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BIG BAWD NEWSLETTER JUMP VOLUME XIX BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER________________________ MARCH-APRIL, 1992 BUDDY MORROW INTERVIEW The Background For years, Buddy Morrow was one of the most sought- after trombonists in the studios, with a background of experience with several of the Big Bands, including Eddie Duchin, Artie Shaw, Vincent Lopez, Bunny Berigan, Richard Himber, Tommy Dorsey, Paul Whiteman, Bob Crosby and Jimmy Dorsey. It was in late 1945 he formed his own band and changed his name from Muni (Moe) Zudekoff to Buddy Morrow. That band had limited success, and he disbanded in early 1946 to work in the New York studios until 1951 when he re-formed his band and achieved public acclaim with a series of records including NIGHT TRAIN with which he is now permanently identified. For the past couple of decades, Buddy Morrow has directed the official TOMMY DORSEY ORCHES Buddy Morrow TRA, thought by many to be the best name band on the and calmly answered all our questions, supplying road today. It's interesting to speculate what Tommy additional information until the very last minute, then Dorsey would have thought if he had known that the stepped onto the stand to play the familiar GETT1N' nineteen-year-old kid in the trombone section during SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU Dorsey theme. the 1938 recording of BOOGIE WOOGIE would some day lead the band. The Interview The Scene BBJ: During those days you were based in New Baritone player, arranger and former road manager York working in the studios, did you ever have time for Buddy Morrow, John Barbe, arranged the inter to jam? view for BBJ NEWSLETTER when the TOMMY BM: During those days, everything was going on DORSEY band was playing a club date in Atlanta. in New York on 52nd Street, and they had tremendous Barbe and his wife Jane, a former vocalist with the jam sessions there. You could go from one joint to Buddy Morrow band, kept in touch with Buddy after another. I played with such people as Bunny Berigan, they settled in Atlanta, and with that connection, Artie Shaw and a couple of other people, and they Buddy talked to us freely. recommended ... especially Artie Shaw ... that I move We were crowded into a tiny office just before the first to New York from my home in New Haven. A few set, with the musicians tuning up in the back room and weeks later I got the call to start the next night with the phone constantly ringing, but Buddy courteously Tommy Dorsey. Everybody has their heroes, and VOLUME XIX BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL, 1992 Tommy had done so much for the trombone; got it out BBJ: What was the most fun you ever had playing of the circus and made a respectable instrument out of for someone else? it. I was just a kid then. I was thrilled. BM: I took a job with Bob Crosby in the late BBJ: Did you get the trombone chair in the Dorsey thirties, and I must say I had one of the happiest years band? of my life with that band. In spite of Bob it played beautifully. Bob was a delightful guy, a wonderful BM: Not then, but I did move to New York with all story-teller and treated us very nicely, and he managed of 35 bucks in my pocket. We used to get coffee and to stay out of our way. One of the really great talents a doughnut and orange juice for fifteen cents. I lived in the band, bar none, was Bobby Haggart. Unbeliev on a dollar a day and room rent was a dollar a day. able talent ... and Dean Kincaide, and Yank Lawson and Matty Matlock. BBJ: Were you able to stay in New York? BBJ: Were you called up for military duty? BM: Yeah, and I was offered a scholarship to Julliard. My teacher made a startling statement to me. BM: I was in the Navy, but didn't see any overseas He said for what I was doing there was nothing he service. I was a musician. After I got out of the Navy could teach me, and he meant that in a complimentary I wanted my own band. I went briefly with Jimmy way. I let the scholarship go, and I went from Eddy Dorsey and then established the Buddy Morrow Duchin's band to Artie Shaw, and in the interim I Orchestra. That lasted about two years, but I was worked with Vincent Lopez, Charlie Barnet; did a lot broke after that attempt and went back to work in the of recording with guys like Wingy Manone. In those real world ... back in the studios. After about four days the name was Zudekoff. I was working for years I got this chance to record for RCA Victor and Richard Himber when I got a wire from Tommy among the bunch of records was NIGHT TRAIN. I offering me the job with his band for the magnificent think in my lifetime I've probably recorded several sum of $125.00 a week, and that included a radio thousand records. I had my own band for a long time. show. It wasn't as fulfilling as I wanted. We were playing rhythm and blues, and that takes so much out of you, BBJ: Was that top pay for the time? so it took kind of a dive for a while, and during that time we went to the lush ballad style. BM: No. Tommy had a lot of guys who were making $ 165 or $ 175 with some getting $200 or $250. BBJ: Did that last? At the time I was happy to go with him and I learned a lot, but when I found the third trombone man was BM: It became evident that the world wanted rock making more that I was by forty bucks a week, I n' roll and the Big Bands never did get on that. About decided to go with Whiteman who was offering me a that time my daughter was born, my second child, and lot more money. I didn't want her growing up without me, so I limited my work and did mostly studio work, but still BBJ: When did you go into the studios? performed on the weekend with my band. BM: I left Paul Whiteman to go into radio. At that After awhile, the studio work became boring, and time CBS for six or seven days a week was paying 90 about that time I was offered the thing with the Tommy dollars a week. That was the scale for a house job. I Dorsey Estate; about nine months prior to that I left CBS to go with Johnny Green, doing three Phillip conducted the Miller Band. I said, "I'll do it for a few Morris shows a week. That was really good money, weeks until you get somebody." I'm now in my because I could work anywhere else I wanted during fifteenth year. the week, so I was actually free-lancing. I turned 21 when I was with Johnny. BBJ: How does your Tommy Dorsey band compare with the original? VOLUME XIX BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER MARCH-APRIL, 1992 BM: The band is great. It is the best road band A subscriber named Robert Murphy of Miami in today. My trombone style is completely different, but quired of Herbie Fields. (He was in error in saying reminiscent of Tommy; hopefully with the finesse that Herbie played the alto on DARDANELLA. It was the Tommy had, but my style, I think, is a lot more soprano.) Shortly before he committed suicide in emotional. I think the greatest thing you can offer the 1958, he recorded an LP with the Miami Beach public is the sound of the horn. It comes from within; Symphony. We found this LP after a six-month you manufacture it from your head, but it's an search, and would like to get in touch with Robert emotional thing. It has to be part of you. It's an Murphy. If you can ever feature Herbie Fields, we extension of your feeling ... that's why music is so would love it. important. We think the ghost would have been proud. We've put Mr. Ross in touch with Robert Murphy, and BBJ: You've done some overseas work. will be featuring Herbie Fields on a future BIG BAND BM: When I was in Hong Kong I did four television JUMP program, thanks to Mr. Ross's suggestion and shows, and those guys knew everything I wanted to information. (See UPCOMING BBJ PROGRAM play, including NIGHT TRAIN. The best foreign jazz TITLES.) musicians I ran into were the Filipinos. They play great! (He gave that line strong emphasis.) I mean it! Joseph Lewis I hear BIG BAND JUMP on Orlando, FL WLBE in Leesburg. How BBJ: Most men would have retired by now. Why do about playing TRUMPET you stay on the road? BLUES by Harry James? Keep up the good work. BM: I like it. It’s a way of life, it’s creative, it gives TRUMPET BLUES has been featured on past pro me something where I'm needed, and where I can do grams, but we haven'tplayed it lately, and we respond the best job of anybody involved. to Mr. Lewis's request on the MAILBAG program, scheduled for the weekend o f April 4-5. Buddy Morrow was 73 on the 8th o f February this year, and still leads the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.