From uptown to downtown, In the Mood covers the spectrum
Swinging Jazz developed over a period from roughly 1920-1940. In that time, its character evolved from an unruly, rough-around-the-edges youth to that of a smoother, more sophisticated character, suitable for polite company and paying customers of a certain caliber. This week's In the Mood brings you both ends of the spectrum with Swingin' Spotlight features focused on the suave, mannerly music of Artie Shaw on the one hand, and on the other hand, the street-level appeal of Eddie Condon and his All-Stars.
We put the show on the rails with a 20-minute sampling of the best of Artie Shaw. Artie was a very intelligent, thoughtful man who knew what he wanted. And what he wanted was subject to change from time to time. Artie was known as a temperamental perfectionist, and sometimes the restrictions and sheer commercialism of the music business was simply too much for him to bear. More than once, he disbanded a successful outfit so he could take a few months off in Mexico.
But as an artist, Artie Shaw was one of the most highly accomplished virtuosi in the band business. He'd enjoyed a very successful career as a New York studio musician, working record dates and radio shows. But he wanted something he could call his own, so he started a band and helped develop its sound. It took about three tries. Artie's third band, started in 1938, captured the attention of the dancers with its smoothly swinging fox trots and sophisticated, danceable treatments of dreamy ballads, all arranged to highlight Artie's exceptional clarinet technique, We'll hear some of our select favorites from 1938-1945 on this show.
The particular brand of music that came to be known as Chicago Style Jazz evolved in and around Chicago in the 1920s. It was a style heavily influenced by the musicians from New Orleans, like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Noone and others who migrated up the river to Chicago. Condon and his boyhood pals from Austin High School, including "Wild" Bill Davison, Peanuts Hucko, Cutty Cutshall, Pee Wee Russell and Bud Freeman, would hang around outside the clubs, listening as their idols laid it down.
Eddie came to New York in 1928 and threw himself into the jazz scene. He played club dates, made connections, developed friendships, and worked to improve the lot of the working musician in New York. He became the point man for recording sessions, hiring and paying the band members who backed performers like Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Ruth Etting and Russ Columbo on records. He'd often assign himself to the guitar parts, earning money as a performer as well as a contractor.
For 22 years, Eddie Condon operated a very successful jazz club in New York, employing as many of his old chums as possible in the process. During this time, he was making records for the Commodore label, which was the creation of Condon's pal Milt Gabler of the Commodore Record Shop in the Village. This working relationship produced a major portion of Condon's recorded legacy. We will hear some of Eddie's Commodore, Decca, and Columbia recordings as we kick off Hour 2 of In the Mood this week. It's a great demonstration of Chicago Style Jazz.
Other highlights on this week's show (for me) include Billie Holiday's 1940 All of Me, with a swinging combo full of stars backing her. We also hear from the Metronome All Stars of 1939, Ella Fitzgerald with one of her most famous scat vocals, and we will spin our pristine 1940 Columbia 78 of Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo with a vocal by Ivie Anderson.
OK, I think I've finally dropped enough big names to get you to tune in. Check our Facebook Page for the broadcast schedule. Feel free to comment either here or there. But do it with a SWING!
We put the show on the rails with a 20-minute sampling of the best of Artie Shaw. Artie was a very intelligent, thoughtful man who knew what he wanted. And what he wanted was subject to change from time to time. Artie was known as a temperamental perfectionist, and sometimes the restrictions and sheer commercialism of the music business was simply too much for him to bear. More than once, he disbanded a successful outfit so he could take a few months off in Mexico.
But as an artist, Artie Shaw was one of the most highly accomplished virtuosi in the band business. He'd enjoyed a very successful career as a New York studio musician, working record dates and radio shows. But he wanted something he could call his own, so he started a band and helped develop its sound. It took about three tries. Artie's third band, started in 1938, captured the attention of the dancers with its smoothly swinging fox trots and sophisticated, danceable treatments of dreamy ballads, all arranged to highlight Artie's exceptional clarinet technique, We'll hear some of our select favorites from 1938-1945 on this show.
The particular brand of music that came to be known as Chicago Style Jazz evolved in and around Chicago in the 1920s. It was a style heavily influenced by the musicians from New Orleans, like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Noone and others who migrated up the river to Chicago. Condon and his boyhood pals from Austin High School, including "Wild" Bill Davison, Peanuts Hucko, Cutty Cutshall, Pee Wee Russell and Bud Freeman, would hang around outside the clubs, listening as their idols laid it down.
Eddie came to New York in 1928 and threw himself into the jazz scene. He played club dates, made connections, developed friendships, and worked to improve the lot of the working musician in New York. He became the point man for recording sessions, hiring and paying the band members who backed performers like Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Ruth Etting and Russ Columbo on records. He'd often assign himself to the guitar parts, earning money as a performer as well as a contractor.
For 22 years, Eddie Condon operated a very successful jazz club in New York, employing as many of his old chums as possible in the process. During this time, he was making records for the Commodore label, which was the creation of Condon's pal Milt Gabler of the Commodore Record Shop in the Village. This working relationship produced a major portion of Condon's recorded legacy. We will hear some of Eddie's Commodore, Decca, and Columbia recordings as we kick off Hour 2 of In the Mood this week. It's a great demonstration of Chicago Style Jazz.
Other highlights on this week's show (for me) include Billie Holiday's 1940 All of Me, with a swinging combo full of stars backing her. We also hear from the Metronome All Stars of 1939, Ella Fitzgerald with one of her most famous scat vocals, and we will spin our pristine 1940 Columbia 78 of Duke Ellington's Mood Indigo with a vocal by Ivie Anderson.
OK, I think I've finally dropped enough big names to get you to tune in. Check our Facebook Page for the broadcast schedule. Feel free to comment either here or there. But do it with a SWING!
Can't wait for this weeks show. It is the highlight of our week.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! On what station do you hear the show?
ReplyDelete