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XMAS GIFT Ment to the Australian Listener

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XMAS GIFT Ment to the Australian Listener PROFILING THI PLAYERS DOWN BEAT leader of bls section, though, of Music. Took up radio work, Donahue rates high. and eventually arrived at NJB.C. banda. Started out in New York, where he played 1938 with Ina Ray Bora Detroit 1921. Started musie with Kate Smith, Don Voorhees, at 15 under Merle Johnson. Before and Harry Horlick. Another enlisting worked with Art Shaw’s steady, solid section man. civilian outfit. An unpretentious, HAROLD WAX (piuuo meoe. ARTIE SHAW ® TAK TAKVORIAN (trom­ reliable section worker, with no dion). Born Newark, N. J„ 1921. bone). Born Watertown, Massa­ claims to be a hot man. Personally, chusetts, 1921. First studied cel­ a really likeable character. lending accordion experts. He went AND NAVY BAND 501 & lo, but took up trombone at the RALPH LAPOLLO (tenor sax into radio, and worked np to a fea­ age of 12, and worked with vari­ and clarinet). Born Providence, tured spot at his local station, WOR. ous school bands. He played with R. I., 1921. His father started him His umique and extraordinarily easy Larry Cooper, Ken Reeves, and out on music when he was only style should be an eye-opener to by WILLIAM H. MILLER Lew Bonlck in Boston, then five. At 14 he studied clarinet un­ Australian accordion aspirants. ARTIE SHAW—Well, everyone knows Shaw’s story in civil­ Joined Sani lh >n ahue with whom der Josef Arherio of the Boston ROCKY COLUCCIO (piano) le worked till he enlisted. Tak Symphony Orchestra, playing Hailing from Rome, N. Y., where ian life, but his naval career is not so well known. Artie came gets most of the solo trombone Jazz at night to pay for the les­ he started life 22 years ago, Co- up the hard way. No soft jobs or trading on his reputation work. He is a great admirer of sons. He had always been keen luccio Joined the dance band for him. He enlisted in the ordinary manner, and underwent Dicky Wells, ana his rather sweet on Shaw’s work, and when he game when he was 17. Before en­ hia preliminary training the style is a mixture of Wells* and Joined Art knew all his arrange listing he had worked up to a the more common Tommy Dor­ ments. Before enlisting he was Job with Charlie Barnet. Rocky same aa anyone else. He spent Sometimes shares the lead with sey type of work. Takvorlan is no with Vaughn Monroe. An excel­ la the only member of the band a period as a deck hand on ■ Oozzo, but is also an excellent hot jazz man, and his feet are lent section man, with no pre­ whose work gives promise of de­ minenweejMT. then went back get-off man, for which propen­ obviously firmly pointed along tensions as a hot soloist. velopment in the best hot jazs sity Shaw gives him plenty of lOF. ACLORA (tenor sex). A tradition. (Kaminsky and Tough to Staten Island for more rein. He would be lost in a small the path of big band commercial training. swing. New Yorker of 25. Started play­ are already proved greats). Stu­ group, being strictly a big band ing at 13, and studied under Merle DICK LEFAVE (trombone). dents of le not should keep an g When this was completed, he man, but he has an original pow­ Johnson. Before enlisting he work­ Bom in Boston in 1914, Lefave eye on this boy, as there are indi­ applied for the tough examina­ erhouse trumpet style which may ed witk Jen Savitt and Paul White- started playing at 17, and was cations that one day he may be a tion for chief bandmaster. Pass­ develop sensationally. Little has truly great hot pianist. He still ing this, he became a chief petty been heard of this youngster to mainly self-taught. At 18 he joined Ruby Newman, and spent a number has a long way to go, but the tal­ officer and a bandmaster, and date, but it is safe to predict that relief from Donahue. but be ha» of years on society work under that ent seems to be there. only then did he get permission he will go far. leader. Later he worked with Sam AL HORESH (guitar). Bon, from Washington to recruit the JOHN BEST (trumpet). Pow- conclusion tubtide» thankfully into Donahue, and immediately prior to Cleveland 1920, Homh had been band. The cost of obtaining such erhoust' trumpeter, well known for enlisting was playing in New York playing for some time with Bob men from the top orchestras was his work with Art Show, Glenn Mil­ again, where, m a lection man. he under Benny Goodman. He is one Allen's band in New York when borne by Shaw himself. He does ler, and Bob Crosby before he it invaluable. of the band's humourists. He ad­ Shaw recruited him for the navy. an admirable Job, both as band­ joined the Navy. Bom Shelby, mires Louis Armstrong and Benny CHARLIE WADE (baritone An unpretentious but »olid member leader and as chief petty officer. North Carolina, 1913. Started play­ Carter, and names his favorite sax). Hails from Fall River, Mas­ of the rhythm section. ing trumpet when 14. Largely self- He prefers to treat the boys as trombonist as Mike Riley. This is sachusetts. Started playing at BARNEY SPIELER (string members of his band, and navy taught. First professional job 1932. apparent from his own work, for he 18. Attended Boston University bass). A likeable lad of 22 from Was graduated from University or­ discipline is kept strictly in the occasionally takes some burlesque and New England Conservatory (Modulate to Page 16) background, except on rare oc­ chestras to doner bands, thence to trombone solo» that leave not only big time. Married several years ago. casions when the behaviour of the audience. but even hi* fdlmr- With little understanding of or in­ some offender forces the leader bandsmen, in a state of helpless clination for improvised hot jass in to bring it into play. laughter. He is not otherwise fea­ small groups, Best will always be a As for his music, he retains tured to any fUAt, but from the big band swing man. but in this that amazing technique and con­ glimptr, of his true tone and ideas THE IDEAL field is outstaying. Shaw features fidently pure tone that made him that we manage to catrh it is evident him extensively. one of the idols of the prewar that Lefave could be a first-class hot music world. The relaxed ease of MAX KAMINSKY (trumpet). »oloist if he fared to taka the his work is a source of amaze­ Least featured of the three get- trouble. I XMAS GIFT ment to the Australian listener. off trumpet men, Kaminsky does (tenor sax), He concentrates on his well an excellent job in the section; SAM DONAHUE known big band swing style. As At 25 Donahue is the deputy but when he does take one of his leader of the outfit by right of For Record Collectors - Fm-Notician exemplified in one or two Billie occasional solos his supreme mu­ Ii Holiday discs, Shaw can play having had his own famous or­ ..---. ^azz; but he re sicianship is at once apparent. chestra before Joining up. He s really good hot jaz It Is obvious that he has profited ii fuses to admit this,i, and also re- takes over when Shaw leaves the by listening to Louis Armstrong, stand for a spell. He started Ii Aayoae Interested la Music Will Appreciate fuses to admit that there is any­ and sometimes he achieves thing worth while in the small- playing professionally in 1932. phrases that one would have When still young he organised I! group jam music which produces thought could have emanated most of the best righteous jazz. only from Louis himself. Max’s his own band in his home town ii He retains his hatred of Jitter­ of Detroit, and hung on through Paul Eduard Miller's clear hot tone and the clean an initial bad period to progress bugs and fans, and keeps well smack with which he hits each clear of them whenever possible. to great success prior to his en­ note are beautiful things. At 35 listment. He has the pushful and Goodlooking and goodhu- he shares with Dave Tough the moured, apart from these foibles, distinction of being the veteran self-confident personality to Art has a personality which puts bring success as a bandleader. MiUenlL YEARBOOK of the band and one of the veter­ He is featured in a lot of solo his band across with the mini­ ans of the famed Chicago period. mum of ballyhoo, and which His Jazz history is too important work, but, in spite of a nice hot slays hordes of females with tone, never really manages to say » to be touched upon in such a anything, although he himself is Ii every glance. He rightly takes his sketch as this, but he is well of POPULAR MUSIC wartime role very seriously, and obviously as pleased with his own known to all hot record collec­ work as is the larger and less will play only for service men, tors. At present he is thinking contains up to 800 factual biographies of the leaders, although he goodnaturedly ar­ discerning section of each audi­ and playing big band music, be­ ence which applaud him, oblivi­ ranges for the entree of local cause that is his war Job; but he sidemen. vocalists, and personalities of popular music members of the musician’s union ous to the fact that all the drive .
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