M artha Tilton recalled

Raym ond Scott - Part of 1937 In M usic

Pictorial clue in Trivia Quiz

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Atlanta, GA Permit No. 3259 JUMP NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER. 2007 INTERVIEWS & M AR TH A TILTO N

These newsletters take on a direction of their own. Early this year we began to re-visit some of the Big Band girl vocalists, promising in that issue to do it again. During preparation for this newsletter two letters arrived asking about the girl singers, encouraging us to continue our se­ ries in this issue. (See LETTERS TO THE EDI­ TOR.) As a result of two letters inquiring about female singers and the continuation of our series on those singers, much of the first half of this newsletter is devoted to “The Girl Singers. ” Stafford in the '50s Two other events also encouraged the direction of this issue. One was a rare public appearance BBJ: Your first professional singing work? of Jo Stafford in May at the annual Big Band Academy of America get-together in Studio City. JS: I had two older sisters, quite a bit older, 11 and The other was the recent loss of singer Martha 14 years older than I. They were already in Tilton who died in early December last year at local radio in Long Beach, and finally came age 91. We re-acquaint ourselves with both of up to Hollywood, doing radio in and around Los them through their own words Angeles. We were together for two or three years singing on radio and background singing in motion J O S TA F F O R D pictures. We had quite a successful run of it and then The Background I graduated from them to the Pipers. In the beginning there were eight of us and we got together on what we Jo Stafford is a native of California where her Tennes­ call a “cattle call” for a musical called “Alexander’s see native parents moved before she was bom in No­ Ragtime Band.” vember of 1917. Neither of her parents had good singing voices, but as a child Jo amused herself by BBJ: Your first solo number with singing and by age ten she could not only read music but was LITTLE MAN WITH A CANDY CI­ play the piano. Jo ’ s first professional singing j obs were GAR. What kind of song was it? with her sisters Pauline and Christine with whom she performed until 1938 when she became the only female JS: Strictly a ballad written by and voice in a group of seven men who called themselves ....a very beautiful song....and I “The Pied Pipers.” asked Tom as a special favor i f he ’ d let me record it and he said, “It’s yours, Josie!” That’s how easy it was. The following are excerpts from Jo Stafford’s com­ ments made in various interviews from the mid-nine- BBJ: You went to as a solo singer. ties. Our first question was about her musical history before she became a Pied Piper. JS: Very early on. When we were still with Dor­ sey, was a big fan of the Tommy VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

Dorsey band and whenever he was in New York and we with off-key and off-ternpo piano and vocals. were playing there, or out here at the Palladium, he’d They caused a mild sensation with both musi­ always come to see the band. On one of those visits, he cians and fans. told me and the Pipers that he was forming this record company and if and when we ever left T ommy he ’ d like BBJ: Tell us about the Jonathan and Darlene to talk to us about coming with the record company as recordings. a quartet. He’d like to have me do some solo work, too. JS: That was a good parlor trick, to put it on with Several months after we left Tommy we did come back other records and have this sound start coming out here to California and got in touch with John. He out. People would just look at each other, and they was as good as his word and signed us to Capitol didn’t know whether to say anything or not, and some Records which was a very new company then. It was listeners were perfectly happy with it. a wonderful place to work because the whole thing was run by strictly musicians. BBJ: How did the Jonathan and Darlene idea come about? BBJ: When you left Capitol and moved to Colum­ bia, was it an emotional move? JS: For years at friend’s houses or little get- togethers, Paul had this silly version of JS: In a way it was except by that time I was so used STARDUST he used to do just for laughs. There was to Paul (Weston, of course) that I wanted to a Columbia Record convention down in Key West and continue working with him and I had it in my contract one night after the meetings they all went into a little bar that if he left the record there and the piano player was pretty much a copy of company I could go too. Jonathan Edwards. After the piano player packed up When he went to Colum­ and left, Paul sat down and played that goofy version of bia, very shortly thereafter ST ARDUST that he ’ d been doing for years out here for I went to Columbia too. fun, and a couple of the guys from Columbia said, “You’ve got to make an album.” Paul thought they BBJ: How long did you were kidding, but they thought it was pretty dam funny and and pretty wonderful. work together before you made it a permanent On the way back on the plane he got cold feet and union? thought: “Well, I need a partner on this; I can’t do the whole thing.” That’s when Darlene came into being. JS: Oh, we were Darlene started because of songs I’ve had to record friends for quite a few years before we really from time to time I really thought were pretty terrible got serious about each other. We were on oppo­ songs. At the end of the record date if we had a few site coasts most of the time and we’d see each minutes, the musicians in the band had an equal opinion other two or three times a year if I’d come out to record of the song and thought it ought to be given the or he’d come east to record, but we were on opposite treatment it deserved. The guys would then play it real coasts for so long. We didn’t really get to know each straight and I would sing it bad. That was where other in a romantic sense until the late ‘40s when I Darlene came from and when Jonathan and Darlene brought my radio show out here to California. Paul was hitched up together the result was five albums. the conductor so we started seeing each other seriously. We were good friends for a long time before we were Daughter Amy Weston sings in the romantically involved. area and son Tim Weston manages Corinthian Records, a label with a catalog of Jo Stafford, For those who don ’t know or have forgotten, Paul Weston and Jo Stafford recorded some purposely Paul Weston and Jonathan and Darlene albums. terrible albums as Jonathan and Darlene Edwards Jo Stafford will be 91 on November 12,h.

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M A R TH A T IL T O N three since Helen and he was dissatisfied and still The Background looking for a singer which I didn’t know. His manager heard me sing those four bars (laughs) and said to was the second of the permanent vocal­ Benny, “Why don’t you audition this girl? She sounds ists hired after a series of singers were like she has a really good voice.” So I did. After the either considered or actually with the band for a short rehearsal was over I auditioned time. After the extremely popu­ and sang three or four numbers. lar Helen Ward left there were I was hired right then and there. three songs recorded by Goodman with Ella Fitzgerald. BBJ: Most people remem­ Goodman considered Bea Wain ber you for the record­ but lost her to Larry Clinton. ing of AND THE ANGELS The short tenured list included SING. Margaret McCrae, Frances Hunt, Peg LaCentra and Betty MT: Yes. That was the Van. Martha Tilton joined the big recording I had Goodman organization in mid- with Benny. If s kind of ironic. 1937. The only thing that Benny didn ’ t try to solo on. You know, Ziggy Martha Tilton’s family moved Elman did the trumpet part from Kansas to Los Angeles which was great. He did such a when she was seven years old. goodjobonthat. (Editor’snote: Tilton in the '50s Her mother played the piano Benny Goodman also did not and she recalls singing and playing the piano since she solo on Richard Maltby’s composition SIX FLATS was a little girl. The Benny Goodman association was UNFURNISHED.) the beginning of her wide public acclaim and was the basis for our first question. BBJ: Didn’tZiggyElman earlier record an in­ BBJ: You replaced Helen Ward with Benny Good­ strumental version? man. Did you ever listen to her records? MT: I f s kin d a’ funny. MT: Yes. She and I have remained friends until she made passed away. We’ve known each other since his own recording of AND those early days with Benny Goodman, and she was a THE ANGELS SING for marvelous girl and a wonderful singer. Loved her another record company, singing. In fact when she first started with Benny I used and it was called to listen to him all the time and she was the singer then FROELICH IN SWING, Tilton glamour shot and I ju st... .she was a wonderful singer and a wonder­ which is actually an old Jew­ ful girl! ish folk song, sort of. Benny liked it and thought it was great, so he said we’ll make a regular recording of it. BBJ: How did Benny Goodman find you? Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics.

MT: Well, I auditioned. He was doing the Camel We ’ d been on the road for a long time. We got into New Caravan here in Los Angeles and I was singing York and went right to Victor studios to make the with a chorus at the time, and the chorus was hired to be record and Johnny hadn’t finished writing the lyrics on the show. It was a swing chorus. Every week I had yet, so he scratched out the lyrics on top of the piano a four bar solo in this chorus number we sang and at the there and we made the first take and he said, “I don’t time Benny was looking for a singer. He’d had two or like those lyrics. I want to change them.” We made

3 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007 three or four takes with Johnny changing the lyrics all There 's a well planned web site for Martha Tilton the time. In the meantime Ziggy was having to play his at: rnarthatilton.com containing generous pho­ solo every time and his poor lip was giving out. Finally tos and additional information. Johnny had the lyrics as he wanted them and that was the way it was actually recorded. I remember on the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR way out, I was so sick of the song, I said to Harry J ames, “All that time we spent on this, and it’ll never be a hit.” (Laughs) Which is the dumbest thing I ever said. Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJ NEWS­ LETTER may be sent to the address below, or At Ziggy Elman’s funeral, which was so sad.. ..it was e-mailed to: [email protected]. When you here in Los Angeles....and everybody in the music e-mail, please give your name and address. All business was there, and during the service they played letters are answered, but the volume of mail AND THE ANGELS SING on the organ. I’m telling sometimes delays a timely response. you there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole place. It was touching. BBJ NEWSLETTER Box 52252 BBJ: Tell us about Martha Tilton as a single after the Atlanta, GA 30355 Goodman days. The published letters have been edited for space M T: I came back to Los Angeles and immediately considerations, but the meaning has been preserved. went on staff at NBC. You know, those were the days of radio and I did quite a few radio shows. I had Ray Gerhardt I’ve always wondered about the my own show for a while and then I started just being Las Vegas, NV constant turnover of gal canaries on shows. I was on the show for a long with the Big Bands. Was it mostly time and Fibber McGee & Molly. I worked steadily money that moved them or the personality of the doing radio shows and theaters from then on. Then I got leaders? Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw seemed to be the Alka-Seltzer show with Curt Massey, which was a the biggest turnover guys, while others like Jimmy Fi fteen minute musical show that was on for eight years Dorsey and Helen O’Connell made a lot of hit records at one time or another on all the networks, ABC, CBS making me think they were together forever. Yet, I and NBC. believe even Helen jumped ship in 1942. Still, other bands like Dick Jurgens and didn’t even After that I retired for two years because I had a little have solo gal singers! What’s the scoop? girl and I wanted to stay home with her. Then the Massey show went back on television here in Los As suggested by this let­ Angeles, and believe it or not it was a fifteen minute ter, it’s probably true show just like the Alka-Seltzer radio show, and that that the number of re­ went on for seven years. In the meantime I was making cordings made during records, so I was very busy for years. any singer’s stay with a band plus relative popu­ BBJ: Your thoughts about today’s music? larity of those record­ ings influences the illu­ MT : Well, (hesitates a bit) a lot of it I don’t like, sion ofpermanence. We naturally. Like rap and all that stuff. Some of suspect both money and it is good and most of it is bad. You know. I’m of personality had a lot to another era and I don’t appreciate those tunes where Helen Forrest do with the length o f time they repeat one word over and over for about a minute a singer stayed with a and a half. It doesn’t make sense to me at all, and I really band. Your letter was the impetus for a check of feel sorry for the kids who have to listen to this today. Artie Shaw’s female singing list.

4 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

Over the life of Artie Shaw’s different bands, we in light of their view of the business at a single found at least ten ladies who made one or more moment. recordings with Shaw. Our list included: Peg LaCentra, Delores O'Neil, Helen Forrest, Billie Doug King Listening to Mr. Kennedy lec- Holiday, Pauline Byrne, Anita Boyer, Lena Horne, Oakland, CA ture listeners in his “Droopy- Dog” Paula Kelly, Georgia Gibbs and Kitty Kallen. voice (sounds like he is gagging Even though Helen Forrest was with Shaw less on something) has been made even worse by his talk­ than a full year in 1939, she recorded 38 singles ing while the selected music is playing. This is one of with his band. Billie Holiday recorded only one the most annoying things a DJ can do. song with Shaw, but her fame creates greater awareness of that single. Mr. King notes he hears BBJ on XM at 9 PM Eastern each Wednesday and Sunday, as does the As noted in the Martha Tilton interview, there new subscriber below. were numerous singers with Benny Goodman for short periods but the ones we recall are Helen Stephen Millet Thanks for the education on Ward, Martha Tilton, Helen Forrest, Mildred Spring City, PA this period of music. Who is Bailey and Peggy Lee. Helen Forrest’s record­ Ralph Marterie? He sounded ing of THE MAN I LOVE was the one recalled by good! (Writer’s exclamation.) most fans during her eight months with Goodman, a time she recalled as being difficult. Trumpet player Ralph Marterie led one of the few bands still on the road in the ‘50s, trading on the Glenn Miller had Marion Hutton to sing the moderate success of his Mercury records. He led upbeat and novelty numbers and Paula Kelly of a Navy fleet band during WW11, then conducted the Modernaires stepped forward a few times to ABC Radio’s studio band, resulting in do romantic ballads. Dorothy Claire recorded his Mercury contract. Most the words to PERFIDIA with Miller. recalled is his 1952 hit, Helen O ’Connell with CARA VAN, played with a stands out style between commercial because of the string of and swing with a heavy beat formula hits with Bob and a guitar playing the Eberly. She was, as you melody. His band catered suspected, with the Jimmy to mainstream listeners Dorsey band longer than with instrumental pop, al­ most from 1939 to 1943, lowing him to tour long af­ when she left to get mar­ ter most musicians settled ried and was replaced by into studio work. He died in 1978 at age 64. Kitty Kallen, who eventu­ ally moved to the Harry Bill & Mayme Pickens We used to listen to Kitty Kallen James band. With the Leland, MS your program every James band she replaced Saturday night and Forrest who, on the strength o f her string o f suc­ really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the station that carried cessful recordings with James, went out on her own. the show dropped it and there isn’t a station elsewhere close to us that does carry it. We really miss our More than you wanted to know, and not a defini­ Saturday night favorites. tive answer at that, reading almost like a soap opera. Both players and singers moved from We are looking for a song, HERE’S THAT RAINY band to band wherever they could get the best DAY, by either Dick Haymes or Tony Bennett. Do you financial return or advance their careers, at least have any suggestions as to where we can get a copy?

5 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

HERE ’S THA T RAINY DA Y is on the last album (BOO KS & RECORDS T O CONSIDER) Dick Haymes made and is available from: George Buck - 1206 Decatur Street - New Orleans, LA KANSAS CITY 70116. Phone (504) 525-5000. BIG BAND JUMP Frank Driggs-Chuck Haddix may be heard at varying times on any of 24 radio stations broadcasting on the internet and Co-author of this book is the man whose name you see noted at www.bigbandjump.com. Pick the time so often in Big Band photo credits. Frank Driggs' best for you. collection numbers over 100,000 photos picturing the d e v e l o p ­ Gordon Crandall I have this two CD collection ment of jazz Su r p r ise, AZ of “The Ladies Sing” and love from the it for the songs that I can 1920s on, relate to. These 28 gals sing their songs with such qualifying clarity and enunciation we seldom hear today. Unlike him on the modem singers, I can hear every word of these lyrics basis of pe­ perfectly. I wonder how many of these ladies are alive ripheral in­ today and if you can tell me where they are and if they fo rm atio n are still singing. alone. He was also an Another lady singer letter helping determine the e x e c u tiv e direction of this issue. Mr. Crandall listed the 28 with Victor singers from the BBJ album he refers to. In and Colum­ answer to his question we’re noting the singers bia. Chuck from that album still with us: Doris Day-Marjorie H addix is Hughes - Patti Page - Margaret Whiting - Kitty the on- Kallen - Patty Andrews - Fran Warren - Jo Stafford premise -Lena Horne - Connie Haines - Evelyn Knight- Vera man, the di­ Lynn. It’s not polite to tell a woman’s age, but suffice rector o f it to say that of that list, Evelyn Knight is the youngest sound a r­ at 78. Patty Andrews, Jo Stafford, Vera Lynn and Lena chives at the Horne check in as oldest at JO, give or take a year. U n iv ersty of Missouri Mary Lou Williams !!! REQUEST BOX !!! at K ansas —------— City, and a native of that city. Combining local knowl­ A BIG BAND JUMP request program is sched­ edge from Haddix and overall jazz information from uled for the weekend of the 27-28 October, Driggs, plus rare photos, this is the first serious history 2007 and this is a reminder to let us know what of this jazz center. you’d like to hear. You can do that three ways: From Benny Moten to Charlie Parker, Kansas City (1) Click on the request box on the web site at joins Chicago, New York and New Orleans as a foun­ www.bigbandjump.com (2) Send a letter tainhead of music development. When political boss to BIG BAND JUMP - Box 52252 - At­ Tom Pendergast transformed Kansas City into a city of gambling dens, taxi dance halls, bars and night clubs, lanta, GA 30355 (3) Phone 1-800-377- each needed musical entertainment. That need spawned 0022. Please, please tell us your name, such jazz figures as Mary Lou Williams (pictured town and state when you make a request. above) with Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy, Jimmy Rushing, Joe Turner and the city’s most famous export, Count Basie.

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FRANKIE CARLE

Someone has finally issued a definitive album of Frankie Carle’s piano and or­ chestra, a release long overdue. Since Frankie Carle became a bandleader at the end of the Big Band Era, his time in the spotlight was limited, but during that time he issued dozens of top recordings, some with his vocalist daughter Marjorie Hughes, some with his solo piano.

Major hits such as BEG YOUR PARDON, SUNRISE SERENADE, OH WHAT IT SEEMED TO BE and TWILIGHT TIME are combined with other top tunes for a total of fifty-five (55) carefully restored original Carle recordings sounding better than they did originally.

This album will be put on sale in a few weeks at $33.00, but the special BBJ NEWSLETTER subscriber price is $29.00 with FREE shipping & handling.

Here is a list of the contents of this latest release:

Disc 1: 1. BEG YOUR PARDON 2. SUNRISE SERENADE 3. BE MY LIFE’S COMPANION 4. FANNY 5. SAY IT WITH MUSIC / BLUE SKIES / REMEMBER 6. SILVER AND GOLD 7. WANTED 8. OLD FOLKS AT HOME / SWANEE RIVER 9. LOVE IS SWEEPING THE COUNTRY 10. AMERICAN PATROL 11. HALF AS MUCH 12. AROUND THE WORLD 13. A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY / MANDY / ALL BY MYSELF 14. THE WINTER WALTZ 15. ANSWER ME, MY LOVE 16. OF THEE I SING 17. SPRING WILL BE A LITTLE LATE THIS YEAR 18. ANNA 19. LULLABY TRAIN 20. NOLA 21. TOO-RA-LOO-RA-LOO-RAL 22. WHO CARES 23. LOCH LOMOND 24. TULIPS AND HEATHER 25. INTERMEZZO 26. ALL ALONE / WHAT’LL I DO / ALWAYS 27. VANESSA 28. AMERICAN ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Disc 2: 1. OH! WHAT IT SEEMED TO BE 2. IN THE COOL, COOL, COOL OF THE EVENING 3. PLEASE MR. SUN 4. TWO SLEEPY PEOPLE 5. I COULD WRITE A BOOK 6. I LOVE THE WAY YOU SAY GOODNIGHT 7. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY 8. MY DARLING, MY DARLING 9. GIRL IS YOU, BOY IS ME 10. YOUNG AT HEART 11. EASTER PARADE / SAY IT ISN’T SO 12. GONE FIVE MINUTES 13. LAURA 14. BOTCH-A-ME 15. BEWITCHED 16. HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN / WHAT’LL I DO? / NOBODY KNOWS 17. SOUTH AMERICAN WAY 18. TWILIGHT TIME 19. CRAZY HEART 20. SECRET LOVE 21. UNDER THE BRIDGES OF PARIS 22. DIG YOU NOW, PLANT YOU LATER 23. WHERE THE RED ROSES GROW 24. YOU AND I 25. I WISH I DIDN’T LOVE YOU SO 26. MARIE / CHEEK TO ’ CHEEK 27. SUNRISE IN NAPOLI

You can get this superb album by phoning 1-800-377-0022, or by sending your check to: BIG BAND JUMP - Box 52252 - Atlanta, GA 30355, or by filling in your information below and sending it to the above address using the self-mailer if you like.

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At various times from the ‘20s on fans could hear takes two or three tracks to pianist Pete Johnson pounding out boogie-woogie at become used to the clipped the Sunset Club while Big Joe Turner, clad in an apron, style of the Puppini Sisters. shouted lyrics from behind the bar while he served Technically, the recording drinks. Evening patrons of the Plantation Grill at the is excellent; technically the Muehlebach Hotel listened to the Coon-Sanders Or­ Puppini’s are excellent, per­ chestra. The Bennie Moten Band might be found haps to the detriment of entertaining at Paseo Hall and later band fans could dig emotion. Count Basie at the Reno Club. A Kansas City version Puppini CD cover of Harlem existed in the area around 18lh and Vine ------There’s foot stompin’ and Streets, a cultural Mecca for the rapidly expanding fmger-snappin’ on INTHE MOOD, a mood-enhancing black population. intro on WUTHERING HEIGHTS, a special arrange­ ment of SISTERS and a nostalgic 1930’s salute to the Comments from those who were there during the hey­ Boswell Sisters with HEEBIE JEEBIES. It may be an day of jazz in Kansas City combined with carefully entirely different effect when the Puppini Sisters are researched musical history and a generous supply of seen ‘live’ as they perform at British venues, but our rare photographs make this remarkable book come immediate reaction was a lack of warmth as if the alive. This is the most extensive look into the factors sisters were fulfilling a duty to be in the recording that made Kansas City every bit as much a jazz center studio and were looking forward to going home. Hav­ as more frequently discussed cities. Well worth your ing said all that and making allusions to their extreme time; most effectively read in short bursts in order to precision, this album is one you should hear, for it more easily absorb the density of facts. combines familiarity with a very modem sound.

235 pages of text in addition to 39 pages of references Should be available at record shops. and index plus 36 glossy inset photo pages. From Oxford University Press HW Should be available at any book store or they can order it. 1937 IN M USIC DK This is the third from the last of this series encom­ THE PUPPINI SISTERS — Betclia Bottom Dollar passing the years generally considered to be the Big Verve B0008409-02 Band Era. We began with 1947 to catch the musical changes then, and moved back a year for each issue. Novel performance formed the basis for broad popular­ ity during the Big Band Era (Three Little Fishies, The word “jitterbug” was first used in 1937 to describe Mairzy Doats, Lovely Bunch of Coconuts) and still the demonstrative movements of couples dancing to a does today. The precise, often nearly mechanical Big Band musical style called swing. The word and the sound of Britian’s Puppini Sisters accompanied by a dance form would be a prominent part of the lives of small band using unusual combinations of instruments young people for years to come as the number and is strangely appealing. They reprise some of the vocal popularity of the bands grew. Benny Goodman was the group hits of the Chordettes, Andrews Sisters, Ink leading swing proponent that year, followed closely by Spots and Boswell Sisters as well as presenting less Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Larry familiar fare. Clinton. Despite the swing craze the leading song of the year, at least as measured by Hit Parade status, was JAVA JIVE, MR. SANDMAN, BEI MIR BIST DU the languid ONCE IN A WHILE, a song not respecting SCHON and BOOGIE-WOOGIE BUGLE BOY all the calendar as its public appeal continued into 1938. strike instantly recognizable chords, but are performed Raymond Scott, the musical director of the CBS in a style and technical precision apart from others. It Radio Network, wrote and recorded some nervous

7 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007 staccato ditties such as TWILIGHT IN TURKEY, Lorenz Hart in 1937, some kind of a popularity record. POWERHOUSE and THE TOY TRUMPET performed That show produced WHERE OR WHEN, THE LADY with mechanical precision. IS A TRAMP, MY FUNNY VALENTINE, I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN and JOHNNY ONE-NOTE, all destined to become standards. In the Big Band realm, this was the year Tommy Dorsey recorded his break-through hits, MARIE and SONG OF INDIA on a single 78, securing his place as one of the legends of the era. Similarly, Count Basie’s ONE O’CLOCK JUMP became his entry into the pantheon of Big Bandom. The Goodman Trio became a quartet with AVALON and THE MAN I LOVE as his band re­ corded SING, SING, SING for RCA Victor. Over at Decca, Jimmie Lunceford recorded what was possibly his best-known all-time recording, FOR DANCER’S ONLY.

In boxing, Joe Louis became the heavyweight cham­ pion of the world with his knockout of James J. Braddock. Two air tragedies defined 1937: Famed pilot Amelia Earhart vanished in a flight over the Pacific and was never heard from again, and 36 people died when the German dirigible Hindenburg burst into flame as it came in to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Durable standards introduced in 1937 included SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN, THAT OLD FEELING, TOO MAR­ VELOUS FOR WORDS and NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT.

A 29 year old Raymond Scott Despite the lingering effects of the depression, 1937 in his electronic laboratory was a year filled with hope and excitement for high school and college graduates, an optimism reflected in music and the movies. There may not have been much A new kind of governmental communication debuted in 1937 as Franklin D. Roosevelt began speaking directly to U.S. citizens with “Fireside Chats” on the radio. The most popular program on the radio that year, however, was the one featuring a ventriloquist’s dummy named Charlie McCarthy who created troublesome situations each Sunday night for his master, Edgar Bergen. A valve trombone player named Juan Tizol who worked for Duke Ellington, wrote CARAVAN that year, while on the exact opposite side of the musical spectrum, 1937 was the year Carmen Lombardo wrote BOO-HOO and Wayne King had a part in writing JOSEPHINE.

The Broadway musical “Babes In Arms” yielded at least five all-time hit songs for Richard Rodgers and The Hindenburg’s last moments.

8 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

money available, but radio, records and movies pro­ vided inexpensive fun for most everyone. For those who grew up then and for its lasting contributions to music and the American way, it was a very good year.

SIDELIGHTS

Two music personalities rise to the top in the anecdote department: Fats Waller and Benny Goodman. Fats Waller's prodigious appetite Waller & Goodman was the basis for many of those stories:

house one day and told Simon, “I’m always The story, confirmed by band member Joe Tho­ mas, was that Fats Waller consumed 25 hamburg­ embarrassed when I call you and your wife an­ ers while on the band bus traveling to Kansas City. swers because I can never remember her name. They were accompanied with regular infusions of What is her name, Bob?” whiskey. A few hours later when the bus got to Atlantic City, Fats went to a restaurant and ordered Pianist Dave Frishberg tells this story about the three chickens, two steaks, hot rolls, potatoes and time he was playing with ’s quartet at salad. The waitress, who didn’t know Fats Waller theMetropole in . BennyGoodman asked, “Where are the rest of the people?” unexpectedly walks in with his horn at the end of an hour and fifteen minute Krupa set. Goodman Fats answered, “Nobody but me out here,” and orders Krupa to use brushes, tells the piano player proceeded to polish off the entire contents of the to give him a little introduction to SWEET table. LORRAINE in G, then enters in F. He performs for an hour while a massive crowd has gathered and Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines tells of a joyous reunion he had the photographer has made up scores of photos for with Fats Waller in the dressing room of a Wash­ Benny to sign. ington, D.C. nightclub. The busboy came in with six hamburgers and twelve bottles of beer. Earl Finally, Benny simply got up, walked through the was touched. “This is fine!” he said to Fats. crowd without acknowledging anyone, and left as unexpectedly as he arrived. Gene Krupa, covered “Oh, yeah,” said Fats. “If you want some we’ll with perspiration now after two and a quarter hours have to wait till we get some more. This little on the stand, sits on the step and signs every snack is just for me.” photograph with a personal inscription above his autograph. Later, in the dressing room Gene Krupa Benny Goodman’s legendary single-minded for­ getfulness gave rise to most o f the stories about told his fellow musicians that picture would be in him. Here are two classic Goodman anecdotes: a lot of homes, for Goodman is shown with his horn in his mouth, perched on a stool with his legs apart Goodman phoned Big Band writer George Simon’s and his fly open.

9 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

RANDOM TRIVIA QUIZ

The recent trend in these quizzes is to extract the questions from background information imparted dur­ ing BBJ broadcasts during the past few months. This quiz borrows from 3 BBJ programs back in July, 2007. The programs selected to provide the following ques­ tions involved: (1) Instrumentals with words added later, (2) A profile of movie composer Harry Warren. (3) Both leaders and sidemen who play the trombone.

Gird your brain (your loins won’t be in danger during this quiz) and get ready to select one of the four answers presented to you for each of the questions. Some answers are fairly obscure, others might be a trifle tougher, but all were touched upon in one of the three Innovative piano player who is part of quiz. BBJ programs referred to above. A-JackJenney B-WillBradley C-Buddy (1) Harry Warren wrote the music for the first ever Morrow D - Bill Harris formal ly presented “Gold Record.” The adver­ tised star of the movie in which that music first (5) AND THE ANGELS SING was originally appeared was: : recorded as an instrumental under the name FROELICH IN SWING by trumpet player: A - Sonja Henie B - Fred Mertz C - D - Fred McMurray A-Chris Griffin B-Harry James C-Ziggy Elman D - William Zinder (2) Harry Warren produced some hit tunes for the motion picture “Springtime In The Rockies” (6) WHAT’S NEW started out as a pure instru­ featuring the Harry James Orchestra and a top mental, but that title wasn’t the original. The female star. She was: instrumental version was called:

A-Sonja Henie B-Lynn Barrie C-Donna A-YOU’VE CHANGED B -I’M FREE Reed D - Betty Grable C-M Y LOVE D-DOWN SOUTH

(3) Arranger Ralph Bums wrote BIJOU as a show­ (7) MISTY is mostly known from the Johnny case tune for a key trombone player with Woody Mathis recording, but it began life as an instru­ Herman’s first herd. The trombone man’s mental written by: name is: A - Peter Duchin B - Erroll Gamer A-JackJenney B-W ill Bradley C-Buddy C - Andre Previn D - Griff Williams Morrow D - Bill Harris (8) YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL (4) Artie Shaw’s recording of STARDUST BABY by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer includes a trombone solo by a former was originally sung in the movies by: bandleader. Please name him. A - B - Louis Armstrong C - Dick Powell D - Alice Faye VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007

(9) The melody TOO LITTLE TIME appeared pressed with Strayhorn’s considerable musical abili­ in a movie about: ties, and told him to come to work for him, handing him a note with directions to Harlem once he arrived in New A - Benny Goodman B - Eddie Duchin York City. Those directions became the now renowned C-Tommy Dorsey D - Glenn Miller Duke Ellington theme melody, TAKE THE A TRAIN.

(10) ELMER’S TUNE was written by Elmer UPCO M ING B B J PROGRAM T IT L E S Albrecht whose occupation was:

A - undertaker B - soda jerk C - piano September 8-9, 2007 (Repeat for new subscribers) tuner D - mob boss MILLER ALUMNI W e’ve frequently heard Glenn Miller recordings, but this program deals Did you do well on this one? Answers are in the box with the men who actually on page 12 where they always are, tucked in after the made the music, the alumni BBJ program titles. of the Miller Band. We follow the post-Miller ca­ reers of Tex Beneke, the SONG STORIES Modemaires, Ray Anthony, Bobby Hackett, Ray Eberle Background stories about some well-known tunes and Billy May who were all were featured in the last issue of this newsletter, members of the Miller civil­ BBJ host Don Kennedy taken from BBJ programs but never offered here ian orchestra. Arrangers in print. Readers liked them, so we’ll be drop­ Jerry Gray and Bill Finegan who switched from arrang­ ping them in from time to time. ing to bandleading will be heard from as well as alumni from the Miller Military Orchestra including Ray Brothers George and Ira Gershwin were having dinner McKinley, Mel Powell and Johnny Desmond. They all one night when lyricist Ira jumped up from the table, ran to the adjoining room where the piano was. He was continued to create music in their own ways as we follow each one’s later achievements. yelling, “Town.. .town... .that’s it! It makes it fit!” The tirst line of what became one of the most famous of the Gershwin songs was born: A FOGGY DAY September 15-16, 2007 Actually two hours, in London town. THE INFORMAL HOUR but the name seemed to fit. Generally these The story goes that singer Jo Stafford was walking BBJ programs are scripted and researched. The truth is down the hall at Capitol Record’s studio when country it’s often the most fun (and frequently results in listener singer Red Ingle stopped her, saying he was looking for approval) when the program is approached without a a female voice to record a humorous version of the script or any pre-conceived notion of what the content otherwise serious love ballad, TEMPTATION. Jo will be. We’ll try to avoid going off on tangents, but at Stafford, a down-to-earth fun loving singer who wasn’t the same time not limit ourselves to trite content, afraid to be a clown, volunteered to transform herself whatever that means to any individual listener. There into “Cinderella G. Stump” as part of a duet with Ingle will be artists you know but perhaps performing unfa­ and his comball hillbilly band that was to become TIM- miliar tunes, or the obverse may be heard. TAY-SHUN. September 22-23, 2007 The Armed Forces A young Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania composer/arranger G.I. JIVE Radio Service named Billy Strayhorn turned a note from Duke (AFRS) was an im­ Ellington into a classic theme. Ellington was im­ portant morale booster, producing popular music pro­

11 VOLUME 112 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2007 grams on stations all over the world operated by the style of the day and the zeal of the audience. This military. Musical and movie stars donated their time program is another “time capsule” session, reviving and talent to create programs for the troops overseas, radio signals floating in the ether for over six decades. not heard by civilians at the time. This BBJ digs into the archives to offer selected performances October 20-21,2007 Over the years the “Class CLASS OF 1940 of’ programs are among the from those special programs, offering an historic most popular ever offered audio window into that time on BBJ. The Class of 1940 is particularly significant for the musical advances that were a portent of future September 29-30, 2007 Hollywood realized sound. It was the year IN THE MOOD gained popular­ JIMMY & TOMMY IN the public wanted to ity, Artie Shaw added strings and Latin rhythms and HOLLYWOOD see the bands they Bonnie Baker was breathless over Johnny with Orrin heard on the radio in Tucker. Carmen Miranda even broke into the record those days before television, so they wrote the bands charts that year because of her movie appearances and into movie scripts. We have the soundtracks of those Jack Leonard was still the singing star with Tommy appearances to recall and in this session feature Jimmy Dorsey. 1940 was in retrospect, a jumping off point. and Tommy Dorsey in their separate appearances on the screen in a number of movies. Often the tunes from October 27-28, 2007 This worked so well a the soundtrack were versions not otherwise available REQUESTS PLUS couple of months ago we’re and frequently the technical quality of such movie going to do it again. The idea recordings is superior. is to play your requests and then follow-up with a tie- in tune, perhaps by the same artist or in the same style. October 6-7, 2007 This Carnegie Hall The informality of request programs spawns that kind 1938 GOODMAN appearance of Benny of freedom. We placed a box elsewhere in this news­ CONCERT Goodman on a cold letter reminding you to send in your requests, but if you January 16th in 1938 missed it, this is a final suggestion to do that, either by was of cultural importance because it lent a legitimacy e-mail, letter or phone. Please check the request to Big Band swing. Even though most recall the information in the box on page six and let us know what spirited presentation of SING, SING, SING, the con­ you’d like to hear. cert offered so many highlights that should be heard again. The miracle of the concert is the fact it exists at November 3-4, 2007 This program is a memo- all, for it was recorded not for public consumption, and RADIO THEMES rable amalgam of the now only two copies were made, one simply as a sound abandoned practice of identi­ memento for Goodman himself and the other for the fying programs with signature music. Both record Library of Congress. It’s been five years since it was last program themes and network entertainment shows are heard on BBJ; it’s time to hear it again. sources for the music to be heard. Some examples include the introductory music for Easy Aces, Make October 13-14, 2007 While most of the Believe Ballroom and Arthur Godfrey. The use of SPOTLIGHT BANDS music of the Big Band themes is a part of radio history lost in time as produc­ Era is preserved on tion styles have changed. commercial phonograph records, some key moments were recorded from radio broadcasts. The Coca-Cola Company sponsored a series during WWII titled “Vic­ RANDOM TRIVIA QUIZ ANSWERS tory Parade of Spotlight Bands,” yielding ‘live’ perfor­ mances by such names as Louis Prima, Harry James, 1-A 2-D 3-D 4-A 5-C Jimmie Lunceford, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Les Brown and Artie Shaw. They’re all part of this two hour session along with the tightly-produced radio 6-B 7-B 8-C 9-D 10-A

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Marion Hutton is the pretty singer for this issue, in a publicity pose w hile with Glenn Miller..