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Home , Bob Eberly, Buddy Morrow, New York Big Band, Sam Donahue, Skeets Herfurt, The Dorsey Brothers

IN THIS ISSUE:

k An interview with

k Reviews of BIG BOOKS AND RECORDS to consider BAND

k A FAMOUS SIDEMEN JUMP TRIVIA QUIZ NEWSLETTER ★ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR about GENE KRUPA, , SAM DONAHUE AND MORE

BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER FIRST-CLASS MAIL Box 52252 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Atlanta, GA 30355 Atlanta, GA Permit No. 2022

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VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

We saw BUDDY MORROW INTERVIEW B u d d y and his The Background wife Carol at This is the second time we’ve interviewed trombonist a plan- Buddy Morrow on these pages. Since that first inter­ n i n g view in the March-April, 1992 BBJ NEWSLETTER, meeting he has continued to lead the official estate Tommy a b o a rd Dorsey Orchestra, generally considered to be one of the s/s the top road bands in the . Buddy Morrow Norway had led the Dorsey Orchestra longer than Tommy d u rin g Dorsey back when the first interview was published; the No­ now, nearly nine years later, he certainly qualifies as vember, the longest-tenured leader of a so-called “ghost” band. 2 0 0 0 B i g When he was still a teen-ager, Artie Shaw suggested Band that Buddy leave his home in New Haven, Connecticut Jump and move permanently to City. If was after Cruise T_. „ ,, , The young Buddy Morrow that move when he got the call to work with Tommy and ar------Dorsey. He had previously been a sideman with Eddy ranged a time to get with him in his cabin on the Sky Duchin, Artie Shaw, and Charlie Barnet. Deck. At the appointed time, he was relaxed and After discovering was paying his third willing to expand on the answers. He is a nice man and man forty dollars more a week than the an easy interview subject. $125.00 he was making, Buddy went with and then worked for CBS radio, Johnny The Interview Green, and when inducted into the service, as a musician for the Navy during WWII. BBJ: When the companies used to put band musi­ cians names on record labels, there was a Moe It was in 1945 when Buddy Morrow first formed his Zudekoff listed in the trombone section of Tommy own band and changed his name from Muni (Moe) Dorsey’s BOOGIE WOOGIE. Zudekoff. That band had limited success, and he disbanded in early 1946 to work in the New York BM: That was the guy who played lead trombone, studios until 1951 when he re-formed his band and and the funny part of it is, he’s my double. achieved public acclaim with a series of records in­ cluding NIGHT TRAIN, a melody with which he is BBJ: How did it start? now permanently identified. BM: In my family there was music all the way Several months ago, Buddy Morrow suffered cancer of around, and my oldest brother played , the throat, but he recovered and continues to play the violin and cello and my two sisters.... one played piano trombone with the same warmth and expressiveness and the other played violin. Then came my brother who that has identified his unique sound for decades. is four years older than I who played the , and by the time it got down to me when I was twelve years The Scene old, why, since we were a musical family with a great VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARV-FEBRUARY 2001

music background, they needed trombone players in symphonic. To this day I realize what a marvelous thing New Haven, which is where I was bom. I was given a it was to be playing in the senior symphony at Juilliard. King trombone, symphony bore, slightly larger than I was at the time. To this day reaching the seventh BBJ: You said you left Juilliard because they claimed position, which is that one far out almost to the end of they couldn’t teach you anymore. the hom, is a practical impossibility for me. BM: That was my teacher, Ernest Clark. A wonder­ BBJ: Is there something genetic about your ability ful man who was the principal trombonist with to send your emotions through your hom? the philharmonic at the time. He heard me playing and said, “Son, I don’t think we can teach you anything BM: Oh, sure, definitely. In my family back­ here. What I would suggest is that you keep on studying ground, my great uncle, my grandfather’s the way you do and towards spring we will prepare a brother.... they were in the Tzar’s orchestra. All my concerto, and perhaps I can be of help there.” uncles on my father ’ s side played musical instruments. When the chore became almost too much.... I was Yeah, the genes were definitely there. I can still working seven nights a week with .... and remember as a kid going under the kitchen sink and going to school. I missed a day and a class entirely, I getting the old fashioned tea kettle with the spout and thought it was time to make a choice. I was a product go marching through the house tooting on the tea of the depression. It was very easy to make the choice. kettle. There is a family affinity. The financial situation was such that I was able to send money home to help my folks and also live pretty good After about six months of study with a teacher by the for a kid, making more than the dean of Juliard. Then name of Daniel Carboni, I started liking playing the I was called by Artie Shaw who was organizing his first hom. It was a great emotional outlet, and to this day it’s band. Strangely enough, in that band were four future been a constant companion. I started playing dates bandleaders: , Moe Zudecoff who became around New Haven when I was fifteen. The Yale Buddy Morrow, Jerry Graziano who became Jerry Collegians needed a trombone player, and they heard Gray and Lee Castaldo who became Lee Castle. I loved me play and decided I was going to be one of the ringers that band because it was based on the classics. in the band, and gave my age as sixteen to the union officials. I became Moe Zudecoff, member of the That all came to a quick ending when we were in Texas union, allowed to travel with the band. We toured all on our first road tour and Ralph Hix who was the Hilton summer long. I made the magnificent salary of $35.00 of his time.... he had a string of hotels.... he came in and a week, of which the members of the band chipped in decided we were too loud and started to tell Artie Shaw for gas and oil. Gasoline at that time was fourteen cents how to run his band, and Artie said, “You run your a gallon, so it wasn’t a big chore. I learned a lot about blankety-blank hotels and I’ll run my band!” That living on the road and playing my hom, and by the time afternoon we were on our way back to New York from I was seventeen I had been heard by Artie Shaw and Dallas. I went back to Eddy Duchin’s band. other New York musicians who decided I was very well equipped to come to New York. BBJ: You worked the studios for a long time. Once again with that magic figure, $35.00 in my pocket, I went to New York and subsequently played BM: The studio work was fabulous. When I came again for Artie Shaw who recommended me to Tommy to New York I could have gone right into the Dorsey who didn’t need a trombone player at the time, studios, but at that time even though I was one of the top but Artie helped me get started with casual dates in trombone players in the country, I didn’t have the New York. I was there about six months.... and I still experience of coming into a highly professional studio hadn’t finished high school.... and I got a scholarship where your first run-through was your best. to Juilliard in open competition. At that time there was no such thing as education, Etc.....it was all Four years later, after my early years, I came back into

2 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

studio work. I had a lot of help from fellow musicians, your ego gets but it was highly competitive, every bit of it. You had pumped up in a cer­ to be required to read everything and at this time your tain direction you first performance was as good as your last. I broke into gotta’ feed it, and it pretty well. I played with shows like Bob Hope, Fred the fact that you can Allen, Prudential Family Hour, Raymond Scott, Mark emote and tell the Wamow and A1 Goodman, and my sidekick at the time people how you feel was Miff Mole, who used the trombone a lot like Jack by playing.... it’s Teagarden, who I thought was fabulous, even though been a fantastic situ­ I disagreed with his primal sound, but that’s how ation for me. you’re brought up. Studio work was a great adventure, and years of discovery for me. BBJ: Do you still get re­ BBJ: That first band? quests for NIGHT TRAIN, even BM: That was the band I had right after the war. though it’s the T.D. Today's Buddy Morrow Highly unsuccessful band, living on popcorn Band? and dexedrine. I gave that up after two years of struggling. That’s the same time Tommy gave up his BM: All the time. That’s our biggest request. I say band, Les Brown gave up his band; all the bands quit. that with all deference to my old boss, who, by There was no work. Who knew at the time where the the way, as far back as 60 years ago predicted that I would public was going? have the Tommy Dorsey band. When I left him the first time he predicted that I would someday lead his band. BBJ: How did the NIGHT TRAIN band come about? BBJ: You have a warmer sound than Tommy Dorsey had. BM: After about four years of doing studio work, Tommy Dorsey and Sammy Kaye had their BM: I’ ve got that Russian background, you know. differences with RCA Victor, and since I had been Letthe world know how you’re suffering! But doing all the recording there, when Tommy quit they I never suffer; mine is a natural propensity toward asked me if I’d like to have a band again. Once you get emoting. I like the precision of Tommy’s but I also like used to being a leader, it’s tough to go back and be a the opportunity of intensifying it. peasant. I was glad to get it because I had a divorce and was still paying alimony and I was contemplating a BBJ: Has your lip changed over the years? new marriage. That’s what put me back in the band business. BM: It’s pretty much the same. If you use it, you’re not going to lose it. If you do the work and do After a year of trying every conceiveable kind of it properly, you’re going to create proper habits, and music, through the auspices of Jack the Bellboy in you’re going to do all right. If you have that solid Detroit.... he suggested I do NIGHT TRAIN, and the background you can easily analyze what you need to rest is history. After having the band for some time I keep the plateau that is required. decided I didn’t want to travel that much any more. BBJ: Are the sidemen better now than they used to be? BBJ: How long have you been leading the Tommy Dorsey band? BM: They’re no better, they’re no worse. You find guys who are great musicians, and they can’t BM: Longer than Tommy has. I’ve been leading it solo worth a damn. You find great soloists who are now for about 24 years. I’ve had a lot of rotten musicians. The exceptions are as few and far wonderful times, and to this day I enjoy playing. Once between as they were fifty years ago, a hundred years

3 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001 ago. The thing is knowing how to apply what you need the time comes I can’t do it, I’ 11 be happy enough to say, and being willing to spend the time. It doesn’t come “Hey, you’ve been nice to me. I love everybody. God easy; you’ve got to pay your dues. bless you and thank you.”

BBJ: Every Bob Crosby alumnus says that band was Few musicians have been at it as long as Buddy the most fun they’ve had. Morrow, or have performed in so many different capacities over the years. He will be 81 on the 8th BM: Oh, I loved every minute. I was the guy they of February. chose to make it three but I was the lead player, and so I had no book. It was almost a year LETTERS TO THE EDITOR before I had a sizeable book. I was the guy who played all the vocal parts until Bob learned the tunes. I was All letters to the program or the newsletter are an­ featured a lot. I was the one guy with the band who was swered eventually, although only letters deemed of not in the “company” as a partner. It was, as you know, most general interest are used in this newsletter; a co-op band. I made more money than any of the guys. please be patient, for the volume is greater than our ability to handle in a timely fashion. Questions and They were all fine musicians. , for comments about either the BBJ NEWSLETTER or the example, is to me one of the most regrettably un­ BIG BAND JUMP radio program may be sent to: remembered trumpet players. He was a fantastic lead player.... wonderful soloist. He could do anything. BBJ NEWSLETTER When he played SUMMERTIME, the theme, it made Box 52252 you wanna’ cry, it was so great. Unfortunately he had Atlanta, GA 30355 a very close relative by the name of John Barleycorn, and that was his undoing. The letters that follow have been edited for space considerations, but the meaning has been preserved. BBJ: You haven’t had anything to drink for years. “Skeets” Herfurt On a recent BIG BAND BM: I haven’t had anything seriously in about thir­ San Jose, CA JUMP broadcast, Don Ken­ teen or fourteen years, at least. I miss having a nedy mentioned the trumped few snorts, but I don’t miss getting drunk. I’ve had up marijuana charges against Gene Krupa. “Trumped quite a few nights when I’d wake up and shudder the up?” Not hardly. I played in some same bands as next morning thinking, “My God, what did I do? I hope Krupa and shared joints with him, as did many others. I didn’t offend.” I guess I was a nice guy. I accepted all Don’t whitewash the man. He wasn’t perfect. Neither the free drinks. am I. He was a great drummer. BBJ: What’s the difference between a technical Arthur “Skeets "Herfurt, who played alto and tenor player and a swingin’ musician? sax, clarinet and sometimes sang, worked with, BM: It’s the old story. If you have to ask, “What is among others, Smith Ballew, , jazz.... don’t ask.” It’s the difference between , , Tommy Dorsey, Alvino the guy who’s technically correct and the guy who has Rey, , , , the innate ability to tell a story. That’s the whole thing. , and as How do you tell a story? It’s an inborn spirit.... not being well as leading his own bandfor a time. He ’ll be 90 afraid to carry your emotions through the horn. years old on May 28th of this year.

BBJ: How long are you going to continue leading the Robert Walter Much has been written about Tommy Dorsey band? Bowie, MD the AAF band, however, I have read serval BM: As long as I can accomplish what should be articles which state that the swingingest service band accomplished as a bandleader, I’ll do it. When during WWII was the Navy band led by Artie Shaw

4 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

and later Sam Donahue. I can attest to the fact that that Glenn Miller, , Artie Shaw, , band could really swing from a few recordings the Duke Ellington, Etc. have been as instrumental in band made while in England when under the leader­ bringing down the abominable “evil empire” as Ronald ship of Donahue. Perhaps you could play a couple of Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative. Every night their recordings on some future broadcast. Any infor­ thousands of teenagers huddled around the short wave mation you can give me will be greatly appreciated. radios listening to Big Band music on the Voice Of America Music USA program hosted by the unforget­ table Willis Conover. Jamming notwithstanding, we even managed to tape many of the programs. Our lives were permeated with American culture and Big Band music to a saturation point. In 1962 I was one of the interpreters with the historic Benny Goodman Mission To Moscow.

Being an ardentjazz devotee and a vociferous promoter of American culture made one a sitting duck in those days, many actually were hustled off to gulags, so one had to be circumspect without compromising one’s integrity, no mean feat.

Mr. Toumandjanov grew up in the former Soviet Union, and currently writes features fo r a sports Sam and his sax magazine. He is one of our internet listeners at www. bigbandjump. com.

We were told by one private collector that the technical W.A. Bonds How did the word “gig” originate? I quality of the available Sam Donahue Navy Band Dallas, TX knowitmeansajobforamusician.but recordings is poor, but JAZZ HOUR has put out a CD where did the word come from? with three selections by that band, recorded in 1945 by the BBC. ST. LOUIS BLUES, SPRING WILL BE A We asked several musician friends, none of whom LITTLE LATE THIS YEAR and DINAH are on JH- knew the origin of the word. One of those giant 1019 along with 12 tracks o f the civilian Sam Donahue dictionaries variously defines the word as: (1) A two Band from 1957. DEEP NIGHT and I FOUND ANEW wheel cart, (2) Spearingfrogs or fish, (3) A musician’s BABYareon V-Disc number 583 made in 1945, butwe engagement, usually of short duration. There’s a don’t know if it's commercially available. question mark after the use as a musical engagement in that massive tome, indicating an unknown origin. Sam Donahue had worked with Gene Krupa, Harry An old B.C. cartoon sent to us by Glenn Miller James and Benny Goodman as well as leading his own Orchestra leader Larry O ’Brien defines ‘‘gig’’ as: band in the early ’30s, fo r two years in the early '40s “Good for musicians, bad for frogs. ” and after WWII. In the ’50s he played with Tommy Dorsey, Billy May and Stan Kenton, and led the Tommy Trudy Erwin When I heard ’ Dorsey ‘‘ghost band" from 1961 until 1965. We’ll Horseheads, NY THE MOLE on BBJ it re­ present both the civilian and military Donahue led minded me of the great radio bands on the BBJ program for the weekend of January program THE SWINGIN’ YEARS which was hosted 27-28, 2001. (Please see UPCOMING BBJ PRO­ by Chuck Cecil for many years on radio stations across GRAM TITLES.) the U.S. THE SWINGIN’ YEARS was very much like BIG BAND JUMP, with Cecil providing interesting Ilia Toumandjanov Few people realize without commentary as Don Kennedy does. I wonder if anyone Raleigh, NC exaggeration that Tommy else remembers THE SWINGIN’ YEARS and if the Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford, BBJ NEWSLETTER could publish a photo of Cecil 5 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001 and if Cecil is still alive. booklet lists each selection along with the personnel who performed, the date and the original record label. As you may sur­ mise, I have been a There may be a more complete Woody Herman collec­ Big Bands “nut” tion somewhere, but this one has most of the titles we for many years and recall, as well as some we may not remember. Starting wish to express my with the titles originally first heard on blue label Decca, warm appreciation the first CD of the set includes BLUE FLAME, GOLDEN to BIG BAND WEDDING, BLUES IN THE NIGHT, TIS AUTUMN, JUMP and Mr. WHO DAT UP THERE? and BASIE’S BASEMENT, Kennedy for the as well as 16 others, showing the changes in the Herman best radio program musical approach from the late thirties into the mid­ on the air of ANY forties. The second CD includes the last of the Decca genre. (Her caps) sides, as well as the band’s final recordings for that company, when he moved to the Coral label, then to Chuck Cecil, one Columbia where his exposure to the public and his of the best of the musical experimentation increased dramatically. From broadcasters, is novelties such as MILKMAN, KEEP THOSE BOTTLES very much alive. QUIET and IT MUST BE JELLY to deeply etched The alive Chuck Cecil from drawing He’s been work­ sounds such as LAURA and APPLE HONEY, this CD ing in the Los Angeles market 44years, and at age chronicles the most rapid change in the sound of the 78 is celebrating 58 years in radio. H e’s heard on band. HAPPINESS IS A THING CALLED JOE is on about a dozen stations now, and reports that he and that second CD, as well as GOOSEY GANDER, his wife are doing fine. He was out ofglossies when NORTHWEST PASSAGE, BIJOU and YOUR we phoned, but he sent us the line drawing he uses FATHER’S MUSTACHE. on his note cards. The third CD contains some of the less well-known Now comes the logical question which we must ask Herman output, along with the stand-bys exemplified through this newsletter, as we did for Mindy Carson by BLOWIN’ UP A STORM, WILD ROOT, LET IT some months ago. Is our letter writer THE Trudy SNOW and WELCOME TO MY DREAM. In addition, Erwin of Kay Kyser fame? all four parts of SUMMER SEQUENCE are on this CD, a work difficult to find until the issuance of this collec­ BOOKS & RECORDS TO CONSIDER tion, along with other reasonably rare recordings in­ y cluding PANACEA, NERO’S CONCEPTION, LOST WEEKEND and SIDEWALKS OF CUBA. The last CD THE WOODY HERMAN STORY represents the move of the Herman Orchestra from the Ninety-one selections on four CDs Columbia label to Capitol. P.S. I LOVE YOU is on this Proper Box 15 one, as well as FOUR BROTHERS, LEMON DROP and KEEN AND PEACHY, indicating a growing bop Y et another of those wonderful English imports, check­ influence. ing out the most memorable recordings of Woody Herman from his early successful WOODCHOPPER’ S There was a lot of experimentation in the Herman Band BALL to the second half of the forties when the because that’s the way the leader wanted it to be; always “Herman Herds” were heard throughout the world. As fresh and current, exciting and new. That experimenta­ with all this series of well planned and researched tion didn ’t always result in immediately understandable boxed sets, this one includes a well-written booklet recordings, for some of them sounded strange to those (55 pages) telling the history of the Herman bands and of us who grew up with the less strident sounds of James assessing each track. The discography at the end of the or Dorsey or Miller, but there is no question that Woody

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(Tape or Staple Here) CENTER PAGE OFFERS Really good stuff in limited quantities being offered at low prices on a first-come, first- served basis. Some appealing CDs & Cassettes are here that were over-stocked, but if you want to order, we suggest you phone 1-800-377-0022 right away, because the last time we did this, scores of late callers were disappointed.

HOLLYWOOD'S BEST Soundtrack memories including Louis Armstrong's KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON, Debbie Reynold's ABA DABA HON­ EYMOON, GET HAPPY by Judy Garland, TRUE LOVE with and Grace Kelly, ALL OF YOU by Fred Astaire....a total of 16 tracks. CD ONLY.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS Three CDs available in singles as follows: Tommy Dorsey vs Glenn Miller / Duke Ellington vs Count Basie /Artie Shaw vs Benny Goodman Top performances on each CD with eight cuts by each of the two bands on each CD. Goodman’s BUGLE CALL RAG, Shaw’s BEGIN THE BEGUINE, Etc. Dorsey and Miller’s themes, Dorsey’s BOOGIE WOOGIE, Miller’s , Etc. Basie’s ST. LOUIS BOOGIE, Duke’s C JAM BLUES, Etc. CD ONLY.

ALIVE AND KICKIN' Big Band sounds from MGM soundtracks. This one is spec­ tacular. Tommy Dorsey's SONG OF INDIA, I SHOULD CARE, BLUE SKIES and HAWAIIAN WAR CHANT plus Jimmy Dorsey's ONE O'CLOCK JUMP and STAR EYES, Artie Shaw's I'M YOURS and DONKEY SERENADE, Harry James' TRUMPET BLUES and I CRIED FOR YOU. 23 tracks of Big Band movie memories not heard off screen until now. Crisp sound and some fresh material by Bands of the '40s IN the '40s. CD ONLY.

SONGS THAT HELP WIN THE WAR The patriotic output of GLENN MILLER’S Air Force Band AND civilian band, including OVER THERE, , DON’T SIT UNDER THE APPLE TREE, PENNSYLVANIA 6-5000, BEAT ME DADDY, VICT’RY POLKA, Etc. CD & CASSETTE

SALUTE TO THE VETS OF WWII Hal McIntyre plays THIS IS THE ARMY, Sammy Kaye offers REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR, Dinah Shore sings HE WEARS A PAIR OF SILVER WINGS, Glenn Miller with WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCING HOME....a total of 19 selections by different bands and singers of the first half of the forties. Pure nostalgia. CD fit CASSETTE

ANY CD $ 9.00 ANY CASSETTE $ 5.00 Shipping and handling for any number of CDs or Cassettes PER ORDER $3.00 Phone orders only at: 1-800-377-0022 COMING UP IN FUTURE ISSUES OF THE BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER

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(Tape or Staple Here) VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

Herman did a massive ser­ as presented originally by Benny Goodman, MY IN­ vice to the musical world. SPIRATION as arranged by Bob Haggart with the Over the years he gave hun­ Crosby Band and UNDECIDED, reminiscent of the dreds of musicians a chance John Kirby group. Paula Johns is singing on this CD to be heard, many of them too, on COME DANCE WITH ME, DON’T GET moving on to become well- AROUND MUCH ANYMORE, BYE BYE BLACK­ known as soloists. He also BIRD, AS TIME GOES BY and TAIN’T WHAT YOU gave us, the listeners, a DO. Jim Lawlor, who also plays drums, sings nudge, asking us to stretch CALDONIA. There are 15 cuts, presented with enthu­ The Woody Herman our tastes to include what siasm and excellent technical quality. might at first sound unusual. This collection neatly packages that Herman musical history for us. Both CDs are well worth your while.

4 CDs $50.00 Available direct from: 1-877-563-4658. Press 2 on Available from BBJ Sales menu selections. 1-800-377-0022 A POCKET FULL OF DREAMS AVALON - FINGERBUSTIN’ The Early Bing Crosby years 1903-1940 Two different CDs by the Midiri Brothers Orchestra Gary Giddens

The Midiri Brothers were suggested to us by Des Current jazz vocal stylist Bob Stewart called our atten­ McBride, former program director of WWJZ. It was tion to this new book about the earlier years of Bing several weeks before we got around to listening to the Crosby. Gary Giddens has written about Bing Crosby two CDs he sent, and we discovered they are, as Des because he was without question the most popular, told us, sensational! The brothers are Joe, who plays longest tenured public figure in the singing business for clarinet, alto and baritone sax and Paul, who is a the first half of the last century. Even though he’s drummer, a trombonist and a vibes player. The almost never heard today, even on radio stations spe­ AV ALON album features the Midiri Brothers Trio and cializing in nostalgia, his name and his presence were Sextette with some Goodman small group favorites as prominent in the thirties and forties.... and into the you might expect, but to their credit, also a variety of fifties.... on records, in movies, and on the radio. Be­ both standards and originals in Midiri style. tween Prohibition and the mid-1950s, Bing Crosby dominated the conversations of all those who talked SLIPPED DISC, POOR BUTTERFLY and AVALON about music and singers of the time, and that was the are there on the first album noted above, as well as basis of discussion for the high school and college kids, CHINA BOY, SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, GET and perhaps to a lesser degree, their parents. HAPPY, EXACTLY LIKE YOU and I’LL NEVER BE THE SAME. A stylized singer name Paula Johns Harry Lillis Crosby was at the forefront of popular is featured on MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME, entertainment until the comeback of and I’VE GOT IT BAD and I’M BEGINNING TO SEE the introduction of a new kind of singing characterized THE LIGHT. There are originals, too, written by by and later by the Beatles. He was either one or both of the brothers or the piano man, Joe influential in all phases of life in those popular years, Holt, and in some cases all three. A total of 15 tracks and was described by bandleader Artie Shaw as “the on a superbly recorded CD. first hip white person bom in the United States.”

The Midiri Orchestra also presents some Goodman How influential was he? A quote from the book: “Frank material mixed with other standards made popular by Sinatra said he decided on a show business career after various Big Band Era organizations. FINGERBUSTIN’ seeing Bing perform in 1933. Within 10 years, the pop from the Jimmy Dorsey book is there; CLARINADE music terrain would be crowded with his musical off-

7 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

opened her mouth and sang. She recalls she didn’t interact with the band at all; she was just locked in her little room and sang when she was told to sing.

The strange part of the story is that Pat Friday, who was under contract to Bing Crosby, was black-balled at the time because her contract said she could not marry, and she had married on the 28th of December, 1940. The black-ball was lifted, however, so she was able to provide the female singing voice for both films, re­ corded respectively between March and May of 1941 and March and May of 1942. She remembered she received an envelope at her wedding recessional, and Bing sans toupee with Glenn Miller when she opened it after her honeymoon, she discov­ ered her contract was tom into tiny pieces. It was, she spring - among them , Dick Todd, Herb said, a sympathetic Bob Crosby who asked his mother Jeffries, , Buddy Clark, Andy Russell, Bob to talk to Bing about rescinding the marriage clause. Carroll, Dick Haymes, Bob Stewart and Tony Martin, who remembered, ‘We all loved to sing like Bing.”’ Those two recording sessions, one each in the spring of 1941 and 1942, paid Pat Friday a total of $3,000.00, Bing’s son Gary commented that marijuana had a based on $750.00 a week with a minimum of two lasting effect on Bing’s style. He’s quoted as saying, “If week’s pay for each motion picture. That was a great you look at the way he sang and the way he walked and deal of money in those days, but she told us she was talked, you could make a pretty good case for some­ sworn to secrecy; there were no credits on the screen body who was loaded.” On the other hand, Bing is said and so far as the audience knew in those innocent days, to have detested booze, which was reputed to have Lynn Bari was the one who possessed that crystal-clear, killed his first wife; and it was also a major problem for warmly enchanting voice. son Gary. Pat Friday told us her professional singing career began The good and the bad of the Crosby legend is investi­ when William Frawley, later the neighbor in the LUCY gated by Giddens in a direct, but entertaining way. This television series, heard her sing at the rehearsal for a book has been a long time coming, and should be in UCLA sorority talent show, contacted the Crosby of­ release by the time this review is in print. fice and arranged for her to work for them. She was a Little Brown & Co. - New York frequent guest on the Kraft Music Hall, and during the 448 pages summers of 193 8 and ’ 3 9 at age 17 and 18, she was on About $30.00 at bookstores the Music Hall summer replacement radio show with Bob Bums. She also did some recordings for Decca THE VOICE IN THE MILLER MOVIES because the Crosby office owned an interest in that label. “There’s not much to tell,” she said when we first contacted her. “It was only three days of my life.” Pat Even though Pat Friday never considered herself a full­ Friday was the singing voice of Lynn Bari in the two time entertainer, she did spend a great deal of time movies, SUN VALLEY SER­ doing shows for the military during WWII, performing ENADE and ORCHESTRA WIVES. She told us at that as a dedicated volunteer on Armed Forces Radio, the day and time the “ghost” was almost literally locked in Hollywood Canteen and various military installations. a small acoustically padded room, and with earphones Her last full-time professional singing job was in 1945 or a speaker, she could hear the orchestra out on the with comedian/musician Victor Borge, although she sound stage. She said with a cue from Mr. Miller, she did sing for Vera Ellen for a 1947 film, and sang as Axi s 8 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

FAMOUS SIPEMEN QUIZ Every so often we feel compelled to offer an easy quiz, and this one should be a snap. We give you the bandleader’s name on the left, and on the right the first name of a prominent member of that band during one period in its development. The first name is necessary, of course, because there were generally many sidemen in each chair for all the bands over the years. These, though, are (or should be) the names you fondly recall Pat Friday yesterday & today if you were collecting records in the ’40s. Please give Sally in the Ernie Pyle story titled, THE STORY OF this a try, and let us know if it was a snap for you. Just G.I. JOE. match the band name and the instrument on the left with the name on the right. Ten correct and you get to play It was a surprise to learn that Pat Friday considers her a tenor solo in front of the current Les Brown Orchestra. singing career a sidelight to the education she, in her Six or more correct and you get to play piano with the words, “Kept going for.” She is, in fact, a mathemati­ Count Basie Band. Less than four correct answers and cian engaged in a computer analysis company in part­ you’ll have to play Kazoo with the neighborhood nership with her husband. They’re still at it, operating Accordion Kings Sextet. from a small town in Texas. But, for those of us who are fans of the sound of the Big Bands, Pat Friday will As always, answers are elsewhere, but don’t look or always be recalled as the female singing voice in the your Big Band appreciation abilities will diminish by two best-remembered Big Band motion pictures of all thirty-three and a third percent. (Well, that’s better time. than 45or78% !)

MUSICIANS AND KEY SIDEMEN SIDEM A N OR SIDEWOMAN’S NAME

l Glenn Miller tenor sax soloist A Butch

2 Stan Kenton vocalist B. Bill

3 Basie rhythm guitarist C. Myron

4 Les Brown novelty singer D. C h u b b y

5 Frankie Carle daughter/singer E. Marjorie

6 ’s accordian man F .T ex

7 Harry Jam es’ longest tenured tenor soloist G. Charlie

8 Gene Krupa Jazz Trio sax man H . Freddie

9 W oody Herman first herd b a s s m a n J. Corkv

lO T. Dorsey & G. Miller arranger and later co-bandleader K .June

9 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

SIDELIGHTS Murray Dance Studios. The music was to be danceable, of course, but Billy May Musicians like to make fun o f each other, and that gave it style, too. He used a results in hundreds o f gags about performers o f every ‘■WT sliding saxophone section musical instrument. We've selected a few choice items sound. That sound became so you can get some insight into the minds of profes­ so popular that Billy May sional musicians.... or at least some o f the more humor­ Early LP Billy May was asked to organize a band ous musicians. album cover to play that same style, all at a time when everyone A young child says to his mother, “Mom, when I grow thought the band business was gone forever. up can I be a musician?” The mother replies, “Well honey, you know you can’t do both!” It was said that the enthusiasm of the producer and the engineers when the initial recording was made was a What do you call a beautiful woman on a trombonist’s portent of the popularity of the style that was to come. arm? A tattoo. Even though the public’s taste is an unknown, not tied to the taste of the musicians or the record producers, What’s the similarity between a drummer and a phi­ those who were there say the recording session of the losopher? They both perceive time as an abstract original cuts for the dance album was electric with concept. excitement. When the album was met with enthusiasm by radio program directors and then the public, the die What has 3 teeth and an I.Q. of 47? The first four rows was cast. at a rock concert. The newly organized Billy May band went on the road What is another term for trombone? A wind driven, and was highly successful, presenting such standards manually operated, pitch approximator. as ALL OF ME, LULU’S BACK IN TOWN, IF I HAD YOU and UNFORGETTABLE as well as some ap­ Why do people play trombone? Because they can’t pealing May originals titled LEAN BABY and FAT move their fingers and read music at the same time. MAN BOOGIE, among others. Listeners as well as dancers couldn’t get enough of this new orchestra Was that fun for you? Our thanks to Bob Alberti and which combined a modem dance band approach with John Barbe, both excellent musicians and arrangers, a two-beat style reminiscent of Jimmie Lunceford’s for passing on these quickie gems. captivating rhythms.

Billy May fronted the band from 1952 to 1954, then MOMENTS IN MUSIC... sold it to in 1955. A direct quote from Billy May explains why he came off the road. He said, ARTHUR MURRAY UNKNOWINGLY “I had a very severe alcoholic problem. That’s the CREATES DANCE ORCHESTRA reason I got out of the band business. I came back here to and I had a heart attack and I almost died, MOMENTS IN MUSIC in audioform is a feature o f the and so I stopped drinking and stopped smoking. That bigbandjump.com website. was almost forty years ago, and it’s been a great thing for me.” In the early fifties, arranger Billy May was asked to create a danceable album of music with a prominent beat in various rhythms, with input from the Arthur 10 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001

UPCOMING BBJ PROGRAM TITLES If you’re not, you may want to consider it as an informational vehicle. Dec. 30-31, 2000 (Repeat for NEW YEAR’S DANCE PARTY n e w sub­ January 13-14, 2000 Until January of 193 8, it was scribers) All BIG BANDS AT unheard of for a Big Band to year the BBJ programs are fashioned for listening. If a CARNEGIE HALL be recorded at Carnegie Hall, particular selection can be used for danc­ but the January 16th, 1938 ing, that’s normally a plus, but this pro­ Goodman concert changed that. During gram is expressly designed for dancing. this BBJ session, we look into some of the The predictable will be the norm for this other Big Band appearances at Carnegie two hours with Russ Morgan, Charlie Hall all through the years. We’ll begin by Spivak, Glen Gray, Lester Lanin, Guy sampling the Goodman concert, then move Lombardo, Jimmy Dorsey, Ray Anthony, on to hear key moments by Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Glenn Duke Ellington, , Count Miller among others. Just as our Christ­ Basie, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, mas program is a departure from the norm, Ted Heath, Woody Herman and others so the New Years program stresses more over the years, along with some back­ BBJ host Don Kennedy music with a defined beat, and less pala­ ground stories. ver. Go ahead, dance! January 20-21, 2000 This program will be January 6-7, 2000 The most DANCE BAND REMOTES devoted to the dance STAN KENTON RETROSPECTIVE dynamic band remote broad­ new or­ casts that have been preserved for chestra of the first few years of the ’40s was without us, taking us back to the time when the Big Bands doubt the Stan Kenton aggregation, introducing an were a staple of the late night radio schedules. In­ entirely new sound to the Big Band music of America cluded will be some of the more exciting Glenn Miller and the world. In this two hour presentation we present efforts, the mid-’40s sound of Frankie Carle, Artie the Kenton music from those earlier years, plus com­ Shaw from the Cafe Rouge and some unusual but ments by Stan Kenton, taken from an interview re- highly entertaining late night “live” moments with the cordedjust two years before his death. The memorable Chico Marx orchestra. Also in the mix, poignant titles will be heard, of course, but you’ll experience moments from the remote broadcasts of Harry James some fresh Kenton such as SCOTCH & WATER, and Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and even George TWO MOOSE IN A CABOOSE (featuring a sax duel Shearing with Mel Torme. between Boots Mussulli and Vido Musso) and June Christy singing SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET. The January 27-28, 2000 This will be another program combines the best of the commercially re­ MUSIC PLUS WORDS session devoted to leased Capitol records with some absolutely magnifi­ melodies that began cent transcriptions. their lives as instrumentals, then had lyrics added later, often changing the entire character of the melody, and It’s a matter of personal preference, of course, but sometimes its title. There will be a Duke Ellington there’ll be no far-out Kenton in this classic falling into the name change category, plus a program, in favor of the more acceptable and under­ lovely Woody Herman orchestra performance which standable Kenton forays into musical experimentation, started out as part of a suite and wound up as a popular mixed with Kenton’s thoughts on a number of subjects. song. There’ll be a W.C. Handy famous blues compo­ If you’re a Kenton fan, it’s a program not to be missed. sition, the well-known Goodman closing theme with

11 VOLUME LXXII BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2001 words added, and some other examples of MUSIC Battaglia and his New York Big Band will entertain, as PLUS WORDS. will the dynamic Main Stream Power Band. There will be others, of course, as CDs continue to come in. February 3-4, 2000 Years ago, we THE TWO LAWRENCES checked in with March 3-4, 2000 In terms of popularity, sales Elliot Lawrence, who LEGENDS - and longevity, most observ- started his band at the end of the Big Band Era, enjoyed BENNY GOODMAN ers select Benny Goodman, initial fame and then disbanded when the Big Band Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller business fell away. We review his comments, and and Harry James as the four most remembered Big listen to his highly innovative and certainly interesting Bands of all time, not only in the United States, but in music. On the second hour we check out the “new” Syd the world. This program, concentrating on the overall Lawrence band, a British group now led by a trombon- output of Benny Goodman, will be the first of four BB J ist/singer named Chris Dean. Both bands are dynamic, shows, each highlighting one of the four. Featured will each coming from a different time and a different place. be the most recalled vocalists of Benny Goodman over Their common name gives us an excuse to look care­ the years, as well as a sampling of his early RCA Victor fully into their two different kinds of music. In their output and then the Columbia days. Included will be a varied ways, they each present a precise, most enter­ few of the small group recordings. This session will be taining product. an overview of important moments in the musical life of Benny Goodman. February 10-11, 2000 Woody Her- WOODY HERMAN RECALLED m a n d e ­ scribed him­ FAMOUS SIDEMAN QUIZ ANSWERS self as a musical coach, a job he performed from 1936 until his death in 1987. Young musicians had the 1-F 2-K 3-H 4-A 5-E advantage of playing under W oody Herman ’ s tuteledge 6-C 7-J 8-G 9-D 10-B over that remarkably long period. On this program we check out the decade of the most public exposure of the band, beginning with “The Band That Plays The Blues” and moving through some of the first of the “Herman Herds.” From 1939’s WOODCHOPPER’S BALL to 1949’s TENDERLY, this will be a loving tribute to a Check us out on the Internet man who contributed a great deal to the total content of BIG BAND JUMP Big Band musical literature. and the companion program February 24-25, 2000 Some wonderful new musical The Don Kennedy Show THE IN-BOX organizations pop up on fresh CD releases regularly, and this are repeated after broadcast each week program selects the most interesting of those groups. on our website Recently received releases also include re-recorded Big Band Era orchestras, as well as newly discovered www.bigbandjump.com recordings of top names from the Era. The Midiri W e’re also available on E-Mail: Brothers will be heard on this session, (please see review this issue) as well as a newly discovered Harry [email protected]. James small group, captured on tape in Las Vegas just after he gave up his Big Band for a time. Trumpeter Joe

12 BIG BAND JUMP IS NOW ON THE IN T E R N E T - Hear BIG BAND JUM P and its companion program THE DON KENNEDY SHO W repeated each week after the regular broadcasts at www.bigbandjump.cpm - We're also available on E-Mail - send y our questions and comments to: QQn(gjDigoanujum|j-uum-

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