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NOVEMBER 2015
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
Al Pierson, leader of Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians.
Photo by David Minton, courtesy of the Denton Record-Chronicle.
LOMBARDO’S LEGACY LIVES
The long-time conductor of Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians, Al Pierson, now in his early 80s, summed up his accomplishments in that position so far when he spoke recently with Rhiannon Saegart of the Denton Record-Chronicle newspaper. (Pierson and his wife, Nancy, live some 20 miles away on a 50-acre ranch in the little town of Aubrey, TX.)
He said that since he became the leader in 1989, the Royal Canadians have continued to tour, playing a total of about 8,000 venues including a number of major events, appearing in every corner of the U.S., flying to 32 countries, performing on cruises, and making 39 different performances for PBS (among them, their famed New Year’s Eve television specials) over the years.
However, nowadays things have definitely slowed down and the performance dates for Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians are more scattered.
Though the band played at Bill Clinton’s and George Bush’s Presidential inaugurations in Washington, DC they weren’t invited to Barack Obama’s, their final PBS New Year’s Eve TV party was 20 years ago, and they haven’t made a new recording that I know of for 15 years.
“It’s been a good ride,” Pierson says. “Slow sometimes, but good.”
What has he found to be the challenges of keeping a big band going over the last decade?
“No.1 is that the music has changed, that the kids are buying rap music and stuff. They’re not buying Big Band music,” Pierson acknowledged. “No. 2 is that the economy has closed a lot of places, and No.3 is that a lot of TV stuff we used to do, they don’t do that anymore.”
Still, Pierson has been able to keep the band sounding much like the Royal Canadians of long ago.
“It is a specific style,” Pierson, a pianist and singer, explained. “Saxophones have a big vibrato, the trumpets have a very crisp sound. The rhythm is simple, the arrangements are relatively easy. It’s very danceable and they play very soft.”
Pierson continues his role as the band’s music director and looks forward to one of the more high-profile future dates on the schedule, the Isle of Wight music festival at Seaclose Park in England during June 2016.
MORE BIG BANDS LIVE
The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart. Nov 6, Grantham, PA.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. Nov 1-23, conclusion of
2015 Japan tour; Nov 27, The Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD; Nov 28, The
Playhouse on Rodney Square, Wilmington, DE; Nov 29, Perkiomen Valley
Middle School, Zieglerville, PA; Nov 30, Harry S. Truman High School,
Levittown, PA.
NEW COMPACT DISCS
Benny Goodman. “The Complete Benny Goodman Story,” Essential Jazz Classics
EJC55681. Music for the film “The Benny Goodman Story,” packed onto a
single disc.
Enoch Light. “Big Band Bossa Nova / Let’s Dance Bossa Nova,” Blue Moon (Sp)
BM 864. Two Command albums on one CD.
Vincent Lopez. “the vincent lopez show,” My Music Boutique CD-R. A 1957 Coral
album transferred to CD, including Careless, Laura, and Yesterdays.
Glenn Miller Orchestra. “Legend!: The Glenn Miller Orchestra,” Vic (J) VICP-65335.
22 previously-released tracks.
Various artists. “Dancing Smooth ‘ n Easy,” Music Boutique CD-R. Four songs
each from Martin, G Gray, and Lombardo, originally recorded in the 1950s for Capitol.
---. “The Kitty Kallen Collection: 1939-62,” Acrobat (E) ADDCD3146. 2-CDs
including select vocals with Teagarden, Sherwood, J Dorsey, James, and Shaw.
NECROLOGY
Buddy Moreno, 103, d.Nov 29, 2015. Vocalist with G Williams '40?; Jurgens
'40-'42; James '43-'44.
REMEMBERING YOU
Phil Woods, b.Nov. 2, 1931. Alto saxophonist with Barnet ’54; Gillespie ’56; Rich
’58-59.
Joe Howard, b.Nov. 3, 1919. Trombonist with Herman '60 (two NBC-TV specials);
G Gray ’58 / '63.
Joe Benjamin, b.Nov. 4, 1919. Bassist with Shaw ’50; F Henderson ’50; Ellington ’51.
Joe Sullivan, b.Nov. 5, 1906. Pianist with Crosby ’37 / ’39; Armstrong ’52.
George Williams, b.Nov. 5, 1917. Arranger – composer with Miller ’41-’42; Krupa
’46-’49; Anthony ’50-’53.
Dick Cathcart, b.Nov. 6, 1924. Trumpeter with McKinley ’42; Rey ’42; Crosby ’46;
Pollack ’49-’50; Noble ’50-’51.
Ray Conniff, b.Nov. 6, 1916. Trombonist – arranger – composer with Berigan ’37-’38;
Crosby ’39-’40; Shaw ’40 / ’42-’42; James ’47.
Andy Gibson, b.Nov. 6, 1913. Arranger – composer for Barnet ’37-’47 not continuously
(including Blue Juice; Bunny; Charleston Alley; Shady Lady); Basie ’38-’42 (including
Apple Jump; Hollywood Jump; Jump for Me; Let Me See; Louisiana; Shorty George;
Tickle Toe; and The World Is Mad).
Joe Bushkin, b.Nov. 7, 1916. Pianist with Berigan '36 / '38-'39; T Dorsey ’40-’42;
Goodman ’46. Songwriter (Oh, Look At Me Now).
Howard Rumsey, b.Nov. 7, 1917. Bassist with Kenton ’41-’42.
Chris Connor, b.Nov. 8, 1927. Vocalist with Thornhill ’49; Wald ’49; Kenton ’52-’53.
Muggsy Spanier, b.Nov. 9, 1906. Cornetist with Lewis ’29-’36; Pollack ’36-’38.
Leader of own band.
Billy May, b.Nov. 10, 1916. Trumpeter – arranger with Barnet ’38-’38 / ’54 / ‘69; Miller
’40-’42. Arranger for Rey ’46. Leader of own band.
Hoagy Carmichael, b.Nov. 11, 1899. Vocalist with J Gray ’50; Whiteman ’56 (“50th
Anniversary Album”). Songwriter (Georgia On My Mind; Rockin’ Chair; Star Dust;
Up a Lazy River).
Buck Clayton, b.Nov. 12, 1911. Trumpeter with Basie ’36-’43; Goodman ’56 (“Benny
Goodman Story” film / ’57; Wilson ’57. Arranger for Basie (Down for Double;
It’s Sand, Man; Red Bank Boogie; Taps Miller); Ellington (Hollywood Hangover;
One O’Clock Jump); James (Jackpot).
Bennie Moten, b.Nov. 13, 1894. Leader of own band.
Billy Bauer, b.Nov. 14, 1915. Guitarist with Wald ’39; Herman ’44-’46 / ’58 / '59;
Byrne ’53-’54; Goodman ’58.
Nick Travis, b.Nov. 16, 1925. Trumpeter with Ayres ’42; Herman ’43; McKinley
’46-’48; Sauter-Finegan ’53-’56.
Wayne Andre, n.Nov. 17, 1931. Trombonist with Spivak ’50-’51; Sauter-Finegan ’55-’56;
Herman ’56.
Chuck Andrus, b.Nov. 17, 1928. Bassist with Barnet ’53; Thornhill ’54.
Shorty Sherock, b.Nov. 17, 1915. Trumpeter with Pollack ’36; J Dorsey ’38-'39 /
'49 / '51; Crosby ’39; Krupa ’40-’41; T Dorsey ’41; Alexander ’59 (“Home of Happy
Feet” album).
Johnny Mercer, b.Nov. 18, 1909. Singer with Dorsey Bros ’33; Whiteman ’34;
Goodman ’39; Whiteman ’56 (“50th Anniversary Album”). Lyricist (Blues in the
Night; Come Rain Or Come Shine; Jeepers Creepers; Laura; Skylark; That Old Black
Magic; Too Marvelous for Words).
Boots Mussulli, b.Nov. 18, 1917. Alto and baritone saxophonist for Powell ’42; Kenton
’44 / ‘52; Krupa ’48; Ventura ’49.
Claude Williamson, b.Nov. 18, 1926. Pianist with Barnet ’47 / ’49; Norvo ’48.
Tommy Dorsey, b.Nov. 19, 1905. Leader of own band.
June Christy, b.Nov. 20, 1925. Vocalist with Kenton ’45-’49 / ’53 / ‘72; Heath ’57 / ’58.
Coleman Hawkins, b.Nov. 21, 1904. Tenor saxophonist with F Henderson ’23-’34.
Leader of own band.
Ernie Caceres, b.Nov. 22, 1911. Clarinetist – baritone saxophonist with Hackett ’37 /
’56-‘57; Teagarden ’38; Zurke ’39; Miller ’40-’42; Long ’42; Goodman ’43; T Dorsey
’43; Herman ’44; Butterfield ’47.
Tyree Glenn, b.Nov. 23, 1912. Trombonist with Carter ’37-’37; Calloway ’40-’46;
Redman ’46; Ellington ’47-'51; Armstrong '65-'68.
Serge Chaloff, b.Nov. 24, 1923. Baritone saxophonist with Reynolds ’39; Fields ’43;
I R Hutton ’44; Raeburn ’45; Auld ’45-'46; J Dorsey ’45-’46; Herman ’47-'49.
Al Cohn, b.Nov. 24, 1925. Tenor saxophonist with Auld ’43-’46; Rey ’47; Rich ’47;
Herman ’48-’49; Shaw ’49-’50; E Lawrence ’52.
Teddy Wilson, b.Nov. 24, 1912. Pianist with Armstrong ’31-’33; Goodman ’35-’39.
Leader of own band.
Gus Bivona, b.Nov. 25, 1917. Clarinetist – alto saxophonist with Hudson-DeLange ’37;
Berigan ’38; Powell ’39; Goodman ’40; Savitt ’41; Brown ’41; T Dorsey ’45; Crosby
’46; G Gray ’58.
Willie Smith, b.Nov. 25, 1908. Alto saxophonist – clarinetist with Lunceford ’30-’41;
Spivak ’42; James ’44-’51 / ’54-'63; Ellington ’51-’52; May ’52.
Jack Perciful, b.Nov. 26, 1925. Pianist with James ’58-73?.
George Wettling, b.Nov. 28, 1907. Drummer with Shaw ’36; Berigan ’37; Norvo ’37-’38
Whiteman ’38-’40; Spanier ’40 / ‘54, Marx ’42.
Hal McIntyre, b.Nov. 29, 1914. Alto saxophonist – clarinetist with Miller ’37-’41. Leader
of own band.
Billy Strayhorn, b.Nov. 29, 1915. Arranger – composer with Ellington ’39-’67 (including
After All; Day Dream; Johnny Come Lately; Midriff; Passion Flower; Raincheck;
Snibor; Take the ‘A’ Train).
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