BIG B i\X D JUMP An interview with current Glenn Miller singer Julia Rieh. An arranger profile of Larry Clinton The Chicago Aragon Ballroom story A review of a book about Stephane Grappelli BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER VOLUME 119 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 INTERVIEW-JULIA RICH The Background Julia Rich has been singing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra longer than any other singer, longer than Marion Hutton, longer than Ray Eberle. But then, the Miller Estate Orchestra had been in existence far longer than the original, playing to sell-out audiences. The Julia Rich involvement dates to 1985 when Dick Gerhart was leading the band. (The current leader, Larry O’Brien, was interviewed here in the March-April, 1996 issue.) Mentioned in the interview is Ms. Rich’s independent performances with a small group and her song writing. Even though the Miller Band is on the road 48 weeks a Julia Rich at work in serious mode year, she somehow finds time to occasionally sing as a solo act in Nashville or in Chattanooga. As a single, as my dad says, “It’s my first love.” she’s issued albums featuring her own work and classic standards. BBJ: You were a school teacher for a while. The Scene JR: I taught school for a little over ten years. I taught music and geography in Chattanooga When a singer (or any band member) is constantly on and I was a singing waitress at the Chattanooga Choo the bus or rushing to get ready for an appearance it’s not Choo. easy to find a few moments to talk to an interviewer. After some scheduling phone calls we were fortunate to BBJ: You’re centered in Nashville and Chattanooga. find Julia Rich in her hotel room between a matinee and JR: That’s right. Bom in Nashville. My mother’s an evening performance somewhere in the Central actually from Chattanooga, so when I taught it Time Zone. We didn’t think to ask the location, but no was in Chattanooga and you can imagine how surprised matter. She had a quiet place plus a few minutes to I was later to hook up with the Glenn Miller Orchestra answer questions and phoned the studio precisely when and sing CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO one more she said she would. The first question was the standard time. one for nearly all performers. BBJ: How did that association begin? BBJ: When did your interest in singing begin? JR: I was working in Chattanooga as a school JR: From the time I can remember. My mother said teacher but I was also singing in clubs work­ she knew I was a singer when I was three. Of ing with a bass player, Joey Smith, who got a job with course I was brought up in the church. My dad’s a the Glenn Miller Orchestra after we’d been working minister, so I’ve been singing since I can remember and together a year or two. He discovered as time went by VOLUME 119 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 they needed to replace the girl singer so that was how I got the audition. BBJ: You also became road manager of the band. JR: Yes. First I was assistant road manager for about five years during my first time with the band between ’85 and ’92, and then road manager for about six years during my second time with the band from ’94 to the present. BBJ: Are you still managing the band? JR: (Emphatically.) No, no I’m not. My last little stint at road management ended in 2005. I enjoyed road management but as you know I have a little solo career also and I wanted to have time for that. Julia’s club appearance BBJ: Have the number of Miller Band appearances diminished a bit? (The following answer contains the word "on" to JR: No. I’m gonna’ go ahead and say no. Of the describe status as a band member. It may be twenty or so years altogether I’ve been with the questioned by English majors, but all musicians band I’ve been on the road as much as 51 weeks a year. refer to their Big Band involvement as being "on That’s a lot. Currently the schedule still runs about 48 the band". It is surprising for we as "civilians" to to 50 weeks a year so I’m gonna’ say no. The band see such terminology, but that word has been works as much as it ever has. an employment reference used by musicians for years.) B B J: Have you seen the demographic makeup of the JR: When I was on the band in the ‘ 80s, back in the audience change? day when you could park a bus in front of the Paramount Hotel in New York, you would have our bus, JR: When this band was originally re-formed in the Thundering Herd, Buddy Rich, Tommy Dorsey, we 1966 they thought it would run for a couple of were all there. Little by little the bus tours slowed down years. There was an interest in the music because or stopped. Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, they’re not Jimmy Stewart did the movie, “The Glenn Miller Story” on the road all the time like we are. Tommy Dorsey was and so they got Ray McKinley as leader and brought a the surprising one because they were just like we were, lot of the guys back and they thought it would run a always out there. They still do a lot of shows. I think the couple of years and here we are, the same organization. Artie Shaw Band is still a bus band, but we just tour more As the World War Two crowd diminishes one would than anybody and I’m not sure what the reason is. think we’d be working less. Our audiences are prima­ rily the WWII crowd but we certainly get all ages. High BBJ: How much do you have to do the standards school band directors bring us in and maybe have their jazz groups play before we play, so we get all ages, before you can move to other musical areas? which is good. JR: If Judy Garland doesn't sing OVER THE BBJ: How do you account for the fact that, for RAINBOW, what are you gonna’ do? Larry’s example, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra does very conscious of that and so you’ve got IN THE not have as full a schedule as the Miller Orchestra? MOOD and STRING OF PEARLS and TUXEDO JUNCTION. He believes that had Glenn Miller lived 2 VOLUME 119 BIG BAND JUMP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 he would not have stood still, of course, because he was and said, “I’VE GOT IT BAD. That’s Duke Ellington. an innovator, so Larry doesn’t like to just play the old That’s the bible. Don’t mess with it. Sing a song hits and likes to pull out some obscure things that Glenn according to the melody a thousand times and then, if Miller did that were not hits. Larry’s been fabulous you’re Sarah Vaughan, mess with it.” Isn’t that great? about playing my original songs. Every night we play I have people all the time tell me it’s so nice to hear the one song that I wrote but he always pairs it with melody. It’s so nice not to be shouted at. There’satime something Marion Hutton sang. and a place for everything but in our style of music it’s about sticking to the melody. It’s not easy to do that. BBJ: Do things like TOO LITTLE TIME maintain You have to know how to phrase and know how to popularity? swing. It certainly took me a long time to learn how to do it right. It’s a fabulous thing. JR: Larry certainly has it in the line-up. It’s one of his solos. I don’t know if people recognize Julia Rich is a lady who has her head on straight. TOO LITTLE TIME even if they’ve seen the movie. In a post-interview chat the word ‘tasteful’ was They may not know that’s the theme song, but it’s one mentioned and that seemed to explain the Julia of the first things Henry Mancini did in the movies, so Rich approach. Larry always has stories to go along with the music making it more interesting and enjoyable. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BBJ: How is your personal career progressing? Letters to BIG BAND JUMP or the BBJ NEWSLET­ TER may be sent to the address below or e-mailed to JR: It’s difficult to be in two places at the same [email protected]. When you e-mail, please time. I have found that out. When I get off the give your name and address. All letters are an­ band I’ll be a lot freer to do my own little show, called “An Evening With Julia Rich.” Julia presents songs swered, but the volume o f mail sometimes delays a timely response. from the ‘40s and stories from her travels with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and I tell a few little things BBJ NEWSLETTER about what it was like to be a girl singer with the Big Box 52252 Band, but it’s difficult to do both. I always have fun, Atlanta, GA 30355 though, when I get to do my own gig.