The big bands are back
in a new and exciting way!
BEST OF THIS MONTH’S LOT
Duke Ellington. “In Grona Lund 1963,” Storyville (Sw) 1038330. 2-CD set of music
performed by Ellington at Grona Lund, an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden.
MORE NEW COMPACT DISCS
Tex Beneke. “Salutes Glenn Miller in Santa Monica & Las Vegas,” Montpellier (E)
MONTCD 106. The two live Warner Brothers albums from 1961-62. It’s a shame
that the unreleased material from these tapes has never come out; I tried to
interest at least two different CD producers to license the performances from
Warner Brothers, but was unsuccessful. As with other Montpellier releases,
the cover artwork and notes are simple.
Duke Ellington. “The Treasury Shows: Volume 18,” Storyville (Sw) 903 9018. Another
portion of the WWII radio series which promoted the purchase of war bonds.
2-CDs in good sound.
Ray Noble. “Ray Noble in the USA: Volume One,” Crystal Stream Audio (Aus)
IDCD289. Brunswick and Columbia recordings from 1938-40, such as I Hadn’t
Anyone Til You, Cherokee, and Saturday Night At the Nobles.
Buddy Rich. “Vol. 2 Seven Classic Albums,” Real Gone Jazz RGJCD470.
4-CDs with the albums “Burnin’ Beat” (with Gene Krupa), “Buddy Rich in Miami,”
“Blues Caravan,” “Buddy Rich Just Sings,” “The Voice Is Rich,” “Swing and Swing
with Buddy Rich,” and “The Wailing Buddy Rich.” From 1955-62.
Various artists. “Billy Strayhorn: Out of the Shadows,” Storyville (Sw) 108 8614.
A 7-CD box plus a DVD that presents 62 of Strayhorn’s compositions as he
worked in and out of the Duke Ellington band.
---. “Home for the Holidays,” Jasmine (E) JASCD 810. A 2-CD set of which the only
big band selections are Tommy Tucker’s Christmas in Killarney and Jing-a-Ling,
Jing-a-Ling, which he recorded in 1950 on MGM.
---. “Snowbound For Christmas: Fun Songs, Classics & Rarities,” Jasmine(E)
JASCD 803. Another 2-CD set including, among other material, four seasonal songs
by Guy Lombardo, three by Russ Morgan, and one each from Freddy Martin and
Lawrence Welk.
SHOWTIME
Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart. Oct 15, Jefferson City, MO;
Oct 16, Oklahoma City, OK; Oct 23, Falany Performing Arts Center, Waleska, GA;
Oct 24, Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center, Evans, GA; Oct 25, Center for
Performing & Visual Arts, Newnan, GA; Oct 26, University of Georgia, Athens, GA;
Oct 28, University of South Carolina, Beaufort, SC.
Gene Krupa Orchestra directed by Michael Berkowitz. Oct 24, Admiral Theatre,
Bremerton, WA.
Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher. Oct 1-13, completion of Japan tour;
Oct 16, West Ranch High School Theater, Stevenson Ranch, CA; Oct 17, High
Street Arts Center, Moorpark, CA; Oct 18, Walnut High School Performing Arts
Center, Walnut, CA; Oct 19, Clark Center, Arroyo Grande, CA; Oct 22, The Ellen
Theatre, Bozeman, MT; Oct 23, Alberta Bair Theater, Billings, MT; Oct 24, Peck
Theatre, Riverton, WY; Oct 25, Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO; Oct 26, Historic
Schuler Theatre, Raton, NM; Oct 28, Simmons Center, Duncan, OK; Oct 31,
University of Wisconsin - Parkside, Kenosha, WI.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
Terry Gibbs, b.Oct 13, 1924. Vibraphonist with T Dorsey ’47 / 50; Rich ’48;
Herman ’49-’50?; Goodman ’50-‘52.
Betty Bennett, b.Oct 23, 1921. Vocalist with Thornhill ’46; Rey ’47-’48; Ventura ’49;
Herman ’50; Barnet ’52.
Tony Eaton, b.Oct 30, 1939. Correspondent and longtime member of the
[ international ] Glenn Miller Society; guest speaker ("The Curious Disappearance of
Glenn Miller"); liner notes writer for Sounds of YesterYear.
REMEMBERING YOU
Ann Richards, b.Oct. 1, 1935. Vocalist with Kenton ’55. Married him ’55.
Chino Pozo, b.Oct. 4, 1915. Bongo and conga drums / timbales with Kenton ’55;
Cugat ’59. Cousin of Chano Pozo.
Fred Norman, b.Oct. 5, 1910. Trombonist / composer with Hopkins ’32-’38.
Arranger for Krupa ’40-’43. Also wrote or arranged for Berigan, J Dorsey, T Dorsey,
Goodman, I Jones, James, Miller, Shaw, Teagarden.
Carmen Mastren, b.Oct. 6, 1913. Guitarist with T Dorsey ’36-’40; Miller AAF ’43-’45.
Jo Jones, b.Oct. 7, 1911. Drummer with Basie ’35-‘36 / ’36-’48.
Alvin Stoller, b.Oct. 7, 1925. Drummer with Monroe ’42; Goodman ’42; T Dorsey
’45-’47; J Gray '50 / '51 / '52; May '51 / '53 / '54 / '55 / '56 / '57 / '60 / '62.
J.C. Heard, b.Oct. 8, 1917. Drummer with T Wilson ’39-’40; Carter ’42; Calloway
’42-’45.
Sonny Igoe, b.Oct. 8, 1923. Drummer with Les Elgart ’47; Hutton ’48; Goodman ’49;
Herman ’50-’52; Ventura ’53-’55.
Bill Stegmeyer, b.Oct. 8, 1916. Saxophonist / clarinetist with Miller ’38; Crosby ’39 / ’58.
Arranger for Butterfield ’46-’47.
Harry Edison, b.Oct. 10, 1915. Trumpeter with Basie ’37-’50; Rich ’50.
Al Killian, b.Oct. 15, 1916. Trumpeter with Basie ’40-’44; Barnet ’43 / ’45-’46; Hampton
’45; Ellington ’47-’50.
Paul Tanner, b.Oct. 15, 1917. Trombonist with Miller ’38-’42; Beneke-Miller
Orch ’46-’50; Beneke ’50-’51.
Lenny Hambro, b.Oct. 16, 1923. Alto saxophonist / clarinetist with McKinley ’51-’52;
McKinley-Miller Orch ’56-’64.
Cozy Cole, b.Oct. 17, 1909. Drummer with Willie Bryant ’35-’36; Calloway ’39-’42;
Scott ’43-’45; Armstrong ’49-’53.
Norman Leyden, b.Oct 17, 1917. Arranger with Miller AAF ’44-’45; Beneke-Miller Orch
’46-’49; Columbia “Once Upon a Time” LP with Johnny Desmond ’59.
Barney Kessel, b.Oct. 17, 1923. Guitarist with Marx ’43; Barnet ’44; Shaw ’44-’45.
Howard Smith, b.Oct. 19, 1910. Pianist with Norvo ’36; Miller ’37; T Dorsey ’37-’40.
John Best, b.Oct. 20, 1913. Trumpeter with Brown ’35-’36; Barnet ’37; Shaw ’37-‘39;
Miller ’39-’42; Shaw Navy Band ’42-’44; Donahue Navy Band ’44-’45; Goodman
’45-’47; J Gray ’47-’53; May ’50-’55.
Ray Linn, b.Oct. 20, 1920. Trumpeter with T Dorsey ’40-’41; Herman ’42 / ’45;
Shaw ’44-’45; Raeburn ’46.
Dizzy Gillespie, b.Oct. 21, 1917. Trumpeter with Calloway ’39-’41; Eckstine ’44.
Leader of own band.
Wendell Marshall, b.Oct. 24, 1920. Bassist with Ellington ’48-’55; Bellson '51.
Chubby Jackson, b.Oct. 25, 1918. Bassist with Barnet ’41-’43; Herman ’43-’46 /
’48 / ’50 / ‘58; Ventura ’47 / ’51.
Charlie Barnet, b.Oct. 26, 1913. Saxophonist with Norvo ’34. Leader of own band.
Boyd Raeburn, b.Oct. 27, 1913. Leader of own band.
Bill Harris, b.Oct. 28, 1916. Trombonist with Chester ’43; Goodman ’43-’44 / ‘59;
Herman ’44-’46.
Neal Hefti, b.Oct. 29, 1922. Trumpeter / arranger / composer for Herman ’44-45;
Ventura ’46; James ’48-’49. Wrote for Basie ’50-’60. Leader of own band.
Zoot Sims, b.Oct. 29, 1925. Tenor saxophonist with Sherwood ’42-’43; Goodman
’44 / ’46 / ’50 / ‘58; Herman ’47-’49.
Illinois Jacquet, b.Oct. 31, 1922. Tenor saxophonist with Hampton ’41-'42; Calloway
’43-’44; Basie ’45-’46. Leader of own band.
Ted Nash, b.Oct. 31, 1922. Tenor saxophonist with Light ’40; Heidt ’42; Harris ’43;
Fields ’44; Brown ’44-’46; J Gray ’47-’52.
SNEAK PEEK
In next month's "Big Band News," more desirable CDs from overseas including another
( ! ) Ray Noble.
return to Big Band Library homepage
OCTOBER 2014
"BIG BAND NEWS"
compiled by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA
