Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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!