BIG BANB JUMP In te rv ie w w ith G eòrgie Auld Explaining T h e DK Show P atty A ndrew s dies at age 9 4 M eet M ichael C ivisca BIG BAND J iM P NEWSLETTER VOLUME 145 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL, 2013 DIFFICULT MESSAGE This is a tough one. The subscription list for the BBJ NEWSLETTER has dwindled to the crossover point; not enough subscribers left to maintain the newsletter. This diminished readership has been expected, but our hope was enough younger readers would express interest to keep the numbers at a viable point. That hasn’t happened. The shrinking subscription list and the new postage rates have combined to make continued publication of the BBJ NEWSLETTER impractical, and this first issue of the 25th year of publication will be the final issue. You won’t be getting the issues remaining on your subscription, but we’ve prepared a special 80 minute memory CD for you with brief comments from key Big Band personality interviews through the years followed by one or two top recordings from each performer. If you wish to receive this specially produced CD, please return the center yellow sheet with your name and address, or phone 1-800-377-0022. For those of you who remained with us to this point, our deepest thanks on two levels: Your continued interest in the Great Music of America and your support for this publication reflecting the time in America when musical quality and public taste came together. In youth it was easy to dismiss the pronouncement of wise men who said, “Nothing is forever.” Unfortunately they were right. The BIG BAND JUMP radio program, however, will continue as always, both on radio and the internet. INTERVIEW - GEORGIE AULD T enor sax man Georgie Auld is one of those players who is better known by musicians than the general public, yet he appeared with top bands in his career, even leading his own bands along the way. He was with the musically interesting but financially challenged Bunny Berigan band in 1937 and 1938, then moved to the highly successful Artie Shaw band in 1939. It was Georgie Auld who briefly inherited the Artie Shaw band that year when the ever peripatetic Shaw suddenly went to Mexico, soon returning to the Big Band business. After a stint with Benny Goodman Auld returned to the Shaw band in 1942, then led his own band from 1943 to 1946. There were other Auld bands and small groups along the way, including a short tenure with the Basie octet in 1950. Georgie Auld led some smaller groups after the Big Band Era, some in the bop idiom but he was always a colorful player and personality who often carried his love of jazz overseas. His most public latter-day appear- VOLUME 145 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL, 2013 ance was as a bandleader in the motion picture, “New Buddy, showed up with his wife and Jerry Lewis came York, New York” where he not only appeared on screen in from Las Vegas with his bride and I was sitting next but played Robert DeNiro’s tenor solos on the to Robert B lake and I knew Jerry when he was an usher, soundtrack. before he even went into show business and he came straggling in. He sat down on my right and he went “Hi The inspiration for this profile was a radio interview Artie” and I looked at him like ‘what’s wrong with conducted by Don Manning on station WBOO-FM in him?’ and went ‘Oh, I’m fine. How are you Dean?’ Portland, Oregon 1987, and published in the Septem­ And he went, “Georgie! I’m getting senile, I’m still ber, 2012 issue of the International Association of Jazz half-asleep, forgive me.” Record Collectors magazine. Some of the interview was reaction to recordings, as you would imagine, but Mel Torme was more or less host and idiotic Artie many of the Auld comments were fascinating insights Shaw showed up 20 minutes after everything was into not only his personality, but his views of some key moving. He had to make this tremendous entrance, people in the music business. We’ve taken the liberty y’know. He got up on the podium and lied a little bit. of editing for the purpose of shortening some of the But Frank was very cute and so was Johnny.. .Johnny questions and answers while taking care to maintain the said, “It’s great to be known as ‘one of the world’s overall “feel” of Auld’s comments. Where the ques­ greatest’ but Buddy Rich wasn’t one of the world’s tions are noted as from BBJ, they’re often shortened greatest drummers, he WAS the world’s greatest drum­ versions of Don Manning’s highly perceptive original mer,” and he got off real quick. I could see where he questions, but in a printed-word style. was really chokin’ up and Frank was very cute in the In one of the many biographies of Artie Shaw, author chapel, too. He got up and said he had joined Tommy Tom Nolan directly quotes Artie Shaw’s comments Dorsey’s band and about two months later in came about Georgie Auld, made at the funeral of drummer Buddy and they were roommates... the odd couple ! He Buddy Rich, a friend of Auld’s and one-time drummer said the two of them were talking one night and Tommy in the Shaw band. Those comments from Shaw help to walked over and looked at Frank and said: “I guess I put the following Auld comments in focus. Shaw is thought I had one pain in the band and now I see I have quoted as having said: “George was disappointed he two. wasn’t called on to speak and was very angry. ‘You’re I miss him, y ’know. I met Buddy when I was 14 and he fulla’ s — ,’ that’s all he could say! Chagrin! What - was 16, which means we knew each other for 54 years. I dunno, he identified himself with me, and he never I got him in Bunny Berigan ’ s band and I got him in Artie could quite make it, as a star, you know, whatever it was. Shaw’s band and we never had a word out of the way Angered him. Infuriated him. When I quit the music, in those 54 years. He called me Blackie and I called him man I gave him the band; I gave him my book. He could Bood. I went up to the hospital about a week before he not make it work, he didn't have the quality it took." passed and he said, “Blackie, I don’t think I’m gonna’ The Auld comments about being at Buddy Rich’s make it this time.” I looked at him and said, ‘ Bood, the funeral are given deeper meaning when the above quote only thing that’ll kill you is a submarine on the free­ is made part of the story. way’ and he kinda’ got a big chuckle out of that and he said, “I’m hungry. I’d sure like some pasta.” So I went BBJ: You were at Buddy Rich’s funeral. out and got some linguine and brought it up there and we just partied for 4 or 5 hours...’n sure enough I was GA: Yes, I was. I came in from Palm Springs with shocked. I thought he was gonna make it. Sinatra and his man Jilly. Two things I hate in life, when you have to go to a hospital to visit somebody BBJ : You’ve been married more than once. or go to a funeral, but this was without a doubt the swingin’estlwaseverat. I mean it was swinging. They GA: Oh, I’m gonna keep doing it till I get it right. I had Buddy Rich’s drums set up front...Terry Gibbs and haven’t quite caught up with Charlie Barnet or his vibes were in the comer with A1 Viola guitar and a Artie Shaw. I think they’ve got two dozen between ‘em bass player; real pretty sounds and there were some real so I’ve got a ways to go but I don’t think I’m going to heavyweights there, really. Johnny Carson, he loved sign any more contracts in that department. VOLUME 145 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL, 2013 BBJ: Have you been in Japan lately? BBJ: Fill us in on the now classic story of you GA: I’ve been there 14 times and the burning all your Big Band charts. last trip I took two and a half years ago. I took Shorty Rogers and the All GA: It was a rough scene Stars with Shelly Manne, God rest his at the time. We had soul, and Pete Jolly, Monty Budwig, Bud just been out on tour with Lena Shank, Bob Cooper and his group and Les Horne, the Big Band with Howard Brown and his big band. Rose Clooney McGhee, Shadow Wilson and was on the thing. I don’t think she was too those guys, A1 Cohn. We got happy with it ‘cause they don’t understand through doing a ten week string of the words when you sing in English over theaters. I was with her two or there. She got out there and they weren’t three years in a row. The next too hip to her but she ’ s a marvelous person thing I know I was booked in Cin­ and a great singer.