JULY 2016 BIG BAND NEWS COMPILED BY MUSIC LIBRARIAN CHRISTOPHER POPA WELCOME BACK, in this issue: THE GREAT ESCAPE! The Great Escape! returns Recently I was happy to see that Bob Knack new swing and sweet and friends have returned with issue no.32 of compact discs The Great Escape! The online newsletter gets itineraries for The its name from a quotation from Woody Herman, Count Basie and Glenn who said, “Anything that is good jazz is a great Miller Orchestras escape. When you’re involved in playing or birthdays listening to great jazz, no one can get to you.” I was worried that, because there had been a long delay since the previous issue of The Great Escape!, perhaps there would be no more. Each issue always has interesting articles, facts, trivia, letters, and opinions. Some of my favorite articles have included remembrances of the legendary bandleaders, their sidemen, and singers. For example, among the variety of big band vocalists you’ll run across are Martha Tilton, Lynn,Roberts, Buddy Hughes, Walt Andrus, Bea Wain, Gail Reese, Lynn Allison, Fran Warren, and Jack Leonard, to name a few. Do you recognize their names and know of the bands they sang with? Besides Mr. Knack, over the years many knowledgeable people have written for The Great Escape! A sampling would include Perry Huntoon, George Spink, Phil Holdman, Joe Carlton, Chuck Sengstock, Warren Ketter, Larry Maloney, Dick Parker, Ray Krysl, John Macek, Dennis DiBlasio, Bill Spilka, Dick Parker, Karl Kountz, Joe Spery, and Phil McCurnin. All this good started with “The Browsers,” a radio program dedicated to the big bands. The wife of one of the presenters called the group “The Browsers” because, she said, “they are always browsing in record shops.” Each of the 32 issues of The Great Escape! are available for viewing online by going to dixieswing.com/b_knack.html. One of the contributors’ favorites was Woody Herman, and courtesy of Schubertiade Music in Massachusetts here’s an autographed photo of Woody that, perhaps, they haven’t seen: Herman visiting an ailing W.C. Handy (1873-1958), a composer and musician whom many called “The Father of the Blues”. “The Big Bands Are Back” Music Boutique CD-R Originally an LP released by Reader’s Digest in Germany, there are 13 selections recorded in the late 1960s by nine name leaders. Especially good are Walk Right In (Tex Beneke), Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Paul Weston featuring Jo Stafford and Warren Covington), and Up, Up and Away (Benny Goodman). “Freddy Martin and His Orchestra: Volume Four: recordings from 1933 to 1935” Crystal Stream Audio (Australia) IDCD 335 Another compilation of early Martin music, Including such selections as Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire, Love Dropped in for Tea, and two takes of Love Songs of the Nile. “Claude Thornhill: Dinner for Two” Music Boutique CD-R Six of the selections were from RCA Victor’s “Designed for Dancing” Thornhill plays George Gershwin album. The rest are from the same time period (1949-50), including remakes of Thornhill’s lovely theme, Snowfall, and Gil Evans’ arrangement of There’s a Small Hotel. “I can’t get started…: artie shaw and his gramercy five” Verve (Japan) The first time on CD for this mini-sized reproduction of an LP initially released in 1956. Tunes include Lugubrious, Tenderly, Lyric, Imagination, and Sunny Side Up. Now, how about they also issue Shaw’s “Sequence in Music” Verve album on CD? “Freddy Martin At The Cocoanut Grove” Music Boutique CD-R A live recording done in 1957 at the famous Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, the location most-identified with Martin’s always-danceable band. “The Complete Tex Beneke And The Glenn Miller Orchestra: Part Six (1946-1950)” Sounds of YesterYear (England) DSOY 2033 This concluding disc in Michael Highton’s series of Beneke’s RCA Victor studio recordings has Sunshine Cake, Rockin’ Chair, and The Tunnel of Love among its goodies. Sounds of YesterYear got these out fast! “Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra: ‘Dames’: Recordings from 1932 to 1936” Crystal Stream Audio (Australia) IDCD 337 Many of the songs here became standards, such as After Sundown, As Long As I Live, I Only Have Eyes for You, Lovely to Look At, I Won’t Dance, and You Are My Lucky Star. “won’t you dance with me?: The Griff Williams Orchestra Under The Direction Of Bob Kirk” Music Boutique CD-R After directing his band from 1933 to 1953, Williams gave up active leadership and returned only for special occasions like TV shows, recording sessions, or benefit performances. He died in February 1959. “Ted Weems and His Orchestra: ‘Marvelous’: Recordings from 1925 to 1929” Crystal Stream Audio (Australia) IDCD 334 Weems went professional in 1923 and played music for the next 40 years, until his passing in May 1963 — though along the line he held jobs as a disc jockey, hotel manager, and talent agency operator. Various Artists: “Rex Stewart And His Friends” Sounds of YesterYear (England) DSOY Three sets of recordings, and the sidemen with Stewart include Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone) and Claude Hopkins (piano and celeste). Naturally, there are a number of Ellington-related tunes among the line-up. “Something Blue: Glenn Miller and The Army Air Forces Band” Sounds of YesterYear (England) DSOY 2034 25 songs with a shade of “blue” in the title, like My Blue Heaven, Blue Rain, Mood Indigo, Blue Champagne, Deep Purple, and Blue Hawaii. A few selections have Johnny Desmond’s vocal. Miller’s spoken voice is also heard. Duke Ellington: An American Composer and Icon By Mercedes Ellington and Steven Brower (New York City: Rizzoli, 2016) Heavy on photographs and light on discussion, this would not be an introductory book for someone curious about Ellington, nor would it be for someone who wants lots of facts and details. A coffee table book, heavily illustrated. BACK IN-PRINT ON CD Titles by Lawrence Welk, Paul Weston, and Count Basie, possibly for later this year. BASIE BAND BACK AT BIRDLAND The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart returns to the famous Birdland jazz club in New York City for five days this month. Each day there are early and late shows scheduled. Tuesday, July 19, 2016 Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Thursday, July 21, 2016 Friday, July 22, 2016 Saturday, July 23, 2016 MILLER MUSIC BACK IN MICHIGAN AND MONTREAL The Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Nick Hilscher travels around the Midwest, the East Coast, and into Canada, during this month. Their new Female Vocalist (who replaced Jenny Swoish) is Maria Schafer from Long Beach, CA. Meanwhile, I add my congratulations for the Orchestra’s impressive concerts during The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Festival in Clarinda, Iowa last month, when members of the Des Moines Symphony were added to the group so original Army Air Force Band arrangements could be played. I hope that the Clarinda performances will be released on a CD. July 1, 2016, Crystal Theatre, Crystal Falls, MI July 2, 2016, Cheboygan Opera House, Cheboygan, MI July 4, 2016, Interlochen Bowl, Interlochen, MI July 5, 2016, Overlander Bandshell, Portage, MI July 8, 2016, Centrepoint Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada July 9, 2016, Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada July 13, 2016, The Levoy Theatre, Millville, NJ July 15, 2016, Nara Park Amphitheater, Acton, MA July 16, 2016, private July 17, 2016, Newton Theatre, Newton, NJ July 18-19, 2016, Tim McLoone’s Supper Club, Asbury Park, NJ July 20, 2016, Madison Beach Hotel, Madison, CT July 21, 2016, The Cabot Theatre, Beverly, MA July 22, 2016, Kingswood Performing Arts Center, Wolfeboro, NH July 24, 2016, Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater, Wheeling, WV July 26, 2016, Bearcreek Memories Theatre, Celina, OH [ two shows ] July 27, 2016, private July 28, 2016, Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, OH July 29, 2016, Weirton Events Center, Weirton, WV July 30, 2016, Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo, MD July 31, 2016, Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, Rehoboth, DE BACK FOR ANOTHER BIRTHDAY Doc Severinsen, b.July 7, 1927 trumpeter with Fio Rito ‘45, Barnet ‘47-’49, S Donahue ‘48, T Dorsey ‘50 Larry O’Brien, b.July 15, 1933 trombonist with T Dorsey Orch-Donahue ‘61-’65, leader of Miller Orch ‘81-’83 / ‘88-’10 Kay Starr, b.July 21, 1922 vocalist with Crosby ‘39, Miller ‘39, Venuti ‘39-’42, Barnet ‘43-’45 Michael P. Zirpolo, b.July 22, 1950 jazz historian and author Gloria DeHaven, b.July 13, 1925 singer with Savitt ‘42 Ronny Lang, b.July 24, 1927 saxophonist with Ennis ‘47, Brown ‘49-’90? [ not continuous ] Peter Duchin, b.July 28, 1937 son of Eddie Duchin, pianist-leader of his own band .