Kay Kyser in a Reader's Letter Bunny Berigan: Part of 1936 in Music
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Kay Kyser in a reader’s letter Bunny Berigan: part of 1936 In Music Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 3259 BIG BAWD JUMP N EWSLETTER VOLUME 113 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2007 INTERVIEW - GENE KRUPA The Background We’ve been searching for a Gene Krupa interview to place in this slot since the publication of the BBJ NEWSLETTER began 18yearsago. Quite by accident we were on the mailing list advertising Krupa drum sticks and Krupa publications. It is from the “World of Gene Krupa” book we’ve excerpted the following Gene Krupa comments, presented in interview style. BBJ host Don Kennedy interviewed Gene Krupa in 1949 or early 1950 when Krupa was appearing at the Palace Theater in Youngstown, Ohio. The interview was set up for one o’clock in the morning, after the last of the six or seven daily ‘live’ performances between showings of the feature movie. That taped interview has long since been lost, but one distinct memory The young Krupa at work remains: the extremely courteous behavior of Gene came from the Buddy Rogers band. I knew Stan in the Krupa. Kennedy recalls the event. old days when I worked for Red Nichols. THE place then was Plunkett’s (a speakeasy on 53rd Street) and “I was nineteen or twenty and my dad went with me for Stan was a very big name then and much respected by company. While I was setting up that bulky early tape me, not so much for his talent, because I was going the recorder, Gene Krupa talked to my 66 year old dad, a other way for guys like Chick Webb and Tommy Miles. former march drummer, as an equal. Krupa discussed drumming techniques with my dad as if HE was the star BBJ: Your recollections of that legendary Good drummer. He showed the same courtesy to me, an inept man tour to the coast? youthful announcer, as he did my father. Later I heard Krupa stories confirming what a real gentleman he GK: I remember when we were playing Elitch’s was.” Gardens in Denver we never had more than five people on the floor and it was very discouraging. Here is the interview assembled from various Gene One night Benny laid out a lot of rhumbas and stocks. Krupa comments as transcribed from radio appear “What’s up, Benny?” I said. Benny shook his head. “I ances. guess this jazz idea of ours is no good. I’m going to get people to dance if I have to play all the mouse music BBJ: Tell us about your early days with Benny ever written.” I shook my head right back. “Look, Goodman. Benny. I’m making $85.00 a week with you and if you’re going commercial I might as well go back to GK: I followed Stan King in the Goodman band. I Buddy Rogers and make $ 125.00 a week. Let ’ s stick to VOLUME 113 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2007 the original idea even if we go under.” Benny did and reasons the band got so good was because we never a week later at the Palomar in Los Angeles we clicked stopped playing. for good. When we opened at the Palomar Ballroom in 1935, all hell broke loose. BBJ: Did you and Benny Goodman work well to gether? BBJ: How did Goodman’s success affect your own career? GK: Often something almost magical happens as we play. He feeds me and in turn I feed him, GK: Had Benny thrown in the towel before his first and the excitement builds. Working with him is always great triumphs at the Palomar and the Congress a great experience. Of course we’ve had our disputes, in Chicago, there’s little doubt that many of us who but the relationship has remained firm over the years. have enjoyed success, prominence, and considerable The only thing I’m unhappy about is that I didn’t have financial rewards since the late thirties would ever have his business acumen. Benny, along with being a great attained these heights. Benny built himself a band musician, knows what the score is commercially. playing musicians’ music, but didn’t shoot over the heads of the public. It took the people time but once (Editor's note) There were rumblings o f dissatisfaction they grasped the Goodman musical sermon, they easily between Krupa and Goodman, resulting in GeneKrupa understood, accepted and followed. leaving the band without notice March third o f 1938, after a one week engagement at Philadelphia’s Earle BBJ: But musicians were playing that way before Theater. On April 16'h, 1938, less than six weeks later, Goodman, weren’t they? Gene Krupa had staffed, rehearsed and opened at the Marine Ballroom at Atlantic City's Steel Pier. The GK: In the days before the band was a showcase for Krupa, o f Goodman era we played that way course, but after the first year it too, but in smaller bands with no became evident that Krupa would similar success or in sessions held have to diversify to maintain the in empty halls with no one to appre band’s high level o f appeal. ciate our efforts but the fellows play ing the other instruments. For all BBJ: Tell us about the differ that Benny did for music, for jazz, ent approach for your for musicians and for me, I for one band after the first year. doff my cap in a salute of sincere appreciation. GK: That change in direction helped us make it. Sing BBJ: Did you enjoy those years ers like Leo Watson, Irene Daye and with Goodman? Anita O’Day, and our soloists, par ticularly Roy Eldridge, were what GK: Musically speaking, to state that the period I put the band over. Sure people came to see me, but spent playing drums in Benny Goodman’s Anita and Roy and the others give us that extra push and orchestra was about the happiest of my career, would be got things cooking. a gross understatement. After the record-breaking engagement at New Y ork’ s Paramount Theater (March, BBJ: How did your first theme, APURKSODY, 193 7) it got so we never had any time. Rehearsals, j obs, come about? traveling, personal life became a jumble. Sleep was a rarity. It seemed we were playing all the time, some GK: We kind of goofed around until we found what times doubling and triplingjobs. At one point we were we thought told the feel of the band. We didn’t doing a radio show, the Paramount Theater and the want to sound too much like Goodman, but still we Hotel Pennsylvania, all at once. I guess one of the wanted to swing. Ellington was really more of an 2 VOLUME 113 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2007 influence, I’d say. We recorded this at the same time we CIATION session of BBJ has been scheduled for made that “Some Like It Hot” picture (1938) out in the weekend of 1-2 December, 2007. Please see Hollywood. That’s Sam Donahue on tenor. UPCOMING BBJ PROGRAM TITLES on pages 11 and 12. BBJ: You made the record QUIET AND ROLL ‘EM with a title based on your movie experience. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GK: We got that title from the direction they used to Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJ NEWS give us on the movie lot, just before they’d LETTER may be sent to the address below, or begin to shoot. That’s Donahue’s tune and arrange e-mailed to: [email protected]. When you ment. Y ou know, Sam had a lot of charm to his playing; e-mail, please give your name and address. All he almost had a Lester Young sound, and he’d play letters are answered, but the volume of mail pretty things and interesting changes and he always had sometimes delays a ti/tiely response. such a good time. He’s such a gentleman. The clarinet BBJ NEWSLETTER is by the other Sam, Sam Musiker. Listen to that good Box 52252 pure sound he used to get. Atlanta, GA 30355 B BJ: LET ME OFF UPTOWN changed tempo over the years. The published letters have been edited for space considerations, but the meaning has been preserved. GK: You know, it’s a funny thing about tempos. After you’ve played a number many times, it Don Wagner About ten years ago I heard seems you almost automatically increase the tempo. Rock Island, IL your program about one Maybe it’s because, subconsciously, you feel you need o’clock on a Saturday after to give it some added excitement and you can ’ t think of noon. The music was so captivating I knew Big Band any other way to do it. But you can work it the other music was for me even though at the time I didn’t know way, too. much about it. On a subsequent program I heard TICO- TICO and HAWAIIAN WAR CHANT with Buddy You can slow down a tune purposely, just to get it in a Rich. Great stuff! different groove. Iremember when I was with Goodman and Benny was off the stand and it was up to me to set I am from a younger generation, bom in the fifties, but the tempos. I used to try some that were different from this music is timeless. Thanks again for bringing it to those he used to set....some faster and some people of all ages.