Show Notes 3/26-29

Cool, calm & collected

Count Basie did it the right way - the hard way. He practiced. Learned his instrument. He paid close attention when he heard music he liked. He sought out instruction from pianists he admired, most notably Fats Waller. And he watched the music business, learning the ins and outs, what worked and what didn't. So, when his boss died and left the band without a leader, Basie was ready. 

He trimmed the Bennie Moten band down to a 9-piece group and started playing gigs in Kansas City and the surrounding area. Walter Page (bass) and Jimmy Rushing (vocals) came aboard early on. Herschel Evans was already there playing tenor sax. He was joined shortly by Lester Young. Then, trombonist/guitarist/arranger Eddie Durham was added. And finally, guitarist Freddie Green completed the All-American Rhythm Section, and the core Basie lineup was in place. By the time the band opened in New York in 1937, Buck Clayton was in the trumpet section. They still had a lot to learn, but they were on their way. 

The Basie band was never a hotbed of drama or controversy. Although the rules for "performers of color" were unfair and often humiliating, Basie ran his outfit with class, always pragmatic, fair and even-handed with his men.

What Basie's band did produce was excitement in generous portions. Tenor saxists Herschel Evans and Lester Young were happy to provide it nightly, inspiring one another to ever-greater musical heights. The Basie combination of southwestern blues and Harlem stride, with a much-needed layer of polish, became the trademark of the Basie sound for the next fifty years or so. 

We start the show this week with a 20-minute sampling of some of our favorite recordings by the Count Basie Orchestra. We include the iconic 1937 Decca recording of the band's theme, One O'Clock Jump, which features  tenor solos by both Evans and Young. We'll also hear famous vocal turns by Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams, along with some great examples of the band's instrumental prowess from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.The perfect accompaniment as we shelter in place.

Equally satisfying is our Spotlight feature on Erskine Hawkins and his orchestra, which kicks off Hour 2 of this week's show. Hawk was Birmingham, Alabama's greatest contribution to the Swing Era. A trumpet student of renowned Birmingham music teacher and band director Fess Whatley, Hawkins was possessed of an impressive high register and the willingness to use it. These were the qualities that earned him the nickname, "The 20th Century Gabriel."

He was also a composer and arranger, contributing many familiar numbers to his band's book. His most famous composition, Tuxedo Junction, was adopted as his band's theme song in 1939. Up to that time, the band's hallmark had been Swing Out, another Hawkins original. 

Erskine Hawkins put together his first band while a student at Alabama State Teachers' College, now Alabama State University, in 1936. Most of the band members were local guys, many from the Birmingham area. Some of the original players stuck with Hawkins into the 1950s, when he downsized into a combo. They were a talented bunch; several band members collaborated with Hawkins in the writing and arranging of Tuxedo Junction, Gin Mill Special, Rock the Joint, Bobby's Bounce and others.

Singers in the Hawkins band included boogie-woogie pianist Ace Harris, who delivered most of the novelty numbers,alto saxist Jimmy Mitchelle, and most notably, Laura Washington, "The Girl with the Bedroom Voice." Miss Washington, a Birmingham native, became an overnight sensation in the mid 1940s with her sultry delivery on songs like I've Got A Right to Cry, I'd Love to Make Love to You and I Had A Good Cry. After the glory days of the Big Band Era, she spent the rest of her life in Birmingham, singing at churches and nightclubs.  

We will hear a select handful of the best recordings by Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra this week, mostly from original shellac 78 singles on file here in the World's Greatest Record Library.We only play the noisy ones if they're really good!

This week, in addition to our Swingin' Spotlight features on Count Basie in Hour 1 and Erskine Hawkins in Hour 2, In the Mood serves up some memorable appearances from the best of the Big Bands, including Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Larry Clinton, a particularly well-played 78 from Tommy Dorsey (still sounds better than the LP re-issue),and even songwriter Harold Arlen singing one of his earliest hits way back in 1930. Another entry from 1930 is Ring Dem Bells from Duke Ellington, featuring a growling muted trumpet solo from Mobile, Alabama's Cootie Williams and a teenaged Charlie Barnet, who wheedled his way into the session, ringing the orchestra bells. For Charlie, it was the Best Day Ever! We'll hear some of the great Band Singers like Snooky Lanson, Billie Holiday, Kenny Sargent, Bing Crosby, Helen Forrest and others. 

We take the greatest of care in preparing and presenting these historic recordings. Coming up in the not-too-distant future, I'll create a blog post that details our record-cleaning and -playing process, and how we optimize each and every recording for broadcast. Watch for that one. It'll be a Record Geek's Delight, guaranteed. 

We hope all of our listeners are healthy and safe from the viral pandemic threat. Perhaps we can provide a little entertainment and distraction from the Drumbeat of Doom by inviting everyone to tune in and share the program with those you care about. Of course, the "old folks" will appreciate it for its nostalgic value, but this music brings special gifts to the young music students, band students and players who will appreciate this repertoire for its timeless appeal and lasting influence on the Jazz of today.

As always, thank you for reading this long-winded deep dive into Swing. Please feel free to leave a comment, either here or on our Facebook Page. Be kind to one another, and Keep Swingin', my Friends!