The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
JUNE 2014
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Louis Armstrong. "The Columbia and RCA Victor Live Recordings of Louis Armstrong and
the All Stars," Mosaic MD9-257. Despite showing only 8 CDs in Mosaic's own image,
this is a 9-CD boxed set with music from 1947-58 at Town Hall and Carnegie Hall in New
York City, and other venues in Amsterdam, Paris, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, and
elsewhere. There's unreleased music, missing solos restored, fake applause removed.
This is the issue to get! Limited edition of 5,000.
Xavier Cugat. "Viva Cugat! / The Best of Cugat," Sepia (E) 1258. Two LPs on one CD,
from Mercury, with six additional Mercury tracks added. Not really the "best" of Cugat,
but the CD production, including the colorful artwork and the sound reproduction, are
well-done for what it is.
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Sam Donahue. "Recorded Live at the Royal Box
of the Americana, New York / Hello, Dolly!: Music From the Broadway Hit," Vocalion (E)
SDLK 4529. Two LPs on one CD, recorded by RCA Victor in 1963-64 and long out of
print. I've always been suspicious whether the former album was actually live; the sound
quality is clear though overmodulated at times but the applause doesn't seem real.
Trumpeter Charlie Shavers, trombonist Larry O'Brien, vocalists Helen Forrest, Jeannie
Thomas, and The Pied Pipers are pluses. (Too bad that Vocalion couldn't have included
the rejected Frank Sinatra Jr. vocals which were recorded.) The other album, "Hello, Dolly!,"
is all instrumental and sounds very little like TD.
Duke Ellington. "The Original Recordings That Inspired the Broadway Hit After Midnight:
Broadway's Cotton Club Musical," Sony Legacy. 15 tunes recorded between 1927-40,
including Daybreak Express, Happy As the Day Is Long, Braggin' in Brass, and Cotton
Club Stomp.
Stan Kenton. "Concerts in Miniature: Volume 3," Sounds of YesterYear (E) DSOY 967.
Radio shows of June 24, July 1, and July 15, 1952, complete as they were originally
broadcast. Includes Artistry in Bolero, Minor Riff, and Concerto to End All Concertos.
Russ Morgan. "Russ Morgan and His Orchestra: Volume Two: Does Your Heart Beat for
Me?," Crystal Stream Audio (Aus) IDCD280. Another batch of "Music in the Morgan
Manner," this time Brunswick records from 1936-37.
NAME BANDS IN-PERSON
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke. June 7, Northport, MI.
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians with Al Pierson. June 28, Ford County Fair, Melvin, IL.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. June 2, Derby Dinner Playhouse,
Clarksville, IN; June 3, Artcraft Theatre, Franklin, IN; June 6, private; June 7,
Punxsutawney Area High School, Punxsutawney, PA; June 8, State Theatre, Easton,
PA; June 11, The Holmstad, Batavia, IL; June 13-14, Clarinda High School, Clarinda,
IA; June 16, Robinson Music Hall, Little Rock, AR; June 19 Main Street Square,
Rapid City, SD; June 20, Midwest Theatre, Scotts Bluff, NE; June 21, Fort Morgan
Airport, Fort Morgan, CO; June 22, Platte Valley Community Theatre, Saratoga, WY;
June 25, Coralville Center, Coralville, IA; June 26, Topeka Performing Arts Center,
Topeka, KS; June 27, Civic Center, Des Moines, IA; June 29, Historical Society
Gazebo, Grand Forks, ND; June 30, Cragun's Resort - The Centre, Brainerd, MN.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Marty Napoleon, b.June 2, 1921. Pianist with Powell '43-'44, Armstrong '52 / '53.
Lennie Niehaus, b.June 11, 1929. Saxophonist with Kenton '52 / '56 (Capitol W 724).
NECROLOGY
Little Jimmy Scott, 88, d.June 12, 2014, cardiac arrest. Vocalist with Hampton '50.
Johnny Mann, 85, d.June 18, 2014. Leader of The Johnny Mann Singers who recorded with
Zentner '61.
D. Russell Connor, 92, d.June 18, 2014. Author of BG: Off the Record: A Bio-Discography of
Benny Goodman (Levittown, PA: Gaildonna Publishers, 1958), BG: On the Record: A
Bio-Discography of Benny Goodman (New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1969), The
Record of a Legend . . . . . Benny Goodman (New York City: Let's Dance Corporation,
1984), Benny Goodman: Listen to His Legacy (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.,
1988), and Benny Goodman: Wrappin' It Up (Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.,
1996).
REMEMBERING YOU
Nelson Riddle, b.June 1, 1921. Trombonist and / or composer-arranger with Spivak
'41-'42, T Dorsey '44-'45.
Ernie Royal, b.June 2, 1921. Trumpeter with Hampton '41-'42, Herman '47-'49, Kenton '53.
Britt Woodman, b.June 4, 1920. Trombonist with Hampton '47-'48, Ellington '51-'61.
Ted Lewis, b.June 6, 1892. Leader of own band.
Jimmie Lunceford, b.June 6, 1902. Leader of own band.
Tal Farlow, b.June 7, 1921. Guitarist with Norvo '50-'53, Shaw '53-'54.
Glen Gray, b.June 7, 1906. Leader of own band.
Wes Hensel, b.June 10, 1919. Trumpeter-composer-arranger with Raeburn '47,
Brown '47-'59.
Dickie Wells, b.June 10, 1909. Trombonist with F Henderson '33, Basie '38-'45,
Oliver '47.
Shelly Manne, b.June 11, 1920. Drummer with Kenton '46-'52.
Zeke Zarchy, b.June 12, 1915. Trumpeter with Shaw '36-'37, T Dorsey '39-'40, Miller
'40 / '43-'45 (AAF), Goodman '46-'47, Herman '47 (8/15 Columbia session), Carter
'52 (8/12 Victor session), Armstrong '56 (8/1 Victor session).
Doc Cheatham, b.June 13, 1905. Trumpeter with Calloway '32-'39, Wilson '39-'40,
Carter '52 (10/2 Victor session).
Clarence Hutchenrider, b.June 13, 1908. Clarinetist with G Gray '31-'43?.
Si Zentner, b.June 13, 1917. Trombonist with Brown '40-'42, J Dorsey '44-'45, Herman
'47 (Apr/May Columbia sessions), G Gray '56 / '57 / '58 / '59. Leader of own band.
Nappy Lamare, b.June 14, 1910. Guitarist with Crosby '35-'42 / '51-'52 / '57 / '60 / '61,
J Dorsey '48-'49.
Allan Reuss, b.June 15, 1915. Guitarist with Goodman '35-'38 / '43-'44 / '47 / '55,
Hampton '37 / '38 (Victor sessions), Teagarden '39, James '44-'45.
Stan Wrightsman, b.June 15, 1910. Pianist with Crosby '50 / '51 / '52 / '57 / '60.
Lucky Thompson, b.June 16, 1924. Tenor saxophonist with Basie '44-'45.
Ray Bauduc, b.June 18, 1909. Drummer with Pollack '28-'34, Crosby '35-'42 / '60,
Miller '35 (4/25 Columbia session), Armstrong '47, J Dorsey '48-'50, Teagarden
'52-'54.
Ray McKinley, b.June 18, 1910. Drummer with Dorsey Bros '34-'35, J Dorsey '35-'39,
Bradley '39-'42, Miller '43-'45 (AAF), Miller Orch '56-'66. Leader of own band.
Babe Russin, b.June 18, 1911. Tenor saxophonist with Nichols '29 / '30 / '31 / '32,
Hampton '38 (7/21 Victor session), J Dorsey '42-'43?, Goodman '46-'47 / '55,
T Dorsey '49, G Gray ' 56 / '57 / '58 / '59 / '61 / '61 / '62 / '63 (Capitol LPs).
Jerry Jerome, b.June 19, 1912. Tenor saxophonist with Miller '37, Goodman '38-'40,
Hampton '39 (Victor sessions), Shaw '40-'41.
Lloyd Morales, b.June 19, 1928. Drummer with Brown '56-'58.
Joe Thomas, b.June 19, 1909. Tenor saxophonist with Lunceford '39-'47, Lunceford
Orch '48-'49?.
Lammar Wright, Sr., b.June 20, 1912. Trumpeter with Calloway '32-'43 / '58 (Gone LP).
Ella Johnson, b.June 22, 1923. Vocalist with Johnson (her brother) '39-'61?.
Ben Pollack, b.June 22, 1903. Leader of own band.
Milt Hinton, b.June 23, 1910. Bassist with Calloway '36-'47 / '49?-'50? / '58 (RCA
Victor LP), Hampton '39 (Victor sessions), Armstrong '53, Goodman '55 / '69 (Oct
Reader's Digest sessions).
Eddie Miller, b.June 23, 1911. Tenor saxophonist with Pollack '31-'34, Crosby '35-'42 /
'50 / '51 / '52 / '56 / '57 / '60 / '61 / '66 / '85, Miller '35 (4/21 Columbia session).
Bill Russo, b.June 25, 1928. Trombonist-composer-arranger for Kenton '50?.
Shad Collins, b.June 27, 1910. Trumpeter with Calloway '36? / '37? / '43?-46, Basie
'38-'39.
Ben Homer, b.June 27, 1917. Composer / arranger for Brown '40?-'42?.
Pete Candoli, b.June 28, 1923. Trumpeter with Bradley '42?, T Dorsey '43-'44, Herman
'44-'46, Beneke '47-'49.
Jimmy Mundy, b.June 28, 1907. Composer-arranger and / or tenor saxophonist for Hines
'33-'40, Goodman '35?-'37?, Whiteman '42.
Mousie Alexander, b.June 29, 1922. Drummer with Sauter-Finegan '53-'55 / '60,
Goodman '56.
Ralph Burns, b.June 29, 1922. Composer and / or pianist with Norvo '43?, Barnet
'43-'45, Herman '44-'45.
Lena Horne, b.June 30, 1917. Vocalist with Barnet '41, Shaw '41 (Victor session).
Buddy Rich, b.June 30, 1917. Drummer with Berigan '38, Shaw '38?-'39, T Dorsey
'39-'43? / '44-'45, Dorsey Bros '54, James '57?-'65?. Leader of own band.
NEW IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
"Catalina Island Museum Keeps the Tradition of Live Music During 4th of July Music
Festival," ecatalina.com, June 6, 2014. The Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island off
the southern California coast once played host to big bands such as Dick Jurgens.
"Glenn Miller SwingFest is June 19-22," [ Brush, CO ] News-Tribune, June 3, 2014. The
annual Miller celebration in Fort Morgan, CO, where he graduated from high school in
1920, attracts people from across the U.S.
Richard Longtin. "Vaughn's New Hampshire Hideaway," vaughnmonroesociety.org,
June 2014. It took a dozen years of research, but Longtin was able to identify a New
Hampshire farm property purchased by Vaughn Monroe in 1950 that provided a quiet
residence for his parents for nearly 10 years. Coincidentally, the property is again for
sale.
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