Claude Thornhill Arranger Profile Oldest Jazz Musician Cannonsburg, PA Recognizes Como, Vinton
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Claude Thornhill Arranger Profile Oldest Jazz Musician Cannonsburg, PA Recognizes Como, Vinton BIG BAND NEWSLETTER VOLUME 136 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2011 INTERVIEW - CORKY HALE The name Corky Hale isn’t as well known as, say, Harry James, Ray Anthony or Jerry Gray but she’s worked with all three and is the perfect person to give us an insight into the later years of the Big Band scene. She has performed with numerous top names in the music world, primarily as pianist and harpist as well as starring on her own as instrumentalist and singer. She’s been a theater producer, political activist and clothing store owner among other pursuits. Since 1970 she’s been married to Mike Stoller of the songwriting team of Leiber & Stoller. Our interest was her interaction with personalities with whom she’s worked, in effect giving us a series of personality profiles. She responded most generously with comments about Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. Corky Hale was on her way to a three week tour of Italy when we checked in with her. We first mentioned her very early musical ability. She answered in no uncer BBJ: Were you accepted by the guys? tain terms. CH: (She refers to a documentary about women in music.) That was part of the documentary. BBJ: You were kind of a child prodigy. Those women said it was very hard to be accepted by CH: I wasn’t kind of! I started the piano at three and the guys who didn’t want to play with women, but I at seven I was accepted at the Chicago Conser never, ever had any problems. I don’t understand it. Corky Corcoran and I were both on the band at the same vatory so they drove me in every week and I had a full classical piano background. I was a very, very spoiled time...and then there was Willie....was it Willie brat and at eight years old at the conservatory I saw a Smith?....Willie, I was like his daughter. I mean the guys were wonderful to me. When I traveled, I was the woman playing the harp and I said to my dad, “Oh, I want to play the harp.” So they got me a little harp and only woman with nine guys traveling with Liberace, and some guy would say, “Come up to my room and that’s what happened. have a drink on the weekend, honey.” I used to say, “When we get back to L.A. I’m busy on the weekend, BBJ: You were with Harry James for a while. I’m having lunch with your wife.” And they’d laugh and nobody bothered me. I was very lucky. Somehow CH: I think I was the first female piano player with the guys always treated me great. I don’t know. Harry James, I was the first female piano player with Ray Anthony, but when Jerry Gray who had taken BBJ: Please give us some personality profiles through over the Glenn Miller Band when Glenn was killed, your eyes. Give me a reaction to what you that’s how I met Billie Holiday but I guess I was the first think of Frank Sinatra. You worked a lot with him. female piano player with Jerry Gray’s band too. VOLUME 136 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2011 CH: Well, I was mad about Gray heard me on the radio and he called him. Not only that but me and said, “I’d like you to go and play in I started dating him in ’56 but Vegas for a month and play piano and when we talk about dating, he sing.” Vegas in those days was so excit treated me like a daughter. He ing, the late ‘50s. People got all dressed was dating a lot ofblond showgirls, up, beautiful jewelry....oh, it was etcetera, etcetera, and I was this great....so I went to Vegas with the band sweet little harpist/piano player. and Jerry told me they’d done a last-minute You know, I had this little black booking. At that point in walked Billie. I dress and curls, so when he was had been working with Liberace and he invited to a really nice party or asked me to make my hair platinum be something he took me. Not only cause he said it caught the lights better on TV. So poor Billie walks in and looks over that but we could talk about music Corky & Frank and politics. I’m very heavily at the piano and she sees the teenage white involved in politics; I’m a very big Democrat. Anyway, blond and she says, “Who’s the piano player here?” It Frank was a great Democrat so we had a lot to talk was like a movie. So we did the rehearsal and she came about. When Kennedy was going to stay with Frank in over and put her arm around me and she said, “You’re Palm Springs, ’621 think, Kennedy’s people said, “No, my little girl.” And so we had a great time there. I don’t think you’d better do that.” You know, there were rumors about the Mafia, and that’s when Frank Billie’s life was very sad. She always wanted to have totally changed politics. I loved Frank. I had a big crush a baby and she never did and she had a little chihuahua on him. He was a terrific guy. I was Frank’s biggest fan dog she diapered and fed with a little doll’s bottle. If it and I am to this day. had been the drugs I wouldn’t have been around, but I did fix her drinks all day. She was drinking very BBJ: Current music? heavily. Then she said, “Honey, why don’t you come back and play Jazz City with me?” Which we did... .play CH: I went into Nordstroms to buy some makeup a Jazz City here in L.A. Then she said, “Honey, we’re few weeks ago and as I walked in the door and going to the Philippines.” She was married to husband I heard screeching rock and people screaming over rock number four. I can talk about him because he died in music and I thought, I really am old because I used to prison years later for murdering someone. I told her I go into a department store and they’d be playing Frank, couldn’t go to the Philippines. The main reason was I they’d be playing Ella or Carmen McRae. Now it’s was getting busy in the studios, but I never would have people screeching at the top of their lungs with the most traveled with her husband, so that was the end of Billie hideous lyrics, so maybe I’m getting old. and me. People say, “Wait a minute. You BBJ: How was her timing when were with Billie Holiday? She you accompanied her? died in ’59. How old were you.” I say, “Seven! ” It always get a big CH: She was terrific. She was laugh. fine. BBJ: Give us a profile of Billie B BJ: An assessment of Tony Holiday. Bennett? CH: Billie was one of the sad CH: Love him! One of the nicest dest people I ever met. I men I’ve ever worked with. I could cry when I think of her life. love his singing. I can say only nice things What a terrible life she had. Jerry about him. 2 VOLUME 136 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2011 I’ve probably played for every major star in my fifty Egor Milukov I’m a big fan of your years of playing and there’s only one singer in the Ulaynovsk, Russia radio. I listen to you whole time whose name I never, ever mentioned, who ’ s via internet. I really like just miserable. I went on tour with him and this man your music. You can see how your team is good was so vile I asked him to give me a ticket back to New and harmonious working. I listen to you and York. He’s the only one I would never work with. He’s advise all my friends to listen. still alive although he’s well into his nineties. Ian Goddard Congratulations to Seriously, I’ve been very lucky. Everybody liked the Port Elizabeth, South Africa you for the "Phone way I played. That’s why it’s always been hard for me Frolic” program with the women’s rights thing, because I never had to broadcast over KEZW in Denver. I tune in each go through auditioning or tough times with guys or Sunday here in Port Elizabeth to listen to your BBJ anything. presentations. For me, this particular program surpassed your usual impressive and entertaining ....and after a few personal exchanges Corky standards. Hale was off to Italy as part of her busy life. During that post-interview conversation she men This is the first reaction to BBJ from Russia and tioned she was playing on the soundtrack of South Africa, and it points up the effectiveness of “Sponge Bob Square Pants. ” She is a busy musi the internet in spreading the Big Band sound cian who’s been in the music business through and/or the culture of the Great American vast changes but with talent that transcends vari Songbook. ances in style. Mary Frisco I just wanted to tell you what a de- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Piedmont, CA light it is to listen to Don Kennedy and Big Band Jump on Sunday Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJNEWSLET mornings.