The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
JULY 2012 "BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
MAY WE SWING?
Reader's Digest has made available via Amazon.com 17 pop recordings which Billy May did for their label in stereo.
Though artwork groups them together as "The Stripper - Billy May Orchestra: The Reader's Digest Sessions 1968, 1970," at this time they are only available as MP3 downloads (not on a compact disc).
The tunes mostly are hits of the period such as Soul Coaxin', Come Back to Me, Walk On By, Marrakesh Express, and The Theme From "A Summer Place."
Certain big band recordings made in the late '50s and early '60s for the SESAC label are being offered on Amazon.com by the company " . . . And More Bears."
Artists include Elliot Lawrence ("Winds On Velvet," "Big Band Sound," "Jump Steady," and "Lawrence at Large!") and Richard Maltby ("Mambos By Maltby," "Swing Low," "Maltby Mild - Maltby Wild," Many Sided Maltby," "Potent Eight," "Maltby Dance Date," "Many-Splendored Thing," "Maltby Plays Maltby," "Swinging and Singing," and "Grand Slam").
As with the Billy May Reader's Digest material, at the present time this music is only available as MP3 downloads.
COMPACT DISCS
Count Basie. "Count Basie and His Orchestra Play the Music of Benny Carter: 'Kansas
City Suite' & 'The Legend,'" Fresh Sound Records [ Sp ] FSRCD 713. NOTE: "The
Legend" was previously relesed on CD as Roulette RCD 59038.
---. "Eight Classic Albums," Real Gone Jazz RGJCD283. Includes "The Atomic Mr.
Basie," "Basie Plays Hefti," "Chairman of the Board," "Breakfast Dance and
Barbecue," "Basie Eckstine Inc.," "Basie Swings, Bennett Sings," "In Person! (with
Tony Bennett)," and "Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams)." 4-CDs.
---. "This Time By Basie!: Hits of the 50s & 60s," WEA [ Japan ]. NOTE: Previously
released on CD, with additional tracks from "Pop Goes the Basie," as Warner Archives
45162 in 1993.
Benny Goodman. "AFRS Benny Goodman Show Volume 14," Sounds of YesterYear
[ UK ] DSOY895. Show nos. 33 and 34, including Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
and Canadian Capers.
Woody Herman. "One-Two Three-Four Jump," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ] DSOY894.
AFRS "One Night Stand" broadcasts from the Empire Room of The Rice Hotel in
Houston, TX from Nov. 16, 1944 and from The Steel Pier in Atlantic City, NJ on Jul. 2,
1945, including Blue Flame, Helen of Troy, and Apple Honey.
Stan Kenton. "Eight Classic Albums," Real Gone Jazz RGJCD281. Includes "Sketches
On Standards" "With Voices," "Duet (with June Christy)," "Two Much (with Ann
Richards)," "Standards in Silhouettes," "The Stage Door Swings," "Back to Balboa,"
and "The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton." 4-CDs.
---. "Stan Kenton Vol.2: Nine Classic Albums," Real Gone Jazz. Includes "Cuban Fire,"
"City of Glass," "Kenton's West Side Story," etc. on 4 CDs.
---. "Rendezvous at Sunset," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ] DSOY893. Three AFRS "One
Night Stand" programs from 1958: Nos.4459, 4584, and 4957, including Intermission
Riff, Rendezvous at Sunset, Lullaby of Broadway, and The Party's Over.
---. "Two Shades of Autumn," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ] DSOY 896. Three AFRS "One
Night Stand" programs from 1958 and 1959: Nos.4628, 4635, and 4968, including
Street of Dreams, Get Out of Town, and Opus in Chartreuse.
Louis Prima, Jr. "Return of the Wildest!," Warrior Records. NOTE: total length is only
32:22.
Various artists. "The Best Years of Our Lives: 1948," Sounds of YesterYear [ UK ] DSOY
897. Songs from a single year, including A Tree in the Meadow, Golden Earrings,
Sabre Dance, and Until by Beneke; On a Slow Boat to China by Kyser; and Serenade
of the Bells by Kaye.
BERIGAN BONANZA
Michael P. Zirpolo, author of Mr. Trumpet: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan (Scarecrow Press, 2011), continues to work for the clean-up, remastering, and issue of rare airchecks and other recordings held as part of The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Bunny Berigan Collection.
Zirpolo is now identifying the selections by date and location, where possible, and providing a context for each of them. He says that there are at least 25 previously-unissued performances by Berigan's band, including live ones from the fall of 1938 with Buddy Rich on drums.
Zirpolo hopes that any copyright matters can be worked out, and that the sale of this music can benefit the University's Berigan collection.
IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Jim Cox. Musicmakers of Network Radio, 1926-1962 (McFarland, 2012). 380-page book
which includes chapters about Bob Crosby ("The Front Man"), Vincent Lopez ("The
Piano Kid"), and Vaughn Monroe ("Old Leather Tonsils).
Benito J. Lagarda, Jr. "Glenn Miller in content and context," [ Manila, Phillipines ]
Phillipine Daily Inquirer, Jul. 8, 2012. Review of the July 2nd performance by a special
edition of The Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Crispina Martinez-Belen. "Glenn Miller Orchestra Offers Nostalgic Trip," Manila
[ Phillipines ] Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Jul. 1, 2012. A special edition of The
Glenn Miller Orchestra appears for a couple days in the Phillipines.
BIG BANDS TODAY
Count Basie Orchestra directed by Dennis Mackrel. Jul. 8, "Montreal Jazz Festival,"
Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Jul. 11, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA; Jul. 25, "Jazz in
July," Mount Olive Middle School, Budd Lake, NJ; Jul. 26, 92/Y Uptown, New York City,
NY; Jul. 28-31, portion of Japan tour.
Horace Heidt, Jr. and His Big Band. Jul. 4, "July Fourth Extravaganza," Warner Park,
Woodland Hills, CA.
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke. Jul. 7, Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA.
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians. Jul. 28, Washington Square, Ottawa, IL. The band's
director since 1989, Al Pierson, now age 80, was nt present due to ill health.
Hal McIntyre Orchestra directed by Don Pentleton. Jul. 24, Seaside Pavilion, Old Orchard
Beach, ME.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. Jul. 2, Brookdale Park, Bloomfield, NJ;
Jul. 5, Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, Coral Gables, FL; Jul. 7,
Seabreeze Recreation Center, The Villages, FL; Jul. 8, Henegar Center, Melbourne,
FL; Jul. 11, Coshocton Airport Amphitheater, Coshocton, OH; Jul. 12, Hoover
Auditorium, Lakeside, OH; Jul. 17, Palais Royale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Jul. 19,
Bear Creek Farms, Bryant, IN; Jul. 21, Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, Peachtree
City, GA; Jul. 22, Myers Park Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC; Jul. 23, Walter M. Williams
High School, Burlington, NC; Jul. 24, Hayes Auditorium, Banner Elk, NC; Jul. 27-28,
Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN; Jul. 29, Overlander Bandshell, Portage, MI; Jul. 31,
Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, OH.
Artie Shaw Orchestra directed by Matt Koza. Jul. 7, "Jazz in July," Mount Olive Middle
School, Budd Lake, NJ.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES
Doc Severinsen, b.July 7, 1927. Trumpeter with Fio Rito '45; Barnet '47-'49; S. Donahue
'48; T. Dorsey '50.
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-'10.
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; Bunny Berigan biography 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.
NECROLOGY
Ben Kynard, 92, d.Jul. 5, 2012, "complications of a stroke." Alto / baritone saxophonist
with Hampton '45-'51.
Maria Cole, 89, d.Jul. 10, 2012, stomach cancer. Vocalist with Ellington '44-'45 (as
"Marie Ellington," no relation to Duke).
Harry Betts, 89, d.Jul. 13, 2012. Trombonist with Kenton '47-'48 / '50-52; arranger for
Rich '67.
Don Bagley, 85, d.Jul. 26, 2012. Bassist with Kenton '50-'54; Brown '57-'58.
Tony Martin, 98, d.Jul. 27, 2012, "natural causes." Vocalist with Noble '38; Miller AAF '43.
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