Do what you love
...and you'll never work a day in your life
Charlie Barnet was, by many accounts, a very lucky guy. Born into a well-to-do New York family, he could have pursued nearly any career. His mother and grandparents had it all set up for him to make a business success of himself, starting with an Ivy League education at Yale.
But, by the time he reached his mid-teens, it was obvious to his mother that Charlie was headed in a different direction. He was mad about music and musicians. He listened faithfully to live radio broadcasts of the dance bands of the late 20s and early 30s such as Ross Gorman, performing at the Monte Carlo Club, and Charlie Johnson's group at Small's Paradise up in Harlem. She bought him a saxophone.
I have in my 78 collection a few sides by the Vaudeville saxophone sextet called Six Brown Brothers. Some of these records I've had for decades. I was astounded to learn that Charlie Barnet actually took saxophone lessons from one of the Six Brown Brothers, Harry
Voltaire. The things you learn studying music history! Charlie's ear proved so strong, however, that Voltaire was not able to teach him to read music well; that would have to wait until later.
In the early 30s, Charlie, barely 20 years old, would put together a band and try out for just about anything. He wound up leading a smattering of ad hoc groups aboard cruise ships, in cafes, clubs and hotels. After these exploits led him as far afield as Los Angeles, he decided to wrap up his remaining obligations on the West Coast and return to New York. He finally got into the band business as a leader. He put together a group of hand-picked guys, bought Jan Garber's old swing arrangements for $20, and started to look for bookings.
The band business was well-known for its hassles, but Charlie bore it all with grace and enthusiasm. Unlike most of his fellow bandleaders, he did not rule with an authoritarian hand. He sought input from his sidemen - in matters musical and business-related. Truth be told, Charlie Barnet thought of himself as just another one of the guys.
He did it until the economics of the business simply could not be made to work any longer. He disbanded in 1949, years after most of his contemporaries had thrown in the towel. Throughout the 1950s and into the 60s, Charlie would still put together a band now and then for a special occasion or appearance.
And why? Why would he devote his life to such a pain-in-the-neck business as this? Why would he hold on so long? Especially when he could have taken the easy road? Because he loved what he was doing. Absolutely loved it. That's probably why he was one of the most well-liked bandleaders by his employees and sidemen. He enjoyed every minute of every performance, every rehearsal, every hassle. And I think it shows in his music.
We will listen to a fine sampling of Charlie Barnet's music on this week's show. In fact, we open Hour One with Make Believe Ballroom, the original theme to the original Make Believe Ballroom, hosted by Al Jarvis over L. A. radio station KFWB. The recording features a close-harmony vocal by the Modernaires, who would gain fame a few years later under the employ of Glenn Miller. From there, we move on to the glory days of the Barnet band, with big chart hits, and great examples of Charlie's work on the tenor, alto, and soprano sax. Listen and you'll hear how much he loves what he is doing.
Hour Two begins with a little over 20 minutes of superb musicianship from Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra. That's what Tommy himself delivered on a consistent basis, and he expected nothing less from his sidemen. Mistakes, especially mistakes counting time, were not tolerated. Tommy would often yell and scream at his players when someone would miss an entrance or, God forbid, come in early. Another of his favorite punishments was to fine guys $25 for making mistakes. A newly-hired guitarist remarked to his bandmates about the guitar sheet music he'd inherited from the band's previous guitarist. The music had handwritten notes all over it, including one large notation on a particular song that contained a stop chorus. The previous player had highlighted the stop chorus and drawn a red arrow to a bold note at the top of the page which read, "LOOK OUT! $25!"
Tommy Dorsey probably deserves the distinction of having fired more players than any other bandleader. He once fired his entire trumpet section just 48 hours before an engagement. But, as we listen to the recordings that band made, we must admit that no band of the time had more perfectly matched section sound or more precise time. And of course, the Dorsey band had some of the best soloists in the business: Ziggy Elman, Fred Stulce, Don Lodice, Johnny Mince, Buddy Rich, and of course, Tommy himself. TD's trombone technique is legendary. His ability to play very high, very sweet, very long, connected phrases was unmatched. Listen as Tommy demonstrates his superb ballad style on the band's theme, I'm Getting Sentimental Over You. And his solo on What Is This Thing Called Love is an impressive demonstration of Tommy's matchless control.
Tommy Dorsey had a great band, possibly the best of his day. Because he insisted on it. We bring you an outstanding selection of their best work on this week's show. And that's saying a lot.
In addition to our Spotlight features on Charlie Barnet and Tommy Dorsey, this week's In the Mood brings you the best of the Big bands of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. We'll hear from Glenn Miller with a seldom-heard Jerry Gray original, Benny Goodman with his orchestra and sextet, Artie Shaw, hometown favorites the Auburn Knights, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and his Fmous Orchestra, Jack Teagarden, Kay Kyser, and more. We'll also enjoy appearances by great singers, including Keely Smith, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, the Mills Brothers, the Andrews Sisters, and others.
Now is a great time to reflect on the things you love in this life, and how we might go about putting more of those things into our daily lives. Think about Charlie Barnet, and remember...do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.
Thanks for sticking it out to the end of this blog post! I hope you find these ramblings worth your while. As always, please feel free to leave us a comment or request, either here or on our Facebook Page. Be kind to one another this week, and Keep Swingin', my friends!
Scott
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