"BIG BAND NEWS"
NOVEMBER 2005

compiled by Christopher Popa
LEAVE US LEAP
    More than 200 photos make up a new book, Gene Krupa: The Pictorial Life of a Jazz Legend, from Alfred Publishing.  The images, which span the 1920s into the 1970s, are accompanied by a commentary from Krupa aficionado Bruce Klauber, insight from other drummers such as Ed Shaughnessy, and a companion CD of Krupa performances.   see also: alfred.com

ALSO IN PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
Devlin, Ron.  "Swingin' Memories: A hundred years after his birth in Schuykill County,
  Tommy Dorsey still revered," The Morning Call [ PA ], mcall.com, Nov. 13, 2005.
Fessier, Bruce.  "Glenn Miller mystique: Orchestra will play at Palm Springs High School to
  raise funds," [Palm Springs, CA ] Desert Sun, thedesertsun.com, Nov.6, 2005.
Friedwald, Will.  "The Sentimental Taskmaster of Swing," New York Sun, nysun.com,
  Nov. 1, 2005.
Greene, Teri.  "Glenn Miller show [ Airmen of Note ] just the thing for those in the mood to swing,"
  Montgomery [ AL ] Advertiser, montgomeryadvertiser.com, Nov. 28, 2005.
Levinson, Peter J.  "Book Excerpt: Music, Music, Music," The Mississippi Rag, Nov. 2005,
  p1+.
M., G.D.  "La vraie mort de Glenn Miller: Le celebre jazzman s'est tue dans un accident d'avion
  en 1944: Mais pas comme on l'avait cru," La Derniere Heure, dhnet.be, Nov. 30, 2005.
McHenry, Robert.  "It's Miller Time: An American Elegy," Tech Central Station,
  techcentralstation.com, Nov. 11, 2005.
McNally, Owen.  "Big-Livin' Tommy Dorsey," Hartford [ CT ] Courant, courant.com, Nov. 7, 2005.
Millegan, Lisa.  "Renewed Pied Pipers keep old music alive," Modesto [ CA ] Bee,
  modbee.com, Nov. 11, 2005.
Mumford, Lou.  "A legend [ saxophonist Franz Jackson (Hines '40-'41) ] lives on in Dowagiac,"
  South Bend [ IN] Tribune, southbendtribune.com, Nov. 4, 2005.
Noble, Clifton J. Jr.  "Big band classics to resound again [ concert incl. singer Lynn Roberts
  (Dorsey Brothers '53-'57; Goodman '61, '67, '72) ]," masslive.com, Nov. 6, 2005.
Oregano, Rolando.  "Woody Herman Orchestra at The Mentor Performing Arts Center 11/13,"
  jazzpolice.com, Nov. 7, 2005.
Ouellette, Dan.  "Jazz great Dorsey lived large, bio shows," today.reuters.com, Nov. 4, 2005.
Pritchard, William H.  "Tommy Dorsey: Livin' ina Great Big Way: A Biography,"
  The Washington [ DC ] Times, washingtontimes.com, Nov. 27, 2005.
Reaney, James.  "Carmen Lombardo 'butt' of story," London [ CA ] Free Press, lfpress.ca,
  Nov. 13, 2005.
Teachout, Terry.  "The Dorsey Sound," Commentary, commentarymagazine.com, Nov. 1, 2005.
Velez, Andrew.  "Tommy Dorsey: The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing, The Essential Frank
  Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey," All About Jazz, allaboutjazz.com, Nov. 11, 2005.
Wetzel, Florence.  "Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way," allaboutjazz.com, Nov. 26, 2005.

NEW JAN GARBER ORCHESTRA COMPACT DISC
    New recordings by the ghost bands don't happen often enough, so it's my pleasure to report that, for the first time in about five years, The Jan Garber Orchestra, under the direction of Howard Schneider, has released another compact disc.  Included are fresh performances of five songs that Garber himself made for Decca: On the Sunny Side of the Street (1956), You Stepped Out of a Dream (1961), Street of Dreams (1961), A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet (1961), and I'll Be Seeing You (1962)Other selections are I'll Never Say Never; Don't Take Your Love From Me; I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Write Myself a Letter); a medley of Under A Blanket of Blue, Remember Me, and If I Had You; Muskrat Ramble; When I Fall in Love; All I Do Is Dream of You; a medley of songs associated with Harry James: You'll Never Know, I Had the Craziest Dream, and You Made Me Love You; a medley of Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, You're the One I Care For, and Old Man Mose.  What makes this especially nice for Schneider is that his 22-year-old daughter, Kathryn, sings on it.  

MORE NEW CDS - SELECT LIST
Louis Armstrong: "In Scandanavia Vol.3," Storyville 8350; "The Chronological 1954,"
  Classics 1402
Paul Baron: "1944/1945," Sounds of Yesteryear 686
Will Bradley: "Best of Will Bradley with Ray McKinley: Eight to the Bar," Collectables 7618
Benny Carter: "The Chronological 1952-1954," Classics 1400
June Christy: "This Time of Year," Collectors' Choice Music CCM-630
Bob Crosby: "March of the Bob Cats," ASV 5571
Dutch Jazz Orchestra: "Rediscovered Music of Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings
  the Band," Challenge 73251
Ella Fitzgerald: "The Chronological 1953-1954," Classics 1404
Dizzy Gillespie: "Live At the Festival Latino Jazz Plaza," Cayuco 2001
Bobby Hackett: "The Chronological 1948-1954," Classics 1403
Lionel Hampton: "Jam Band," Sounds of Yesteryear 687
Coleman Hawkins: "Supreme," Enja 9009
Earl Hines: "Plays Cole Porter," Swaggie 407
Johnny Mercer: "The Man From Georgia," Jasmine 428 ( 2 CDs )
Ray Noble: "With All My Heart," Sounds of Yesteryear 684
Tommy Reynolds: "Swingin' Sweetly," Joyce 1023
Buddy Rich: "The Complete Argo, Emarcy and Verve Small Group Buddy Rich Sessions,"
  Mosaic MD7-232 ( 7 CDs )
Raymond Scott: "Toonerville Trolley," Jasmine 2605
Artie Shaw: "The Artistry of Artie Shaw and His Bop Band 1949," Fresh Sound Records
  FSRCD 397 [ first issued in 1996 as "The Artistry of Artie Shaw and His Orchestra 1949,"
  Fresh Sound Records FSCD 2012; same songs but new, red cover ]; "Concertos for
  Clarinet (1937-1940)," Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120802
Clark Terry: "To Duke and Basie" [ with Red Mitchell ], Enja 5011
Paul Whiteman: "Hooray for Spinach!," Hep 1082
Ernie Wilkins: "The Everest Years," Empire Musicwerks 450756
various artists: "G.I. Favorites," Sounds of Yesteryear 685

NEW DVDS - SELECT LIST
Glenn Miller: "Orchestra Wives," Fox Home Entertainment
various: "Carnegie Hall" ( 1947 motion picture ), Bel Canto Society 791 [ with Harry James,
  Vaughn Monroe, classical / operatic artists ]

LOUIS ARMSTRONG COLLECTOR'S ITEMS
    What is described as the world's best private collection of Louis Armstrong memorabilia, gathered by Jack Bradley over the course of some 50 years, has been acquired by The Louis Armstrong House & Archives in Queens, NY.  Bradley was a close friend of Armstrong, and served as his personal photographer.  His items included hundreds of photographs which captured Armstrong backstage or at home; letters and manuscripts written by Armstrong; posters; sheet music; Armstrong postage stamps from fourteen nations; even Armstrong's bedroom slippers and sport coats.  Selected highlights are being shown in an exhibit, "I Can't Give You Anything But
Love --- Treasures From the Jack Bradley Collection," which runs at the Armstrong House from November 3, 2005 to February 26, 2006.  Queens College, which administers the Armstrong House & Archives, was awarded a grant of $480,000 to acquire the materials. 

GHOST BAND ITINERARIES - SELECT LIST
Les Brown's Band of Renown directed by Les Brown Jr.: Nov. 1-20 and Nov. 25-30,
  Mickey Gilley Theatre, Branson, MO
Cab Calloway Orchestra directed by C. Calloway Brooks: Nov. 18-20, Symphony Hall,
  Dallas, TX; Nov. 22-27, Cotton Club, Tokyo, Japan
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Bill Tole: Nov. 11, Hemmens Cultural Center, Elgin, IL
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Buddy Morrow: Nov. 13, Grand Opera House,
  Wilmington, DE; Nov. 16-26, Crystal Serenity trans-Atlantic cruise from Lisbon to
  Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jan Garber Orchestra directed by Howard Schneider: Nov. 5, Cedar Ridge Campus,
  West Bend, WI; Nov. 20, Indiana Roof Ballroom, Indianapolis, IN
Woody Herman's Thundering Herd directed by Frank Tiberi: Nov. 13, Mentor High School,
  Mentor, OH
Sammy Kaye Orchestra directed by Roger Thorpe: Nov. 10, Pierre Hotel, New York, NY
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians directed by Al Pierson: Nov. 16, The Cotillion,
  Kansas City, KS
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien: Nov. 1, Don Whitney Auditorium,
  Tillamook, OR; Nov. 2, Marshfield Auditorium, Coos Bay, OR; Nov. 4, Orchard Creek
  Ballroom, Lincoln, CA; Nov. 5, Clark Center for the Performing Arts, Arroyo Grande, CA;
  Nov. 6, Glendale High School, Glendale, CA; Nov. 7, Palm Springs Auditorium, Palm Springs,
  CA; Nov. 11-30, portion of Japan tour
Russ Morgan Orchestra directed by Jack Morgan: Nov.1-6, continuing Empress of the
  North Sea cruise, debarks in Portland, OR; Nov. 27, embark on Empress of the North Sea
  cruise, Portland, OR
Artie Shaw Orchestra directed by Dick Johnson: Nov. 5, Merrimack College, Andover, MA;
  Nov. 10, Media Theatre, Media, PA; Nov. 11, Wayne Community College, Goldsboro, NC;
  Nov. 12, Chevy Chase Womens Club, Chevy Chase, MD; Nov. 13, Lebanon High School,
  Lebanon, PA

NECROLOGY
Skitch Henderson , 87, pianist (Shaw King for a Day), Nov. 1, 2005, natural causes
Bob Enevoldsen, 85, valve trombonist (Crosby '70s; Beneke '80s), Nov. 20, 2005

GEORGE AVAKIAN TO BE HONORED
    Legendary record producer George Avakian was honored twice this month.  The first occasion took place November 4th, when Friends of Jazz at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) held its annual membership party.  Avakian, who received the Claudia Mitchell-Kernan Award for Contributions to Scholarship and Education in the Field of Jazz, spoke to the group
about his attempt to produce an album by Louis Armstrong with Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.  On November 5th, Avakian and his wife, violinist Anahid Ajemian, were feted by the Armenian Professional Society, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center.



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