Pete Kelly's Blog

Ira Ironstrings plays Santa Claus (1959)

2009-12-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

This Christmas post will celebrate a personal favorite Christmas album and a wonderful series of recordings by the infamous Ira Ironstrings on Warner Bros, Records.
This series featured great jazz playing and clever swinging arrangements with a touch of Spike Jones' comedy. For years the identity of Ira Ironstrings was unknown but now we know that it was Big Bandleader/Guitar Great Alvino Rey doing some moonlighting. Rey was under contract to Capitol records and created the Ironsides persona as a way to make these fun, swinging albums. (Alvino had a great sense of humor). Alvino plays banjo on these sides , the rest of the players are unknown but have to be a core of the Hollywood studio pros-the musicianship is superb! Warren Barker handled much of the arranging and I suspect guitarist Jack Marshall might have also had a hand- some of the charts sound like his work for other albums.

There's a lot of dixieland, swing ,banjo and plenty of slap-mallet vibe work.(Whoever the player was, he got a workout on the sessions). The comedy is subtle but still in the Spike Jones' style-It really comes into play on the Christmas album.(Subtitled-Christmas Music For Those Who Have Heard Everything). I first discovered this album during a stint at a local music store. The owner loved this album and played it during the holidays-I borrowed it and made a cassette copy and now am delighted to have the CD from Collector's Choice Music. Dave Kapp's exellent liner notes echo his own childhood fascination with this album.

The original cover is reproduced with Santa tied down ala Gulliver by irate citizens! The original liner notes are also here-they were always a highlight of the Ironsides series. Despite the humor and bogus persona we get a lot of great jazz and amazing playing by Alvino and his studio pros.
I'm sure some of the usual suspects would include Mannie Klein, Shorty Sherock and John Best-trumpets , Si Zenthner,Abe Lincoln and Moe Scneider-trombone , Skeets Herfurt, Babe Russin, Matty Matlock (who also contributed some of the arrangements) and Gus Bivona-reeds , Ray Sherman or Lou Busch,piano(Lou produced this album-better known as Joe "Fingers" Carr, he guested on another Ira lp) , Morty Corb, bass and perhaps Nick Fatool or Alvin Stoller, drums. If anyone has info. on the personell (especially the mystery vibes man) I'd love to hear from you.

Now on to some of the many musical highlights:
Let it Snow-We get off to a swinging start with a neat riff on the familiar melody. Next is a Dixieland passage (the soprano sax sounds a bit like George Probert from the Firehouse 5) followed by the vibes (a fixture of the Ira sound) , with swinging backround, some growl trumpet, bass clarinet , back to the unison and a dixie ending.

Jingle Bells Stomp-The dixie group opens up followed by bass clarinet backed by sleigh bells, slap vibes, more dixie and back to the bass clar. and bells.

Skater's Nightmare (Waltz)-This is one of the wildest cuts and has popped up on Music Choice on Cable channels. We start with trombone lead backed by tricky piano noodling and growl trumpet. Alvino's banjo handles the verse , a band interlude brings on the vibes(always swinging in 4/4) , unison banjo/vibes on the verse with more trumpet growls and a wild drum break. An all-out band chorus brings back Alvino for the verse, a touch of tympani and dixie finish. All in 2 and a half minutes!.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus- Shuffle Rhythm opens with trombone lead and wa-wa trumpet. Next is the dixie band and vibes followed by a mellow trumpet (or flugelhorn) solo. A bit of growl trombone, soprano and dixie finish with a Lawrence Welk ending!

Christmas is for the Birds!-An original , probably by Alvino and/or Barker. Lots of sleigh bells, flutes and bird calls. Banjo takes the bridge with some Spike Jones effects , some dixie , a chimes interlude incorporating other Xmas tunes then back to the theme , a unison bridge , touch of banjo and dixie finish with a birdcall coda. Lots of Fun!

Deck them Halls- Two guitars in harmony open with the theme (probably Alvino) backed by bells. Some dixie follows , chimes lead to banjo/vibes unison with some dirty Spike Jones-ish trombone (perhaps Abe Lincoln?). More vibes , dixie and back to the 2 guitars for a fugue ending. A real clever chart.

Over the River (And thru the Woods)- We open with dixie and the familiar vibes followed by a cute unison riff ,more dixie a chimes break and dixie to the coda. A neat twist on a real Christmas oldie.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- Bass clarinet states the melody with cute band answers , a banjo bridge , touch of flute then into the dixie chorus with some honky tonk piano(probably Lou) and soprano sax. Back to the Bass Clar. and the vibes ride out the coda.

Frosty the Snowman- A dixie intro followed by more honky tonk piano , the dixie band (vibes and banjo on bridge) and a neat unison passage by the band. Some more hokey trombone and back to the piano and dixie band with a neat modulation.

Sleigh Ride- The Leroy Anderson favorite gets a swinging ride by Ira and pals. Banjo/vibes state melody with trombone playing the counter melody with growl trumpet on bridge. On the second chorus the next theme is played in unison with some banjo licks , more drum breaks and a dixie finale with banjo on the bridge and coda.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town- We wrap things up with a mellow version of this perennial. Bass clarinet has a clip-clop figure while banjo/vibes state melody backed by bells with wa-wa trumpet. Next is dixie with vibes on bridge and back to unison melody with bas clar. having the last say.

We hope this review inspires you to pick up this very special and un-traditional Christmas album. Hopefully we will see more Ironstrings albums reissued. There are great titles such as Ira Ironstrings plays for People with $3.98 , Destroys the Great Bands , Plays with Matches and Meets Joe "Fingers" Carr-Together for the Last Time Vol.1.
These albums are a testament to the musical talents and humor of Alvino , his arrangers and top sidemen.

Happy Holidays.

Billy Butterfield: "Conniff Meets Butterfield"--"Just Kiddin' Around"

2009-12-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Our recent Bob Crosby post (11/1/09) lauded the talents of trumpeter Billy Butterfield (1917-88). Billy was a consummate jazzman, lead and section man which made him extremely valuable in the world of big bands, traditional jazz and swing.

These two albums recorded for Columbia in 1959 and 1963, respectively, show his beautiful tone and jazz feel, even in a more commercial setting. Conniff Meets Butterfield reunites Billy with his old buddy from the Bob Crosby band, Ray Conniff (1916-2002). Ray, an excellent trombonist (more on that later) and arranger, had hit it big at Columbia with a simple but effective series of vocal albums featuring his Singers backed by tasty arrangements usually with rhythm section backing.

The 1959 session is a trumpet showcase for Billy playing a series of popular standards backed by Ray's rhythm and catchy charts. Many of the tunes utilize the shuffle rhythm made so popular by Jonah Jones over at Capitol records. The one constant is Billy's huge, gorgeous tone whether muted or open. His jazz ideas are given free reign even though this is essentially an easy listening album. Personally, this album was an early exposure to great trumpet playing and still evokes happy memories. Here are some highlights:

Most of the tunes have Billy either cup muted or open playing some great standards backed by a rhythm section. Despite the commercial nature of the album Billy gets in great jazz phrasing and licks on all the tunes.

The opener Beyond the Blue Horizon gets off to a great start with shuffle rhythm and Billy's pungent cup muted horn. Billy goes open for the second chorus with nice variations before going up high for a classic ending. The rest of the album doesn't disappoint. Ray's arrangements are sparce, but clever. On You must have been a Beautiful Baby, Billy plays open and has a nice jazz chorus with a catchy riff before reprieving the melody with cup.

Time on my Hands has cup mute melody then Billy plays a nice unison riff with the rhythm. What a Differance a Day Makes opens with Billy in cup then a nice open passage over shuffle rhythm with Louis-like glisses before going out up high.

South of the Border is another swinger with shuffle rhythm, more trumpet-rhythm unison and some more Louis high ones. Billy uses the Ay-ay-ay strain as a coda. Rosalie also swings nicely over shuffle with more glisses (Billy sure knew his Louis) and a repeated ending with a hint of Salt Peanuts. Ray's original A Love is Born (Song of the Trumpet) , is a beautiful, haunting theme , just perfect for the great Butterfield horn. Only one chorus, the theme shows off Billy's control and gorgeous tone. A highlight of the album, for sure. The other tracks , I Found a Million Dollar Baby, Can't we be Friends, All the Things You Are, Oh What a Beautiful Morning and Something to Remember You By all have wonderful Butterfield solos.

The only drawback to the album is a gimmicky echo in the rhythm section that sounds like the drums and guitar are behind the beat. This was the era of hifi/stereo and these effects are very annoying-Too bad it wasn't omitted on the reissue. (It would get worse on the next album).

The follow-up album was Just Kiddin' Around (1963) and this time Ray added his trombone work to his arranging talents. Ray had broken in as a trombonist with Bunny Berigan, followed by stints with Bob Crosby(where he met Billy), Vaughn Monroe, Artie Shaw and Harry James. His work with Shaw, especially his chart on 'Swonderful, established him as a top arranger and soon his trombone had to take a back seat. (He reworked the sWonderful chart for the Singers and had a hit with it.) Ray was a fine jazz player. His work on a March 1944 Blue Note session with Art Hodes, Max Kaminsky and Rod Cless show what a fine trad/dixie player he was. If he hadn't met with so much success as an arranger, he could have been a major player in the trad circles.

Ray and Billy only team up on 2 selections, the rest of the album has them splitting solo features. On Alexander's Ragtime Band, Billy and Ray duet the first chorus with Billy getting off some nice licks, Ray handles the verse and Billy wails up high on the outchorus with Ray sliding underneath. We even get some quotes from Cornet Chop Suey and Muskrat Ramble-A Great Opener! Just Kiddin' Around is a riff tune from Ray's Artie Shaw days with unison playing by the horns, more shuffle rhythm, trading fours a nice Basie-ish piano bridge and back to the unison. Now on to the features.

Billy's features are in the same format as the earlier album. Put your Arms Around Me is a standout with shufle rhythm and Billy getting off great drive and phrasing. After a modulation he wails the second chorus with a long held note on the coda. This Love of Mine has soaring open horn with a lot of Louis and Bunny like phrasing. On You'll Never Know, Billy gets in some nice Harry James licks in tribute to a fellow trumpet great. Louise and But Not for Me are both tasty renditions.

Ray's features are tasty but not as jazz oriented. However he plays strong and percussive-He obviously had been keeping his chops up. Heartaches, When I Grow Too Old to Dream, You Oughta be in Pictures and Peg O' My Heart are all nicely played with his patented tasty charts.
The lovely ballad I See Your Face Before Me has more of a Teagarden feel and is a jazz highlight.

All in all , these two lps show the greatness of Billy Butterfield as an all-round trumpeter and the dual talents of Ray Conniff. The CD versions are available on Columbia thru Amazon.

Till next time-Keep Swingin'

The 3 Stooges-Hula -La-La (1951)

2009-11-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Stooges go native in this delightful 1951 short , one of their very best with Shemp as third stooge. The plot has the boys as dance teachers at a movie studio sent to a South Sea island to teach the natives how to dance , the studio is planning a big polynesian epic and find out their natives can't dance! Along the way the boys run afoul of beautiful island girls, headhunters, an evil witch doctor and a pesky idol with four arms!

This breezy short was directed by Hugh McCollum , primarily a producer at the Columbia Shorts Dept. His style was more laid-back and jovial than the violent Jules White, however we have the usual wild slapstick gags by the boys. The story was by Ed Bernds , himself one of the Stooges' best directors. His screenplay has loads of witty dialog and bad puns. Another plus is the little untitled island song that gets played thruout the short, it gives not only the proper flavor but a nice change of pace. (Columbia, always thrifty reused it as backround music at a waterfront cafe in the 1955 sci-fi classic , It Came from Beneath the Sea).

The supporting cast is an exellent one including Stooge regular Emil Sitka as Mr. Baines the studio chief.(he will be the subject of a future post) His part is small but he makes the most of it even getting in a nifty pratfall. Emil plays his own age here, he was very adept at old codgers and goofy professors.
Jean Willes plays the native girl Luana, she joined the Columbia shorts in the mid 40s as Jean Donahue and was a busy player with the Stooges and other comics thru the mid 50s. Jean was a tall, leggy brunette and like Christine McIntyre(the Stooges' first lady) she had a good flair for comedy. She worked in many features of the 40s and 50s, popped up in the feature version of McHale's Navy and was in the classic Twilight Zone episode , Will the Real Martian please Stand Up?
Another favorite Stooge foil Kenneth McDonald plays Varanu the Witch Doctor. Kenneth was a great slimy villain with his pencil mustace and theatrical voice , many Perry Mason fans remember him as one of the regular judges on the show. A Hawaiian named Lei Aloha (sounds like a stage name!) plays the idol and longtime bit player Heinie Conklin gets to mug a little as the king.

The comic highlights are many , but here are some of my favorites:
The opening scenes with the Stooges as dance instructors are a hoot. Moe telling Shemp that the "girls have their rondelets mixed up with their pirouettes and their fortissimos tangled with their allegrettos." Shemps's response- "Yeh, but what's wrong with their dancin'?" Shemp proceeds to give the girls a wild display of his dance style only to find he's dancing to a Trombone part! ( The boys were all great eccentric hoofers , but Shemp took the cake).

Varanu showing the boys his collection of shruken heads has a great Columbia editing gaffe as Moe's scream gets dubbed in before he can react. Shemp's visit to Luana's hut has him hiding under the bed when Varanu enters and Shemp dealing with a visit from a baby and momma crocodile while still under the bed. Great Stuff! We even get the old "You can say that again" bit when Luana tells the boys that the witch doctor is a bad man. (she says it again, of course).

Moe and Larry's encounter with the Idol (Old Four Arms) is a classic with both getting heaps of punishment from the multiple arms before Moe gets her with a great eye-poke. (the Idol uses all 4 hands to cover her eyes). The Idol is guarding a box of hand grenades that the Stooges use in the finale. Shemp also gets in some good jungle dialog calling Luana's boyfriend,Kuala the Coca-Cola guy and instructing a native to Ungow! and get him some food.

Just when it looks like the boys are to be victims of Varanu's axe on the chopping block , Moe asks him for a sample of his work on the grenade box. When arrogant Varanu obliges he gets blown sky high with only his smoking sandals left! (a perennial Stooge gag). Finally the boys get to give the islanders their dance lesson. Moe, Larry, Shemp and the cast start skipping, shuffling and trying to hula accompanied by the little island song. Shemp again takes top honors with his wild contortions.

Hula-La-La is oneof the best of the many classic Shemp outings by the Stooges. It is available on Vol.6 of the Sony/Stooges collection. (which should be wrapping up in 2010).

Till next time-Keep Stooging!

Good News- Teresa Brewer and the World's Greatest Jazz Band

2009-11-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

This delightful session from 1974 has been quite forgotten over the years, We hope this post will bring it some well deserved recognition.

The album was originally recorded for Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman label. (he was Teresa Brewer's husband). While Miss Brewer is an acquired taste, her work here shows a maturity as a performer with a nice feel for jazz. (No doubt Mr. Thiele. a top jazz record producer helped). As for the World's Greatest Jazz Band , alias W.G.J.B. they have one of their best blowing sessions. The band has plenty of solo room, on some tunes Teresa sings just a single chorus! The addition of Bobby Hackett's cornet and Bucky Pizzarelli's guitar is also a strong plus.

The theme of the album is a salute to the wonderful songs of the team of DeSylva, Brown and Henderson. This threesome wrote some of the most popular show and movie tunes of the 20s and 30s. Quite a few of the songs came from the Good News show along with some other goodies by the team. (the show was enjoying a revival at the time).

The band's lineup is a strong one. Regular members included Yank Lawson (trumpet), Bob Wilber (clarinet & soprano) , Vic Dickenson (trombone) , Bud Freeman (tenor) , Ralph Sutton (piano) , Bob Haggart (bass) and Gus Johnson (drums). Trombonist Benny Morton had recently joined the band. (he and Vic had both worked with Hackett's tasty quintet). Benny didn't get a lot to do on the session , but was an old pro.Veteran arranger Glenn Osser devised some simple charts , but the structure is pretty loose and free-blowing.

Miss Brewer was always a cute and vivacious performer with a big voice and sometimes heavy vibrato. However she rises to the occasion in this stellar company. She especially connects with Hackett (what singer didn't, he was a master at vocal backup). The previous year Teresa had guested on Bobby's What a Wonderful World album. (another Flying Dutchman production).
While we miss Billy Butterfield's trumpet (he had recently left the band) , Bobby is a most welcome replacement. Bucky Pizzarelli's solid rhythm guitar adds to the already rock solid rhythm section. Now, on with the show!

Good News (1927) the opener is the title tune of the broadway show. Gus'hihat brings in the band wailing with Bud's twisting, percussive tenor on the bridge. The band modulates to Teresa's vocal backed by Bobby's tasty cornet , after another modulation Bob Wilber's soprano is on with a playful Hackett bridge. More Bud , a wry Dickenson trombone bridge and the band goes home with a driving tag by Gus. We're off to a great start!

I Want to be Bad from a 1930 show and film called Follow Thru. Bobby and Vic introduce the melody in duet leading to a cute vocal by Teresa.(right up her alley) A modulation brings on Yank and the band with a striding bridge by Sutton. The band takes things home with some nice noodling by Wilber over the last chord.

The old favorite Button up your Overcoat (also from Follow Thru) makes a perfect vehicle for Teresa. After a band intro Teresa is on with nice Wiber backup. The band wails one with Bud on the bridge folowed by a nice series of trading between Yank and Bobby folowed by Vic and Benny. The band moulates back to Teresa with more cute vocalizing (backed by Wilber) and the band riding her home. This rendition moves along nicely.

Sunnyside Up comes from a 1929 film of the same name and was also featured in the 1956 bio. of DeSylva, Brown & Henderson , The Best Things in Life are Free. Yank opens with his Harmon mute, a greattrademark sound of his , pushed by Bucky's great guitar. Wiber brings on Teresa for 2 great choruses getting hotter on the second backed by Ralph's striding. We modulate to more swinging Freeman tenor folowed by more trombone trading. Yank takes out the last half on Harmon with Wilber noodling underneath. A Great version!

Lucky in Love , also from Good News opens with Haggart's familiar whistling before Teresa enters backed nicely by Hackett. The band modulates with Bud on the bridge. A lovely round toned Wilber chorus with Hackett's bridge then bring on the band who set up Teresa's final chorus (with more pretty Hackett noodling) with atasty unison figure and rideout. Glenn Osser's contributions are felt thruout the date, but the band gets plenty of wailing room.

Varsity Drag (Good News)- This is a real swinging track.A raggy piano intro by Ralph brings in Teresa for two great choruses, a bit Charleston-like on the first and swinging on the second. The band goes aboard with a nice chorded bridge by Bucky. Vic's up next with a strutting, slurring chorus with Wiber on the bridge and a modulation to Teresa's last chorus that swings along with nice vocal variations. (I like her line do the varsity drag-in drag). Vic closes the festivities with one of his dirty pedal notes. This rendition is no drag at all!

Just Imagine (Good News)- One of the highlights of the session. Teresa sings the lovely verse backed by Ralph. Bobby enters with his lovely sound and stays behind Teresa's plaintive vocal. Her maturity and jazz feel make this an outstanding vocal. Bud takes over playing pretty with an equally lovely bridge by Wilber. Teresa picks up the last half with Bobby stil behind her winding down to a long ending with Bobby weaving over the final chords into one of his classic codas. Bobby gives us some of his last great solos here (he passed on in 1976). Teresa and Bobby get MVP honors here.

Together- Another lovely ballad done with a light swing. This tune was featured in the 1956 bio.
Ralph gives us a striding intro into Teresa's vocal (backed by Wilber). A modulation brings on a weaving, twisting Hackett for a half chorus picked up by Bud. Wilber brings back Teresa for the last half and a nice closing vocal tag backed by Wilber, who shines here. Teresa's singing is very expressive on this track. Bud and Bob take the cake on this one.

You're the Cream in my Coffee-from a 1929 film, The Cock-Eyed World. Bob's soprano introduces the theme. (he was a master on the instrument). A nice interlude using some of the bridge's melody brings on Teresa for a strutting chorus. (more Bobby on the bridge).A swinging band chorus follows with Bobby in for the bridge. Bud and Vic split a chorus with Vic's laughing plunger on the bridge and the band takes us home with another bombastic tag by Gus. Plenty of good blowing by the band here.

We wrap up the party with The Best Things in Life are Free.(Good News). Bobby 's graceful cornet opens over bchords into Teresa's cheery vocal (with nice backup by Bobby and Bud) followed by more of Yank's driving Harmon with Wilber on the bridge. A break by Vic gives us more of his wry sound with Bobby darting in for the bridge. Bobby takes a pretty break that sets up Teresa's last chorus (more Bud and Wilber backup) and nice vocal turnaround (The cry in Teresa's voice is very effective) as the band swings us home with Vic's pedal note saying Goodbye!

Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart never were comfortable with the rather presumptous title of World's Greatest Jazz Band. (their sponsor Barker Hickox came up with it). They preferred the Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band which they used before and after the W.G.J.B. days. However, with lineups like this and the Bob Crosby feel of the band (Haggart did a lot of the aranging) it was indeed a very great jazz band. This session certainly reinforces that claim and gives Miss Brewer one of her best vocal outings. At this writing , only Bob Wilber and Bucky Pizzarelli survive (they're both still very active musically) , Miss Brewer passed on in 2007. This wonderful session , last available on Sony/Signature CD is a great testament to them all.

Here's hoping that all your news is Good News!

Louis Armstrong and the Decca House Band (1936/8)

2009-11-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

The recent release of Louis Armstrong's Decca recordings of 1935-46 on Mosaic records has given new prominence to this wonderful but neglected chapter in Satchmo's recording career. Louis made many of his Decca sides with his own band, the exellent Luis Russell Orchestra. He also was backed up by some very fine studio groups and the bands of Jimmy Dorsey, Casa Loma and Bob Haggart.

These two delightful sessions find Louis backed by a group of studio pros casually known as the "Decca House Band". This group usually comprised of 7 to 10 players backed many Decca artists, especially Dick Robertson. (see our earlier post).

The session of February 4, 1936 found Louis waxing two popular tunes backed up by an exellent band including Louis disciple Bunny Berigan who was one of Louis' favorite trumpeters. Besides being a great jazzman, Bunny was a wonderful lead player and his huge, open horn is a highlight of the band's sound.(Bunny was doing a lot of studio work at the time).Also present were Bob Mayhew( trumpet), who worked with Bix in the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Al Philburn was on trombone, he played on most of the Robertson sessions.

The saxes consisted of leadman Phil Waltzer(alto), Sid Trucker(alto/clarinet), a busy studio man formerly with Russ Morgan and Paul Ricci (tenor), a veteran of the bands of Joe Haymes, Richard Himber and Bunny.

The rhythm section had Fulton McGrath on piano, he had worked with the Dorseys, Red Nichols and would have a brief spell in Bunny's big band. (he wrote the lovely ballad Mandy is Two). Dave Barbour on guitar(with Red Norvo at the time) would soon find fame with Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee.(also as Peggy's husband). Bassist Pete Peterson was also with Norvo and drummer Stan King was an old pro from the 20s. He was on many sessions with Red Nichols, the Dorseys and Miff Mole, his great time and swing are a plus on the session.

First up is Irving Berlin's I'm Putting all my Eggs in One Basket, a delightful tune with a tricky bridge. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers introduced it in the film Follow the Fleet. Louis opens with a classic operatic cadenza then takes us into tempo for a lovely exposition of the melody with subtle variations. (Ricci handles the bridge nicely on tenor). Sid Trucker's clarinet leads into a cheery vocal by Pops with his usual superb time and phrasing . (Trucker's clarinet chips in with some backup). Bunny's strong lead brings on the band backed by King's great backbeat and Louis picks up the rest of the theme going operatic again for an equally impresive coda.

Yes Yes! My My! is a novelty by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin. (the composers of Shoe Shine Boy, a Louis classic from this period).The band brings Louis in for a spoken Yes Yes, My My then right into the vocal. Pops' vocal is full of fun and McGrath has some nice piano fills. Bunny leads us into a tasty Philburn solo with Bunny contributing a few flares leading into a key change for Pops. His chorus is full of great note placement, blue notes and his gorgeous tone. By this point of his career Louis had pared his style to amazing simplicity mixed with his technical gifts. He finishes up high with a neat 4 note burst.
A Lovely session.

The session of June 24, 1938 saw a new "house" band, two new pop tunes and Louis revisiting two of his classic favorites. The band was an 8 piece unit ( the size of the Dick Robertson group).
On trumpets were Bob Cusumano , an exellent lead man formerly with Paul Whiteman, Larry Clinton and Tommy Dorsey and Johnny McGee who was on most of the Robertson sides and had been working with Richard Himber. Al Philburn was back on trombone. Sid Stoneburn was on clarinet, he had much big band experience including T. Dorsey, Bob Zurke, Joe Haymes and Larry Clinton, he gets in some nice jazz licks on these sides. Dave Barbour was back on guitar and Decca house man Haig Stephens played bass. Sammy Weiss, a top drummer with Goodman, T.Dorsey and Artie Shaw lays down some great rhythm.(he was also part of the Jack Benny show for years). Pianist Nat Jaffe only lived to be 27 , but shows a mature Jess Stacy-ish style. He worked with Charlie Barnet, Joe Marsala and Jack Teagarden. He contributes some nice solos and fills on the session.

First up is a rather obscure pop tune by Harry Barris, Naturally. The tune is pleasant with an unusual minor-sounding bridge. After a band intro Louis sings a mellow vocal with polite backup. The band comes in for an interlude with a nice Stoneburn spot. Louis enters backed by tasty Weiss rimshots and hihat. Pops gives us some tasty figures over the stoptime bridge and goes up high for the coda over the band ending.

I've got a Pocketful of Dreams(comp.Johnny Burke-Jim Monaco)was a new tune from the Bing Crosby film, Sing, You Sinners. After a band intro, Pops enters with the vocal. The tune is a bit rangy, so Louis plays around with a few notes, but with his usual swing and time. (Billie Holiday picked up this trick from Louis). The band gives us an interlude with spots by Sid and Jaffe and Philburn. The band modulates to Louis' chorus, his phrasing is tangy and close to the melody. Jaffe gets the bridge and has a nice spot with Pops closing out on a neat solo break backed by Weiss.

I can't give you Anything but Love was already one of Louis' standbys. This version , at a faster tempo from the original has some neat touches that make it unique. The Mosaic issue gives us some banter before the performance, Louis is kidding about "remembering the words". After a band intro, Pops' vocal is patented but has a few nice asides. The band modulates with nice Stoneburn fills and Pops picks up the rest (Weiss' hihat is very effective behind him). His time and accents are superb, giving us a more mellower but still exciting solo. Louis closes with another grand coda backed by Weiss' hihat. The renowned French critic Andre Hodeir singled this solo out in his exellent book, Jazz: It's Evolution and Essence.

Another Armstrong perennial , Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin' gets a redo. Following the band intro, Louis' vocal follows his original with some subtle changes. The band modulates with a nice horn figure and Philburn spot with Jaffe handling the bridge. Pops gives us subtle variations on his classic solo with a new bridge and a soaring outchorus going up high, backed by Weiss' tomtoms. Louis would continue to delight us with new versions of these old classics thru the years.

The arrangements on these sides were probably stocks with some doctoring done at the studio. (many studio jazz dates were done this way). Perhaps Barbour, Jaffe or McGrath had a hand in the changes or a house arranger may have been used. The two sessions are part of Mosaic's exellent set of the Armstrong Deccas 1935-46, highly recommended for any Pops fan. The entire collection shows the amazing quality of Louis' work during this period. These little "house band" sessions offer a fascinating part of this huge body of work.

Till next time, keep enjoying the Wonderful World of Pops.

Bela Lugosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952)

2009-11-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

This film is one of those So Bad that it's Great offerings. Besides the presence of horror master Lugosi and other familiar B players we have the unique comedy team of Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo doing their Martin & Lewis impersonation. (Petrillo's Jerry is so dead-on that it's scary!). In the 40s, the team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney did a similar take on Abbott and Costello.

The plot (what there is of it) involves entertainers Duke and Sammy stranded on a jungle island encountering friendly natives (the lovely Nona takes a shine to Duke and her hefty sister Saloma goes after Sammy) and the evil Dr. Zarnoff (Bela) who is conducting strange experiments and turns Duke into a gorilla when he sees Nona (his lab assistant!) getting too chummy with Duke. It's all good silliness in the tradition of the 3 Stooges, Abbott & Costello and the Bowery Boys.

The film was released by the Realart studio and produced by Jack Broder. The director, William Beaudine was known as "one-shot" for his ability to make a film in record time, quality notwithstanding. He made many low budget affairs for Monogram and American-International.
The screenplay was by veteran actor Tim Ryan who acted in and wrote many Monogram classics.(he and wife Irene-"Granny" of the Beverly Hillbillies had an act similar to Burns and Allen). Also contributing dialog was Leo "Ukie" Sherrin, an actor and writer for many Monogram cheapies. Duke Mitchell got to sing two songs (a la Deano) , the favorite Deed I Do and Too Soon( based on La Paloma).

A bit about the All-Star cast: Bela Lugosi at age 70 was at a low point of his career, beset by years of B movies and drug addiction. He pretty much sleepwalks thru the film, but occasionally raises an eyebrow or does a "take" to show he's getting a kick out of the comics.

Duke Mitchell(1926-81) and Sammy Petrillo (1934-2009) were nightclub entertainers who took advantage of the popularity of Martin and Lewis.(Duke had a bit part in Martin & Lewis' Sailor Beware (1951 ). They worked in and out of the business for years, Petrillo ran a comedy club in Pittsburg called the Nut House. Jerry Lewis threatened the team with a lawsuit and they dropped out of sight. Despite the obvious impersonation, they had good chemistry and Petrillo showed good comic timing.

Charlita (Regis) as the lovely native girl, Nona (complete with college education!) made a career of exotic and jungle type roles. (similar to B favorites Acquanetta and Lita Baron).
Mickey Simpson as Bela's hulking servant, Chula was a former boxer who specialized in tough guys and body guards with the likes of Abbott and Costello, Tarzan, Jungle Jim and the 3 Stooges. (Stooge fans will remember him as strongman Rocky Duggan in Gents in a Jam (1952).
Muriel Landers as Saloma, was a former dance partner of Ray Bolger and played many comic suporting roles in the 50s. She played "Tiny" in Sweet and Hot (1958), one of the worst 3 Stooges shorts.
We can't forget Ramona the Chimp, who Zabor plans to turn into a gorilla. When Duke gets hot with Nona, he turns him into the gorilla instead.

Petrillo's antics get to be a little too much ( of course so were those of the the real Lewis) and Mitchell's singing has a strange mix of Frankie Laine, Billy Daniels and Elvis! They do have good chemistry, it's too bad the Martin and Lewis take-off was so obvious, they could have developed into a good B comedy team ala the Bowery Boys. Likewise, the Mitchell/Charlita romance has a nice, genuine chemistry to it.

Things get sillier and sillier with the Duke gorilla, Romana and Nona all running around the jungle with Zabor after them. We seem to be getting melodramatic when Zabor shoots at Duke and buddy Sammy takes the bullets for him. But it turns out Sammy was dreaming all of this in his niteclub dressing room! To boot, all the lead players turn out to be employed at the club (with Bela as headwaiter!). The boys put on their tuxes and go into their act with Duke singing and Sammy mugging. (here they look just like the real Martin and Lewis club act). On this upbeat note we end this wild, little film.

Although a real cheapie 50s jungle comedy, this film has it's moments and is always amazing watching the Martin & Lewis takeoff of Duke and Sammy. My DVD copy came from a label called Digiview. I was pleasantly surprised at the exellent quality of the print, it was a pleasure to watch.
Until next time, Keep on Laughing.

Bob Crosby's Bob Cats-Feb. 1940

2009-11-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

One of the most unique and musical orchestras of the Big Band era was that of vocalist Bob Crosby (1913-93), younger brother of Bing.

Many bands had gimmicks and styles that made them special, the Crosby band used traditional jazz or dixieland as the basis of it's style. The band brought many jazz classics back into the Big Band repertoire and featured a fantastic array of soloists. The Crosby band also spotlighted an 8-piece "band-within-a band" called the Bobcats. This post will celebrate 5 classic sides recorded for Decca in February of 1940.

The Crosby band grew out of a group of musicians who left the Ben Pollack band (known as the Pollack Orphans)in search of their own identity and dedication to Big Band dixieland. Bob Crosby was chosen as leader on the strength of his personality and talents as a frontman and singer. (He had a lot of Bing's vocal timbre and good humored comedic timing). The band had a great crew of jazzmen including Yank Lawson,trumpet, Matty Matlock,clarinet, Warren Smith,trombone, Bob Haggart,bass, Joe Sullivan,piano and New Orleansians Eddie Miller,tenor, Nappy Lamare,guitar and drummer Ray Bauduc.
Arrangements were spit between Matlock,Haggart and veteran Deane Kincaide(also a band saxophonist). Saxophonist Gil Rodin actually ran the band for Crosby but it was always a co-operative unit in spirit and financial gains.

By 1940 the band had undergone some personell changes, but sounded better than ever. That is where we pick up this session. First a few words about the Bob Cat members heard here:

Billy Butterfield, trumpet(1917-88)- Billy had joined the band in Sept. 1937.(from the Austin Wylie Orch.) When Yank Lawson was hired away by Tommy Dorsey, Billy took over the jazz chair with the Bob Cats. One of the most versatile trumpeters, he could play hot, sweet or lead and his beautiful pure tone was always a joy to hear.

Warren Smith, trombone (1908-75)-"Smitty" joined up in early 1937.(He had been with Abe Lyman) Some of the band members were impressed by his blowing at a jam session. He never quite lived up to that hype, but blew a solid, tailgate and later worked with many west coast dixieland groups.

Irving Fazola, clarinet(1912-49). When Matty Matlock's services were needed more as an arranger,"Faz" came into the band in March 1938. One of the great New Orleans clarinetists with a beautiful,round tone, he shines on this session.

Eddie Miller, tenor sax(1911-91) A charter member of the band and another New Orleans boy.
Eddie played one of the prettiest and swingingiest tenors(and a fine clarinet,too). He would go on to be one of the top tenor men of all time.

Jess Stacy, piano(1904-95). The Crosby band featured some great pianists starting with Joe Sullivan, Bob Zurke and Jess in Sept. 1939. Jess was one of the top piano stylists with a great backround in Chicago jazz. He came over from Benny Goodman's band and must have enjoyed the cozy surroundings of the Crosby Crew. (He had his "moments" working with Benny).

Nappy Lamare, guitar (1907-88). Another charter member and New Orleans native. Nappy played a solid rhythm guitar and contributed fun vocals. He and Ray Bauduc led bands in the postwar years.

Bob Haggart, bass (1914-98). Also Class of 1935 and ace arranger of the band. Bob was a top notch bassist and he and Yank Lawson led many fine bands in the post war years.

Ray Bauduc, drums (1906-88). Another original member and New Orleans born. One of the finest traditional drummers of all time. He took part in many Bob Cat reunions along with his work with Nappy.

And now, on to the music: The session of February 6, 1940 produced 4 classic Bob Cats sides. First up was Isham Jones' Spain, a beautiful but little recorded gem. Faz's gorgeous clarinet sound takes over the first chorus with the horns giving him light backup. Next is a sparkling Stacy solo with Miller's mellow tenor on the bridge, backed by an appropriate tango beat. Bily and the band ride out in grand style with Faz repeating his intro. A wonderful record.

Irving Berlin's All by Myself has a lovely vocal by the band's girl singer, Marian Mann. She phrased well and had a nice feel for jazz. She was highly respected by band members. Billy's pure toned lead, Eddie and Faz splitting a chorus lead to a percussive spot by Warren Smith. He wasn't a subtle player, but could swing in a hard hitting style. The outchorus has the reeds harmonized with Billy (a common Bob Cats device) and makes for a tasty outchorus.

The Tom Delaney favorite Jazz Me Blues is next. Bix Beiderbecke made this a jazz standard and the Bob Cats' rebdition is a winner! Billy leads the band thru the traditional ensemble and breaks and Faz has 2 solid choruses. (One can see where Pete Fountain came from).The riff on the outchorus has become a part of the tune. (like the "dogfight on That's a Plenty). Billy's blowing on the outchorus is as fierce as Yank's -he was so versatile.

A forgotten pop tune, Do you ever think of Me? has become a Bob Cat classic. The neat opening has Eddie playing lead with the other horns below him. (sort of a "hip" Hotel Band sound). Nappy takes a fun vocal followed by more of Faz's great horn and an inventive Stacy solo with neat reharms. Billy and the boys ride out with a nice unison break by clarinet and tenor. (a common Crosby device).

The February 28 session was mainly a feature for Marian Mann, however we have a classic version of Armand Piron's Mama's Gone , Goodbye. I'm sure the New Orleans contingent enjoyed this one. Faz opens the proceedings and Marian gives us a nice chorus backed by Billy's pungent plunger horn.(her vocal has shades of Mildred Bailey) Eddie and Smith split a chorus and the outchorus is tightly voiced, backed by Ray's choke cymbal. Although Butterfield gets no solos on these tunes, his lead, obligattos and drive show what would make him one of the top trumpeters of the century.

There are many Crosby Orchestra and Bob Cats reissues on CD. I recommend a crosscheck at Amazon or World's Records. Also insispensable is John Chilton's Stomp Off, Let's Go (Jazz Book Service-1983). This wonderful bio/discography is long out of print , but worth looking for. There will be many more Bob Cats posts, in the future.

Till then' This is the old Dave Cat saying"Happy Listening".

The Dick Robertson Sessions

2009-10-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

One of the most enjoyable but unheralded small-group jazz series of the 30s and early 40s was the Decca series under the direction of vocalist Dick Robertson. Dick was one of the busiest and most popular studio singers from the late 20s to early 40s. He had a clear, pleasant tenor voice, a bit like Eddie Howard and he could also adopt a more jazzy type voice if the occasion warranted it. He sang on many of the wonderful Gene Kardos/Joel Shaw band sides of the early 30s. The rest of his resume is like a Who's Who of jazz and dance bands. It includes Duke Ellington, Clarence Williams, Ben Pollack, Irving Mills, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Red Nichols and Freddie Rich to name just a few.

Dick's bio. is a bit sketchy. We know he was of Canadian descent and born in New York in 1903. He played violin, but his success came as a vocalist and he seemed to emerge on the New York recording scene in the late 20s. The series that would feature Dick with a tasty seven or eight piece jazz group had its origins in December of 1935 with a series of sides on the Champion label. Among the sidemen were Bunny Berigan, Al Philburn, trombone (he would be a fixture), Paul Ricci, clarinet, Forrest Crawford, tenor sax and Frank Signorelli, piano (another fixture). Unfortunately these sides weren't available for review. (Hopefully we can do a separate post down the road.) The basic style of the Robertson band was a loose, swinging style of dixieland somewhat like Tommy Dorsey's Clambake 7 and the Wingy Manone recording units. Dick usually sang a chorus and would do a vocal reprieve, but there was plenty of jazz ensemble and solo work to be enjoyed.

By December of 1936, Dick was recording for Decca where he would stay until the recording ban of July 1942. The first Decca sides had some New York studio men such as Andy McKinney, trumpet and Russ Jenner, trombone along with members of Red Norvo's band (with Red on piano). Slats Long on clarinet, Jenner and Norvo are the star soloists. Goodnight, my Love and When my Dreamboat Comes Home are excellent sides. (On Dreamboat there is a Bud Freeman- -like tenor, possibly Slats Long. Herbie Haymer is listed, but it doesn't sound like him.) The band that would work the bulk of the Robertson sides came aboard with the March 24, 1937 session.

This group, with a few personnel changes made numerous sides with Robertson and other Decca artists such as the Andrews Sisters, Lil Armstrong, the Nicholas Bros. Teddy Grace and Louis Armstrong(more on Louis' session later).. They became an "unofficial" Decca house band. Most of the sides had two trumpets along with trombone, clarinet and rhythm section. The two trumpets gave the group it's Band sound. (Occasionally only one was used.) The sound of the band was dixieland with a bit of swing creeping into the later efforts. With Dick's vocals ranging from crooner to balladeer and rhythm man, the group had a wonderfully carefree and swinging approach to pop tunes and old favorites.

The core of the 1937-42 Robertson band were Bobby Hackett and Johnny McGee ,trumpet, Al Philburn and Buddy Morrow, trombone, Don Watt, Sid Trucker and Tony Zimmers, clarinet. Frank Signorelli and Frank Froeba did most of the piano work. Haig Stevens was the bassist on just about every side. Frank Victor and Dave Barbour handled much of the guitar work and Sammy Weiss and Stan King were the resident drummers. All these men were on call for studio dates and some were playing in dance bands of the day. The dixieland ensemble and tasty solo work really put these sides over. While most of the Robertson sides are available only on 78, the Timeless label of Holland put out an excellent CD of the 1937-39 period called Dick Robertson-The New York Session Man. I can thank a good friend and collector, Ed Reynolds, for providing many of the 78s to listen to and share with you.

The sessions really came into their own with the arrival of Bobby Hackett in March of 1937. Bobby was still in his embryonic stage (see our post-Hackett-Bix session) but plays nice rolling, melodic phrases as was his hallmark. Even at this stage of his career, Bobby was a unique and tasty soloist. Most of the sides have a strong lead trumpet-usually Ralph Muzillo or John Carlsen (both lead men with many top dance bands). Al Philburn on trombone was a veteran of the California Ramblers and studio bands, he lent a nice tailgate trombone to the band. (ala T. Dorsey or PeeWee Hunt).He was occaisionly replaced by Buddy Morrow (of Big Band fame), then known as Moe Zudecoff. The clarinet chair went from studio men Paul Ricci to Sid Trucker to Don Watt a veteran of the Ted Weems band, Don stayed on the longest until Tony Zimmers took over. The piano chair was mostly the property of Frank Signorelli (of Memphis 5 and Bix-Venuti fame) and Frank Froeba of New Orleans (the original pianist with the Benny Goodman big band). Signorelli devised a cute piano intro that became the trademark of the group and was heard on most of the sides.

Some of the highlights of the Hackett period include lovely choruses on Little Old Lady, Too Marvelous for Words, You're a Sweetheart and September in the Rain (all 3/24/37). Even a "Cowboy" ballad such as My Little Buckaroo gets a nice treatment with a pretty vocal by Dick. On September, Froeba plays some tasty celesta. Other standouts include Good Mornin' (not the Singin' in the Rain favorite), Gone with the Wind, My Gal Sal and Johnny Mercer's Bob White. The other soloists never disappoint, especially Watt and the pianists. Guitarists Frank Victor and Dave Barbour also get in some tasty licks. I Want you for Christmas (10/19/37) a long-forgotten seasonal song has nice spots by all of the horns. (Bobby is very Bix-like.)

Starting with the 7/21/37 session, Bobby was occasionly replaced by Johnny McGee. McGee was a competent trumpeter who had worked with the popular Richard Himber Orchestra. He played a tasty, rhythmic horn and was a capable replacement for Bobby, if not as inventive. From 1939 on he was the permanent trumpet soloist. The session of 2/28/38 is notable for the presence of the great Jack Teagarden, filling in for Philburn. This session also introduced Tony Zimmers, a fine tenor man with Larry Clinton, who would take over the clarinet duties. His playing on these sides is wonderful and at times he sounds like Jimmy Dorsey or Artie Shaw. He stayed with the Robertson band till the end. (He died tragically in WW2).

The Teagarden session included You Went to my Head (also recorded by Fats Waller), a smooth ballad with Jack playing a Tommy Dorsey-like lead up front then jumping octaves on his solo to navigate the tune's key. (he did this flawlessly, of course). The novelty Drop a Nickel in the Slot gets a fun treatment. Dick always excelled on rhythm tunes and Jack and McGee take spirited choruses. Let's Sail away to Dreamland has nice breaks and solo spots by Jack and the pretty Goodnight Angel has some more of Jack's octave jumping on his solo and a nice spot by McGee. This was one of the best Robertson sessions.

Most of the material Dick and the band recorded were pop tunes of the day-some became standards, others disappeared quickly. The band also recorded waltzes (Come Josephine is a good example), one-steps (Oh Mama) and many patriotic songs (especially after 1941). Bobby Hackett was back for the August and September 1939 sessions - Baby Me and I Only Want a Buddy are standout sides. The very underated pianist Nat Jaffe turned up on 6/30/38 and on Who did you meet Last Night? (5/19/39) and I'm Building a Sailboat of Dreams (3/8/39) the pianist sounds a lot like the wonderful Billy Kyle. Billy was doing a lot of sessions for Decca at this time so it's very possible that he sat in on these sessions. The old George Formsby favorite, Mr. Wu( 5/10/38) gets a great treatment by the band with Dick contributing jazzy vocal choruses.

Most of the sessions from Early 1939 on featured McGee, Zimmers, Froeba and Company. Brian Rust lists the personnel as probable from here on. (from his indispensable Jazz Records). Highlights include I'm a Lucky Devil (3/8/39), a nice tune with a tasty buzz mute solo by McGee (sounding a bit like Johnny Austin of the Jan Savitt band) , nice clarinet and perhaps more of Billy Kyle. The old favorite Maybe(4/14/39) gets a pleasant dance treatment with a sweet vocal by Dick and low register clarinet by Zimmers. Comes Love(10/27/39) has nice muted McGee and Are you Havin' any Fun?(same date) has McGee on plunger trumpet and Zimmers shining on clarinet along with the usual dixieland band sound. Lilacs in the Rain(same date) has more celesta, fine solos and a dixie ride out. The novelties Ma and Oh Johnny(Nov.&Dec.1939) have spirited ensembles, fun vocals by Dick including the verses and tasty spots by Philburn, McGee and Froeba.The old favorite I Used to Love You from 1940 is an outstanding side with some swing riffs added to the dixie sound. From 1941, Blues my Naughty Sweetie gives Me has fine singing by Dick and good jazz spots for trumpet and clarinet. A forgotten ballad, My Greenwich Village Sue (Jan. 1941) showcases the band's mellow side.

Many of the band's 1941-2 sessions featured patriotic tunes, with the outbreak of WW2. Even on propaganda material like You're a Sap, Mr. Jap, we get some nice jazz solos. After the recording ban of July 1942, the Robertson band disappeared from the Decca lineup. Dick continued to sing but also got more into composing. His We Three, a big hit for the Ink Spots and Sinatra-Dorsey and Little on the Lonely Side were popular wartime favorites. He made a session for Coral in 1947 but afterward his bio. becomes sketchy again. We know he lived into his eighties. Any more information on Dick will be used as an addendum to this post.

The Dick Robertson sessions deserve greater recognition, they have some of the happiest small group jazz of the late 30s and early 40s and a stellar group of musicians headed up by the always dependable Mr. Robinson.

Along with the Timeless CD, some of these tunes can be heard on YouTube. Hopefully someone will see fit to issue another Robertson CD. Till then, there's always Ebay and yard sales.

Happy Hunting!.

The 3 Stooges-Spook Louder (1943)

2009-10-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

Once again we return to the inexhaustible supply of Three Stooges shorts. Being an October post, we revisit one of the team's many spook/scare comedies and one of this writer's favorites. The early 40s period was a golden one for the Stooges as they had become mainstays at the Columbia Shorts Dept. and had gained a huge legion of fans. The boys were in top form and this April 1943 release was a few years before Curly's stroke which affected his energy and comic timing.

Stooge director Ed Bernds pointed out how "surefire" this type of comedy was. Just about every comedian and/or comedy team (including many of the Columbia comics) took a turn or two with a Spook comedy. The Three Stooges were masters of this genre and made numerous scare shorts with Curly and Shemp. (Standouts include We Want Our Mummy, If a Body Meets a Body, Gem of a Jam, Three Pests in a Mess, The Ghost Talks, Who Done It?, Dopey Dicks, Hot Scots, Merry Mavericks and Spooks! ). No other comics could top the Stooges' reactions to ghosts, monsters and creepy foils, complete with their patented "Nnnnaaahhhhh!" when being scared. Some critics have called this entry one of their worst, but I think for pure belly laughs it's one of their funniest outings.

Spook Louder was directed by veteran Del Lord who remade one of his Mack Sennett comedies, The Great Pie Mystery. Fellow comedy veteran Clyde Bruckman handled the screenplay and as usual borrowed many classic gags from earlier comedies (as was his custom).

Several veteran members of the Stooges stock company were aboard including Stanley Blystone as the Spy Leader. Blystone was a busy Columbia supporting player, always good in villainous or authoritative roles. His work went back to silent days and he also appeared in Chaplin's Modern Times. He continued with the Stooges right into the 50s.

Ted Lorch as Graves, the Master Inventor, and Charles Middleton as his butler were real old-timers, both born in 1873. Ted appeared in many Columbias but I think this was Middleton's only Columbia short. He's best remembered as Ming, the Merciless in the Flash Gordon series (Ted was also in the series as the High Priest )and the prosecuting attorney in the Marx Bros. classic, Duck Soup . He had a great theatrical voice and is pretty much wasted here. (In one editing gaffe he seems to disappear from a scene only to pop up later). The Stoogers' favorite dowager, Symona Boniface (akin to Margaret Dumont with the Marx Bros.), has a funny bit early in the film and Lew Kelly who played "creepy" parts in a few Columbias plays Professor J.O. Dunkfeather, who tells the story of the Stooges' breaking of the Great Spy Ring to a young reporter.

The Professor's story tells of three salesmen who happen upon the home of inventor Graves. The boys are selling a weight-reducing machine. (Moe--"It also makes a great cocktail shaker.") The boys are mistaken for caretakers and are entrusted to watch Graves' home while he takes his Death Ray machine to Washington. (Propaganda gags abound in this wartime comedy.) Once the boys are in the house and Blystone and two cohorts show up in scare costumes, the hilarity never stops.

Classic gags abound and every now and then someone gets creamed with a pie by an unknown assailant, followed by fiendish laughter. When the Professor is questioned about the pie thrower, he puts off the identity till the film's climax. Among the many highlights are the Cossack clock that sings a Russian tune on the hour. (Curly--"Let's come back at 12 and hear the whole song.") Then there's the old Morse Code gag. Curly feverishly takes down the message. When Moe asks for its meaning, Curly says, "Eh eh eh eh eh" with a face slap from Moe. When Larry is queried, his response is the same along with a slap. Another cute musical gag has the boys hearing ominous piano music (Curly--" Oh, Rachmaninoff!") which turns out to be a kitten walking up and down the keyboard. (Curly--"Oh, Kitten on the Keys"--a popular piano novelty tune).

Curly and Larry have some great moments. Curly gets a balloon tied to his pants scaring all including himself, then gets wrapped up in a sheet and clobbered by Larry who takes him for a ghost! Curly also is victim to the old boxing glove in the bookcase bit and gets punched out a few times. When Larry opens the front door and finds a "skeleton spy," his hat goes flying high in the air accompanied by the perennial slide whistle effect.

Moe has his moments, too. While cowering in a rocking chair, he spots the "devil spy"in the window, resulting in his hair flying straight up in the air (courtesy of a blower). His response--"The Devil stabbed me with his pitchfork. He had flame coming out of his nose!" These exaggerations were classic Stooge bits. Later Moe brushes up against a stuffed bear and Graves' pet monkey lands on him. Moe's response--"The bear was strangling me. He ripped both my arms off."

After more pie missiles, the boys encounter the spies! Curly saves the day by accidentally lighting a nearby bomb and blowing up the spies! But the boys still get creamed with pies!

When the exasperated reporter asks Dunkfeather the eternal question, he confesses to throwing the pies as he gives out with the manic laugh. The perfect climax has him creamed with a pie as he milks the final take. Case closed!

In the long line of Spook comedies made by the Stooges and Columbia, Spook Louder is right up there with the best of them. It's available on DVD as Vol. 4 of the Sony Three Stooges collection.

Enjoy and watch out for flying pies!

Fats Waller and his Rhythm-An Affectionate Overview

2009-09-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt Thomas "Fats" Waller (1904-43) was one of the greatest of jazzmen. His huge talents rivaled his size and included amazing virtuosity on piano and organ. He was a vocalist of great flair and style and an inspired bandleader and composer of some of America's best loved standards and jazz favorites, many written with his longtime lyricist, Andy Razaf. This post will give a personal tribute to the wonderful and prolific series of small band sides known as Fats Waller and his Rhythm. In the future we will visit standout recording sessions. For now we'll highlight the series and its effect on this jazz musician and fan.

In 1934 at age 30, Fats was already a veteran jazzman. His first records were cut in 1922. His credits included solo piano--he was a master of the stride style--organ and band recordings and much freelance work with bands such as Fletcher Henderson, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Ted Lewis, Jack Teagarden and his mentor, James P. Johnson. He had also become a noted composer of jazz tunes and Harlem revues. By the 30s Fats had become better known through his radio work. His program was on Cincinatti's WLW. It had a very strong signal.

In May of 1934 Fats' manager, Phil Ponce, secured him a contract with Victor records. The format was simple: Fats, his piano, vocals and comic personality backed by a swinging 5-piece combo known as his Rhythm. The series would be one of the most successful in the history of small band jazz. From 1934-42 he produced over 400 sides!

That first session in May 1934 featured some of the core players of the Rhythm including trumpeter Herman Autrey, a fiery sometimes erratic player of the Louis Armstrong school who had many moments of brilliance in Fats' company. Guitarist Al Casey, who Fats had discovered in Cincinatti, would also be a mainstay. His strong rhythm and chord solos were trademarks of the Rhythm sound. Bassist Billy Taylor (a future Ellingtonian) and drummer Harry Dial (formerly with Fate Marable and Louis Armstrong) were solid rhythm mates. Reedman Ben Whittet, a competent player but not a jazzman, was only aboard for the initial session.

The tunes recorded at the first session were James P. Johnson's Porter's Love Song and 3 pop tunes of the day; I Wish that I Were Twins, Do Me a Favor and Armful of Sweetness. Many of these tunes were at best average pops but Fat's swinging piano, vocals and little band combined with his great comic ability--he kidded a lot of the weaker material--made these obscure tunes jazz classics. Many of them have remained in the jazz repertoire as a result of Fats' influence and style. Along with Fats' great presence, Autrey, Casey and the soon-to-arrive Gene Sedric were the primary soloists.

Gene Sedric's arrival in August of '34 gave the group it's missing ingredient. He was a gifted tenor man and clarinetist with experience in the bands of Fate Marable, Sam Wooding and Fletcher Henderson. (He hailed from St.Louis, a great jazz town). Sedric's mellow but full-toned tenor and light, limpid clarinet (with a bit of a New Orleans sound) complemented Autrey and the rest of the band perfectly. Except for a few sabbaticals, he would stay with Fats to the end.

Before the personnel settled in for a long stretch, some interesting "guest" musicians came aboard. Chicagoans Floyd O'Brien (trombone) and Mezz Mezzrow (clarinet) livened up the session of Sept. 28,1934, which featured such classics as Serenade to a Wealthy Widow, Mandy and Fats' own How Can You Face Me? The sessions of 11/7/34 and 1/5/35 had the wonderful trumpeter Bill Coleman filling in for Autrey who would soon move to Paris. His light, airy and melodic take on Louis are featured on such landmark sides as Baby Brown, Dream Man, Breakin' the Ice and I Believe in Miracles. Fats also played some organ on these sides. He was a virtouso on the instrument. Victor also started issuing non-vocal takes for domestic issue and it's interesting to hear the band's instrumental side. Another musical plus was Fats' interludes on celeste, a lovely change of pace.

From March through August 1935 veteran reedman Rudy Powell filled in for Sedric, formerly with Elmer Snowden, Sam Wooding and Rex Stewart. He possessed a dirty, raspy clarinet sound but played very pretty on alto. On one of his clarinet spots Fats exhorted, "Make that thing sweat!" Guitarist James Smith pinch hit on some sides for Casey and in Jan. 1935 Charlie Turner took over bass duties. The musical drum chair went from Dial to Arnold Bolden to Yank Porter before Slick Jones came in for a long stay. From time to time Fats fronted big bands usually including the Rhythm fleshed out with extra horns. A Dec. 1935 date featured one of these units including Autrey, Sidney de Paris, Benny Morton, Don Redman, Sedric, Powell, Bob Carroll and Emmett Matthews on soprano, who did some live dates with Fats. A great version of I Got Rhythm recreates a stage routine with Fats dueling band pianist Hank Duncan (himself a fine stride man). There is also some high flying soprano by Matthews.(Don Redman was probably musical director for this session since there were quite a few of his men aboard).

The 1935-6 edition of the Rhythm produced many classic sides: Lulu's Back in Town, Somebody Stole My Gal, I'm Crazy' bout My Baby, Rosetta, Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, "S'posin' and Until the Real Thing Comes Along. Some additional non-vocal takes were recorded. Two sides stand out to this musician: My Very Good Friend the Milkman and When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful. These tunes have been part of my repertoire for years. (The latter is my theme song.)

The format by now was pretty much set with Fats' effervescent stride and vocals followed by solos by the Rhythm and a swinging band or vocal ride out, and, of course, Fats kept things loose with his comic touches. Fats could also sing a mean ballad (try Then I'll be Tired of You) No matter how banal the material, Fats and the boys always rose to the occasion with their joyous sounds and Fats' musical and comic energy led the way. Louis Armstrong was also a master of this art.

Two personal favorites from this golden period are 12th St. Rag and Have a Little Dream on Me. Here are some reasons why they are so representative of the early Fats and Rhythm. Have a Little Dream (8/17/34) by Phil Baxter and Billy Rose is a charming little tune that probably wouldn't have gone far were it not for Fats' lovely rendering. Fats opens with some pretty piano including his trademark clusters, waterfall-like runs that enhance the solo. (Billy Taylor's slap bass is also very effective.) Fats' vocal is tame but has a few cute asides. Autrey enters with some Cootie Williams-ish plunger work. (He was very adept at the style.) Sedric gives us some rhapsodic tenor. He also plays nice backgrounds that make the group sound larger with Fats singing us home. A simple but very tasty version of a typical pop tune, Fats put just as much effort into these ditties as he did the jazz classics.

On to the wild side and 12th St. Rag.(6/24/35). The old Euday Bowman favorite gets a swinging, hilarious ride from Fats and the boys. Starting with Fats' awesome striding,(not once is the traditional melody played) , a light hearted vocal and Rudy Powell's dirty clarinet. Fats keeps the running comrntary going as Autrey plays a very Louis-ish solo leaving lots of spaces for the rhythm.(this was one of his specialties). The rideout has Autrey popping off single high notes (again the Louis influence) against Powell's clarinet and Fats' exhuberant YEHs. Fats gives us an operatic coda and the horns play a 3 Stooges lick with one last YEH from Fats. An amazing performance combining great swing and comedy. These two short examples show how much joy and jazz are to be found in the amazing recorded legacy of Fats and the band.

The period of 1936-8 saw the group rolling along with more classics such as Us on a Bus, Lounging at the Waldorf, Sin to tell a Lie, Boo Hoo, Joint is Jumpin', Fractious Fingering, I'm sorry I Made you Cry, Honey on the Moon and Fat's own Crazy 'bout my Baby and the Waller-Autrey Yacht Club Swing (for a time the group's theme). There were more non-vocal takes and two extended 10" 78s of Honeysuckle Rose and Blue Turning Grey (Apr/June 1937). These versions let Fats and the boys stretch out. Slick Jones even gets in a chorus on vibes on Honeysuckle. Slick Jones (mid 1936) and bassist Cedric Wallace (early 1938) solidified the group till the end. One noticeable difference was Autrey's use of the muted horn. . He still played great open horn, but seemed to be fascinated with the muted sound, especially buzz-mute. but seemed to be fascinated with the muted sound, especially the buzz-mute.

Another big band session in April, 1938 produces some exellent sides by Fats' working big band (including all the rhythm and future trumpeter John Hamilton). In the Gloaming, Sheik of Araby and Fats' Hold my Hand are standouts.
Fats' piano and personality were so strong that he carried two Rhythm sessions with different players and the results were exellent. A December 1937 session in Hollywood included Paul Campbell,trumpet-Caughey Roberts,reeds and Lee Young (brother of Lester) on drums. The standout track is Every Day's a Holiday with Louis-ish trumpet by Campbell.
While on tour of England in August of 1938 Fats recorded for HMV with some of England's finest players. Released as Fats and his Continental Rhythm the band featured Dave Wilkins, trumpet, George Chisolm, trombone, Ian Sheppard and Alfie Kahn,reeds. (all top men in British dance bands). Ain't Misbehavin', Flat Foot Floogie and Music, Maestro, Please are standouts and Fats' English colleagues swing along with him in grand style.

The early part of 1939 continued on a high note with sides such as Good Man is Hard to Find, Hold Tight, Undecided and 'Taint what cha Do. An interesting session of June 1939 had Chauncey Graham filling in on tenor and Larry Hinton on drums. Graham is a very able replacement for Sedric and takes great tenor solos. Autrey had one of his best sessions with nice muted and open horn. Fats' piano and vocals shine on I Used to Love You and You meet the Nicest People( a great little tune). One of Fats' lesser known originals Honey Hush also gets a nice rendition. John Smith, a fine rhythm guitarist pinch hit for Casey until April 1940. (He did some nice work with Wibur DeParis later in his career).

In August of 1939, Fats and the band made some wonderful transcription sides including Sheik of Araby, Bflat Blues, Nagasaki and Sweet Sue. These sides along with earlier transcriptions are all on CD.(The Definitive Fats-JZCL 5004) This session introduced John "Bugs"Hamilton on trumpet, he would take Autrey's place for the next two years. From St.Louis, a great trumpet town, Hamilton was a fine trumpeter with a clean sound, nice ideas and swing. He fitted perfectly into the Rhythm sound. By this time the band hit a high for musicality and sound. They didn't have the earthy charm of the earlier sides but swung just as hard. Fats hadn't let up with his great comedy-Victor was giving him some terrible novelties to record. The band did get to record some nice instrumentals including The Moon is Low, Clarinet Marmalade, Scram!, Pantin' in the Panther Room, Buck Jumpin' (featuring Al Casey) and Fats' own Mamacita and Bond Street(from his London Suite).

This later period including many great vocal sides such as I can't give you Anything but Love with his protege, pianist/vocalist Una Mae Carlisle (she deserves a future post) , Everybody Loves my Baby, Let's get away from it All, 24 Robbers and a charming rendition of Little Curly Hair in a Highchair(this could have been a disaster in anybody else's hands). Fats also played Hammond organ on some of these sides.
The big band was back for sessions on July 1941 and March 1942. Two instrumentals Chant of the Groove and Fats' lovely Jitterbug Waltz(with Fats on organ) stand out. Herman Autry was in on these big band sessions and returned to the Rhythm for the session of Dec. 1941 Arthur Trappier had taken over on drums. (Wallace, Casey and Sedric still held forth). A lovely seasonal tune, Winter Weather was waxed. Hamilton was back for the final Rhythm session of July 1942. A nifty Fats-Razaf tune, Up Jumped You with Love is a highlight. The tune has all the hallmarks of the Rhythm-great piano solo and humorous vocal, a nifty riff with solo spots for the horns and Casey and Fats riding home on the vocal. Fats and the boys also appeared in some film soundies at this time.

A special version of the Rhythm appeared with Fats in the film Stormy Weather. The band included Benny Carter on trumpet, Zutty Singleton,drums, Gene Porter,reeds and Slam Stewart,bass. In the film they played a great version of Ain't Misbehavin'. The cut Moppin' and Boppin' featuring Zutty is heard briefly. Both these sides came out on Victor. Fats had always been a notorious drinker and party person. On December 15, 1943 while on a train out of Kansas City, Fats left us, much too early. The cause of death was pneumonia just lived to hard during his 39 years on earth. Thankfully we have this immense legacy of music to enjoy and as long as people can enjoy great,swinging music and a good laugh, Fats will always be with us.

On a personal note, I've had a wonderful and interesting odyssey collecting these wonderful Rhythm sides in the Boston area. Starting with two wonderful Victor lps-One Never Knows,Do One? and Handful of Keys. These featured many of the Rhythm classics plus a couple of Fats' piano solos. Victor also added Ain't Misbehavin' (with many of the hit standards) and a Camden lp, The Real Fats Waller (more Rhythm and some of the transcriptions).(I purchased many of these at the Concord Music Shop, where I later worked) In the 60s, Victors' Vintage Series issued 5 great lps of Rhythm sides with a few piano solos to boot. In the late 60s, French RCA issued two 5lp Memorial sets with many Rhythm classics and piano/organ solos. Finally they issued single lps that covered the entire Waller output for Victor! I got most of these at the Harvard Coop in Cambridge from a fellow musical colleague Mark Pucci, who was working in the record dept.

The CD era has given us the Classics series of Complete Fats and the Bluebird Complete set on 6 volumes of CD boxes. If Fats had lived longer, I'm sure he would have continued with the Rhythm and expanded his great composing gifts. Fats is still swingin' and singin' in the 21st Century and will for many more to come.

As Fats would say-My, My, Latch On!

Louis and the Angels (1957)

2009-09-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

In the course of Louis Armstrong's illustrious career he made many sessions for the Decca label. The sessions of 1949-58 with studio groups led by Gordon Jenkins and Sy Oliver have been lopped into the "commercial" category (or what used to be labeled Popular at record stores). Commercial yes, because they are pop tunes with strings, voices and saxes but Louis never played anything without the pulse of pure jazz and these sides show more of his unflagging genius. The Decca album, Louis and the Angels, is a personal favorite.

Concept or theme albums were very popular in the 1950s and 60s. Many singers and bands made albums featuring songs with girl or boy names, geographic titles, college songs, composer tributes and songs of certain decades. In this case Louis sings and plays songs with "angel" or "heaven" as a common theme with the assistance of the great arranger Sy Oliver and his studio orchestra and chorus. (Pete Fountain made a similar album in the 60s).

Despite the angelic voices, flutes, harps and cute orchestral interludes, Pops scats and swings thru these evergreens with the same artistry of his Hot 5 and 7s. The sessions of January 29/30, 1957 came on the heels of Louis' immense Autobiography collection (see our earlier post) and Pops was at the top of his game and his great comic gifts are a plus to this fun set.

Sy Oliver, the great arranger of Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey fame (and a fine trumpeter himself) did much of the Autobiography arranging, especially the "big band" sides of 1929-34. He worked extremely well with Louis and contributes some wonderful charts to the album. He also does a nice job of varying the order of Louis' vocal and horn work with the choir. We also get the bonus of two Louis trumpet features. Several of the studio musicians worked on the Autobiography, including saxists George Dorsey, Dave McRae and Lucky Thompson. Guitarist Everett Barksdale worked many of Louis' sessions into the late 60s and Louis' regular pianist Billy Kyle is aboard. Lillian Clark, the lead female voice was Sy's wife and sang with the Sentimentalists (alias Clark Sisters) in the Dorsey days. Another bonus of the album is hearing Louis play many great standards that were not part of his All-Stars book.

Here's the playlist:

When did you Leave Heaven?-A nice Richard Whiting tune recorded by Mel Powell in the 40s.(with Benny Goodman sitting in as "Shoeless Joe Jackson!). Pops opens with a lovely muted chorus. The strings take the bridge with trumpet obligatto. The choir vamps as Louis comes to the mike for a lovely chorus playing off the choir. Pops closes with one of his classic horn-like vocal cadenzas.

You're a Heavenly Thing- Written by vocalist/bandleader Little Jack Little and featured at a memorable Benny Goodman Orch. date of 1935 with Jack Teagarden filling in. Louis gives us a nice muted horn intro over band chords. The choir takes the lead with Pops' scat replies. On the bridge Pops and the singers swap leads. A tangy muted solo follows with a cute Louis break by the strings and Pops takes the bridge home. The strings do the coda with Pops adding a Big YEH!.

I Married an Angel- A lovely Richard Rodgers standard. Chet Baker and Zoot Sims made a beautiful rendition in the 50s. Pops sings it in with the choir doing the bridge. (Sy's handoffs of the lead between Pops and Choir are neat). Pops' trumpet solo is mellow with subtle variations. (the choir joins him with light melody). The coda is classic Louis ending up high. (This chart is reminicent of some of Sy's Autobiography work).

A Sinner Kissed an Angel- Frank Sinatra introduced this Mack Gordon tune in 1941 with Tommy Dorsey as did Dick Haymes with Harry James. Louis' opening trumpet has that behind the beat feel that only Pops could navigate and swing. A nice Alto break leads us into a delightful Pops vocal. The choir has the bridge with Pops scatting. Louis rides us out vocally. A nice rendition of a tune deserving more plays.

Angela Mia- The first of two trumpet features and a nice change of pace. The tune is quite obscure but pretty. Louis' opening expose of the melody is wonderful and the choir takes the bridge (Pops backs them up)with Louis finishing. The choir gives us some of the lyrics with Pops' lovely obligatto then it's open horn out. The closing solo over stop time takes us back to the Hot 5 days and the operatic coda is Pure Pops. Lovely stuff!

Angel Child.- Another relative obscurity but a cute tune. Reggie Phillips, a wonderful Boston stride pianist used to play this tune a lot. Pops gives us a bright opening vocal chorus in G then trades leads with the choir. Billy Kyle takes the break into Dflat and Pops is wailing the melody up high. His last 6 repeated notes up to a shaken high Dflat are awesome. Those high note shakes never fail to thrill.

And the Angels Sing- A big hit for Benny Goodman in 1939, written and played by trumpet great Ziggy Elman (with lyrics by Johnny Mercer). Louis gets to salute another horn man on his other trumpet feature. Pops plays Ziggy's melody fairly straight (the voices echo some of the Goodman licks as do the strings). Billy Kyle picks up Pops' chorus with some of his tasty keyboard work. Pops returns echoing the voices and uncorks a great break, finishing up high with some of Ziggy's original lines. Ziggy was still alive and well in 1957, I'm sure he was thrilled with Pops' rendition.

Fools Rush In-A great standard by Rube Bloom(with more lyrics from Mr.Mercer). Frank and Dorsey introduced it and Ricky Nelson had a revival hit in the 50s. The voices lead off with an original intro (hear the song of a fool...) and Pops sings a chorus with a nice scat break. The strings pick up the lead and on the second chorus Pops' gives us more muted obligatto followed by a lovely solo. The choir and Louis split the finale with Louis returning to the vocal intro. A nice Oliver chart.

I'll String along with You- Another standard, this time by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. No trumpet but plenty of great vocalizing by Pops. The voices bring Louis in for a chorus and he trades scats and leads with them on the second chorus. Pops rides things home with the choir handling the coda.

Angel-A cute but rather obscure tune from 1940 (comp. Peter DeRose and Mitchell Parish) and recorded that year by Georgie Auld and the Artie Shaw refugees (Artie had junked the band). The voices lead off in Dflat with nice muted fills by Pops. A modulation to F has more trumpet backed by rocking saxes and another killer break leading to more Billy Kyle piano. We move to back to Dflat for Louis' vocal. (the girls have a cute response to his opening line). Sy's Jimmie Lunceford style is very evident here.

The Prisoner's Song- One of the highlights of the album. The old folk song made famous by Vernon Dalhart and later by Bunny Berigan in the swing era gets a swinging ride by Pops and Sy. Sy's chart with the rocking saxes is very reminicent of his You Rascal ,You chart on Autobiography.
Like on Rascal, Pops goes back and forth with vocal and trumpet (Eflat to F). His solos are red hot and full of intensity. When he comes to the line..If I had the wings of an Angel, Pops tells us "I was wonderin' how that song got in" then proceeds to wail over the band and singers in Aflat with another huge highEflat ending. Pops also calls out the name Robert twice-perhaps a studio guest?

Goodnight, Angel- We wrap up the Angelic party with a lovely ballad from 1937 (recorded that year by Artie Shaw and Dick Robertson). Many Louis fans have noted a similarity to his Someday,You'll be Sorry on the first four bars. Pops may have remembered this tune, but it's probably just a case of sound-alike. Louis intros with a horn-like vocal, the choir takes the lead with some muted backround (unfortunetly it dissapears after a few bars). Louis sings the next chorus with much feeling and scats a nifty coda.

I'd also like to mention the cute cover art with Louis, wings superimposed behind him and a halo over his head with a visible string. (reminds me of those great Ed Wood special effects). The album is on a Verve CD and also a British MCA (along with Louis and the Good Book-another great Pops/Sy collaboration).

Louis has been up there swinging with the angels since 1971, but thankfully his amazing musical gifts will be around forever.

If you've passed on this album, thinking it's a lame concept lp, well you're in for a Heavenly treat with Louis and the Angels.

Special thanks to my good friend and fellow Louis nut, Phil Person, for his help on key identifications. Great ears, Phil!

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

2009-08-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is our first post on the wonderful comedy team of Bud Abbott (1895-1974) and Lou Costello (1906-59). Along with the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Bros. they are among my all-time comedy heroes.

The boys became a team in vaudeville in the 30s and quickly rose to stardom in radio and finally films, becoming the star comics of the 40s and early 50s and becoming one of Universal Studio's biggest money makers.

This film, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), a personal favorite, was ironically their last for Universal. A series of sub-par outings, the ascension of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and the power of television had all contributed to their demise at Universal. However, they went out with a very funny and worthwhile swan song.

The boys had met most of the classic Universal monsters starting with A&C Meet Frankenstein, one of their very best films. So it was an easy task to pair them with another Universal horror staple, The Mummy.

The threadbare plot (the best kind for slapstick) involved the boys trying to clear themselves of the murder of archeologist Dr. Zoomer, who they applied to for the job of "accompanying his Mummy to the states!" They get mixed up with treasure hunting crooks led by sultry Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor), the cult of the mummy Klaris led by Semu (Richard Deacon in his pre -Leave it to Beaver and Dick Van Dyke Show days) and a host of cops, waiters, natives and other assorted foils.

Cute Peggy King, a popular singer and regular on the George Gobel show, wanders into a nightclub setting to sing "You came a Long way from St.Louis." The boys are in good form as they are put through their usual slapstick paces and get in a few of their patented verbal routines. Bud, approaching 60, is not as nasty as he was in the early films. (He could be downright cruel!) He does get in his usual quota of slaps and pushes on Costello. Lou, despite some recent bouts with rheumatic fever, is as energetic and full of fun as ever. In the end credits the boys are listed as Pete Patterson (Bud) and Freddie Franklin (Lou) but these names are not used and they just call themselves Abbott and Costello.

Also along for the ride as Rontru's cohorts are Michael Ansara, from the TV classic Broken Arrow (Charlie) and veteran character actor Dan Seymour (Josef). Fans of the B classic, Little Shop of Horrors will enjoy seeing Mel Welles (Mushnick,the Florist) as Semu's henchman, Iben. Veteran Universal stuntman Eddie Parker plays Klaris, the Mummy. The film was directed by Charles Lamont, a veteran of the Sennett and Christie studios who had piloted many A&C comedies (including some of their worst!).

The film moves at a leisurely pace and Bud and Lou seem to be having a good time. There are many comic highlights in the film, here are some of my favorites:

The old Vaudeville gag of a girl speaking in French to Bud who replies with "Lady, I can't!" Lou's response is "Hey Bud, maybe I can!"

An A&C standby where the body of Dr. Zoomer keeps moving from room to room much to Lou's dismay and cries of "Hey Abbott!"

Lou's snake-charming efforts on flute resulting in a response from a very live snake and the old rope trick with Bud getting a lift thanks to Lou's flute-tooting.

The sacred medallion that leads to the treasure brings death to whoever possesses it. Bud plops it into Lou's hamburger. Lou eats the medallion, of course, and the crooks X-ray him and then try to throttle the medallion out of him.

A return to their "Who's on First" roots with a clever John Grant routine involving picks and shovels." My pick is the pick. Your pick is the shovel." You get the idea.

The film's climax in the tomb has three mummies running around, Klaris and Bud and Charlie posing as him. This is good stuff with lots of double takes and screams.

The film's coda has a neat scene where the boys have opened the Kafe Klaris. The entire band is decked out as mummies and Lou does the old slip into a one-piece tuxedo gag, resulting in a slap from Bud. When Bud toots on the flute and a beautiful girl emerges from a vase, Lou tries it only to meet up with another snake and a classic Costello pratfall to close out the show.

There are also some unintentionally funny bits including some Egyptian dance routines, Richard Deacon's hammy performance as Semu and some "infidel" references for good measure.

Despite good reviews, the film did only so-so at the box office and spelled their end at Universal.

Bud and Lou made one last film, Dance with Me Henry (1956), a pleasant but mediocre film about the boys running an amusement park and getting into a money mix up with gangsters.

In 1957 the team split. Lou did solo appearances including the Steve Allen Show, Wagon Train and the Minsky's Show in Vegas. He also made a cute comedy for Columbia, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), a take off on the 50 Foot Woman with Dorothy Provine as his girlfriend and title character. In March of 1959 we lost Lou to a heart attack. Bud was devastated and the world of comedy lost a little giant.

Bud took things easy, although he did a G.E. Theatre episode and briefly teamed up with musician/comic Candy Candido. In 1967 he voiced a series of Abbott and Costello cartoons. (Stan Irwin voiced Lou). The cartoons are so-so, but it's fun to hear Bud's gravelly voice again. In later years Bud was dogged by tax problems and was living at the Motion Pictures Actor's Home in Hollywood. He passed from cancer in April of 1974. The greatest straight man went up to join his partner.

For the "daddy" of all mummy comedies, check out our post on the Three Stooges' We Want our Mummy (1939). Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is available on Universal DVD. Next time out, we'll explore the boys' wonderful TV show of the early 50s.

Till then, I'm going to try to find out Who's on First?

Bobby Hackett-Bix Session (1940)

2009-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

T0 his is our first post on the wonderful cornetist Bobby Hackett (1915-76). It won't be the last. Bobby was one of the most melodic and creative soloists in the field of traditional jazz and swing. No less than Louis Armstrong cited Bobby as having the "best ingredients" in referring to his skills as an improviser.

This interesting session came about during Bobby's tenure with the Horace Heidt Orchestra. (Sept. 1939-June 1940). Starting as a guitarist in the New England area and soon doubling on cornet, Bobby rapidly became a popular freelancer and sideman before leading an ill-fated big band in 1939. The band was a musical success but not financially. At this point in his career Bobby was frequently compared to Bix Beiderbecke and even did a guest spot at Benny Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert playing Bix's solo on I'm Comin' Virginia. Heidt was a showman who led a large entertainment unit (he was the Lawrence Welk of the day). Alvino Rey and the King Sisters had just left Heidt and his current band featured Frankie Carle on piano and Art Carney was a featured singer and comic.

Heidt saved Bobby at a time when the big band venture had left him in financial straights. His role in the band was similar to Bix's with Paul Whiteman in providing some jazz punch. This session for Vocalion billed as Horace Heidt Presents gave Bobby the spotlight on two Bix classics and two old favorites. The band consisted of Heidt sidemen (including Carle) with Bobby's former big band drummer Don Carter sitting in. On some issues Bobby is credited as arranger. This is quite possible as Bobby did some arranging for his big band and certainly knew the Bix solos and routines. The results feature some prime early Hackett work.

On January 25, 1940 the band recorded That Old Gang of Mine and Clarinet Marmalade. Singin' the Blues and After I say I'm Sorry were also waxed but were rejected and remade. On January 31, Old Gang and After I say were remade and on February 1, Singin' the Blues was reworked. The Tempo Twisters vocal group sings on Old Gang and there's an unknown vocalist on After I say I'm Sorry (perhaps one of the band members). Here are some of the musical highlights.

That Old Gang of Mine: opens with some nice Bobby dancing around the organ tones of the band and taking a nimble break into the melody (trombone handles the bridge). A modulation brings on the Tempo Twisters in a style reminiscent of The Modernaires with nice obbligato by Bobby. (He was a master at vocal accompaniment.) Following an arranged dixie spot and Dorsey-like trombone, Bobby is back with more mellow blowing , a clarinet spot (Bob Reidel) and tasty coda.

Clarinet Marmalade: much of the original Bix-Trumbauer original is retained in this tasty chart. Bobby's two chorus solo is a gem of twisting, melodic phrases with some of Bix's licks included. Jerry Borshard (trombone) and Frankie Carle have spots before Bobby and the band ride home usung Bix's original solo as an arranged band passage. Nice Stuff!

What can I say After I say I'm Sorry?: another winding melodic intro over sustained chords brings on an opening dixie passage reminiscent of the Pete Kelly band. Bobby weaves into the unknown vocalist with nice backup. After the vocal Bobby comes in with some repeated notes and a Bix-like but pretty chorus. At this point Bobby's embouchure was still a little weak in spots. (He would soon correct that.) A nice arranged ensemble takes us home.

Singin' the Blues: opens with a quote from Bix's I'm Comin' Virginia. The ensemble plays the melody with pretty cup mute obbligato by Bobby. He takes over the lead for the middle followed by George Dessinger's tenor. Bobby's chorus is full of lovely Bix-like lines including some of the original but mainly pure Hackett. The closing ensemble again uses Bix's original solo as a scored passage. Bobby plays Bix's original break and tenor and ensemble take us home.

The Heidt boys must have had a ball playing some relaxed, swinging jazz under the leadership of Bobby, one of the nicest guys in the business. There may be a lead trumpet on some of the ensembles. (Bernie Mattinson was listed, but he was Heidt's drummer).

After Heidt Bobby went with the great Glenn Miller band from July 1941 to September 1942. Glenn loved his playing and brought him in on guitar--Bobby was recovering from dental surgery--and cornet solos. Bobby's solo on String of Pearls has become a classic and is still played to this day. Bobby also had a stint with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra from October 1944 to September 1946. By the post war years he had developed into a seasoned pro and had conquered his technical problems.

The Bobby Hackett of the 50s and 60s was a consummate jazzman who also reached the general public through his Mood Music albums with Jackie Gleason and under his own name.

Two CDs provide a good account of this session-, Classics CD, No. 890 and Past Perfect CD, Poor Butterfly, though, alas, these may be out of print.

We will be revisiting the great Hackett horn many times on this blog.

The Five Pennies (1959)

2009-07-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Next up in our Hollywood jazz series is a personal favorite, The Five Pennies, the story of jazz great and cornetist Loring "Red" Nichols (1905-65). Although a rather poor characterization of the real Nichols and his career, this film is nevertheless extremely entertaining and has many fine moments.

The real Red Nichols was an excellent cornetist who developed his own personal take on the Bix Beiderbecke style of playing. Red was also a consummate studio player and organizer and was one of the busiest jazzmen of the 1920s. He was not the cut-up and loose canon as played by Danny Kaye- rather a businesslike, pleasant, hard working musician. Many future jazz stars such as Jack Teagarden, the Dorseys, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Gene Krupa worked for Red. However, the film makes up for it's faults with outstanding music ghosted by the real Nichols and by the great Louis Armstrong onscreen.

Although Kaye is given a few too many comic bits, he shows his dramatic range in the film's later stages when Red deals with his daughter's polio and temporarily drops out of music. (The scene where he throws his horn off a bridge into the water is a very powerful moment).

The movie was planned as early as 1954 as Intermission, based on a short story by Robert Smith who had written a Mickey Rooney film, Quicksand, that featured an appearance by Red and his band. Van Johnson was originally planned for the lead. In October of 1956, Red was the focus of TV's This Is your Life which brought his story to the public and reunited him with family and friends including music pals Jimmy Dorsey, Miff Mole, Jack and Charlie Teagarden, Artie Schutt, Vic Engle and Phil Harris. In December of 1956 Paramount began planning the Five Pennies film with Danny Kaye in the lead.

Also featured were Barbara Bel Geddes (later known as Miss Ellie on Dallas) as Red's vocalist and wife, Bobbie--her vocals were dubbed by Eileen Wilson, a top studio singer--, Susan Gordon (and later Tuesday Weld) as daughter, Dorothy, Harry Guardino as friend and manager Tony Valani and Bob Crosby as society bandleader Will Paradise. (These last two characters were fictional).

A host of real life musicians were also cast including Ray Anthony as Jimmy Dorsey, Bobby Troup as Artie Schutt and Shelly Manne as Dave Tough. (He would also play him in the Gene Krupa Story.) Glenn Miller was played by actor Ray Daley. There is also a rumor that Red himself made a cameo in the Cliquot Club Eskimo sequence. Due to Red's poor relations with Benny Goodman, his name was left out as was Gene Krupa's due to the upcoming bio on him.

Along with Red's cornet work and Louis' peerless horn and vocals were many contributions from some of Hollywood's finest arrangers and musicians. Their work made this film so memorable. Leith Stevens (former bandleader of the Saturday Nite Swing Club) was the musical director and co-ordinator of the score. The bulk of the jazz charts were done by Heinie Beau, an excellent clarinetist and arranger and a long time colleague of Red's. (He also contributed fine clarinet work). Heinie excelled at big band and Dixieland and did a great job recreating the Nichols sound. Also making contributions were Red's excellent pianist, Bobby Hammack, Lou Halme, Benny Carter (also alto solos) and Alexander Courage (later of Star Trek fame).

Danny's wife, Sylvia Fine, who wrote a lot of his special material, wrote four new songs for the film. Goodnight-Sleep Tight, Five Pennies and Lullaby in Ragtime were all cleverly worked into a round sung by Danny, Louis and the talented young Miss Gordon. (She beat out 500 girls for the part!) The other tune, Follow the Leader, is a fun Charleston number performed at a college dance sequence. Her special lyrics to the Saints sung by Danny and Louis is one of the films' finest numbers, even though it has nothing to do with Red. The clever lines throw in all kinds of references to classical composers: Do you dig Rachmaninoff?-On and Off; Put Listz on that List; Gustav Mahler-Don't forget Fats Waller etc.). Louis and Danny also performed the number on a USO Christmas show in late 1958 (a warm up for the movie) and on Danny's October 1960 special.

Among the fine studio musicians were Dick Cathcart, Bobby Goodrich, Clyde Hurley, Moe Schneider, Eddie Miller, Wayne Songer, Stan Wrightsman, George Van Eps, Morty Corb and Nick Fatool. Also heard were Nichols regulars Pete Beilman (trombone), Joe Rushton (bass sax) and Gene Plummer (piano) along with Heinie's clarinet. Even the great studio trumpeter, Mannie Klein, was used for a "klezmer" type horn bit. These players all had much big band and Dixieland experience and their contributions enhance the arrangements.

The film was directed by Mel Shavelson who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jack Rose. The basis of the story is Red's arrival in NYC from Ogden, Utah in 1924 to seek his fortune as a jazzman and dance band musician. His meeting with Louis Armstrong, vocalist Bobbie Meredith (soon to be his wife) and sax man turned manager, Tony Valani, are the core of the story. A true life incident saw Red and Bobbie's daughter, Dorothy, contract polio and Red's semi-retirement from music to care for her. He did some defense work during the war but also played part-time and did some recording for Capitol and transcriptions. He also had a short stint with the Casa Loma Orch. in early 1944.(In the film he has given up music completely).

The later scenes where Red makes his comeback in music are nicely played by Kaye, Bel Geddes and Tuesday Weld as the teenager, Dorothy. On This Is your Life, Dorothy mentioned how she surprised Red on one of his club dates by getting out on the dance floor. (Her medical condition had improved). This touching scene is reprised in the film's finale. The scenes with Louis and Red's other musician pals making Red's dubious club opening a smash is predicable Hollywood, but still very effective. At times one thinks it's the Danny Kaye Show and not the story of Red Nichols. However, Louis shines in all his scenes; the man was a natural actor. (Occasionally in films like Glory Alley and A Man Called Adam he was given meatier parts). Pops shows his keen comic timing throughout, especially in the scene when Red tries to sit in at Pops' gig, a bit tipsy from drink. When Red proclaims himself the "greatest cornet player in Ogden, Utah," Louis retorts, "North Ogden or South Ogden?" Red's great version of Battle Hymn of the Republic is heard in this sequence along with a super Louis take on After You've Gone.(When Red and Louis did met in the 20s, they engaged in friendly sessions trading ideas and styles).

The music is the film's solid selling point and it doesn't disappoint. Red's own cornet playing is a standout. Approaching age 54 , Red never sounded better. His brassy melodic tones are heard to advantage as his mid 50s Capitol recordings attest. The Armstrong vocals and solos along with the top studio men are so wonderful that the film's shortcomings are quickly forgotten. Many great standards are heard including JaDa, Indiana, That's a Plenty and Bill Bailey.

Dot records released the soundtrack LP of most of the musical highlights in 1959. (It's now on CD through Universal/Decca-Broadway). The film bolstered Red's career greatly. (He was working around L.A. and recording for Capitol). Red himself made a wonderful album for Capitol in April 1959 called Meet the Five Pennies featuring many of the films studio men, arrangements by Heinie Beau and most of the songs from the film. It is out of print but worth hunting for. (Red's Capitol output would make a great Mosaic set). Red passed on in June of 1965 while playing a date in Las Vegas.

Also worth noting is the Castle Jazz Band Plays the Five Pennies (Good Time Jazz, 1959). This excellent trad band led by banjoist/vocalist Monte Ballou made two reunion LPs for GTJ in 1957 and 1959. Don Kinch, George Bruns, Bob Short and Co. do great work on the standards and fine originals. GTJ put it on CD, but it is currently out of print. (Ebay or a used CD store are the best bets). The DVD of the film is available from Paramount.

The Five Pennies is great entertainment with wonderful music. Don't expect an accurate, historical portrait of Red Nichols. You'll still be entertained and with Red Nichol's music, Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong and such a wonderful cast, you can't go wrong.

Special thanks to Steve Cooper of Chicago, a fine trumpeter and bandleader. Steve is an expert player and historian of Red's music and I appreciate his input on this post.

These Five Pennies will give you Dividends of Delight!

Bing with a Beat (RCA 1957)

2009-06-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

In the course of our post on Scobey and Clancy Raid the Juke Box, we mentioned this wonderful album. Bing with a Beat is certainly one of the jazz highlights of Bing's illustrious career and an equally fine addition to the prolific Bob Scobey discography. We can thank Will Friedwald and his great book Jazz Singers (Scribner's 1990) for bringing this session some latter day prominence.

Bing seemed at his happiest in the company of jazz players and singers (Louis, Bix, Boswells, Teagarden, Bob Cats to name a few). He also gave out with some of his best work in such company.

Bob Scobey's albums for RCA (1957-60) started out more commercially with a Bob Crosby flair and many studio pros added to the Frisco Jazz Band. (Matty Matlock and Bill Stegmeyer, Crosby veterans arranged some of them). Eventually the smaller Frisco band came back on the later RCAs. The meeting with Bing used a slightly enlarged band arranged by Matlock (also a favorite arranger of Bing's). The result is structured but still allows for many free-wheeling ensembles and solo spots by Bob, Matty, Abe Lincoln and Ralph Sutton.

Bing in turn gives out with some of his richest tones, jazziest phrases and cleverest jibes. Our only regret is that the producers didn't have the foresight to give Bing and Clancy Hayes a vocal duet. (Clancy strums rhythm guitar throughout). This would have been a great treat for fans of both singers. (I'm sure they both admired each other's work.)

The session was recorded on February 19 and 20, 1957 with Bob and Frank Beach-trumpets, Abe Lincoln-trombone, Matty Matlock-clarinet and arranger, Ralph Sutton-piano, Clancy Hayes-guitar, Red Callendar-bass, Dave Harris-tenor sax, Nick Fatool-drums. The tunes are a mixture of old favorites and some little heard evergreens. Here's the Playlist:

Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella- The album starts with the first of many verses sung by Bing with Nick's rimshots and Ralph's piano comps as backup. Bob leads the band on a spirited ensemble with a Bud Freeman-ish tenor spot by Dave Harris (a talented studio man, once with the Raymond Scott Quintette). This is a nice Bob Crosby-like chart by Matty and a great opener.

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter- After a nice intro by Frank Beach (another great studio pro), Bing sings the rarely heard verse before going into tempo with nice obligatto by Bob, who leads a swinging ensemble followed by Ralph's Waller inspired solo. Bing closes with some special patter complimenting the boys.

Along the Way to Waikkiki- A real old timer by Richard Whiting and Gus Kahn from 1917. Bing had an affinity for Hawaiian tunes and this relaxed tune is given a nice ride thanks to Matty's chart with more Scobey horn and Sutton piano. Matty also uses a favorite Bob Cats device, the clarinet/tenor voicing.

Exactly like You- The great Jimmy McHugh standard is in good hands with Bing, Bob and Matty. The clever intro riff is later repeated as a scat spot for Bing. Bob and Ralph get solo honors. (Ralph was a regular member of the Scobey band at the time.)

Dream a Little Dream of Me- Made popular by Louis and Ella, this goodie gets a lovely ballad rendering by Bing. During Bob's solo Bing gets off some of his loose funnies-"You ain't Dreamin', You is Awake!" On the out chorus Bing throws a litle gravel in his voice for effect and hits a nice low ending (shades of Larry Hooper-that's for the Welk fans).

Last Night on the Back Porch- A 1914 chestnut gets a swinging Matlock arrangement. Bing gives another nice verse and Bob and the boys swing nicely with some Abe Lincoln trombone to boot. More classic Crosby chatter-"I gave her my Frat Pin" and "Maw went Shoppin'" keep things loose. The band coda is right out of the Bob Crosby book.

Some Sunny Day- A very breezy Bing with some more gravel on this Irving Berlin tune. Dave Harris gets into an Eddie Miller mood (with a few modern touches) and Matty has a nice spot.

Whispering- Made popular by Bing's old boss, Paul Whiteman. Bing counts in to the verse. During Bob's driving solo, Bing has some more cute lines.

Tell Me- A very pretty oldie. (The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded it in 1920). A nice Matlock dance chart with muted brass and double clarinets and more Miller-ish tenor. The tune also appeared in the films For Me and My Gal and On Moonlight Bay.

Mack the Knife- Bing gives us a sighing count off with more cute comments. Bob has some tangy solos and obliggato. Matty uses a clever Coal Cart Blues riff on the out chorus in homage to Louis.

Down among the Sheltering Palms- Another mellow Matlock chart with Bing on the pretty verse and backed by more muted brass and clarinets on the chorus. Bob's solo is very pretty and burnished with nice brushwork by Nick.

Mama Loves Papa- We close out the show with the opening verse routine of rimshot and piano. Bing's at his jazziest best. Bob and the band have a great jam chorus with some more Sutton piano. Bing's comments are classic- "So Shangri." (as in Shangri-La) and "Mater loves Pater.".A fun finale to a wonderful album.

This is a great session for jazz fans and fans of great jazz singing. If you're not familiar with Bing's jazz side or the Scobey horn, you're in for a treat.

The CD is available from Bluebird.

Till next time- Keep Bingin' with a Beat

Addendum- Would also like to mention an exellent album Bob made in 1955 for Contemporary with Claire Austin. Claire was a housewife who had a talent for blues and jazz and worked and recorded with Turk Murphy in the early 50s. This session finds her in a Lee Wiley-Mildred Bailey type groove singing some great standards backed by Stan Wrightsman, piano- Morty Corb, bass- Shelly Manne, drums and Bob, trumpet. Bob gets in some beautiful solos and obligattos and Claire's singing is rich and warm.
The Contemporary CD also includes a 10 inch lp session Claire made with Kid Ory in 1954.

The Firehouse Five Plus Two

2009-04-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular bands of the west coast traditional jazz revival of the late 40s/early 50s was the Firehouse Five plus Two of Los Angeles (from here on the FH5). The band with their colorful appearance, comedic timing and great musicianship brought the sounds of classic jazz to many moldy figs and casual fans. Along with the Dukes of Dixieland, this writer and young trumpet student learned a lot about this wonderful music from the FH5.

The band was the brainchild of trombonist Ward Kimball, an ace animator and director at Walt Disney Studios. (Ward was one of the "grand old men" who created some of Disney's most beloved characters.) Ward was a rough and ready trombonist, but he had his moments and his enthusiasm and wit were hallmarks of the band. Ward started the band around 1945 as a lunchtime hobby with fellow Disney-ites Clarke Mallory (clarinet), Ed Penner (bass sax and later tuba), Jim McDonald (drums) and Frank Thomas (pian0; another "grand old man). All the band members loved traditional jazz and dixieland and had played with jazz greats such as Kid Ory, Joe Darensbourg, Minor Hall, Albert Nicholas and Zutty Singleton. The band was originally billed as the Huggageedy 8 then the San Gabriel Valley Blue Blowers.

The FH5 came about when Ward and wife Betty, members of the S. California Horseless Carriage Club, brought the band to a caravan. To accommodate the group, Ward and Co. bought a 1914 LaFrance fire truck to play on and dressed the band in red shirts, suspenders and fire helmets. This would be the colorful uniform that attracted their legions of fans. By this time, Johnny Lucas, a talented Los Angeles trumpeter and Harper Goff, a free-lance artist had joined the crew. More casual jobs followed, along with a Monday night series at LA's Beverly Cavern, a popular spot for trad jazz, including the Kid Ory band.

The big break came in 1949 when record producer Les Koenig signed the band for a date on his Good Time Jazz label. Good Time Jazz would soon be one of the major trad labels featuring the likes of Lu Watters, Kid Ory, Turk Murphy, Bob Scobey and the Castle Jazz Band to name a few. That first session on May 13, 1949 featured Firehouse Stomp, Blues my Naught Sweeties Gives to Me, Fireman's Lament and San. Luca's trumpet work is a standout, but all the players were competent jazzmen and their enthusiasm and comic touches (fire sirens, gongs, slapsticks, band vocals and Spike Jones-ish effects) made them unique and infectious. These first sides and the ensuing recordings came out on 78 rpm and would eventually be collated into 10 and 12 inch LPs. Most of the pre-1954 sides were issued on 3 LPs as the Firehouse Five Story.

On the October 8, 1949 session Lucas and MacDonald were replaced by Danny Alguire and Monte Mountjoy. Monte was a veteran of the Tiny Hill, Bob Wills and Spade Cooley bands. He later became a fixture on the midwest dixieland scene. Danny was also a former Wills Texas Playboy. He had also sat in with the Lu Watters gang during the postwar years. He played a direct, no-nonsense lead cornet, but could surprise you with inspired solos. He became a regular and stayed to the end.

The band really started to click and was the talk of Los Angeles. The years of 1950-52 saw the FH5 reach an amazing popularity, certainly something the Disney part-timers never expected. The band began a Monday night series at Hollywood's Mocambo club, where many of the film community came to dig the band and take part in their Charleston contests. Bing Crosby loved the band and had them on his radio show. I remember a great version of Please don't Talk about Me with Bing getting in a nifty scat break. Television also welcomed the firemen and they appeared on the Ed Wynn Show, the Milton Berle Show, the Make Believe Ballroom and Walt Disney shows. During this time they appeared in two feature films, Hit Parade of 1951, a B musical from Republic and Grounds for Marriage, an MGM comedy with Van Johnson and Kathryn Grayson. This film gave the band a nice spot as Van and Kathryn go to the Firehouse club to hear our boys. They play their great version of Tiger Rag. Also heard are excerpts of Pagan Love Song and Five Foot Two (catch it on Youtube). In 1950 the band made a series of Snader Telecriptions (fillers for TV when shows ended early). These films show the band in a firehouse setting and they sound and look great , Ward and Harper especially are scene-stealers. The boys were also in a 1951 Universal short with Teresa Brewer and Joe Venuti. During Teresa's tunes they lip-sync to the studio band.

The band also began appearing at Gene Norman's famous Dixieland Jubilee concerts in Los Angeles, even sharing the stage with Louis Armstrong in 1951. (Muskrat Ramble can be heard on the California Concerts with Armstrong, a Decca cd. There also was an old Decca LP featuring the band on some samples from the Dixieland Jubilee).

Some of the many highlights of the Good Time Jazz sides of 1949-51 include The World is Waiting for the Sunrise, featuring Ward on washboard and Harper's banjo prowess. Tiger Rag became a staple in the band's book and the 1950 version is a goodie. The band's trademark "group" vocals start to appear, usually with Danny and Ward on lead. These tongue-in-cheek vocals were as much a part of the FH5 as were the fire sirens, sound effects and comic interludes. Much good jazz was played too, including solid versions of South, Everybody Loves my Baby, San Antonio Rose, Mississippi Rag (featuring Frank) and Riverside Blues. The band's single of Jingle Bells (backed by Tavern in the Town) was a very popular seasonal favorite. Ed Penner switched over to tuba on the second record session and banjoist Dick Roberts started filling in for Harper on the June 12, 1951 session. Dick was a busy studio man and had his own Good Time Jazz series, the Banjo Kings with fellow banjoist Red Roundtree. He would eventually replace Harper in the group. (drummer Jerry Hamm also subbed for Monte on a few dates). Danny's composition, Firechief Rag (based on Bob Wills' Beaumont Rag, a cousin to Do What Ory Say), is another fine side from this period.

By May of 1952, Ward and most of the Disney contingent of the band were finding it hard juggling their studio work along with the phenomenon of the FH5. They decided to take a hiatus until they could play on their own terms. The May 20 session saw the band in great form as they went out with a bang on their sabbatical. Clarinetist Tom Sharpsteen, a local trad man, had replaced Clarke. He had a funky New Orleans sound and used the Albert system. The four selections, Runnin' Wild, Floating Down Old Green River, When You Wore a Tulip and Lonesome Railroad Blues, find the band in great form. By the fall of '53 the band was back, still busy as ever but careful to watch the amount of work they took. The future albums, first on 10'' LP, then on 12'' LP, would have themes or concepts. The first of these was FH5 Plus 2 Goes South. Most of the album was recorded in January and March of 1954. Four 1956 sides were added for the 12'' version. The tunes are all favorites and ditties about the South. The new clarinetist and soprano sax man was George Probert, a spectacular player and soloist who had stints with Bob Scobey and Kid Ory in the early to mid-50s. George's unique soprano tone and ingenious improvisations would become one of the band's most popular and recognizable sounds.

The covers of the LPs would also be highlights. The Goes South album has a red map of the South with a great action shot of the band framed by their distinctive logo. The album features such favorites as Milenberg Joys, Swanee River, Basin St. and Dixieland One-Step. But we also get some old pop tunes such as Birmingham Papa, Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old Kentucky Home and Charleston Back to Charleston. Harper Goff only appears on the March 30 session but would be replaced by Dick Roberts. Harper's work on art and production design kept him very busy. He even took a few character roles in movies. He has a spot in Pete Kelly's Blues. George Probert gives us some of his fine clarinet work on Georgia Camp Meeting; his clarinet, not as dynamic as his soprano was a nice contrast. He also adds a hot ocarina chorus on Swanee River. The October 11, 1956 session has Jim MacDonald back on drums and features a lovely version of Tishomingo Blues. The boys could always give out with straight trad jazz.

Next up would be the FH5 Plays for Lovers recorded in September through December 1955 and in January 1956. This album is a nifty mix of pop favorites and vintage rarities on the subject of love, all done up in FH5 style. The album cover is a winner, a pair of Victorian lovers surrounded by the FH5 doing their thing! Danny and George get in many nice solo bits and the ever reliable Dick Roberts is a rock on rhythm and solo duties. We especially like Ward's goading of George on Love Is Just around the Corner. My Cutie's Due at Two to Two is a great little "forgotten" pop. Danny takes a cute vocal break. He sang a lot on the live dates and would later do some solos on the LPs. Love Songs of the Nile, a favorite of New Orleans' Billie and DeeDee Pierce, gets a nice FH5 treatment with George's "romantic" soprano featured. He also has a nice clarinet spot on I Love You Truly). All in all, another winner for the firemen!

Ward, Frank and Ed Penner (a screenwriter) were involved in so many of the classic Disney films including Snow White, Pinnocchio, Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty to name just a few. Danny and George joined the studio around this time as assistant directors, doing mostly music work on cartoons. In 1956 the band appeared on the popular Mickey Mouse Club. (You can catch it on Youtube). The band joined the kids for I Want To Be a Fireman and Tiger Rag with Mousketeer Cubby O'Brien sitting in on drums. (Cubby was a great talent and later was with Lawrence Welk's Junior Band on TV.) Speaking about drummers, the FH5's new drummer, Eddie Forrest, is on this show. He was a studio pro and a real kick to watch, the perfect FH5 drummer!

Sadly, Ed Penner passed on in November of 1956. He was a fine musician and talented writer loved by the band and Disney colleagues. His first replacement was Ralph Ball, a West Coast trad man who had played with Turk Murphy. Soon the remarkable George Bruns filled the chair. George had worked with Turk and the Castle Jazz Band and was working a lot at Disney, writing and scoring music. (His Ballad of Davy Crockett was a huge hit.) He played several instruments, but specialized in trombone and tuba. He was one of the most inventive and dexterous players on tuba. With the two Georges and Eddie, the FH5 fielded their best band.

Their next album, FH5 Goes to Sea, is a classic! The album was recorded over the course of 4 sessions from February to November of 1957. Ralph is on the first session with George Bruns taking over for the rest of the sessions. The combination of fun tunes, FH5 hokum, great jazz and the slurping ocean effects after each tune make this a real winner. George Bruns' extended solos on Devil and the Deep Blue Sea are some of the finest tuba improvisations on record. George Probert has many great spots including a wailing chorus on Sailboat in the Moonlight. Danny does some nice growling on Red Sails in the Sunset and the old favorite Minnie the Mermaid is a natural for the band, complete with band vocal and swinging Probert chorus. (George also gets in a hot ocarina solo on Sailor's Sweetheart.) These are just a few highlights of a truly great trad album. Once again, the album cover was a classic as the boys are shown "going to sea" into the ocean at Malibu.

The band was keeping up its busy schedule with private parties, jazz festivals and TV. They did the Lawrence Welk show and made a memorable appearance on Bobby Troup's Stars of Jazz show in 1958. This show also featured the wonderful Barbara Dane, a west coast singer in the Bessie Smith tradition. (Trad fans will remember her Blues over Bodega album with Lu Watters.) Some of the tracks have surfaced on Youtube. My copy comes from an old VHS tape. For this show Ward added Don Kinch on cornet. Don played with Turk Murphy and the Castle Jazz Band and would soon take over the FH5 tuba chair. This "super" edition of the band plays Milenberg Joys, Devil and Deep Blue Sea (featuring George Bruns and nice fours with the trumpets) and a romping That's a Plenty. Barbara does Old Fashioned Love and Ain't Nobody Got the Blues like Me with the boys. This is a wonderful show and deserves to be on DVD. (The entire series would be welcome.)

Back at Good Time Jazz, the band made one of it's funniest albums, FH5 Crashes a Party. This album was recorded over 5 sessions from September 1958 to November 1959. The repertoire included old favorites such as Heart of My Heart, I want a Girl , Button Up Your Overcoat and You Are My Sunshine along with jazz standards such as Jazz Band Ball. Nobody's Sweetheart, Bill Bailey and the Saints. To create their "party" the band used the voices of wives and friends along with the band members. There is hilarious laughter, hooting and hollering and bad singalongs like you find at every party. A lot of good jazz still surfaces, but the band's comedic talents are at their best here. Don Kinch would now be the permanent tuba with the band. (Occasionally Ward would get George Bruns back and put Don on cornet). We also get another classic cover with the band "crashing" the party of a middle age lothario with his comely date.

After the hilarious "Party" album the band got back to basics with Dixieland Favorites. This album recorded over a period from September 1958 to March 1960 shows the band's fine abilities as a trad jazz band minus the comedy. Along with classics like Doctor Jazz, Royal Garden Blues and Fidgety Feet, we get lesser heard items such as Working Man Blues and Storyville Blues. The band sounds great and plays all the material with verve and polish. Canal Street Blues is a showcase for the marvelous improvisations of George Probert. Taken at an uncharacteristic slow tempo, he builds chorus after chorus until the final band ride out. It would become a crowd pleaser on live dates. George also gets in a nice low register clarinet spot on Doctor Jazz. (Too bad we didn't get more of that clarinet.) This is a great introduction to the band if you're not into the comedy part of their act. (Don't worry. There is a fire siren on That's a Plenty and a silly band break on Sister Kate!)

The next album, Around the World, was another fairly straight collection of "geographic and travel " tunes, always a popular album concept. Recorded over 4 sessions from 1957 to 1961 we get a nice collection of old favorites and a few jazz standards. (Sorry; no band vocals!). On the '57 session we get the added bonus of George Bruns on tuba. Danny Alguire has some of his best moments here with nice punchy cup mute solos on Japanese Sandman and Hindustan along with a duet with Bruns on Sheik of Araby. His lead playing through out is very strong. Sheik also has some silent movie piano by Frank (a tribute to Rudolph Valentino) and a swinging Kimball -Probert duet with George on clarinet. We also get George back on clarinet for Hindustan. (I got my wish.) Russian Lullabye, Irish Eyes, China Boy and Panama also get nice renderings. As on Dixieland Favorites, the fire siren comes on for the ride out in California, Here I Come. (We have to have the FH5 trademark). The cover, designed by Ward, has the band virtually flying around the world!

Disneyland had always been a regular venue for this band of mostly Disney employees. It was the perfect spot for their first "live" album, At Disneyland, recorded on July 27 and 28 of 1962. This was an early purchase for this writer and still brings back happy memories. Recorded at the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland, a regular venue for the band in the summertime, we get a representative FH5 program of standards and surprises, complete with Ward's witty announcements. We also get a bonus of two solo vocals by Danny, who always sung on live dates. Anvil Stomp is a hilarious takeoff on the Anvil Chorus with Eddie Forrest dropping his anvil on his foot at the end of the performance. Coney Island Washboard has Ward dusting off his washboard chops and we get a super version of Tiger Rag (first recorded by the band in 1950). I can never play this tune without using Danny's Deep in the Heart of Texas quote. My only complaint is that we get Muskrat Ramble again. It was on Favorites only two years earlier. Another selection would have been nice. We also get a great cover of the band posed on the famous Disney Tea Cups, and don't miss Danny's closing Safety Message! The band also took part in many of the Dixieland at Disneyland festivals, sharing the bill with the likes of Louis Armstrong, the Dukes of Dixieland, Sweet Emma, Ben Pollack and Santo Pecora to name but a few. Also in 1962, the band played on Oscar Brown Jr.'s Jazz Scene U.S.A. TV show. This show is not available for viewing but hopefully will surface on DVD or on Youtube. (The boys played Panama, Sister Kate, Anvil Stomp and Tiger Rag).

The band kept up their schedule of Disneyland appearances along with private parties, festivals and a bi-yearly visit to friend Turk Murphy's club Earthquake McGoon's in San Francisco. Next up at Good Time Jazz was FH5 Goes to a Fire, recorded from April through June 1964. It is a very appropriate album featuring lots of hot flame, smoke and fire songs and a great cover with the boys in front of an antique fire engine. The album goes from the comedic best of the band with Ward's wild narrative of Fireman, Save my Child to his "kissing" chorus on Hot Lips to straight ahead trad on Oh Sister, Ain't that Hot, Smoky Mokes and a new version of the band's theme, Firehouse Stomp that tops the original. There's also a surprisingly swinging version of Smokey the Bear (complete with band vocal) and a lovely version of the 40s hit, I don't Want to Set the World on Fire with a great Probert chorus and pretty lead work by Danny.

By the mid-60s some changes in personnel occurred. Dick Roberts passed on and was replaced by Bill Newman, a top-notch string man who had worked with Turk Murphy and Kid Ory. George Bruns came back on tuba and Don Kinch joined Danny for more two cornet work. This edition of the band made a single for Good Time Jazz in November 1966 of Mame and Winchester Cathedral, two top hits of the day. The band sounds great and George Bruns gets in some nice solo work. On Winchester, George Probert dusts off his ocarina. This would be Frank Thomas' swan song; he would continue with Disney until 1978. Frank and Ward were often interviewed on Disney retrospectives.He passed away in 2004. Frank was replaced by a fine west coast trad man, K.O. Eckland.

The last Good Time Jazz album was 20 Years Later, recorded in October of 1969. This anniversary album features the new edition of the band playing a mix of more pop tunes of the day and old favorites. The 1966 single was included. The Rooftop Singers' Walk Right In makes a great FH5 vehicle with great Bruns tuba. Hello Dolly has great trumpet fours by Danny and Don and Petite Fleur features George (appropriately on a Bechet composition) along with Don's Louis-ish lead. Midnight in Moscow and Java are also nice treatments. Bill Newman, a fine guitarist gets in some nice rhythm work on Petite Fleur. Wilbur DeParis' Martinique is a standout with great solo spots on the minor strain by Probert and Don with nice lead by Danny. High Society is given a wild ride with guest sopranos John Smith and Tom Kubis joining George for a 3 man soprano version of the classic clarinet spot. Barney Google is a perfect FH5 tune with band vocal, bird calls and duck quacks. Yellow Dog Blues features a mixture of dog and train effects. (The Yellow Dog was a railroad line.) All in all, this is a great wrap-up to the band's 20 year stay at Good Time Jazz. The cover feature a great shot of the band atop the fire engine on Ward's railroad line, complete with cake and flowers.

The last FH5 album in April of 1970 was recorded at Earthquake McGoon's and an LP was issued by the San Francisco Jazz Foundation. Happily, George Buck has put the album out on CD on his G.H.B. label with great liner notes by K.O. Eckland, a very witty man. The band with Danny on solo cornet and the great trad tuba man Bob Short of Watters, Murphy, Scobey and Castle Jazz Band fame filling in for George Bruns sounds as fine as always. We get many tunes not recorded on Good Time Jazz along with Ward's witty announcements and plenty of vocals by Danny (sometimes supported by Ward and the band). There's a great Jungle Town, Doctor Jazz and Sister Kate. (You can hear Turk laughing during a zany band break.) Danny goes back to his Bob Wills days for San Antonio Rose and George gets in his innings on Canal Street. For a sentimental wrap up we get a great version of Who Walks In from the band's early days. My only complaint is a few too many duck call routines from Ward; otherwise a great "farewell" album.

In 1971 Ward retired the band to concentrate on his Disney work. Most of the boys continued playing. Danny moved to the Portland, Oregon area and was active in the trad scene there where he played with Monte Ballou and Jim Beatty. Chris Tyle did a great profile on Danny in the September 1992 Mississipi Rag. Danny had passed on that July. This back issue may be available online at the Rag's website. I also recommend Hal Smith's online appreciation, For Whom the Brass Bell Tolls. Don Kinch also worked around Portland and had a fine band, the Conductor's Ragtime Band. The band wore railroad conductor hats and used some FH5 comic effects. They made some hard-to-find LPs. The grand old man, Ward Kimball, lived until 2002. Youtube has a great Tom Snyder interview with Ward and wife Betty as they discuss his Disney work, antiques, railroads and the FH5. George Probert is still wailing on the west coast and at trad festivals.

This has been one of my longest posts, but I think the band deserved it. For great traditional jazz with the right dose of showmanship and comedy, you can't beat the Firehouse Five Plus Two. Their Good Time Jazz albums and film and TV appearances are there for the proof. Ward and his talented crew brought a lot of joy and great jazz to many trad fans, this writer included, and to casual listeners. If you haven't heard or seen them, try them out. I guarantee you'll be entertained and musically rewarded.

To close we'll use Ward's intermission announcement from At Disneyland: We're going to take a 15 minute break. So you have time to go on all the Rides!

CD Update: The Good Time Jazz LPs were all reissued by Fantasy Records, but I believe they are out of print. Ebay or a used CD store are good alternatives. So far, no FH5 clips are on DVD. Until then, check them out on Youtube.

The Benny Goodman Story (1955)

2009-04-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Continuing our Hollywood bio. series, we revisit the Benny Goodman Story. With the success of the Glenn Miller Story, Universal decided to give the bio. treatment to Benny, his rag to riches story made a natural for the screen. The BG story boasted a superb soundtrack played by Benny himself and an all star jazz cast. It also had the usual historical gaffes and unintentionally hilarious plotlines. (even more so than the Miller story).

Starring as Benny was Steve Allen, the popular talkshow host, composer and pianist. Steve obviously had a great love for jazz and Benny's music- he even looked a bit like him. However his acting abilities were pretty wooden. Donna Reed co-starred as Alice Hammond, sister of John Hammond, who befriended Benny and helped him on his road to success. (John was played by Herbert Anderson-better known as Mr. Mitchell on Dennis the Menace). Alice met Benny thru John, fell in love with him and married Benny, although not in the corny hollywood scenario cooked up by the writers. (Benny and Alice met briefly in 1934 and started dating, around 1939 ,after this movie ends ).

Many great jazz stars associated with Benny appear, including Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Kid Ory and Ben Pollack ( more on him later). BG and a great studio band made of many Goodman alumni recorded the soundtrack. There were some notable ommisions including Vido Musso and Jess Stacy. (Jess did some soundtrack work but had words with Benny and walked out - Benny was noted for his boorish behavior towards his musicians).

Writer Valentine Davies of the Miller Story was back, this time also directing.( assisted by Phillip Bowles and Terry Nelson). Music Director Joseph Gershensen was also back assisted by Henry Mancini. Benny's early days as a poor Jewish kid living in Chicago were nicely played. (the young Benny was played by David Kasday and Barry Truex). His immigrant parents (Berta Gersten and Robert F. Simon) of 12 children scrape up enough money to give some of the kids music lessons. Benny studies clarinet at the jewish settlement facility, Hull House under Franz Schoepp(a noted Chicago symphony player). He excells on the instrument and is soon on hits way to a career in music. (the famed jazz clarinetist Buster Bailey also studied with Schoepp and sometimes played duets with Benny).

One of Benny's first jobs at 16 is playing on a riverboat. Benny is still wearing short pants and when he approaches the bandstand, saxophonist Gil Rodin tries to chase him away. (a similar incident happened with Bix Beiderbecke, himself only 20 or so, the chasticer). Gil Rodin (played by Dick Winslow) worked with Benny in the Ben Pollack band, but in typical Hollywood fashion he sticks with Benny throughout the film. On the boat Benny meets Kid Ory and his band (playing themselves). Benny is intigued by their music and asks to sit in. We hear the mature BG of 1955 playing with Ory! (Benny was a quick study, but I'm sure he wasn't this quick!). Benny also loses a prospective girlfriend, due to his short pants! Benny's bass-playing brother Harry appears at this point (played by Shep Menken) and worked in the Pollack band and with Benny's first band. Ben Pollack, who played an important part in the Miller story also played a similar role with Benny. (Ben once again plays himself). Pollack fostered the careers of many jazz greats including BG, Miller, Jack Teagarden, Harry James, Matty Matlock and Eddie Miller, to name just a few. Benny also did a lot of work with Red Nichols during this time.(with future colleagues Krupa,Teagarden, Babe Russin, Glenn Miller and more).A humorous vignette has teenage Benny needing a tuxedo and his tailor dad getting one for him( A bit long in the sleeves!). Benny's dad was hit by a truck before he got to see his son become a major star.

Benny gets the Pollack band out of a Chicago gig, when the gangster boss regonizes him from the old neighborhood. This scene is a bit silly, but most of the Chicago jazzspots were run by the underworld. John Hammond, knowing Benny's great musicianship invites him to play Mozart at a family musicale. Benny's mom, Harry and musicians Krupa, Wilson and Rodin attend. Alice is horrified!-she thinks Benny is going to embarress himself. When Benny plays the concerto beautifully, Alice is impressed and begins falling for Benny. Teddy Wilson gets a great line when he tells Benny-"You were in the groove tonight". One of the society matrons retorts-"I thought he played brilliantly!". Benny was actually very comfortable in the world of classical music and performed and recorded with some of the leading orchestras and ensembles. At one of Benny's jam sessions Alice shows up with John and Mrs. Goodman starts to worry that her poor jewish boy is falling for the society girl as she says to Harry-"You don't mix caviar with bagels." We hear Benny play Memories of You-which would be he and Alice's song.About this time Benny decides to start his own band. (His free-lance and radio work is skimmed over). John and booker Willard Alexander(Hy Averback) offer their help. We also start hearing a lot of the runing gag-"Don't that Way,Benny!"-More on that later. At a rehearsal of the early band we hear Slipped Disc, although that came much later.

Benny's early fling at bandleading, including the Let's Dance radio show and his cross-country tour of 1935 are realistically played. The tour was pretty much a disaster, most of the audiences couldn't dance or idenitfy with Benny's style of jazz orchestra. We see the trio (Benny, Teddy and Gene) playing a hot version of China Boy. The ballroom manager is not pleased to see the rest of the band watching. Another owner excpects comedy routines and funny hats! When Benny hits the Palomar in Los Angeles he finally achieves success. Benny decides to go for broke and trot out all the hot numbers. During an exciting One O' Clock Jump we see the audience stop dancing and gather around the band. Benny and the band get a rousing reception!-Apparently the west coast audiences had been hearing the radio show and buying the band's Victor records. Alice, John and Willard are present to cheer Benny and the band on in a moment that has been hailed as the start of the Swng Era! We have also been introduced to Fletcher Henderson (Sammy Davis Sr.) who offers his help with his great arrangements. Kid Ory also reappears to wish Benny his congratulations on the band's success.

Another landmark engagement was the Goodman band's appearance at the Paramount Theatre in New York. The Swing Craze had taken the country and the Band's 10am show was mobbed with young fans and jittterbuggers who danced in the aisles. The band plays a scorching Bugle Call Rag during this segment. Alice comes to see Benny at the show and is dragged into the frenzy with the jitterbuggers. She returns home with ripped clothes and admiration for Benny's success.
One of the silliest scenes in the film involves Benny's meeting with Lionel Hampton. In reality Benny heard Hamp leading his own band in Los Angeles in 1936. In the film he, Alice, John, Willard, Teddy and Gene wander into a little bistro where Hamp is serving as bartender, cook,host and entertainer. When he brings out his vibes, Benny, Gene and Teddy join in and the BG Quartet is born!-Typical Hollywood!

The climax of the film is Benny's famous Carnegie Hall Concert of January 16, 1938. This concert along with John Hammond's Spirituals to Swing did a lot to make the concert hall a new venue for jazz. In the film Benny remembers Alice's remark of a real musician is one who plays at Carnegie Hall. Although the guest performers(Hackett, Basie, Lester Young, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Buck Clayton etc.) are omitted, we get a lot of the concerts highlights including 20 years of Jazz, Down South Camp Meeting and Moonglow (quartet). Harry James was part of the Carnegie Band , but appears here as a special guest. He recreates his torrid Louis Armstrong take-off on Shine and rips off some thrilling choruses on Sing, Sing, Sing. (I think Harry actually tops the original!). Martha Tilton is aboard to sing And the Angels Sing and Ziggy Elman appears onscreen. (He was ill at the time and his trumpet is dubbed by the great Mannie Klein). Benny, Gene and Harry bring things to a thriling finish with the classic Sing, Sing,Sing.

Alice, having patched things up with Mom Goodman flies across country to get to the concert in time for the finale. When Benny spots her in the audience, he goes into Memories of You. Mom tells Alice"-Don't worry, he'll ask you" (to marry him)-Alice's response is "He's asking me now!"
A classic Hollywood ending. Despite the corny cliches and historical gaffes, the Goodman Story like the Miller Story is great entertainment. The DVD is available from Universal.

Before we close, a word about the music. Benny is in top form all thru the soundtrack and the contributuions of Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa and Harry James are immense.
The studio band that recorded the soundtrack consists of Goodman veterans Chris Griffin and Irving Goodman (trumpets), Hymie Schertzer and Babe Russin (saxophone), Murray McEachern (trombone) and Allan Reuss (guitar). Also aboard are studio pros Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Jim Priddy (trombone), George Duvivier (bass0 and Blake Reynolds (saxophone). Buck Clayton (trumpet) ,Urbie Green (trombone) and Stan Getz (saxophone) are also seen onscreen as band members . The band gets a lot of the feel of the original Goodman band with a few modern touches from Getz and Green.

Decca, like with the Miller Story issued a soundtrack album featuring many of the film's highlights. Later an MCA 2-lp set came out with additional material. I believe this album is still on CD .
Until next time-"Don't Be that Way!"

Special Note- My Technical Advisor Jay Keyser is away, so we'll have to wait on photos till his return.
Best Wishes,Pete.

Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography (1957)

2009-03-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

This collection recorded in December 1956 and January 1957 contains some of Louis Armstrong's greatest and most inspired playing of his later period. The collection issued on Decca is similar to the Autobiography album Bing Crosby made, where he revisited many of his landmark recordings, along with his own narration. Louis' album followed the same format. He remade classics from the Hot 5 and 7, some of his great blues accompaniments and the wonderful big band classics of 1929-34.On the sessions were his All Stars of the time (Trummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle, Squire Gersh and Barrett Deems) along with George Barnes on guitar. Bob Haggart arranged the bulk of the small group sessions and Sy Oliver, the big bands (a sax section was added to the All Stars for these). The album was packaged in a decorative box with a lovely cover shot of Pops and an informative booklet/essay inside.

Despite almost 50 plus years of hard blowing, Pops manages to infuse fantastic energy and power into his early classics, in some cases improving on the original. Producer Milt Gabler was smart to book the band for evening sessions. Many times Pops had to record in the afternoon after a long night of blowing. The results show a fresh, invigorated Louis and the band responded to the warm atmosphere of the sessions. (There was food and drink and selected friends dropped in). As on the Crosby collection, Louis did a narration between tunes with lovely piano segues and backrounds by Billy Kyle. (Leonard Feather authored the backround) Some of the critics thought the scripted narration was too stilted (Mosaic left it out of their Armstrong collection), but I find it charming and Louis even talking is the personification of jazz.

Decca did cheat a bit, using 6 tracks from earlier albums. They are Sleepy Time Down South (from the Crescendo lp), Monday Date (from the Pasadena concert), Muskrat Ramble (Symphony Hall), Struttin' with some Barbecue and Basin St. (from the Glenn Miller Story session) and New Orleans Function (New Orleans Days). However there are still 42 wonderful recreations from the '56-7 sessions, and what recreations they are. Here are some of the many highlights.

The first session on December 11, 1956 was alloted to the early big band selections. Three saxes were added to the All Stars to get the big band sound. With Louis you didn't need a brass section! The years 1929-34 were covered. Sy Oliver was aboard as arranger. He came up with some great charts, some transcriptions and some new takes on the originals. The titles are If I Could Be with You, Lazy River, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Sunny Side of the Street, I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me and Body and Soul. All the selections feature Pops in prime form. Lazy River was still in the All Stars book, but Pops makes it sound new with his great scatting and a powerful trumpet climax, featuring one of those awesome glisses that Pops trademarked. I Can't Give You Anything But Love is a superior version to the 1929 outing with Louis' great crooning and an exciting out chorus reprising the high note climb of the original. At the slower, deliberate tempo Pops really lays into those high ones (not sneaking up, like the original). This is a classic performance. There will be loads more. Sunny Side got edited a bit on the original LP, but has two juicy vocal choruses, some nice Trummy and Pops' classic out choruses and high note codas. (This version was also in the All Stars book). I can't Believe is a new take on the original with fine Hall clarinet and a fine solo by Pops that reprises the original coda. If I Could be with You from 1930 retains Louis' opening vocal refrain and features great Trummy(inspired by Lawrence Brown's original solo) and a classic Pops ending. Body and Soul, another 1930 classic gets a relaxed muted solo and vocal by Pops, Trummy sets up Louis' majestic finale. A great opening session.

The next session on December 12 gave us 6 more big band classics. Hilton Jefferson was added on lead alto. The New Orleans standard High Society, first recorded by Louis with King Oliver, was included in the mix. The big band tunes are Mahogany Hall Stomp, Some of these Days, When You're Smiling, I Surrender Dear (one of many Bing classics that Pops covered), Exactly like You and Georgia on my Mind. Mahogany is primarily an All Stars feature with the saxes providing some background. (The original with Luis Russell's band was similar in style). Pops had been playing this with the All Stars, so we get a lot of his own arrangement. Ed Hall, Trummy and Billy all take great solos, but Pops is awesome recreating his original solo complete with that long held note. When You're Smiling is an amazing performance. Once again Louis slows the tempo down allowing him to really lay into that spectacular reading of the melody up high, his vocal is also real mellow. Exactly like You gets a nice Oliver arrangement and Pops' closing cadenza is right up there with some of his most dazzling work. Georgia on my Mind from Louis' buddy, Hoagy Carmichael, originally was missing the verse on the album, but was restored on Mosaic. Some of These Days, another high note masterpiece, is given a masterful version along with some wonderful scatting. The years had given Louis more power and maturity to his playing. His work in the upper register was more impressive. (The earlier solos were daring and revolutionary, but sometimes he just skated by). High Society is strictly an All Stars cut and they perform their standard arrangement with Ed Hall tackling the Alphonse Picou solo and Louis playing that lead as only he can. I Surrender Dear composed by Harry Barris of the Rhythm Boys was also in the All Stars book as a Barney Bigard feature, with a vocal by Pops. This lovely version features a beautiful muted solo by Pops with a bluesy bridge and a lovely vocal complete with "Hot Mama." Louis takes things out with an operatic climax. Another masterful session.

On December 23, four more big band classics from the early 30s were waxed, Song of the Islands, That's my Home, Memories of You and Them There Eyes. Pops' rendition of Song of the Islands is a classic, as is his narration--"real hawaiians, including myself." His lovely muted statement, always a bit behind the beat, but oh, so swinging, followed by a riotous scat. Louis manages to drop the names of two studio visitors, Slim Thompson and Lorenzo Pack, into the scat. He closes with a magnificent high register statement. That's my Home was one of the many great Victor sides of the early 30s and this version is a worthy successor. (Pops briefly revived it in 1961.) Memories of You, of course, introduced Lionel Hampton's vibes on the original. Here we get pure Pops, singing and swinging. Them There Eyes is a lively cut with contributions from Trummy and Ed Hall. Sy Oliver gives the saxes a swinging riff and Pops is all over the place with a glorious rideout.

The session of January 23 started the small group series, mostly Hot 5 and 7, along with some free-lance sessions. Bob Haggart of Bob Crosby fame came in as arranger and George Barnes on guitar got some choice solo spots. Hotter Than That follows the original pretty faithfully, including Louis' scat chase with guitar. (The great Lonnie Johnson was on the original). Pops is in great form, blowing with great power on the out chorus. Gut Bucket Blues keeps in the original chatter by Louis and later Trummy introducing all the boys. The classics, Potato Head Blues and Cornet Chop Suey, are given spirited readings, but it's hard to improve on the original classics, just neat to hear Pops revisit these themes. Of All the Wrongs comes from a 1924 Clarence Williams Blue Five date. Louis and the All Stars give it a nice instrumental touch. Pops' stop time solo and bravura coda are highlights.

The small group sessions continued on January 24, with Two Deuces, Mandy Make Up Your Mind (Blue Five), Wild Man Blues, Gully Low Blues, Everybody Loves my Baby (Blue Five) and Heebie Jeebies. Lil Hardin's Two Deuces (four-the hard way, as Pops tells us) is a pretty melody and this version is a welcome follow-up. Pops follows the original form with some lovely blowing and Billy Kyle salutes Earl Hines with some of his trademark tremelo. Wild Man is a hard act to follow but Louis and the All Stars make this a worthy version. The passing years haven't taken away any of Pops' intensity. Gully Low has a nice touch. Haggart scores Louis' closing solo for the three horns and it makes for an exciting version. From the Blue Five book we get Everybody Loves my Baby and this version swings nicely with a great Pops vocal and strong lead work. We all know the story of Heebie Jeebies and Louis' first scat vocal. (At least it makes for a good story). This new version is equally great with Pops throwing in some new scat and Trummy getting in some comments; all in all, a wonderful session. Mandy from the Blue Five has Louis' great leadwork, some nice Hall and Barnes, a wonderful guitarist. We love his work with Ruby Braff.

On January 25, we had more small group classics and a recreation of the King Oliver Creole Jazz Band with Yank Lawson coming in on lead trumpet. First up was King of the Zulus, a Hot Five classic. This version has a fiery trumpet by Pops--this was a favorite of Roy Eldridge--and some hokum by Ed Hall and Trummy recreating the original. Dan Morgenstern thinks this solo tops the original and I tend to agree with him. Georgia Grind , also from the Hot Five, was a fun tune and originally had Lil joining Louis on vocal. Here Velma Middleton does a fine job on Lil's part. (She and Pops had great chemistry). Jelly Roll Morton's Frog-I -More Rag was recorded by the Oliver band with Louis. It didn't make the Autobiography album, but popped up on a Decca compilation called I Love Jazz, also issued on the Mosaic set. It's a nice All Stars performance with great leadwork by Pops and a fine Hall clarinet solo.

The three King Oliver selections feature fine work by Pops. Yank Lawson does a fine job on lead, but one could never recreate such a classic band! Nevertheless, we can enjoy some great jazz. Snag It was recorded by Oliver, but not Louis. Pops and Yank play the classic Oliver break as a duo. Dippermouth Blues has both trumpets on the first chorus of the classic Oliver solo. Then Louis goes his own way for two more. Ed Hall does the patented "Oh, play that thing" shout. Canal Street has Yank on lead and Pops taking a lovely two chorus solo.

At the 1962 Newport Festival, Yank sat in with Louis and the All Stars for Canal Street and Dippermouth. The results were spirited, but disorganized. It sounded like they had no time for a run-thru.

The last session on January 28 involved several special projects. First up were two big band selections, You Rascal, You and Hobo, You Can't Ride this Train. You Rascal was one of Pops' setpieces for years. This version ranks with some of the best, featuring comic vocal refrains and some scorching trumpet on the outchorus backed by riffing saxes. Hobo, a Louis original, follows the form of the 1932 rendition, complete with brothers Young and Hall receiving Hobo status!

Next up was the classic 1929 blues, Knockin' a Jug. This was recorded prior to a Luis Russell session and involved Jack Teagarden, Eddie Condon, Joe Sullivan, Eddie Lang, Happy Cauldwell and Kaiser Marshall. It is credited as the first "mixed" jazz recording. Some critics give that nod to Jelly Roll Morton, a creole, sitting in with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1923. This version gives studio pros Seldon Powell (tenor) and Everett Barksdale, guitar, a chance to join the All Stars. They acquit themselves nicely. Trummy and Billy Kyle also get in their licks and Barrett Deems handles the "jug" knockin' playing on his drum rims. Pops starts out low and blue and rises to a classic climax and cadenza before closing out soft on the coda. This Jug ranks right up there with the original!

Dear Old Southland was originally recoded as a duet with Buck Washington on piano. Pops occasionally performed it with Dick Cary and Earl Hines. Here his partner is the wonderful Billy Kyle. Billy never got his due as a master musician. He always played tastily and swingingly and contributed many of the riffs played under Pops' solos and vocals. This version features bravura playing from Pops on the minor strain and short uptempo passage. Louis' closing coda is full of fire and power! This Southland may be the best of all. To wrap up the project Louis went back to his days as a blues accompanist. He was a master of this idiom and knew exactly how to fill the open spaces with his beautiful phrasing. Velma Middleton handles the vocals. Although not a blues singer per se, she does a fine job and Pops' backgrounds (with the All Stars) are sublime.

The tunes are See See Rider (Ma Rainey), Reckless Blues (Bessie Smith), Trouble in Mind (Chippie Hill) and Courthouse Blues (Clara Smith). Louis never lost his talent as an accompanist. One of his last TV appearances was on the Johnny Cash show in October of 1970. Louis backed Cash on Blue Yodel No.9, a tune he originally recorded with Jimmie Rodgers in 1930. Pops' background to the Cash vocal was marvelous!

The Autobiography was certainly one of Louis' major contibutions to his later period. There would be many more. We can thank Milt Gabler and Decca for this wonderful set.

Decca got plenty of mileage out of the material. Various selections were used on the albums King Louis and Satchmo's Golden Favorites. I had these LPs as a kid and loved them! Later Decca issued a 2-LP set, The Best of Louis Armstrong, which was 3/4 Autobiography material. They also issued four single LPs of the material by years. Mosaic records issued all the sessions unedited, but minus the narration. (Mosaic No. 146) Verve issued the set as is with the narration. It's all glorious music and a great testament to Pops and how much trumpet and creation he was still capable of during his later period.

Till next time--Keep diggin' those Good Ole Good Ones!

Loco Boy makes Good (1942)

2009-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

This Three Stooges short is a pleasant entry and a personal favorite. There are two interesting side stories that make the film unique. First a bit about the story.

The boys' adventure start out when Stooge regular, Bud Jamison, throws them out of a hotel. A plan to slip on a bar of soap and collect damage money goes nowhere, but the boys run into a nice old lady trying to run a dilapidated hotel, Ye Olde Pilgrim Hotel. A nasty collection agent, Scroggins, played by a great sourpuss, Walter Soderling, gets his comeuppance by the boys.

The next few scenes give our heroes the usual "repair" gags: hammering, nailing and laying linoleum. The highlight of the short is when the hotel reopens as the Chisel Inn Hotel. The boys, now Nill, Null and Void, the performing waiters, are the star attractions in the Kokonuts Grove. The famous columnist Waldo Twitchell (John Tyrell) and his date, Dorothy Appleby (a Columbia favorite with the Stooges, Buster Keaton and other comics) attend the opening and thanks to a mix-up with a magician's coat, Curly and the boys become a hit with their antics.

Curly also gets to show off his dancing skill. In his early days, he frequented many New York ballrooms and does some great eccentric stepping with the cute Dorothy as his partner. Playing the part of customers and dancers are a great collection of Columbia stock actors. I spotted Bob Burns, Eddie Laughton (a great bit as a drunken diner), Victor Travers, ElinorVandivere (part of Twitchell's party), Al Thompson, Johnny Kascier, Lynton Brent and Heinie Conklin. All these actors were talented supporting players and comedy veterans. The Stooges' favorite dowager, Symona Boniface, has a great bit when a mouse from the magicians' coat goes down her back. Her reaction is a great series of contortions and tremors. Another Stooge stalwart, Vernon Dent, appears briefly as Balbo the Magician whose coat (full of surprises) gets mixed up with Curly's.

That brings us to the first side story. The film was co-written by Felix Adler and Clyde Bruckman, two old comedy pros. Bruckman, who wrote for Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, was at a low point in his career due to alcoholism. He had a habit of recycling gags from older movies he wrote or directed. The bit with the magician's coat came from the Harold Lloyd film, Movie Crazy (1932). Lloyd sued Adler, Bruckman and producer Jules White for$ 500,000 in damages. In 1946, he won his case. He also won a suit for a million from Universal Pictures for more Bruckman recycling. This brought Bruckman's career down further and after doing some TV work (including the Abbott and Costello show) he committed suicide in 1955. A sad ending for a man who brought so much laughter to the world.

The other side story involves the music used in the nightclub scenes. For years I enjoyed this hot swing music-we never see the band-but never knew its origins. The two selections are heard during Curly's great jitterbugging. One tune is an untitled instrumental; the other is Rockin' the Town (1938) by Ted Koehler and Johnny Green. This came from a Columbia feature, Start Cheering, which also featured the Stooges. In the film Gertrude Niesen sang it along with co-writer Johnny Green's band. Benny Goodman also performed the tune on a broadcast. The version in Loco Boy was lifted from a Blondie film from 1939, Blondie meets the Boss. These tunes were played by Skinny Ennis' band during a dance contest sequence. Columbia, always the spendthrift, simply used the Ennis music for the Stooges' nightclub scenes. The studio got more mileage out of Rockin' the Town. In a 1956 Columbia horror film, The Werewolf, we hear the song (the Ennis version) on a juke box at a local bar & grill. We have talked about Columbia's "chicanery" in the past and this is a perfect example.

Three verbal classics deserve a mention. When Moe instructs Curly to mingle with the guests, his threat is, "Mingle or I'll Mangle!" Waiter Larry is asked if he has Patty de Facquer. Larry retorts, "I'll see if the band can play it!". And during the nightclub scene, Moe gets to sing a bit of She was Bred in Old Kentucky-But She's just a Crumb Up Here.

Loco Boy Makes Good is available on DVD as part of Sony's Three Stooges collection(Vol.3). Looks like the entire series is on it's way.

Till our next adventure-Keep Stooging!.

The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

2009-02-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Continuing our series of Hollywood jazz and swing movies, we come to one of the most popular film bios, Universal's The Glenn Miller Story. Although full of the usual historical inaccuracies and laughable dialog, the film combines great storytelling, a wonderful love story and superb music, resulting in top entertainment.

The real Glenn Miller (1904-44) was a talented trombonist, arranger and a sharp businessman who plied his trade for years as a sideman (Ben Pollack, the Dorsey Brothers, Red Nichols and Ray Noble) led several unsuccessful bands, then hit a style and sound that captured the country. At the height of his success, he gave up the great riches and celebrity to serve the war effort leading a great service band to entertain the troops. He would lose his life immersed in this endeavor.

This real Miller was stern, taciturn and removed from his musicians. James Stewart as Glenn is portrayed as affable, hardworking and likable. (Hollywood didn't have any use for the real Miller). The respected critic and writer, George Simon, a good friend of Miller praised June Allyson's portrayal of Helen Miller and the accurate bond between them as shown in the film. The film pulls all the right strings and deserves the continued success it has enjoyed these 50-plus years.

First and foremost is the music. It is expertly played by some of the best Hollywood studio players (many Miller alums) such as Willie Schwartz (portrayed in the film), John Best, Zeke Zarchy, Babe Russin and Paul Tanner (both appear in the film), Mannie Klein and Rolly Bundock. Joseph Gershenson, Universal's music director supervised the adaptations with a great assist from Henry Mancini. Henry had a short stateside stint with the Air Force band and worked with Tex Beneke's postwar Miller band. He was very familiar with the style. Mancini also contributed a beautiful ballad, Too Little Time, which was used as a recurring love theme in the film. Glenn's first name band association was with Ben Pollack. Ben appears as himself getting to show some of his great drum work. (He had a similar role in the Benny Goodman Story.) The one and only Louis Armstrong appears in a great jam session sequence when Glenn and Helen are just married and go to Harlem to hear Pops. (Glenn, like every musician in the 20s, idolized Louis). Helen, not aware of jazz asks "Who's He?"-Glenn's terse response is "Why, Louis Armstrong!" Louis and his All-Stars (Barney Bigard, Trummy Young, Marty Napolean, Arvell Shaw and Cozy Cole) play Basin St. Blues. Babe Russin, Gene Krupa ( Glenn's Red Nichols band mates at the time) and Glenn sit in.Unfortunately, this scene has been edited and we miss some great blowing by Pops. (He would record this version twice for Decca and keep it in his shows for many years). Gene and Cozy do some neat drum battling during the sequence. Joe Yukl, a big band and studio veteran who replaced Glenn in the Dorsey Bros. band, did the trombone work and coaching for Stewart. (Jimmy does a decent job of faking the slide work).

Surprisingly, Tex Beneke was left out of the film. Perhaps due to bad feelings on the part of Helen and the Miller estate. Tex had led the Miller band but had a falling out with the family. Jerry Gray was only mentioned once and other standouts such as Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton, Bobby Hackett, Bill Finegan, Billy May and Ray McKinley were omitted. (I guess the studio wanted to save some money on talent). Paula Kelly, Hal Dickinson and a new version of the Modernnaires appear during an Air Force concert sequence. Vocal Star Frances Langford (no Miller ties) sings Chatanooga ChooChoo with them. Perhaps they were trying to show the guest star format Glenn had with the Army Air Force band. (Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby had guested). Chummy MacGregor, Glenn's longtime pianist, is given a meaty role played by Harry Morgan (then known as Henry, before Dragnet and MASH). Chummy was a technical adviser on the film and in real life was nothing like the jovial Morgan portrayal. Si Shribman, a Boston ballroom owner and booker, was a real "angel" to the Miller band during its struggling years. In typical Hollywood fashion, Si (played by George Tobias) hangs around the Miller family like a Dutch uncle for the rest of the film. Don Haynes was a friend of Glenn's and served as his personal manager and lieutenant in the Air Force band. He is played by Charles Drake. Don's wife, Polly, was also a dear family friend and worked for Glenn as personal secretary and office manager. She is played by a young Marion Ross. (This was long before Happy Days. I don't think she had any lines). Veteran character actor Barton MacLane appears as General Arnold, a friend and ally of Glenn's AAF Band.

The film was expertly directed by Anthony Mann. Writers Valentine Davies and Oscar Brodney came up with some fine real life story lines. One standout scene is Glenn and the early Miller band struggling to get to a dance date in wintry New England. These kinds of headaches fell upon every "road" band of the era. The scene with Glenn and a few of the boys getting the dance going while overcoated horn players add their parts in quickly is very effective. Another episode during the Air Force days shows Glenn and the band playing In the Mood and competing with an air battle overhead. The band keeps playing thru the air raid signal and receives a thunderous ovation when the signal is lifted. This scene has been recounted by many of the Army Air Force band members.

The famous Miller "sound" of clarinet lead is given the typical Hollywood tratment. In real life, Glenn had tried this sound briefly in experiment. His first try was with Ray Noble, having trumpeter PeeWee Erwin play above the saxes. In Glenn's early 1937 band he had the great Irving Fazola on clarinet. Faz was not a great saxophonist, so Glenn had him double the tenor lead to create a pleasant unison voicing. Later Glenn started to use this sound more, until it became his trademark and established the band's "sound".

In the movie we get the trumpet man playing lead, but when he sits down he bangs his horn on a music stand cutting his lip! As a trumpet player I cringe at the scene. All horn men know enough to take their horn away from their lip when navigating a precarious spot. Anyway, Glenn decides he can have Willie Schwartz play the lead on clarinet. (That really happened.).We see Glenn up all night in Si's office rewriting the parts (with the help of much coffee!). Actually all he had to do was give Willie the trumpet part. They're in the same range! But it makes great theatre and the next night at the dance, the kids go wild over the new "sound!" These Hollywood takes on the facts are what make these bios so enjoyable and such guilty pleasures.

Another silly scene has Glenn and Helen out at a nightspot to hear Glenn's Moonlight Serenade .We get a raucous girl singer and a voluptuous chorus line belting it out! Glenn and Helen cringe. Silly, but charming. Little Brown Jug was one of Glenn's early hits (1939). In the film it is a favorite of Helen's, but Glenn thinks it's kind of corny. It is used as the final number played by the AAF band after Glenn's dissapearance. That final scene with Helen, Chummy and family listening to the Christmas broadcast is very touching and beautifully played by June Allyson and Harry Morgan. We can go on and on with the wrong dates, times, places and personell but the Miller Story is a wonderful story that touches the viewer with the great sounds of the big band era and the inspiring story of the bandleader who became a hero. That final flight Glenn took from London to Paris is played with great authenticity and drama.

All the great Miller hits are heard in various forms including In the Mood, Tuxedo Junction, St. Louis Blues March and String of Pearls). The soundtrack album originally on Decca with Louis doing Basin St. and Dark Eyes (not in the movie) has been available since the film's release. (It is now available on an MCA cd). The DVD version is available from Universal. The Glenn Miller Band still tours and records. The baton has gone from Tex to Ray McKinley to Buddy DeFranco and currently to Larry O'Brien. I'm sure there will always be a Miller band just like there will always be a Boston Pops.

Glenn Miller made his mark on American popular music. It's a tragedy we didn't get to see what he would do in the post-war years. (The AAF band gave us a small idea). This movie spawned more of the Hollywood bios. Next time we'll look at the Benny Goodman Story.

Hope this post put you In the Mood.

The Case of the Fake Shemp

2009-02-11T09:47:00.001-08:00

In the course of our posts on the Three Stooges and Columbia comedies, we have mentioned the Columbia "chicanery". This is no more apparent than in the Four Stooges shorts made after Shemp's death. The chicanery included liberal use of stock footage and music, numerous remakes of previous shorts, actors being brought back to film new scenes and when not available being doubled in body and voice. Sometimes a character actor even played two roles in the same film (with the help of makeup and costuming).

By 1953 the bulk of the Stooges' shorts were remakes of earlier comedies with the boys filming a few new scenes to give the look of a fresh short. (The casual moviegoer wasn't aware of these tricks). When Shemp passed on from a sudden heart attack in November 1955, the studio still had four comedies to be produced for release in 1956. Instead of giving Moe and Larry some grieving time and perhaps wait for a new partner, the show went on and four bogus shorts were produced with Shemp still a member of the team! Four remakes of earlier Shemp comedies were produced with some new scenes by Moe and Larry, a lot of Shemp stock footage and some scenes using a double for Shemp! That was longtime supporting player Joe Palma. The double was only seen from the back so as not to give away the ruse.

The first of these "bogus" shorts was Rumpus in the Harem, a remake of Malice in the Palace (1949). Moe and Larry carry the early scenes with their girlfriends setting up the plot. (Shemp has conveniently gone to open their restaurant). It's mostly stock footage for a while. Then Palma appears as "Shemp" for the traditional Stooge huddle with his back to the camera, of course. Longtime Stooge foil Vernon Dent appears via stock footage. He had retired from acting due to illness.

The rest of the film follows the original plot of getting the Rootentooten diamond and encountering the Emir of Shmow and his huge bodyguard. To pad things out Moe and Larry have a lame encounter with some harem girls. During the films' climax "Shemp" is being chased by the guard with lots of stock Shemp voiceovers and his heep-heep-heep cry (at fast speed). It's all pretty lame and Palma keeps his face obscured. We end with the standard Stoogers run away and scream ending, except Palma gets to do his own "Yipe!" I guess they didn't want to dig out another Shemp voice track. All in all, a pretty lame and obvious start to this canon.

Next up was Hot Stuff, a remake of Fuelin' Around (1949).The "Shemp" bits in this film are really lame . The film opens with the boys as spies, wearing beards to help hide Palma. When Moe instructs "Shemp" to follow a suspicious female, Palma grunts, "Right!" and scoots off in a Shemp-like duck walk. Then Moe and Larry go through another silly encounter with two female officials, again-to mark time. It's to their credit that they were able to carry off these scenes, knowing poor Shemp was gone. Stooge regulars Vernon Dent, Christine McIntyre and Emil Sitka appear via stock footage. (Emil was still working with the boys at Columbia). Palma's routines are his silliest yet. At one point he flaps his arms and does some of Shemp's heep-heeping (with his own voice). He then goes to guard a door (with more heeping) and gets conveniently knocked out, while Moe and Larry carry another new scene. He then returns for a brief wrap up. We return to stock footage for the film's climax. This one really shows it's patchwork "chicanery."

Scheming Schemers is one of the wildest patchwork films the studio put out, yet it works as a fresh film for the non-stooge fan. Editor Harold White (Jule's son) should have received an Oscar for his editing work. Footage from three earlier films were worked into the story along with various voice overs and doubles.

The film is basically a remake of Vagabond Loafers (1949), a great gag title from a Rudy Vallee hit, Vagabond Lover. It was a remake of the Curly classic, A Plumbing We Will Go (1940). Many of the original plumbing gags are reprised. In the Shemp version the boys are working at the Norfleet estate. Emil Sitka reprises his role as Mr. Norfleet. The 1956 version also features a missing ring and the original premise of a valuable painting being stolen. Kenneth MacDonald and Christine McIntyre were the crooks in the original, but Kenneth is brought back solo for his new scenes. Christine is doubled in one scene.

Moe and Larry go it alone in two long scenes. Early at the mansion Shemp is absent, having missed his ride with the boys. When he (Palma) finally shows up, he's covered with pipes to hide his face! His one line of dialog--"Hold your Horses!"--is dubbed from The Ghost Talks (1949). Later Moe and Larry encounter MacDonald stealing the painting. (Shemp is conveniently upstairs working on the shower). A struggle ensues and the boys happen upon a table full of pies. That gives them a chance to start a pie fight with "guests" at the Norfleet estate. The guests have been absent until now. The guests getting creamed are lifted from Half-Wits Holiday (1947). Emil shows up in time to get creamed, himself. The boys manage to subdue MacDonald and a grateful Emil gets his painting back. The last shot has Moe wondering about Shemp's whereabouts and we see him surrounded in pipes (from Vagabond Loafers) calling out for help!
This is the one fake Shemp film that can be enjoyed, despite all the borrowed scenes and chicanery. It moves so well and all the recycled gags are great to see over again.

The last of these films, Commotion on the Ocean, is a more predictable remake of Dunked in the Deep (1949) with lots of stock footage and a few new scenes. The basic premise of the boys encountering foreign spy Bortch (Gene Roth in both versions) on a boat is reprised. This time we open with footage from Crime on Their Hands (1948), another great musical title taken from Time on my Hands). The boys are janitors and would be reporters working at a local paper. They get a tip about Bortch and off we go to Dunked in the Deep. Palma is involved in one transition scene holding his hands over his face. (Moe and Larry carry most of this scene.)

On the boat Moe and Larry go it alone. Shemp is out looking for food. The boys grab what they think is a fish--actually it is a wooden decoration--and share it with Bortch. We then get the old "coughing-up-sawdust" gag. When Shemp finally gets back, we follow the rest of the original, including Shemp's hilarious hammock scene with an ignited barrel looming below him). Moe has one new bit at the finale to tie up the new premise and appropriately Shemp gets the last gag.

Not long after this Novemer 1956 release, veteran comic Joe Besser was chosen to be the new Stooge. This would mercifully end the short era of the fake Shemp comedies. Despite the obvious chicanery, these shorts give us some unintentional laughs and amazement at the attempt to create new shorts despite Shemp's passing. And, of course, we get great doses of Columbia's never ending ability to utilize it's stock footage.

The Case of the Fake Shemp has been solved.

Till our next post, Keep Stooging!

Video Update-Sony is working on the complete Stooges series on DVD. (The Fake Shemps should be eventually available,probably on Vol.8) There are also some independent DVD releases of all the comedies. Check eBay. For a great film capsule of all the Fake Shemp scenes, go to Youtube and check out DrOpOfahat. He has a great post and editing job on all the bogus scenes with Palma and their setup.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass-Part 2

2009-02-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

In late 1969, Herb dissolved the Tijuana Brass. It had been an amazing ride for 7 years, but he wanted to try new projects and recharge the batteries. He got more involved with the running of A&M records, along with his partner Jerry Moss. He also did more recording but had no plans to reform the TJB. In 1970 Herb released a TJB Greatest Hits album.

Some of these recordings came out as the album Summertime, billed as a TJB album but more like a solo project with a modicum of TJB. The album has a laid back quality similar to Warm.

There are nice moments such as the title track, which has some elements of the Miles Davis and Ahmad Jamal recordings. Lani Hall's voice is also heard. She would eventually marry Herb and was the lead singer with Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66. (another popular A&M group).Other pleasant tracks are Martha My Dear (another Beatles cover), If You Could Read My Mind, Darlin' and Hurt So Bad, the latter more in the TJB style. Herb's composition, Jerusalem, is a very effective track. The album didn't do very well but is pleasant listening.

During 1971-4 Herb kept up his A&M duties and made some guest spots with A&M artists Rita Coolidge, Kris Krisstoferson and Lani Hall. Herb also released some new compilations, Solid Brass (1972) and Foursider (1973). By 1974 the old TJB juices were flowing again and he reformed the band.

This new band featured some of the old guard, Bob Edmondson, Julius Wechter, Nick Ceroli and John Pisano but also had some great new additions. Dave Frishberg, a talented jazz pianist and composer and Bob Findley, a busy studio trumpeter of great talent, joined up. This new band recorded a very interesting "comeback" album entitled You Smile-The Song Begins.

Highlights include an updating of Up Cherry Street in a dixieland vein featuring great stride piano from Frishberg. (He was very adept at trad and swing and a clever composer of tunes such as Dear Bix, I'm Hip, Van Lingle Mungo and My Attorney, Bernie). Herb and Lani sing a lovely duet, Save the Sunlight and Chuck Mangionnes's Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor is a perfect vehicle for Herb's haunting horn. Herb's composition Fox Hunt and I Can't Go on Living, Baby, without You are in the traditional TJB style. Gato Barbieri's theme to Last Tango in Paris is also very effective.(this had appeared in the Foursider compilation). Burt Bachrach's Promises, Promises made a nice showcase for Herb's horn. All in all, a good start for the new TJB.

In September of 1974, Herb and the Brass made an excellent TV special for the Sentry Company. The show also featured the Muppets and some of the tunes from You Smile and the upcoming Coney Island. Bob Findley got a nice workout on Panama, Herb and Lani did their lovely duet on Save the Sunlight and Lani soloed on Dave Frishberg's Wheelers and Dealers. From the You Smile album came Fox Hunt and One-Eyed Sailor and Herb did a nice tribute to Louis Armstrong, including the Kraft Music Hall clip of them singing Mame. The Muppets comedy was great and the only letdown was the closing vocal on I Belong, not one of Herb's better vocal tunes. (It would be on the new album). All in all, this was a wonderful show. YouTube has run parts of it, let's hope Herb or Sentry can release it on DVD soon. (It would be on the next album.)

That next album was Coney Island, one of Herb's best albums with the TJB and the most exciting since the halcyon days of Going Places! This new band had a lot of energy and more of a jazz feel. Herb also let Bob Findley loose, especially on Ratatouille and Carmine (dedicated to trumpet teacher Carmine Caruso). The title tune is a Dixie-flavored Wechter original. After years of being a studio-only player, Julius was finally a bona fide TJB member. Dave Frishberg gets to show off his trad chops on a cute samba-like The Crave by Jelly Roll Morton. Herb's horn is featured on a beautiful French ballad, Mickey, and the Brass give their unique take on the Carpenters' This Masquerade and Rodgers and Hammerstein's I Have Dreamed.

This is an excellent album and deserves reissue. Around the same time, I spotted Herb and the Brass on TV(perhaps Dinah Shore?) doing a great version of Somewhere from West Side Story featuring some great piccolo trumpet by Bob Findley. (Hope Herb recorded this one). An excellent single, El Bimbo, also came out at this time. It had a disco feel but a lot of the earlier Mariachi sound, too.

The band also appeared on the Midnight Special TV show. Unfortunately Herb soon dissolved this group and went back to solo projects and A&M duties. This was his most ambitious and musical group.

The next series of albums were primarily solo projects. Just You and Me (1976) was a rather dull album of Alpert originals except a unique version of Yankee Doodle. (This was the Bicentennial year).

Herb's next musical project was with the great African trumpeter, Hugh Masekela. Hugh had a big instrumental hit, Grazin' in the Grass, in the '60s and was recording for A&M.

The initial Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela (1978) features Herb's trumpet and Hugh's flugelhorn on some spirited African-inspired melodies including the popular Skokian and originals African Summer and I'll Be There for You. The two horns mesh nicely in a pleasant if not spectacular album. The duo followed this album with a Main Event Live session recorded at various concerts. Highlights include the favorite Besame Mucho and People Make the World Go Round. Herb's next album would put him back on the charts after a long absence.

In 1979 a tune written by Herb's nephew, Randy Badazz, along with Andy Armer was brought to Herb's attention. It was Rise, a disco-flavored tune with a bit of the mariachi sound. This haunting, pulsating selection was a natural for Herb and it quickly made it to the charts , staying on the Billboard Top 100 for 2 weeks. It was also used as a recurring theme on General Hospital's story lines of the period. The followup Rise album is similar in style and has a standout track in Aranjuez, giving the Rodrigo piece a mix of disco and mariachi. The next albums would be in the same Rise style as Herb searched for another hit.

Beyond (1980) is one of Herb's lesser albums. The title track and Earth,Wind and Fire's Way of the World are the only bright spots on another Rise-clone. The Peter Frampton composition, The Factory, has to be one of Herb's biggest mistakes. It is an irritating, repetitious riff that goes on forever. Magic Man (1981) is similar in style, but a little easier to take. You Smile is updated, along with the favorite Besame Mucho. Julius Wechter is also on some tracks.

Herb's next album, Fandango (1982) is one of his best solo albums. The theme was a return to the Latin American sounds of the earlier LPs, in tribute to the 2oth anniversary of Herb's bullfight experience. Arranger Juan Carlos Calderon and co-producer Jose Quintana played an active part in the production along with Herb. The track California Blues had a lot of Herb's early mariachi style. Route 101, a breezy, rhythmic track, enjoyed some time on the charts. Herb sings Love Me the Way I Am in Spanish and sounds very comfortable. (His mom was Mexican.) A closing medley of Latin favorites including Frenesi and Bahia make this a very worthwhile effort. We hope it will be released on CD in the near future.

The next album Blow Your Own Horn (1983) was another average Rise-like LP with a very sexy cover shot of Herb. (He always cut a handsome figure) for the ladies. The good news was that we would have another TJB reunion coming up.

In 1984 Herb got the TJB back for some touring and a new album. Old hands Edmondson, Wechter, Ceroli and Pisano were back along with Bob Findley and his trumpeter brother, Chuck, another busy studio player. The new album Bullish was a bit disappointing. The title track had a Rise-like mix of mariachi and disco and Lani sang a nice cover of Maniac, but most of the tracks were rather similar and dull. The new band did some touring. I still have a Boston Globe review of a August 31 concert at Boston Common. (Jim Carey was the opening act!). Herb and the band were lauded for their musicianship and a medley took care of all the hits. Make a Wish, Fandango and Bullish were played from the recent repertoire. Herb reprieved This Guy's in Love and Lani did a medley of her Brasil '66 hits. Sounds like a great show.

That summer the band appeared on a syndicated variety show, On Stage America. Along with the live segment, Herb taped a profile/interview with co-host Susie Coelho, including many great clips. The band performed Bullish and Tijuana Taxi although they were lip syncing. Herb and Lani sang a lovely duet, Come what May, from one of Lani's solo albums. Julius, Nick and Bob seemed to be having a ball as was Herb.

Herb and the band also did two spots on Solid Gold playing Rise and This Guy's in Love again lip synced. These shows were a countdown of top 100 hits. Shortly after,Herb disbanded again and would be back to solo projects for quite a while.

Wild Romance (1985) was the next release. It was a pleasant but predictable album. The next album, Keep Your Eye on Me (1987) was quite radical and more in the hip-hop vein with contributions from Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The tune, Diamonds, got some chart activity and Herb and Lani did a mellow duet on Pillow. This album is not for traditional TJB listeners.

Under a Spanish Moon (1988) was a return to the Latin/Spanish sounds of Fandango. The title tune was an ambitious 3-part suite with orchestral background. Another highlight was Fragile, a composition by Sting. My Abstract Heart (1989) was a jazz project with the great trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers. Shorty had done some previous arranging for Herb. The big band backings complement Herb's horn and he and Lani duet on When lights Go Down Low--not the Benny Carter composition. North on South Street (1991) was more in the hip-hop vein again. Eddie DelBarrio co-produced this album. Unfortunately, it was not popular with Herb's fans.

The next album, Midnight Sun (1992), was a welcome return to jazz. Stan Getz, a good friend of Herb's plays on Friends recorded in 1990. Standards such as My Foolish Heart, Someone to Watch over Me (a nice Herb vocal), Mona Lisa and Wee Small Hours are given Herb's wistful touch. Herb also updated his classic, A Taste of Honey. Herb got nice support from John Pisano, Monty Budwig(bass) andFrank Collette(piano), Eddie delBarrio did some of the arranging. Herb also appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote the release. He and bandleader, Brandford Marsalis, teamed up on Taste of Honey and Herb sang Someone to Watch over Me with a small string section. His rendition was very Chet Baker-ish.

In 1992 Herb and Jerry Moss sold A&M to Polygram. Their next releases were on the new Almo Sounds label. Second Wind (1996) is a light jazz collaboration with keyboard player Jeff Lorber. Included was a redo of Flamingo. Passion Dance (1997), co-produced by Oskar Cartaya, got into the modern Latin and salsa styles, . Herb gave us a new version of Route 101. Colors (1999) saw more smooth jazz and Latin with a redo of Magic Man and Lani revisiting The Look of Love.

The new century saw Herb getting involved in painting and setting up an endowment for the arts, The Herb Alpert Foundation. He also guested on recordings with Lani, Gato Barbieri, Ry Cooder and Rita Coolidge. One of Herb's major endeavors was to bring the classic TJB albums to CD. A label called Shout Factory did the distribution. The packaging and artwork were first class, although 2 LPs could easily fit on a disc. The albums Vol.2, Warm and Brass Are Comin' were issued only on iTunes. All the other LPs, including Christmas Album, are available.

Herb also issued a terrific compilation titled Lost Treasures, featuring many unreleased TJB sides. Four sides came from You Smile-The Song Begins, but everything else was new to disc. Highlights include covers of Fire and Rain, And I Love Her, Killing me Softly and I'll Never Fall in Love again. There's a great shuffle version of Tennesee Waltz, a breezy Flowers on the Wall and Herb's vocal on Close to You recorded before the Carpenters' version. Let's hope Herb gives a Vol.2 of Lost Treasures. I'd love to get El Bimbo on disc.

Herb also did a new disc called Whipped Cream-Remixed where he did new trumpet solos to the albums' tunes as played by contemporary artists. The best news is that in 2008, Herb and Lani started touring again in a show featuring Latin jazz and standards, backed by a first class rhythm section. I missed them when they played Boston (the show was sold out-a testament to Herb's staying power), but YouTube clips show them both looking great and sounding wonderful. Herb's horn is still strong and mellow and Lani's beautiful, pure tones are unchanged. In 2009 Concord Jazz released a new CD, Anything Goes, consisting of tracks recorded at various concert venues. Herb and Lani sound fantastic. Let's hope there will more to come.

Entering his 75th year, let's hope Herb is blessed with good health, more gigs and CDs. He is one of the treasures of American Popular Music.

Ole, Senor Alpert!

Scobey and Clancy Raid the Juke Box (1958)

2009-01-22T09:06:00.001-08:00

One of my many early jazz heroes was the trumpeter and bandleader Bob Scobey (1916-63). Bob was one of the leading figures in the traditional jazz revival of the 1940s. His work with Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band of California and his own bands consisted of some of the finest examples of this great art form.

Bob was born in Tucumcari, New Mexico on December 9, 1916. His family settled in Stockton, Calif. He learned cornet in grade school and also had a strong interest in chemistry. For a time he thought of a career in science. After high school he played in radio and dance bands in the Bay area.

Bob first joined Lu Watters in 1938 when Lu was leading a conventional dance band. By 1940 Lu had changed over to the Yerba Buena band and the sound of 1920s jazz. Lu, Bob and trombonist Turk Murphy made up one of the most powerful and exciting brass teams in trad jazz. The YBJB brought back much of the great jazz repertoire of the 20s and earlier. As exciting as the band was, they could be very heavy sounding and did not have an easy swing. Bob had spent the war years of 1942-6 playing in a service band around the Bay area. When Bob started his own group in 1949, Alexander's Jazz Band, then the Frisco Jazz Band, he made a swinging, danceable rhythm a priority.

His percussive, booting horn was a perfect lead instrument for his brand of trad jazz and dixie. Like Louis Bob knew how to put a lot of feeling into a modicum of notes. What he lacked in technique, he more than made up for in swing and passion. He was also a sensitive ballad and blues player. Bob's big, throaty sound also reminded one of the great Bunny Berigan.

Bob's merging with singer and banjoist Clancy Hayes (a former YBJB member) was the perfect partnership. Clancy's mellow, easygoing vocals, always sung with great swing and feeling, were a perfect fit for Bob and the band. Clancy knew just about every trad jazz,

vaudeville and folk song, verse and all. He was a consummate entertainer. The band got better and better and more successful with each passing year. They made many great Good Time Jazz albums. This one is a personal favorite of mine.

By 1958 the Scobey band had made Chicago their home base, playing many engagements in the Windy City and Midwest.

Scobey and Clancy Raid the Juke Box is a collection of pop favorites from 1957, sort of a dixieland Hit Parade. As it turned out, two tunes were revivals from the trad jazz repertoire (Yellow Dog Blues and See See Rider).

Along with Bob and Clancy was Pud Brown on clarinet, a popular West Coast reed man, well known for his work with Pete Daily and Kid Ory. He had a great, reedy sound and could get dirty when needed. He played a mean tenor sax, too. Jack Buck, Bob's trombone man since '49 (also a fine pianist) is joined by Doug Skinner for a trombone duo. Bob went with this setup for a few years. On piano is the great Stan Wrightsman, a very busy studio man in Hollywood. Stan had that nice Jess Stacy type approach to piano and had stints with Wingy Manone, Spike Jones, Matty Matlock and Bob Crosby. His solos are a highlight of the album. On tuba and string bass is Bob Short, one of the finest West Coast trad bassists. Bob was a mainstay with Turk Murphy, Lu Watters and the Castle Jazz Band, among others. Dave Black on drums joined Bob in 1956 and stayed to the end. He was a brilliant, swinging player and played with Duke Ellington before joining the Frisco Jazz Band.

Here's our playlist:

Bye Bye Love

The Everly Bros. hit gets a nice Frisco Band ride with the two trombones simulating the brothers and Pud getting in some nice low-register clarinet. Bob boots the whole production along nicely.

Singing the Blues

Not the Bix classic, but a Guy Mitchell charter of '57. This is a perfect vehicle for Clancy's easy-going style with a nice ratio of Bob's percussive horn. Dig Bob's funky fills behind Clancy. They will be many more coming up.

Yellow Dog Blues

New Orleans clarinetist Joe Darensbourg had a surprise hit with this revival of the W.C. Handy classic. Pud gives Joe a respectful nod and Clancy sings all the verses before Bob drives the band home.

Tammy

One of my all time favorite Scobey solos. This was a hit for Debbie Reynolds from her movie of the same name. Following Stan's pretty intro, Bob shows that uncanny ability to "sing" the melody with so much feeling that it touches you deeply. Pud noodles for a half-chorus with nice fills by Stan before Bob closes out this lovely reading.

These albums were made for dancing and this is a perfect slow one for you and your girl.

Round and Round

A Perry Como hit gets a nice Scobey bounce with some neat rounds by the horns. Clancy's peppy vocal and a swinging out chorus are highlights.

All Shook Up

The King, Elvis, gets a Frisco salute. Clancy sings his own take on the King's lyrics with Bob and the boys playing the Jordanaires. Things get swinging in the second chorus with Stan adding some nice boogie woogie. This is my kind of rock and roll.

Love Letters in the Sand

Another revival of an earlier hit, this time by Pat Boone. Bob gives us the rarely heard verse, then swings us along with Clancy vocalizing, some Pud clarinet and a vocal reprise with Bob riding the band home.

Marianne

Originally a calypso by Terry Gillykson, this clever arrangement transforms the melody into the Maryland, My Maryland / March of the Bob Cats theme. Dave Black's great drumming and the two bones give us that parade feel. Bob's horn swings the parade and as the liner notes stated, this could be dubbed Marianne, my Marianne. One of Bob's most clever arrangements.

See See Rider

Ma Rainey's classic blues was revived in 1957 by Chuck Willis of the "stroll" dance craze. Clancy sings the verse and familiar chorus with Bob and the boys swinging over an R&B beat.

So Rare

Another revival of a 1930s hit, Jimmy Dorsey brought this great tune back but passed on while it hit the charts. We get another tasty verse by Bob followed by a tender reading of the chorus with Stan doing some pretty piano. Another great Scobey showcase and dance tempo.

Blueberry Hill

Originally a 1940 Gene Autry hit Fats Domino had the biggie in 1957. We all loved Louis' own hit version from '49. Bob belts out the lead with more of that R&B rhythm and Clancy gives us a mellow vocal, before Bob takes us home.

Don't Forbid Me

This was another Pat Boone hit and gets a swinging Scobey instrumental version. More nice Wrightsman piano, the two bones and Pud, before Bob marches us home.

All of Bob's Good Time Jazz albums have that perfect combination of swing, bounce and passion within the framework of traditional jazz. In 1957 he moved over to RCA for more great albums including a tremendous pairing with Bing Crosby, Bing with a Beat. We''ll cover that one on a future post. (It's available on CD).

Bob left us too early in 1963 after bravely battling cancer. He was only 46 years old. The Good Time Jazz sides were reissued on CD by Fantasy, but I understand they have been cut out. You can try ebay or the used section of a good disc store. George Buck issued Bob's Ragtime sessions from 1956 on his Jazzology label. You could also drop a line to Bob's widow, Jan, at janscobeyshotjazz@yahoo.com. Jan, a lovely singer, kept Bob's band going in the 60s and even learned to play his Martin trumpet. I'm sure she still has some of Bob's material available.

I can't think of a better tribute than to note that Bob's lovely recording of Strange Blues (GTJ L 12006) has been the closing theme of Ray Smith's wonderful PBS radio series, The Jazz Decades

for over 50 years!

As long as there is an audience for good, swinging traditional jazz, we'll still be hearing Bob's great horn and band!

Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

2009-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

It was only a matter of time before we did a post on the namesake of this blog. The film Pete Kelly's Blues is a personal favorite, along with the beautiful title song and the various musical offshoots of Pete Kelly, all involving the great trumpet of Dick Cathcart (see my Cathcart post).

The many "Hollywood" music bios and jazz films are guilty pleasures of me and many of my fellow musicians. Despite their flaws, historic inaccuracies and unintentionally laughable dialog, the music always saves the day.

The creator and star/director of the film was Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. Jack was a big jazz fan and earlier in 1951 had a Pete Kelly's Blues radio series. The radio show and movie (and subsequent TV series) revolved around Pete, a 1920's jazz cornetist working at the 17 Cherry St. Club in Kansas City with his band, the Big 7. Along the way Pete has many adventures with musicians, flappers and gangsters, all part of the Roaring 20s scene. Each one of the various versions of Pete featured Dick Cathcart with the band of Matty Matlock on clarinet and handling the arrangements, Moe Schneider, trombone, Ray Sherman, piano, George Van Eps, guitar, Jud DeNault, bass and Nick Fatool, drums. All of the players were big band veterans and experts in the Dixieland style. (Many were Bob Crosby veterans, especially Matlock and Miller, both longtime Crosbyites).

In 1955 Jack Webb brought his radio play to the big screen and the Warner Brothers Studio. Dick, Matty and the boys were back. Jack did the directing and Richard L. Breen (an Academy Award winner and frequent collaborator of Billy Wilder) handled the screenplay. He had written a lot of Jack's Dragnet shows, hence that classic "just the facts" clipped dialog, so central to Webb productions.

Jack assembled an excellent and varied cast. Future cops Martin Milner (Adam 12) as drummer Joey Firestone and Lee Marvin (M Squad) as clarinetist Al Gannaway were aboard. Edmond O'Brien played the nasty racketeer, Fran McHarg. Janet Leigh was the lovely flapper socialite, Ivy Conrad, who falls for Pete. Two of our greatest female jazz singers have strong roles. Ella Fitzgerald plays Maggie Jackson, singer at a musicians' club who befriends Pete. Peggy Lee gave a great dramatic performance as the alcoholic singer, Rose Hopkins. She was deservedly nominated for an academy award. Also making a small appearances was Jayne Mansfield as a nightclub cigarette girl, hardly recognizable as a brunette. Firehouse Five banjoist, Harper Goff, who was the film's production designer, got in a cameo with banjo. Silent comic, Snub Pollard, has some scenes as a waiter and Than Wyenn as Rudy Shulak, the tightwad owner of the club is great. (He reprised the role on the television version). The biggest surprise is Andy Devine as a tough, no nonsense cop out to get McHarg. There is no trace of his "cowboy sidekick" persona.

Band members Matty Matlock and George VanEps and Ray Sherman can be seen onscreen as Big 7 members. The basic plot of the film involves Pete dealing with McHarg who tries to get a piece of the band, and the resulting turmoil and band wars. Mixed in is Pete's romance with Ivy and the tragic story of Rose, who McHarg tries to match with Kelly's band for one last chance at stardom. Along the way we get vignettes of other band members and characters who populate the club. The final shootout at the Everglade Ballroom with Pete against McHarg and Co. is right out of Dragnet. (I guess Pete learned to shoot in World War I. )

The prologue that opens the film is a beautiful recreation of a New Orleans funeral. Filmed at the Fleming Plantation in Lafitte,Louisiana we hear Teddy Buckner on cornet along with the Israelite Spiritual Chorus performing Didn't He Ramble. The service is for an old jazzman whose cornet finds it's way to Pete Kelly.

The film's sets and atmosphere are perfect, everything has the right look. Any shortcomings are more than made up for by the music. The Big 7 sequences are all expertly played with great contributions from Cathcart, Matlock, Miller and Co. Old favorites such as Smiles,What can I say Dear, Bye Bye Blackbird and Breezin' along with the Breeze are played by the Big 7. Even the background music has nice moments, including the society Tuxedo Band heard at Ivy's party. Ella and Peggy's vocals are superb, both were at the top of their game and Peggy never looked lovelier. The Pete/Ivy relationship is nicely played. As Pete starts to fall for the lovely Ivy, he starts to loosen up a bit and even cracks a smile or two (unusual for the taciturn Webb). Janet Leigh as Ivy gets to sing an old favorite, I'm Gonna meet my Sweetie Now (recorded by Jean Goldkette with Bix).

About the music: the lovely title theme was written by veteran film composer, Ray Heindorf, and the great lyricist Sammy Cahn. The haunting, bluesy melody is perfect for Cathcart's mellow, Bix-like horn. Ella also gets to sing the lyrics during a scene when Pete comes to her club for help. The old Ted Fiorito favorite, I Never Knew, gets a new take as the love theme for Pete and Ivy. They dance to it several times, especially charming is the player piano rendition at the ballroom. During Peggy's "audition" with the band she gets to sing a pretty Arthur Hamilton tune, He Needs Me.(Hamilton was a frequent contributor to the radio show) .This didn't go anywhere: too bad! Eddie Miller can be heard with some pretty noodling, and the favorite, Sugar. Later on she does a bit of Somebody Loves Me and in a touching scene Sing a Rainbow. At this point Rose is in an insane asylum. Peggy deserved her Oscar nomination. It's too bad she didn't get more acting offers. Ella encores a great Hard Hearted Hannah and scats some blues. I have to mention some of the classic dialog. Here are some of my favorites. Jack's opening, after playing a band set: If you're looking for a new way to grow old, this is the place to come.

When drummer Joey Firestone is gunned down in the alley by McHarg's boys, here's Pete's response: Somebody bring Joey in-it's rainin' on him. Here's a trumpet player's delight. When Ivy notices Pete's cute parakeet, he retorts: I may have to eat that bird someday, but in the meantime, he can hit a high G above C, so I keep him around.

Here's a Joe Friday special. When asked about using Tin Roof Blues on a record date, Pete's response is, "It'll Keep!" And I love the reference to Pete playing with a heavy mute during his troubles with the gangsters. When Pete informs his bass man that a new sideman had worked with the Mound City Blue Blowers, the bassist's reply is, "If he worked for them, it was carrying beer!"

Jack did his homework, too. Early in the film the young Jayne Mansfield asks Pete if he's going to catch Bennie Moten at The Plantation. Pete's answer, "We'll see. Pack a lunch!" Clarinetist Al mentions that Pete should try out for the Goldkette band. When Pete is told Bix is in the band, his comeback is, "I'm safer here!"

The popularity of the movie and the Big 7's music spawned quite a few albums. First up was the RCA LP Pete Kelly's Blues with most of the featured songs played by the band along with Jack's unique narrative! This made it to CD on Collector's Choice. Another RCA LP, Pete Kelly at Home, featured some unusual tunes such as Mandy, Fight On, Sweet Eloise, Old Pigeon Toed Joe and Out of Nowhere. A Capitol EP featured the band with Louisiana, Roses of Picardy, Bflat Blues and Till we Meet Again. Dick's lovely, Bix-like solo on Louisiana was singled out by several critics. At the same time a Columbia album featured the Big 7 on eight tunes from the film and Ray Heindorf conducting a large studio orchestra on four selections. A later LP, Pete Kelly Lets His Hair Down (1958) on Warner Bros., has a unique concept of blues themes titled by different colors.

In 1959 Pete Kelly's Blues made the transition to television as Jack Webb produced a weekly series during the spring and summer of that year. Thirteen episodes were filmed. This time Jack gave the lead to William Reynolds, later of the F.B.I. Also featured was the great singer, Connee Boswell, as Savannah Brown, a take-off on the Ella character. Than Wyenn was back as the 17 Cherry St. Club's owner, this time as George Lupo. Phil Gordon played Fred, Pete's pianist and buddy. The stories revolved around the musicians' problems, missing persons, murder and various non-musical conflicts. Dick, Matty and the band were back to provide music and Warner Bros. put out a nice LP of music featured in the series. I still have my old copy! The show hasn't made it to DVD yet, but there is still hope for a private collection on Ebay or YouTube.

After the TV run, Dick, Matty and most of the band occasionally played as the Big 7 at California clubs and jazz festivals. Sad to say, most of the band members have passed. I believe Ray Sherman is still active. He put out some nice sides on the Arbors label.

On future posts we'll survey the various Hollywood bios. (Goodman, Miller, Krupa, The Five Pennies) and some of the jazz oriented films such as Young Man with a Horn, Second Chorus, A Man called Adam and Orchestra Wives.

Pete Kelly's Blues can be enjoyed for it's great musical value, for it's camp and fun dialog or just as great 1950s movie entertainment. Whatever your preference is, you're in for a great show. The film is available on aWarner Bros. DVD.

Wail on, Pete!

Frank Assunto and the Dukes of Dixieland

2008-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular traditional jazz bands of the 50s and 60s was The Dukes of Dixieland. The New Orleans group was co-led by brothers Frank and Fred Assunto. Their successful series of Audio Fidelity recordings introduced trad jazz and dixieland to many happy listeners including this writer. This post will look at their phenomenal career, with a special spotlight on the very talented trumpeter/vocalist, Frank Assunto.

Fred Assunto (trombone) was born in New Orleans in 1929. Brother Frank was born in 1932. (Frank had two sisters, Jean and Anna). Their dad, Jacinto, better known as "Papa Jac" played trombone and banjo and taught music at Redemptorist High School. Jac's wife was known as "Mama Jo." Both brothers excelled on their instruments and by the late 40s, they had their own teenage jazz band called The Basin St. 5 or 6 or 7 depending on the size of the group.

An interesting pre-Dukes band was organized for a talent show, sponsored by Loyola University. Along with future Dukes Freddie and Stan Mendelson (piano) were Herbie Holman, bass & leader, Gil Erskine, drums, Lennie Beckler, clarinet and Woody Guidry, trumpet (a good friend and later with Lawrence Welk). This band came in first in the group competition and later did a Ted Mack tour. This band eventually morphed into the Dukes of Dixieland, with Frank on trumpet and Bill Porter on bass.

In 1949 they won a talent contest on the Horace Heidt radio show as The Junior Dixie Band. This resulted in a nationwide tour with the Heidt show. Following this success, they returned to New Orleans and turned pro, calling themselves The Dukes of Dixieland. Some of their early venues included The Famous Door for four years and The Golden Slipper in Baton Rouge for 22 weeks.

The earliest recordings of The Dukes were on the New Orleans Bandwagon label in late 1951. Frank and the band sound great, but they definitely have the sound and feel of the 1950s white dixieland groups such as Sharkey Bonano, Santo Pecora and Tony Almerico. They would eventually smooth out their style to be more popular commercially.

Frank sounds surprisingly like Sharkey on these sides. Of course he was only 22 years old. He would soon go with a leaner, more virtuoso type style, more like Louis. These sides eventually were reissued on an old Forum LP (long out of print). Pianist Stan Mendlsohn would continue along with The Dukes until 1960. Other players such as clarinetist Bill Shea, bassist Chink Martin and drummer, Roger Johnston, were local pros who worked with many of the New Orleans jazz bands. Fred's wife Betty, known as The Duchess, makes her first appearance and has a cute Kay Starr/Brenda Lee type approach to the trad tunes. Frank's excellent trumpet and vocal on St. James Infirmary is pretty much the set routine he would use on Audio Fidelity.

Frank had a fine voice. There was some of the New Orleans drawl but also a clear Sinatra-type phrasing to his vocals. In 1951-2 the band recorded for Imperial and later for Okeh. These sides are hard to find and haven't been reissued yet.

For a time, around 1955, Pete Fountain was a member of the band. They made a great album for Vik Records (an RCA subsidiary). The album has some outstanding tracks including a great Tin Roof Blues featuring Pete on an extended Fazola-like solo. Fred has a nice feature on Blue Prelude with nice muted obligato by Frank. Frank sings Beale St. Blues. This arrangement would later be repeated on Audio Fidelity. The band still has a lot of the Sharkey-George Girard style of driving, white dixieland. (Girard was a gifted trumpeter, who died of cancer at 26).

In 1955 Betty Owens took leave of the band to deliver her and Fred's first child.(they had a boy, Mike and two girls, Jan and Angela). She would occasionally rejoin the band, but spent more of her time as a mom.(Frank had married Joan Bartet, a New Orleans beauty queen). The boys asked Papa Jac to join them as a special attraction on trombone and banjo. Jac took a leave from his teaching duties and joined up. Audiences enjoyed seeing him working with his two talented sons. Jac also had a degree in business from Tulane and was a great help with the management of the band.

In 1955 and '56 the boys played Chicago at the Preview Lounge on Randolph St. and were a big hit. They also made their Vegas debut and racked up 64 weeks at the Thunderbird. They would become Vegas regulars. While playing a smash 16 week stand at the Preview, Sid Frey of Audio Fidelity Records heard of the band and found them to be a perfect match for the company. Audio Fidelity specialized in showing off their great stereo sound and The Dukes' percussive, lively jazz was perfect for their needs. They became the first jazz group to record in the new stereo process.

Most of The Dukes' Audio Fidelity LPs had a theme or concept. The first two volumes in 1956 featured the band playing their standard repertoire. Vol. 1 has favorites such as High Society, South Rampart St. Parade and Frank and the band sing on Tailgate Ramble and When My Sugar Walks down the Street.

Vol. 2 brings Betty back for her fine singing on My Blue Heaven and Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night. Unfortunately these would be her last commercial recordings. Frank does his fine vocal honors on Basin St. and the band plays a nice, strutting version of Listen to the Mocking Bird. Frank does the vocal honors on the "meet the Band" favorite, Mama Don't Allow. Harold Cooper plays clarinet on the first 3 albums. Also featured are Bill Porter on bass and tuba and rotating drummers Paul Ferrara, Roger Johnston and John Edwards.

Vol. 3 is titled Marching Along and features many of the old brass band and marching favorites such as Bourbon St.Parade, Eyes of Texas, Closer Walk and Lassus Trombone. On When Johnny Reb Comes Marching Home, Frank takes a great Harry James-like solo backed by tom-toms a la Sing, Sing, Sing.

Vol. 4 is On Bourbon Street and is a personal favorite of mine. This was one of my first album purchases. It contains many of the standard trad/dixie repertoire including Indiana, Royal Garden Blues, Eccentric and Riverboat Shuffle. Jack Maheu on clarinet and Tommy Rundell, drums, had joined up at this point (1957). Frank reprises his trumpet and vocal showcase of St. James Infirmary and never sounded better. The band pulls out all the stops on Saints with Frank introducing the band and many clever variations thrown in. New Orleans Funeral would be a staple in the Duke's book. Similar to Louis Armstrong's New Orleans Function, it tells the story of a typical New Orleans funeral ceremony with Frank narrating and the band playing Didn't He Ramble in the various tempos required. Jack Maheu had come over from the popular Salt City Six. He was an excellent clarinetist and also would work with Bob Scobey, Muggsy Spanier , the Eddie Condon house band and Al Hirt. Happily he is still active and working in New Orleans.

Next up was Vol. 5, Minstrel Time (1957). This was an average collection of minstrel era and turn of the century favorites such as Swanee, Georgia Camp Meeting and Dinah. Frank gets in two nice vocals on Bill Bailey and Alexander's Ragtime Band.

Vol. 6, Mardi Gras Time (1957), is a natural for the group as they salute their home town with mardi gras flavored selections such as Panama, Honky Tonk Town (nice trumpet by Frank) and While we Danced at the Mardi Gras. Frank gets in 4 great vocals: Louisi-an-i-a, Way down Yonder, New Orleans and the band's theme, Do You Know what It Means? (Frank always sang this beautifully).

Vol. 7 was Circus Time (1958). This sounds like a gimmicky album, but has some fun selections and clever charts. Visions of Salome and Persian Market are standouts along with favorites such as Over the Waves, Asleep in the Deep and Entry of the Gladiators. Barney Mallon plays tuba and bass. It appears to be his only appearance with the band.

Vol.8, On Campus, was the other 1958 release. This was a collection of college songs. This theme seemed to be a natural for dixieland groups. PeeWee Hunt and Bob Scobey did similar albums. Although an average album, three tunes stand out. New bassman, Lowell Miller, takes an extended and inspired tuba feature on the Whiffenpoof Song. Frank sings the old Johnny Mercer favorite Jamboree Jones and takes a rousing trumpet solo on Notre Dame. That also has some neat Maheu clarinet and Freddie with his trombone "pops," a percussive device made popular by New Orleans trombonists Santo Pecora and Frog Joseph. Norman "Red" Hawley took over the drum chair with this release.

Up The Mississippi, Vol. 9 (1959), is a collection of riverboat and Old South songs such as Mississippi Mud, Ol' Man River and Lazy River. Freddie gets a nice feature on Dear Ol' Southland and Frank gets to reprieve his vocal on Beale St. On Sleepy Time down South, Frank's touching vocal and solo show his admiration for "Pops". (What trumpet player doesn't?)

During the Audio Fidelity period, the band kept busy with clubwork, personal appearances and television. They played the Playboy JazzFest, the Roundtable in New York and made frequent appearances on the Ed Sullivan and Garry Moore shows. In January 1959 they did a Timex jazz special with many jazz greats including their hometown hero, Louis Armstrong. The Dukes were managed now by Joe Delaney and worked for Joe Glaser's Associated Booking (who handled Louis).

The band's 1959 Carnegie Hall concert was recorded by Audio Fidelity and released as Vol. 10. Gene Bolen, a veteran of the Gene Mayl and Nappy Lamare/Ray Bauduc bands, had come in on clarinet. A fine player, his stay was quite short. The album is pleasant but not inspired playing, although Freddie gets his licks in on Slide, Frog, Slide and Frank plays and sings a great Mack the Knife. Also noteworthy are 76 Trombones, Royal Garden Blues and Yellow Dog Blues. Frank's talents as an emcee are also shown to full advantage here. The band's next two recording sessions would team them with that "hometown hero" for some classic jazz performances and some of Louis Armstrong's greatest later playing.

Louis Armstrong loved working with the Dukes. They were "hometown" boys and everyone, especially Frank, put in inspired playing. Frank had mentioned his nervousness in working with his idol, but quickly pointed out Louis' easy and relaxed personality. This shows on the sessions and Pops is in "super" form on horn and vocals. (For a more detailed look at these sessions, please look up my friend Ricky Riccardi's Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong website).

The first sessions were recorded for Audio Fidelity in August of 1959 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. Unfortunately the sound was a bit echoey and the session wasn't released. It would finally come out in 1970. Along with the Assuntos, Mendelsohn, Miller and Hawley, was the addition of Jerry Fuller on clarinet. Jerry played a smooth, Goodman-inspired horn and had been playing with Jack Teagarden's sextet. (He is still playing occasionally in the Boston area). Some discographers feel that Bolen is on clarinet. (He and Jerry had similar sounds).

1959-60 were great years for Louis' chops. (He also did a King Oliver tribute for Audio Fidelity, with his All-Stars). His huge sound and power were beautifully captured by the Audio Fidelity engineers. On the '59 sessions, he got to revisit some of his old classic repertoire such as Sugarfoot Stomp, Riverside Blues, Sweethearts on Parade, Muskrat Ramble and Cornet Chop Suey. Louis had lost some of the flexibility and daring of the Hot Five days, but more than makes up for that with his incredible drive and ensemble work, hitting all the high ones with that amazing tone. Frank, in turn, supports Louis' lead with great harmony and when given the lead does so with flair. His backgrounds to Louis' vocals are done with exquisite taste. Frank also gets to join Louis vocally on Sweethearts and Bucket's Got a Hole in It. The contrast in their voices and the fun they are having are highlights of the session. One of Louis' All-Stars staples Back O' Town Blues gets a nice reading with Frank taking a tasty chorus after Pops' vocal. Louis' own composition Someday You'll be Sorry gets a nice reading with more of Frank's nice obbligato.

Bye and Bye and Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen were not released. On Bye Pops makes a goof on his band introductions, which may have been the reason for its deletion. Nobody Knows is a "gem." Pops sings the spiritual favorite with sincerity and passion. Freddie and Papa Jac play pretty backgrounds on trombone and Frank plays some beautiful muted obbligatos to the vocal. Frank was a superb accompanist.

As good as the '59 sessions were, the best was yet to come. In May of 1960 Louis and the Dukes recorded again at Webster Hall in New York. This session, issued as Louis and the Dukes, contains amazing, bravura performances by Pops and Frank. The Dukes never sounded better. Owen Mahoney had come in on drums and Rich Matteson on tuba joined up after a stint with Bob Scobey. Matteson plays a very flexible, horn-like tuba, frequently playing 4/4 and contributing fine solos.

Pops is all over the place with great lead and awesome solos. Frank also shares some of the leads and backs up Louis tastefully. On the opener, Bourbon St.Parade, Frank duets with Louis vocally and Pops does sound great scatting behind Frank's vocal chorus. Avalon has some incredible trumpet work by Louis (the liner notes mention Frank watching Louis with a "dazed" smile). Louis leads the closing ensemble up to a huge high G.

Wolverine Blues has all kinds of trumpet highlights with Pops and Frank trading off leads and 4 bar chases. For good measure Pops throws in an inspired "stop" chorus, reminiscent of the Hot Five days. On New Orleans, Louis plays a sober melody and a tender vocal with Frank providing lovely muted backup. Equally touching is Closer Walk with Thee, played in a similar style to Nobody Knows. Once again Frank's obbligato to Pops' heartfelt vocal is a highlight. Limehouse Blues also has some intense blowing by Pops. He leads the Dukes through the old favorite with great power and passion. The whole album is a classic and showcases the genius of Pops and the excellence of the Dukes and Frank in particular. In 1976 Chiaroscuro records issued two LPs of the unissued material and alternate takes of both sessions.

The last Audio Fidelity album was Piano Ragtime (1960) Vol.11. This is a pleasant album, but pales in comparison to the musical fireworks of the Armstrong sessions. This album may have been recorded in 1959, as Red Hawley and Lowell Miller are aboard. Stan Mendelsohn gets some feature time here on the traditional rags such as Maple Leaf, Grace and Beauty and 12th St. Rag. A few ringers such as Tiger Rag and Wolverine Blues are thrown in for good measure. Johnson Rag gets a nice treatment with a catchy chart. Frank's lead and solos are as fine as always, but he gets no vocals.

In 1961, the Dukes would move to Columbia records and some new ideas and personnel would change the sound and direction of the band. The first album on Columbia was Breakin' It Up on Broadway (1961). The band had adopted more of a swing approach to their sound, without going "modern." Jerry, a Goodman disciple and especially Frank, benefited from this change. Frank always showed great versatility in his horn and vocal work and here gets into more of a Buck Clayton/Ruby Braff mode, using Harmon mute on occasion. His vocals got even better. Glocca Morra showed fine tone and control with a style not far removed from pop stars like Steve Lawrence and Bobby Darin. Several critics had mentioned Frank's ability to catch on as a solo act. With his good looks and personality, he could have built up a nice solo career. But he was loyal to the family and to the band and never considered such a move.

Some new players help to forge the new style of the Dukes. Gene Schroeder, an excellent, swinging pianist known for his years with Eddie Condon, Jim Atlass (formerly with Jimmy Giuffre) and west coast drummer Charlie Lodice contribute to a swinging rhythm section. In addition, guitar great Jim Hall was added for the recording.

The Broadway tunes range from Runnin' Wild (1922) to Hey Look Me Over (1960). Despite the "new" sound of the band, Papa Jac is still very visible on banjo for Lida Rose and on trombone for New Ashmolean Marching Society. Freddie gets a nice spot on Adrift on a Star (taken from the Baccarolle) and Jerry shines on From this Moment On, definitely in a Goodman vein. All in all, a very promising debut album.

The next album was Now Hear This (1962). This time out, the band concentrated on jazz standards including Jazz Band Ball, I'm Comin' Virginia, Honeysuckle Rose, Jazz me Blues, Mood Indigo, Sweet Sue and When You're Smiling. Frank sings a mellow version of Fats Waller's Blue Turning Grey and Jerry gets a crack at the clarinet showcase My Inspiration. Another great guitarist, Herb Ellis, sits in and would be on the next two albums.

The folk craze was big in 1962, so the Dukes did their take on Dixieland Hootenanny. Such favorites as On Top of Old Smokey, Greensleeves, Darling Nellie, John Brown's Body and Wreck of the Old 97 got the Dukes' treatment. Bob Casey, another Condon and Muggsy Spanier alum, brought his solid basswork to the band. The great clarinetist Edmond Hall sat in for Jerry on one session and the band recorded Frosty the Snowman, which wound up on a collection called Jingle Bell Jazz.

Finishing out a busy year was The Dukes at Disneyland (summer 1962), recorded live at the Disneyland JazzFest. This was one of my early record purchases and it holds up fine. The tunes are all favorites, but the band opens things up with extended solos. Jerry Fuller gets in a long, swinging ride on Dixie One-Step. Wolverine Blues and Royal Garden get their standard arrangements. Canal Street Blues is given more of a funky treatment with great solos by Herb Ellis and Frank doing some swinging riffing on harmon mute. The old standbys, New Orleans Funeral (with Frank's narrative) and Saints get a more modern, but still swinging touch.

An interesting swing date for Epic records resulted in Frank's only recording away from the Dukes. Herb Ellis' The Midnite Roll (June 1962) had Frank filling in for Roy Eldridge on two sessions. Frank acquits himself nicely in the company of Buddy Tate, Ray Bryant, Gus Johnson and Herb. He gets in a nice harmon spot on Darling Nellie and sounds great on band and solo chores such as Symphony, You'd better Know it and Herb's Here. No doubt Herb Ellis decided to pay Frank back for his guest spots with the Dukes.

I'm sure that Frank enjoyed this session as the Dukes' were getting more swing oriented and it showed that he was more than a "dixieland" player.

The Dukes also made an unusual 45 single of two Assunto/Ellis originals called Too Bad and What's the Time? The sides are very pleasant swing, but quite removed from the usual Dukes fare. (Too Bad was also on the Midnite Roll album).

The Dukes also appeared on a TV show called World Series of Jazz, where they had sort of a "battle" with Gene Krupa's Quartet. A silly premise, but good musically. The band did a great version of Wreck of the Old 97. The Dukes also did the Dean Martin show in '65.(Frank named his son Frank Jr., "Deano" in honor of Dean. Frank and Joan were big Martin fans.(they also had a daughter,Gina).

Next up at Columbia was an unusual date that paired the Dukes with the gospel group, The Clara Ward Singers. The album entitled We Gotta Shout(1963) features a collection of gospel and spiritual favorites. The great clarinetist Kenny Davern fills in for Jerry Fuller and Jack Six, a talented modern player is on Bass. Boston's Buzzy Drootin, another Condon alum comes in on drums. Buzzy's nephew Sonny, a great pianist recalls seeing Buzzy and the Dukes on the Tonight Show around this time. This is something different for Dukes fans, but Frank and the boys get in some good licks.

The last album for Columbia was Struttin' at the World's Fair(1964). This was to promote the New York World' Fair. The theme song of the fair, Fair is Fair is the title track. The other sides have a march/parade theme, not unlike Marching Along. Franks gets in a nice vocal on Sweethearts on Parade and the band reprises Louisiana from Mardi Gras Time.

The next series of albums would be on the Decca label. The band kept their loose, swing feel, but with more of the dixieland sound. The Deccas have very short running times. These selections were meant for radio play. Also more pop and contemporary tunes were used.

The first Decca album was "Live" at Bourbon Street (Chicago) Feb.1965. This album was recorded during the band's stay at the famous Chicago club. Freddie was ill and was replaced by popular Chicago trombonist Dave Remington. The selections mix traditional fare such as China Boy, Struttin' with Some Barbecue, High Society and South Rampart St. with pop tunes such as Charade, Hello Dolly, Red Roses for a Blue Lady and I will Wait for You.

Frank takes a nice solo on Bourbon St.Blues and sings the band's theme Miss New Orleans. However he gets a bit too fancy, with behind the beat phrasing (a bad habit of pop singers). Otherwise, a nice debut for the band on Decca.

Come on and Hear (1965) has Freddie back and a nice mix of pop and traditional. The favorites include Everybody Loves My Baby and Clarinet Marmalade featuring Jerry. Franks gets off one of his best vocals on My Kind of Town and almost tops Sinatra, himself. He also sings a lovely Someday You'll Be Sorry for Pops with Gene Schroeder playing celeste in the style of Johnny Guaneri from the 1947 Armstrong recording. A good album!

In April of 1966, Freddie Assunto passed away from a heart attack. He had been fighting cancer and was only 36 years of age. It was a big blow to Frank and Papa Jac. Still the show went on and the band continued to appear and record, with Ed Hubble replacing Freddie.

The next Decca album was Sunrise, Sunset (1966), another pleasant mix of dixieland and current pops. That's a Plenty and I Found a New Baby, highlight the standards. Jerry Fuller gets in a pleasant tenor solo (something new) on If I Had You. Frank takes nice vocal on Mame and Them There Eyes. Ed Hubble does a very credible job in Freddie's chair.

Next up were songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). This film had some nice original songs and some good period tunes. Besides the title tune, the song Jimmy is a lovely ballad, played beautifully by Frank, Jerry and the band. Jerry gets to do his B.G. thing on Poor Butterfly and Frank sings Baby Face and Jazz Baby (a cute rock-type novelty). Highlights from the standards are Stumbling, Rose of Washington Square, Do It Again and Japanese Sandman. Not a bad album for a potentially weak concept.

A good friend and wonderful trombonist, Charlie Bornemann worked with the band from July '67 to Nov.'70. Charlie provided me with some personal insight to the band's activities and working with Frank.

"Frank was a great boss. Almost too easy. He let the guys play and ran a great show. He had an uncanny ablility to remember people, from celebrities to casual fans. Frank didn't talk about Freddie's passing, but it must have been a difficult situation for him." Papa Jac had left the group by the time Charlie came aboard. Freddie's death was very hard on him.

The band kept up a busy schedule. Besides a tour of Japan and the Far East, they played long stints at the Beach Club Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and stints at Al Hirt's and the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans. Frank preferred to mix in the new tunes he was recording at Decca, but his audiences wanted to hear the old trad classics. I noticed Frank's appearance had changed. He was going with a "mod" look of long hair and mustache. This was nothing radical. But it was a far cry from the clean cut, young guy on the Audio Fidelity covers. I guess Frank was going through a stage. I recall seeing him on a Boston TV show around this time. I was impressed with his musicianship, but his appearance didn't seem to fit the style of the music. (This was a bad era for style. I have some band photos of my own that haunt me.)

The musicians in the band photo (taken at the Royal Sonesta in the Fall of 1969) are Frank, Charlie, Harold Cooper (back for another stint) on clarinet, Don Ewell on piano, Rudy Aikels on bass and Freddie Kohlman on drums.

Back at Decca, the band recorded Come to the Cabaret(1967) and Dixieland's Greatest Hits(1968). Cabaret is an entertaining album, although it jumps back and forth between pure dixie and more modern mainstream. However the musical quality is very high. New pianist Johny Varro sparkles on a Basie-like Foolin' Around and contributed some nice arrangements.

Frank has two excellent vocals on Rosie and the old favorite I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now. The Charlie Chaplin composition Smile makes for a nice trumpet feature for Frank and he gets in some Sweets Edison-like Harmon mute passages on More and More. The other players are Ed DeHaas, bass and Paul Ferrera, back on drums. The old studio pro Art Ryerson was added for banjo and guitar. An interesting sidelight-Louis Armstrong also recorded Cabaret, Rosie, Wilkommen and Hellzapoppin' (from this album) in 1967. Charlie reminded me of the connection with Joe Glaser handling Louis and the Dukes. He probably wanted a cover version of Louis' renditions.

Dixieland's Greatest Hits is a mixture of trad classics such as Midnight in Moscow, Tin Roof Blues, Closer Walk, Bill Bailey and ringers like Heartaches, What's New? and Third Man Theme (not "dixieland" hits). Franks takes excellent vocals on How come you do Me? and Ace in the Hole. Stanley Dance's excellent liner notes praise Frank as vocalist and trumpeter, along with nice words for Charlie and Johnny Varro. The album was recorded in New Orleans during the beginning of the band's stay there. Rudy Aikels had come in on bass. Paul Guma, from Pete Fountain's group handled banjo and guitar.This would be the last studio recording of the Dukes.

The early 70s saw Frank concentrating on New Orleans as band's homebase. Freddie's death had soured him on touring. The band worked a lot at Economy Hall and the Royal Sonesta and covered at Al Hirt's when Al was on tour. Frank had been drinking a lot and put on quite a bit of weight, along with dealing with Joan's being very ill. but he was determined to open his own club for the Dukes.

That dream wouldn't come to fruition as on Mardi Gras Eve, Feb 25, 1974, Frank died of a massive coronary. How ironic for one of New Orleans' favorite sons. It was a great shock to the family and the music world. Frank was only 42 years of age at his passing. He had crammed a lot of great music and brought happiness to countless fans in that short life span. Papa Jac died in 1985 at the age of 79. Betty Owens is the sole survivor of the original band. The Onward Brass Band played at Frank's funeral, the only time the band had played for a white musician.

Frank, Freddie and Papa Jac brought the great art form of New Orleans jazz to many happy listeners (yours truly, included). Their flair for showmanship and entertainment introduced this music to many casual listeners not familiar with the idiom. It's a great tragedy that Frank and Freddie left us so young, but we can give comfort in all the great albums and filmed appearances they left.

I'm sure Frank is up there with Freddie and Papa Jac, wailing away with Pops as they did back in the Audio Fidelity days.

Oh Didn't they Ramble!

CD Update:Unfortunately there's not a lot of CD reissues of the Dukes. The Dukes at Disneyland was on a Sony CD for a while. Some of the Columbias were on Collector's Choice CDs, but may be out of print. The Louis Armstrong sessions have been reissued on the Blue Moon and Essential Jazz Classics labels, but the sound is so-so and some tunes have passages missing!The Herb Ellis Midnight Roll session is on a Mosaic Box Set of Columbia Swing Sessions (Mosaic#228). There is a new Hindsight CD of 1961 transcriptions. Most of the TV spots are on the Assuntos' Real Dukes of Dixieland Website.

That's all for now! Hopefully someone will put out all the Audio Fidelity,Columbias and Deccas.In the meantime keep checking on Ebay and at Used Record Stores.