ re-printed from the "Browser Notes" #84 of
April 2004 ].
Gerald Isaaman. "Books: Review - The Glenn Miller Conspiracy: The Shocking True Story
of How He Died and Why," [ London, England ] West End Extra, July 8, 2010 [ Isaaman
states, " . . . his conspiracy saga will undoubtedly grab your attention by its sheer audacity.
The one trouble is that, like all true conspiracies, it is so complex that it takes time to
unravel the amazing events." ].
Gordon Jack. "Book Reviews: Stan Kenton: This Is an Orchestra!," Jazz Journal, July
2010 / Volume 63 No.7, p.11 [ "In this comprehensive narrative, which includes
interviews with over 130 alumni, Michael Sparke has surely written the last word on the
legacy of Stan Kenton." ].
Alison Kerr. "Hunton Downs: The Glenn Miller Conspiracy," [ Glasgow, Scotland ] Herald,
July 19, 2010 [ Kerr states, "As with any conspiracy theory, Downs’s has glimmers of
plausibility about it. And it benefits from the fact previous theories, such as the one in
which Miller’s plane was accidentally hit by a British bomb, don’t add up." ].
Bob Knack. "It Takes Two To Tangle: What's the Real Scoop Behind The Dorsey/
Goodman Dust-Up?," The Great Escape! / dixieswing.com, Issue No. 20 July-August
2010, p.1 [ checking newspaper coverage of an allegedly physical altercation between
Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman on the set of the movie "A Song Is Born" in 1947 ].
Sherli Leonard. "Music Reviews: Glenn Miller Orchestra brings back 1940s," [ Riverside,
CA ] Press-Enterprise, July 13, 2010 [ "Like the audience, the orchestra represented
young and geezer swingers. Music director Larry O'Brien proclaimed his 77 years and
bopped around the stage, seemingly superfluous to the musicians. At times he left the
stage completely for a sip of water while the orchestra played on. In reality, O'Brien's
frisky antics glued the show together . . . " ].
Christopher Loudon. "Reviews: Books: Three Chords for Beauty's Sake: The Life of
Artie Shaw," Jazztimes, July / August 2010, p.78 [ "Be it with friends, lovers, wives or
bands, Artie Shaw was a serial deserter . . . Shaw cared exceedingly more about his
music than he did about any of his eight wives, either of his sons or the vast majority
of his pals and supporters." ].
Maxwell McKee. "The Glenn Miller Orchestra Play Sacramento," Sacramento [ CA ]
Press, July 18, 2010 [ review; McKee observes, "Band leader Larry O’Brien, who
happened to turn 77 the night of the concert, was in full form, moving about the stage
with snapping fingers and a jovial shoulder bop." ].
"Miller Was Tortured And Killed By Nazis, Body Dumped Outside Brothel,"
contactmusic.com, July 8, 2010 [ "Legendary bandleader Glenn Miller was murdered
by Nazis, according to research Pulitzer Prize nominee Hunton Downs has tracked
down for a new book." ].
Glenn Mittler. "Glenn Miller Memories," [ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight Serenader,
Number 327 / 2nd Edition 2010, p.9+ [ recollections of several former Glenn Miller
musicians plus "Fact File" information about their lives and careers ].
Dan Morgenstern. "One Sweet Letter: Little Jazz Mystery," Jazz Journal, July 2010 /
Volume 63 No.7, p.5 [ letter to the editor about Roy Eldridge's attempts at an
autobiography ].
Bernard Perusse. "Montreal International Jazz Festival 2010: Battle of the Bands at
Theatre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts; July 4," Montreal [ Canada] Gazette, July 6,
2010 [ "The Shaw Orchestra, led by the the fluid, lean-toned clarinet of Matt Koza, had
a more modern sound, with a younger crew, and played in a more modern style . . .
The James vocalist Barbara Rozene was note-perfect and sounded like she emerged
from the 1940s in her glamourous gowns. But the jury went with the Shaw band, the
deciding vote going to it for its spectacular tribute to drummer Buddy Rich, featuring
percussionist Mark Holovnia." ].
Randy Richmond. "Lombardo's boat to be returned," London [ Ontario, Canada ] Free
Press, July 22, 2010 [ In 1981, Ross Therrien found Lombardo's deteriorated speedboat,
Tempo VII, in a New York junkyard and had it restored. Therrien maintains that the late
Col. Tom Lawson donated $15,000 to $20,000 to restore the boat, getting half of the
vessel in return. The boat then went on display at the Guy Lombardo Museum, now
closed. Since there are no documents to prove ownership of the speedboat by anyone
other than Therrien, London's board of control wants to give it back to him on the
conditions that he restores and displays it ].
Sam Smith. "Keeping his spirit alive, this famous orchestra was a hit," Arrow Lakes
[ British Columbia, Canada ] News, July 27, 2010 [ positive review of a recent concert
of The Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien ].
Roland Taylor. "GMO-USA: Larry O'Brien Plans to Leave the Band At the End of the Year,"
[ Glenn Miller Society ] Moonlight Serenader, Number 327 / 2nd Edition 2010, p.1+.
---. "Miller's Mighty Service Band: The ensemble in focus," [ Glenn Miller Society ]
Moonlight Serenader, Number 327 / 2nd Edition 2010, pp.2-5 [ chronology of Miller's
AAF orchestra continues, now through August 5, 1944 ].
Gary Trust. "Happy 70th Birthday, Billboard Charts," Billboard.com, July 27, 2010 [ 70
years ago, Billboard magazine published its first chart which ranked sales of records
by polling retailers nationwide; No.1 that date: I'll Never Smile Again by Tommy Dorsey ].
Brian Watt. "96-year old Herb Jeffries keeps singing 'Americana,'" 89.3 KPCC (Southern
California Public Radio), July 4, 2010.
NEW MARRIAGE
One may not think there could be any big band angle to the wedding of Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, which took place on the 31st of this month. But there was!
At Chelsea's wedding reception, an 18-piece big band played. Among the tunes: At Last (which she danced with her new husband, Marc Mezvinsky) and The Way You Look Tonight (during which she and her father danced).
go to Big Band Library homepage
Feedback and Follow-Up
Both Louis Prima, Jr. and his sister, Lena Prima, were on hand to accept their father's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Prima Jr. told Don Chareunsy of Las Vegas Weekly magazine that "It’s a tribute for everyone who loves his music and films, and it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in an event called 'Walk the Walk.' The star [ is ] outside The Montalban Theater near Hollywood and Vine and Capitol Records, where Dad recorded many of his hits. We are all very excited. Father will be looking down smiling now."
NEW LOUIS PRIMA HONOR
On the 25th of this month, the late Louis Prima will be remembered with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (His son, Louis Jr., is said to be "ecstatic" with the long-deserved tribute to his dad!)
In fact, it's been a very good year for Prima fans, because the 2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, held recently, celebrated the 100th anniversary of Louis' birth, right there in his hometown. His former partner and onetime wife, Keely Smith, now age 78, turned in what was described as a "heartfelt performance," including, of course, That Old Black Magic and Jump, Jive an' Wail.
Meanwhile, the biographical musical "Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara," featuring Jake Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith, which opened in 2008, has been retitled as, simply, "Live at the Sahara." It had a long run, from March to November of 2009, at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Louis Prima (1910-1978)
Publicity states, "Her hair isn’t yet platinum and her makeup is still more girlish than glamorous, but Lana Turner is nonetheless 'a walking acetylene torch' in her first top billing, playing a dancer planted in a big Midwest college to win a rigged Hollywood contest. The prize: the starring role in a big movie musical. The complications: plenty, especially when the co-ed falls for a crusading college newshound (Richard Carlson) who suspects the contest is as phony as a press agent’s smile. But the real romance happened the next year when Dancing Co-Ed co-star Artie Shaw – whose swing music is as white-hot as the leading lady’s starpower – took Turner out on their first date. They came back the next day from Las Vegas…married."
NEW DVD
Artie Shaw. "Dancing Co-Ed," Warner Brothers Archive Collection.
