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VOCALION
REPACKAGES AND REISSUES
Tex Beneke, "Prom Date," Vocalion ( UK ) CDVS 1950 [ = 1947 78 rpm set RCA Victor
P-183 "Prom Date" + select 1946-50 RCA Victor 78 rpm singles ].
Eddy Duchin, "'A Needle in a Haystack,'" Vocalion ( UK ) CDEA 6133 [ 24 select 1932-37
Brunswick and Victor sides ].
Benny Goodman, "Live At Carnegie Hall: 40th Anniversary Concert," Vocalion ( UK ) CDLK
4355 [ WARNING: duplicates 1978 2-LP set London 2PS 918/9 / 1986 2-CD set London
820 349-2 / 2006 2-CD set Universal ( Japan ) UCCU-9194/95 ].
Ted Heath, "Decca Singles & Rarities, Vol. 4," Vocalion ( UK ) CDLK 4357 [ recorded
1958-65 ].
Rudy Vallee, "You're Driving Me Crazy," Vocalion ( UK ) CDEA 6132 [ 22 select 1929-34
Victor and Columbia sides ].
MORE CDS
DIFFERENT LABELS, ALL THAT JAZZ
Louis Armstrong, "The Complete Louis Armstrong and The Dukes of Dixieland," Essential
Jazz Classics 55404 [ 3-CD set of 1959-60 master takes and alternates ].
Charlie Barnet, "Charlie Barnet Big Band 1967," Lone Hill Jazz (Sp ) LHJ-10267
[ = 12" LP Vault S-9004 recorded Oct. and Nov. 1966 + 10" Clef LP MG C139 "Dance
with Charlie Barnet" + two Cosmo (Apollo) sides from 1946 ]
Neal Hefti: "Sex and the Single Girl," Film Score Monthly FSM1013 [ 1964 film soundtrack +
Leonard Rosenman's "The Chapman Report" soundtrack on one CD ].
Woody Herman, "Woody Herman '58," Lone Hill Jazz ( Sp ) LHJ-10311 [ = Verve LP
MG-V 8288 with arrangements by Gene Roland and others ].
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien: "A String of Pearls," Victor ( Japan )
VICP-63986 [ select tracks from previous GMO-O'Brien CDs: Ranwood RDS 1005 /
Ranwood RDS 1007 / Glenn Miller Productions, Inc. "Steppin' Out" ].
Russ Morgan, "1938-1943-1944," Circle CCD-87
various artists, "The Story of Stewart [ i.e., "Stew" ] Pletcher," Jazz Oracle ( UK ) 8055
[ 1924-1937 QRS / Bluebird / et al recordings; with Norvo, Pollack, Spivak, etc. ].
BIG BANDS ON TV
SORT OF
Legacy, the vintage imprint of Sony and BMG, keeps track of when recordings of its artists are used in TV shows, on film soundtracks, or by corporate advertising.
According to Legacy's "Where'd I Hear That?," Sunday, November 4th was an especially good night to run across big bands on TV. At 8:30 pm on the Fox network, the animated comedy series "Family Guy" (#5ACX17) used an excerpt of Glenn Miller's recording of Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee. Then at 9:00 pm, in episode #357 of the CBS series "Cold Case," there were excerpts of four big band tunes: Artie Shaw's Begin the Beguine and Whistle While You Work; Benny Goodman's You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes; and Miller's Moonlight Serenade. (Maybe there's a Miller fan who chooses music for "Cold Case" - the October 14th episode, "Devil's Music," used Tex Beneke's 1952 Thesaurus recording of Dimples and Cherry Cheeks.)
And in movie theaters recently, the dark comedy "Wristcutters: A Love Story" used part of Shaw's Gloomy Sunday record.
BIG BAND ITINERARIES
SELECT LIST
Count Basie Orchestra directed by Bill Hughes: Nov. 6-11, Blue Note, New York, NY; Nov.
13-14, Nighttown, Cleveland, OH; Nov. 15, Hazard Community & Tech College, Hazard,
KY; Nov. 16, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville, KY; Nov. 17,
Madisonville Community College, Madisonville, KY.
Louie Bellson, Nov. 1-3, Percussive Arts Society Convention (PASIC), Columbus, OH
[ booth appearances on behalf of Remo, Zildjian, and Power Wrist Builders; NOTE:
not open to the public ]; Nov. 18, Holiday Market, Silver Creek Valley Country Club, San
Jose, CA.
Les Brown's Band of Renown directed by Les Brown, Jr., Nov. 1 / 3-8 / 10-15 / 17-18 / 24-27,
Mickey Gilley Theatre, Branson, MO.
Cab Calloway Orchestra directed by C. Calloway Brooks, Nov. 10, Brooksville, FL; Nov.
16-17, Carlyle Club, Alexandria, VA; Nov. 18, New York, NY; Nov. 23-24, Las Vegas, NV.
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Bill Tole, Nov. 11, State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
[ with The Pied Pipers ]; Nov. 17, Desertview Performing Arts Center, Tucson, AZ.
Duke Ellington Orchestra directed by Paul Ellington, Nov. 9, 28th Cape May Jazz Festival,
Cape May, NJ; Nov.10, Williams Trace Baptist Church, Sugar Land, TX.
Harry James Orchestra directed by Fred Radke, Nov. 1, Corpus Christi, TX; Nov. 3,
McKinney, TX; Nov. 5, Livingston, TX; Nov. 8, Plainview, TX; Nov. 10, Liberal, KS; Nov.
11, Great Bend, KS; Nov. 12, Topeka, KS; Nov. 13, Parson, KS; Nov. 15, Cleveland, TN;
Nov. 16, Newberry, SC; Nov. 17, Griffin, GA; Nov. 18, Brunswick, GA; Nov. 19, Newberry,
SC.
Sammy Kaye Orchestra directed by Roger Thorpe, Nov. 8-9, Roanoke Island Festival Park,
Manteo, NC; Nov. 10, Pine Crest High School, Pinehurst, NC; Nov. 11, Crystal Coast Civic
Center, Morehead, NC.
Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians directed by Al Pierson, Nov. 3, Sellersville Theater,
Sellersville, PA.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien, Nov. 2-4, Jones Hall, Houston, TX [ with
The Houston Symphony ], Nov. 5, Fountainebleau High School, Mandeville, LA; Nov. 8-9,
Carlyle Club, Alexandria, VA; Nov. 10, Patchogue Theatre, Patchogue, NY; Nov. 11, State
Theatre of Ithaca, Ithaca, NY; Nov. 12-13, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY;
Nov. 16-30, portion of 2007 Japan tour.
TUMPAK TAKES THE 'A' TRAIN
ANOTHER IN HIS SERIES OF TALKS
Music historian - journalist John Tumpak offers "A Tribute to Duke Ellington" at 7:30pm, November 29th at the Brand Library & Art Center of the Glendale Public Library in Glendale, CA. He will lecture about Ellington's band, play recordings of various performances by Ellington and his musicians, and take questions about Ellington's life and career.
"Duke Ellington’s impact on the evolution of jazz and his unique personality traits that allowed him to keep his remarkable orchestra playing without interruption for over fifty years will be discussed in detail," according to publicity.
There is no admission charge.
BASIE ON FILM
AT JAZZ MUSEUM IN NEW YORK CITY
On November 13th, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem presents, as part of its "Jazz for Curious Listeners" series, an evening of "Count Basie On Film," hosted by Greg Thomas.
"Count Basie led perhaps the most powerfully swingin' big band in the land for decades," Thomas wrote in a press release, "playing his patented minimalist style and leading his orchestra with the pure force of his quiet authority."
For more details, view the website jazzmuseuminharlem.org.
SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT?
NOT NOW NOT EVER, WRITES ENROUGHTY
Thirty years ago this month, Guy Lombardo passed away, and Joe Enroughty, the President of The Guy Lombardo Society, has taken the occasion to continue celebrating Lombardo's music. On the Society's website, guylombardomusic.com, he has assembled a PowerPoint slide show, tracing various moments in Lombardo's formidable career, to the soundtrack of one of Guy's beloved recordings, Seems Like Old Times.
"I think as long as there's something to play music on, your music will be played," Enroughty commented. "The world still misses you and always will."
NEW IN-PRINT AND / OR ONLINE
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Will Friedwald, "The Greatest Trumpeter You've Never Heard," New York [ City ] Sun /
nysun.com, Nov. 12, 2007 [ about Joe Wilder (Hampton '46; Lunceford '47; Basie '53-'54) ].
Kathleen Hedges, "Chris Calloway Brings Smooth Sounds To Socorro," nmt.edu / stpns.net,
Nov. 15, 2007 [ Cab Calloway's daughter Chris performs in concert at the New Mexico
Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, NM on Nov.16th ].
Adam Horowitz, "Wunnerful Welk still not cool, but that's okay," [ New Haven, CT ] Yale
Daily News / yaledailynews.com, Nov. 9, 2007 [re: Lawrence Welk ].
John McDonough, "Historical: It Happened at Monterey: Archives Series Celebrates
50 Years," Down Beat, Nov. 2007, p.68.
Marge Miley, "Frozena honored," [ Manitowoc, WI ] Herald Times Reporter / htrnews.com,
Nov. 4, 2007 [ Miley writes of an Oct. 16, 1972 Count Basie appearance at the Armory in
Manitowoc, including some information which I sent her from Chris Sheridan's Basie
bio-discography ].
Jan Souther, "Was it celery sticks or eight to the bar?," [ Wilkes Barre, PA ] Citizens
Voice / citizensvoice.com, Nov. 4, 2007 [ Souther muses about the Will Bradley recordings
of Celery Stalks At Midnight and Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar ].
Jesse Tinsley, "Music: Band leader Bill Hughes counts himself among Basie's longtime
fans," [ Cleveland, OH ] Plain Dealer, Nov. 13, 2007 [ Hughes, now 77, has led The Count
Basie Orchestra since the fall of 2003 ].
Kevin Whitehead, "Johnny, We Hardly Know Ya," Down Beat, Nov. 2007, p.69 [ review
of "Johnny Mercer" 3-CD set (Mosaic Select 28), which includes Mercer's singing with
orchestras led by Paul Weston and Wingy Manone ].
Josef Woodard, "Jazz Stars Laud Benny Carter at Hollywood Bowl," Down Beat,
Nov. 2007, p.20 [ the centennial tribute held Aug. 8th, 2007 ].
"'Salute to Capitol Years' coming to Packard hall," Youngstown [ OH ] Vindicator / vindy.com,
Nov. 18, 2007 [ " . . . With music supplied by the Mike Berkowitz Big Band, the production
relives the sounds of Capitol recording artists, including . . . Billy May . . . Les Brown . . .
Berkowitz, who played drums in many recording sessions for jazz greats, brings a 14-piece
orchestra and two singers . . . " ].
Scott Yanow, Review of "The Gene Krupa Orchestra directed by Michael Berkowitz:
Thinking of Gene" (Sea Breeze 2143), All Music Guide (All Media Guide) / allmusic.com
(ID# R 1209738) [ 4 stars out of 5 ].
JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
CHARTS FOR SALE
Copies of ten of the arrangements originally written for Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show"
big band have now been released commercially by Sierra Music Publications. They are Begin the Beguine, Bugle Call Rag, Honeysuckle Rose, Serenade in Blue, St. Louis Blues, Take the "A" Train, and The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise, arranged by Bill Holman; Just Friends
and Star Dust, by Tommy Newsom; and Poor Butterfly, by John Bambridge. For ordering information, call 800-255-6551 or view the website sierramusic.com.
A LIFETIME OF JAZZ
KUDOS TO MORGENSTERN
Congratulations to Dan Morgenstern for being named the 2007 winner of Down Beat's Lifetime Achievement Award! Morgenstern, Director of The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ for the last 31 years, has also been an editor, journalist, critic, annotator, educator, and scholar.
Previous winners of Down Beat's Lifetime Achievement Award include John Hammond (1981), Leonard Feather (1983), Orrin Keepnews (1986), Bill Gottlieb (1997), George Avakian (2000), Milt Gabler (2001), and Herman Leonard (2004).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
BIG BAND BIRTHDAYS
Herb Geller, alto saxophonist (Thornhill '50), b. Nov. 2, 1928
Chris Connor, vocalist (Thornhill '52; Kenton '53), b. Nov. 8, 1927
Louise Tobin, vocalist (James '39; Goodman '39), b. Nov. 11, 1918
Jo Stafford, vocalist (T. Dorsey '40-'42), b. Nov. 12, 1920
Johnny Mandel, trombonist - arranger (Raeburn '45; Rich '46 / '48; Shaw '49; Basie '53) -
composer (The Shadow of Your Smile), b. Nov. 23, 1925
Jack Sheldon, trumpeter (Kenton '58-'59; Goodman '59-'60 / '65 / '76 / '78), b. Nov. 30, 1931
NECROLOGY
BIG BAND OBITUARIES
Cecil Payne, 84, baritone saxophonist (Eldridge '46; Gillespie '47-'49), d.Nov. 27, 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian
CHRISTOPHER POPA
HINDSIGHT
LOOKS BACK TO THE 1950S
30 years after its launch by producer Wally Heider (1922-1989), Hindsight has been reactivated with new compact disc collections of big band music including Sonny Burke, Dizzy Gillespie, and Hal McIntyre.
logo ©1977 Hindsight Records
Sonny Burke, "Special Edition," Hindsight HCD-174 [ = 1981 LP Hindsight HSR-174 "The
Uncollected Sonny Burke and His Orchestra 1951" ].
Dizzy Gillespie, "Cool Breeze: Big Band 'Live' 1957," Hindsight HCD-282 [ includes
arrangements by Ernie Wilkins (Jordu / Dizzy's Business / Autumn Leaves / Birks' Works),
Quincy Jones (Jessica's Day), Benny Golson (I Remember Clifford), Tadd Dameron (Cool
Breeze), Dizzy himself (Tin Tin Deo), others ].
---, "A Night in Tunisia: Big Band 'Live' 1957," Hindsight HCD-283 [ includes arrangements by
Ernie Wilkins (Groovin' for Nat / Left Hand Corner / Doodlin'), Melba Liston (Annie's
Dance), A.K. Salim (Dizzy's Blues), Dizzy himself (A Night in Tunisia / Tour de Force),
others ].
Hal McIntyre, "Free and Easy," Hindsight HCD-284 [ = previously-unreleased dance, taped
live in Portland, OR, Apr. 25, 1958; I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me / Autumn in
New York / Free and Easy / All of You / Perdido / Imagination / Basie English / Tenderly /
Larry's Tune / Yesterdays / Picnic / Rootie Tootie / Blue Moon ].
---, "Lullaby of Birdland," Hindsight HCD-285 [ = more of the above; Mountain Greenery /
I Cover the Waterfront / Lullaby of Birdland / Harlem Nocturne / Stompin' At the Savoy /
Star Dust / Cherry Point / Moonlight in Vermont / September Song / One O'Clock Jump /
Autumn Leaves / Laura ].
Helen O'Connell, "I've Got the World On a String," Hindsight HCD-287 [ 1953-63; NOTE:
does not duplicate 1985 LP Hindsight HSR-217 "The Uncollected Helen O'Connell 1955:
with Irv Orton's Orchestra" or 1994 CD Hindsight HCD-251 "The Sweetest Sounds"; acc. by
Little Red Blount Quartet / Murray McEachern Septet / Page Cavanaugh Trio; Ain't
Misbehavin' / Manhattan / I Cried for You / Saturday Night / Ten Cents a Dance / I Hadn't
Anyone Til' You / It's a Lonesome Old Town / He's Funny That Way / You Turned the
Tables On Me / They Can't Take That Away From Me / Boulevard of Broken Dreams /
I've Got the World On a String / Just One More Chance / Blue and Broken Hearted ].
MOSAIC
MASTERFUL EDITIONS
Lionel Hampton, "The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941," Mosaic
MD5-238 [ 5 CDs; using original metal parts and test pressings ].
Quincy Jones, "The Quincy Jones ABC/Mercury Big Band Jazz Sessions," Mosaic MD5-237
[ 5 CDs; select recordings from 1956-64 ].
AUDIOPHONIC
MORE BIG BANDS TO HEAR
Ted Fio Rito, "26 Favorite Selections," Audiophonic ATFO 70921 [ 2-CD set of 1942
Standard transcriptions ].
Dick Jurgens, "Volume 4," Audiophonic ADJO 70913 [ 2-CD set of 1950s performances ].
---, "Volume 5," Audiophonic ADJO 70914 [ more of above ].
---, "Volume 6," Audiophonic ADJO 70915 [ additional as above ].
Jack Teagarden, Audiophonic AJTO 41228 [ 2-CD set ].
JASMINE
HAS ITS OWN BOUQUET
Wayne King, "The Waltz King," Jasmine ( UK ) JASCD 467 [ 2-CD set; 50 recordings
including two entire 1955 Decca LPs DL 8124 and DL 8145 ].
Sauter-Finegan, "Inside the Sound," Jasmine ( UK ) JASCD 459 [ 2-CD set; selection of
39 RCA Victor recordings ].
various artists, "Most of All," Jasmine ( UK ) JASCD 463 [ 2-CD set of Don Cornell vocals
with Kaye, Welk, others ].
CLASSICS
KEEPING THINGS IN ORDER
Benny Goodman, "The Chronological Benny Goodman 1951-1952," Classics ( Fr ) 1450
[ with the big band and sextet; including the Columbia 78s of Down South Camp Meeting /
Mean to Me / South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) / Lulu's Back in Town / Wrappin'
It Up / King Porter Stomp / When Buddha Smiles / etc. ].
Illinois Jacquet, "The Chronological Illinois Jacquet 1953-1955," Classics ( Fr ) 1451
[ Clef recordings including Jacquet's Jump and Jacquet's Dilemna ].
Jess Stacy, "The Chronological Jess Stacy 1951-1955," Classics ( Fr ) 1453 [ includes
10" Brunswick LP BL 58029 "Jess Stacy Piano Solos" ].
