Lightning in a Bottle: Show Notes 8/26-30

 Bebop or the Blues - Walking the Line

In the mid-1940s, Woody Herman found himself with a tough decision to make. He'd enjoyed more than a reasonable amount of success with his band ever since taking over the old Isham Jones orchestra in 1936. Woody had been with Jones for several years, playing sax and clarinet, and providing a few ideas for this firmly-established traditional dance band. How traditional was it, you ask? It was SO traditional...that they still had a tuba and a banjo in the rhythm section instead of bass and guitar. Woody's task was to take most of these players, and a few new ones, and create a totally new band with an identity and a sound of its own. Simple!

It took almost a year and a half to bring forth the "Band that Plays the Blues," but by the time its first records appeared on Decca late in 1937, the transformation was complete. Gone were the tuba and the banjo. Gone were the ricky-ticky old arrangements, replaced by smooth new charts and a blues-based repertoire that contained none of the dated trappings of the old Jones band. And from late in 1937 until the spring of 1941, the Herman band was in the thick of it, with one-nighters, radio hookups, successful engagements at top venues, even a couple of movies for Paramount. But by 1941, Woody could feel a shift in the wind, and his own band started to sound dated and stale to him. He had seen the Jones band cling to its old, outdated sound rooted in the 1920s, and the slow, embarrassing decline that resulted. He knew he had to get out in front of the curve...whatever that was. 

What it was was a hotter, newer style of jazz dance music that some were calling "Progressive." It sneaked up on the band over a 2-year period, as players moved on and were replaced by a younger, hipper crop of musicians, arrangers and composers. 

This new style of music was brash and loud, with unexpected rhythms and jarring harmonies - potentially pretty dangerous stuff for an established band. Which brings us back to Woody's tough decision: How much of this new style should we incorporate, if any? As always, with many heads, good decisions are made, and Woody was a strong believer in getting lots of input from the guys, letting them take ownership of the band's creative force. It was decided that a little bop goes a long way, meaning that certain elements of this new style could genuinely enhance the product, both for the musicians and for the patrons. Pianist Ralph Burns and trumpeter Neal Hefti got busy writing, and pretty soon, these fresh and energetic new charts were lighting up the bandstand. The rules were simple: respect the melody, write parts that let your sections shine, make it sound like traditional dance music on steroids, but don't let it get out of hand, and play it hot and super tight. 

By combining the proven elements of successful dance music with new harmonic and rhythmic ideas, Herman's First Herd managed to strike a "sweet spot" between the new and the old; a sound that was fresh and exciting for the kids, and progressive enough to snag the mid-40s hipsters, while still playing music that "grown-ups" could enjoy. The combination was pure magic; you might call it Lightning in a Bottle. 

We open the show this week with a selection of tunes that represent the transitional period in the Woody Herman band. We open with a '50s update of the band's signature hit, Woodchopper's Mambo. Trust me - you'll like it. We hear the theme song of the Band that Plays the Blues, Blue Flame, along with a few other selections from 1941-43 that show the evolution of the band's sound over those few years. There's a lot to like here, including the biggest hit single of Woody's career. 

Hour Two begins with a little over 20 minutes of toe-tapping delights from the Benny Goodman Sextet. There are plenty of stories out there about what a weird guy Benny could be. He was quirky and cheap, obsessed with the clarinet, and lived in his own little world much of the time. But far and away, what Benny Goodman did best was swing! Everything he did, from the BG Trio and Quartet all the way up to his big band, everything was done with a swing. Yes, even the ballads. And it worked. Now, these classic recordings from the 1939-1945 period are all landmarks of chamber jazz. Many were written or conceived by Goodman himself and fleshed out as head arrangements in rehearsals with the Sextet. Occasionally, one gets to hear an alternate take of a familiar recording, and the evolutionary process is obvious. A lot of famous Goodman Sextet recordings are Take 2 or 3, whereas recordings by his big band are usually Take 1. 

I worked for many hours transferring our original 1950 and 1951 pressings of these cuts from Columbia's Six-Eye deep groove re-issues. I prefer those to any other releases of these sessions so far, simply because there is no added reverb or stereo effects. The Columbia engineers were generous with their audio compression and EQ curves, helping these original masters to really stand up and salute. Over the years, I've managed to get my hands on some very sparingly played copies of these albums, and I've meticulously removed the pops and scratches. The result is pretty spectacular, if I do say so. These recordings are a sheer joy to the ear. We'll hear Slipped Disc, On the Alamo, Limehouse Blues, and even one of the famous takes from the Sextet's original recording session in October of 1939. Sweet stuff. Do not miss.

In addition to the aforementioned, In the Mood has much in store for the lover of Big Band and Dance Music this week. Jimmy Rushing is scheduled to belt one out with the Count Basie band, Dick Haymes will croon a smoothie with Harry James, Ella swings one with Teddy Wilson, and Bing does a little cutting up with Eddie Condon and the gang. Big Bertha brings us a Roy Eldridge favorite right off the Decca 78, the Mills Brothers harmonize, and Ivie Anderson brings us a Duke Ellington classic. 

That oughta whet your whistle!

There's A LOT here that would greatly benefit a young band student. If you know one, call them now and invite them to listen to the show with you this week. You'll make their day! 

As always, we'd love to hear from you, either here on the blog page, or on our Facebook Page. Leave a comment or a request, and let us know where you are and how you listen to In the Mood!  

Be good to one another this week, and above all, 

Keep Swinging! 

Scott                     

Sweet and Hot: Show Notes 8/19-23

 The Two Greatest Bands of All Time?

Both Kinds of Music: Sweet and Hot

There have always been two camps in the world of Big Band Jazz: Sweet and Hot. Fans of sweet music had plenty to choose from.Sammy Kaye, Dick Jurgens, Hal Kemp, Jan Savitt,, Russ Morgan, Freddy Martin, Guy Lombardo and many others were ready, willing and able to get your foot tapping on one and three in no time. For the swing-a-roos, there were Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Bunny Berigan, Jimmie Lunceford, and more, all swinging high and mighty. 

Last week, we profiled the Chick Webb orchestra, and we quoted Webb's trombonist Sandy Williams, as saying that the only two bands that ever beat the Webb band in the Savoy Ballroom cutting contests were Casa Loma and Duke Ellington. Interesting, The greatest of all the Dance Bands and the greatest of all the Jazz Bands. And it struck me that that would make for a pretty great show. On the one hand, you have Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, who elevated popular dance music to new heights of elegance and musical proficiency. And on the other hand, there's Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, blazing a trail across the Twentieth Century, charting new ground for Jazz and Pop music with fresh melodies, modern harmonies and solos that defined the Era. What a show that would be!

And that is the show we have planned for you this week. We start Hour One with about 20 minutes of pure Dance Band Delights, delivered by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. We include some remarkable items here, starting with the 1939 Sunrise Serenade with composer Frankie Carle at the CLO piano. It's the first recording of this now-standard tune, and it's one of Frankie's earliest recorded performances. We reach back to 1933, when the band was on Brunswick, for Blue Prelude, an excellent version of that song, which was recorded by multiple bands that year. The CLO version features the trombone work of Pee Wee Hunt, Clarence Hutchenrider on clarinet, Murray McEachern on alto sax, and the trumpet of Sonny Dunham. We get to hear one of Pee Wee's trademark vocals in this segment, and it winds up with one of the Casa Loma blockbuster "killer-dillers," replete with solos from their stable of great players. 

This band truly exemplifies the best things about sweet music. The melody is always strongly presented, the dance tempos are always customer-friendly, and the musicianship is top-notch. Combine all that with the CLO's impeccable stage presentation, and it's easy to see why they were a perennial favorite of the Big Band Era with a strong and loyal following.

Hour Two begins with a hearty helping of Jazz genius from Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra. We start with the always-exciting C Jam Blues from 1942. it's a bare-bones-simple musical idea enriched beyond measure by Duke and his men. It's just the beginning of our look at a small part of the amazing musical legacy left to us by Duke Ellington. Throughout the segment, we hear Duke's fertile mind conjuring new musical textures, melodic ideas and harmonies, while providing custom-tailored solo opportunities to his trusty sidemen. We get to hear all the Usual Suspects at work here: Ben Webster on tenor sax, Laurence Brown and Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton on trombone, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Ray Nance and Cootie Williams on trumpet, Barney Bigard on clarinet, and, of course, Johnny Hodges on alto sax. And we wrap it up with our alma mater, swung mightily on the Capitol album Ellington '55. Of course, we can only scratch the surface of Ellington's genius here in 22 minutes. 

In addition to these special features focused on Casa Loma and Duke Ellington, In the Mood brings you a garden of musical delights this week. One is the Benny Goodman Quintet's nod to the boogie woogie craze of 1940, Grand Slam. And with such as Charlie Christian, Johnny Guarnieri and Nick Fatool on hand, you can be sure that it's light, tight, and just right. We also hear from Charlie Barnet, Claude Thornhill, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Ralph Flanagan, Artie Shaw and many more. Joe Williams belts it out in front of the Count Basie band, Peggy Lee traces the history of Fevers throughout history, and we make a little history of our own, when I play a Spike Jones record for the first time ever on the show. 

As you can see, this is a show not to be missed. And you'll have 12 chances to hear it this week on a total of 9 different stations, all of which are streamed live 24/7 on the Internet. Of course, we would love to hear from you, so please leave us a request or a comment, either here or on our Facebook Page. Scroll the posts, and you'll find a complete broadcast schedule for the week, including live links to all the stations' Live Streams.

As always, remember to call a young band student or musician and invite them to listen to the show with you this week. They'll thank you for it! Be good to one another this week, and above all, 

Keep Swinging! 

Scott                 

 

Chick Webb-Short & Sweet: Show Notes 8/12-16

 A Lot to Do and Not Much Time to Do It

Chick Webb - 1933

Chick Webb started early and finished early. His career as a professional drummer started at age 11, and we lost him to complications of spinal tuberculosis at age 34 in 1939. Everything he did, including his drumming, was done with urgency and purpose; it was almost as if he knew his time would not be long. 

In the early '30s, Chick was King of the Savoy Ballroom, and, as Stanley Dance wrote in 1962, he could have been king of Harlem if he'd wanted to be. His immense talent was incongruous with his stature. Standing only about four feet tall, it was hard to imagine all that amazing energy coming from this little man - until you saw him play. And his personality, energetic and positive, won him friendships wherever he went. His band ruled their turf at the Savoy, making mincemeat of nearly all other bands in the "cutting contests" of the day. Chick's trombone soloist and close friend, Sandy Williams, recalled that the only two bands the actually bested the Webb outfit were Duke Ellington and, surprisingly (at least for me), Casa Loma. According to Williams, those were the only two times they were out-played and out-performed. 

But Webb's drumming was never in question; he was universally admired by his contemporaries. Duke Ellington's longtime drummer, Sam Woodyard, recalled hanging outside the Savoy one night when he was still too young to go inside. The windows were open, and Chick's playing stuck with the impressionable kid. "He was the first drummer to make sense in a big band," said Woodyard. "His time was right there. He knew how to shade and color, and he knew how to bring a band up and keep it there." Another star drummer influenced by Chick Webb was Buddy Rich. "He was startling," said Buddy. "He was a tiny man with a hunchback and this big face and big stiff shoulders. He sat way up on a kind of throne and used a 28-inch bass drum, which had special pedals for his feet, and he had those old gooseneck cymbal holders. Every beat was like a bell."

Even though Chick had to literally be tied into a chair and made to listen to her audition, he recognized Ella Fitzgerald's talent almost immediately. And he featured her generously, acknowledging that her singing was good for the music and good for business. Record sales went through the roof on A-Tisket, A-Tasket, Ella's first Number One record with the band, and after that, it was a whole new ball game. Webb recognized what was happening as clearly as anyone: Ella's star was rising so far and so fast, the band became secondary to her singing. But the rewards were significant: better booking and more of them, bigger royalty checks from Decca (much bigger), and seemingly universal fame for himself, the band, and everyone in it. It is significant to note that the Chick Webb band sold more records during the last two years of Chick's life than it had in all the previous years combined. 

But, all too soon, Chick's old nemesis, the spinal tuberculosis which had stunted his growth in his youth, began to present new problems. His energy flagged, and although he was able to maintain his level of playing, he would often collapse after a gig and have to spend days recuperating. Family and friends (including Ella), urged him to take some time off to regain his health, but he refused. It all came to an end on June 16, 1939, when he could fight no more. At the urging of the guys in the band, Ella stepped in as leader, keeping things running as best she could for another two years before throwing in the towel.

We go to the 78 section of the World's Greatest Record Library for many of the Chick Webb selections in this week's feature. We'll hear a couple of Ella's most popular records with the band, but we will also focus on some other sides that demonstrate Chick's extraordinary abilities, including Liza and Strictly Jive,  a Chick Webb original, as well as a couple of others that highlight the substantial contributions of some of Chick's prominent sidemen, including Taft Jordan, Chauncey Houghton and Wayman Carver. The records themselves are in amazing shape considering their age, and we will let Big Bertha do her magic on them. 

Hour Two this week kicks off with about 20 minutes of The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven with Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. We start with a Carmen Lombardo composition, the little-heard Get Out Those Old Records. It's a nostalgic look back into the 'teen years of the early Twentieth Century's popular songs, sung by Carmen and Kenny Gardner. ("Boola-Boola, Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula"). I wouldn't recognize many of the song titles mentioned if I didn't also collect cylinder records. We'll hear big hits from the 1940s like Seems Like Old Times and Poor Little Rhode Island, both excellent examples of the "Businessman's Bounce" style of this band. We'll also spin the band's amazingly non-swinging 1936 recording of Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, sung by Carmen, and the mega-hit The Third Man Theme from 1950. Solid dance music from a band whose personnel and sound changed very little between 1935 and 1975. 

Besides these riveting Spotlight features on Chick Webb and Guy Lombardo, In the Mood brings you the best of the Big Bands of the 1930s, 40s and 50s this week, with entries from the bands of Artie Shaw, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, and many more. We'll hear Louis Armstrong in his first recordings with Duke Ellington, Ella Mae Morse striking out as a solo artist, and we'll pay tribute to the memory of Dame Vera Lynn, who just left us a few weeks ago at the age of 103. I'd tell you more, but if I haven't already got you, I'm not gonna get you by promising you Eddy Howard or a vintage side from Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians.

So there you have it. This was a fun show to put together, and I hope you enjoy hearing it. Remember to call a young musician and make their day by inviting them to listen to the show with you this week. They need to hear this music. And they need to know that you support  their musical dreams. 

As always, we'd love to hear from you with a comment or a request, either here or on our Facebook page at 

facebook.com/inthemoodwithscottmichaels 

Be kind to one another this week, and above all, 

Keep Swinging! 

Scott        

            

It's Showbiz! Show Notes 8/5-9

Making it Look Easy

Frank Sinatra 1942

When Tommy Dorsey hired Frank Sinatra in 1939, he was taking a gamble. Sinatra had no track record of success. He'd only been in the "bigs" for a year or so. He'd made a handful of records with Harry James, but Dorsey hadn't heard them. All Tommy knew was that this skinny kid (and I DO mean skinny!) had a nice voice, could sing on key, and had that "certain something." At a time when secretaries and waiters made $15 a week, Sinatra was now making ten times that amount.

Suffice it to say that Dorsey didn't know what he was getting when he hired Sinatra, but he had his suspicions. Tommy was a quick and shrewd judge of talent and character, and he believed this kid had real potential. 

Little did he know how fiercely ambitious Sinatra was - or how all that ambition would translate into an amazing work ethic that drove Sinatra to work tirelessly on his technique, rehearsing every syllable of every word of every song until he was happy with it. Jo Stafford, lead singer of the Pied Pipers, remarked years later that she and the other band members were surprised and impressed with Frank's willingness to work and work a song until everyone was satisfied with every aspect of it. He even spent extra time rehearsing vocals with the Pied Pipers, making sure his intonation was perfect, and matching his vibrato to mesh seamlessly with the group. And when it came time to deliver the goods on the bandstand, Sinatra really came through with performances that were usually better than adequate, and occasionally thrilling. And the girls absolutely flipped for this guy. The bobby-soxers were swooning in the aisles. Women generally wanted to either mother him, maul him, or feed him. And Dorsey was watching. 

Tommy knew he really had something in this kid - but he also knew that he was in danger of being eclipsed by one of his own sidemen, and this could not be allowed. Tommy firmly believed that the leader of the band was the biggest star on the stand. So, after nearly three years, during which Sinatra built a substantial name for himself and contributed mightily to the Dorsey band's drawing power, terms of separation were agreed upon that would allow Frank to go forth and make his way as a single. 

Frank made his final appearance with the Dorsey band on September 3, 1942, on the band's weekly  network radio show. Tommy gave Frank a heartfelt sendoff, and used the occasion to introduce Frank's replacement, Dick Haymes, to the nationwide audience. Frank sang one final song with the band, The Song Is You, and it was over. 

Or was it?

Remember those terms of separation? Under that agreement, Dorsey was entitled to one-third of Frank's earnings - for life. Sinatra had signed the agreement, believing that he was betting on himself, and that his earnings would be so substantial that he could live without Dorsey's cut. This turned out to be a little optimistic, to say the least. Life after the Dorsey band was more of an uphill endeavor than Frank had anticipated, and he was actually having trouble supporting his young family. As time wore on, it became obvious that Frank would have to persuade Tommy to release him from bondage. But Dorsey would not be moved. Frank appealed again and again to his old boss, but Tommy stood firm, declaring, "A deal's a deal." 

This part of the story has never been substantiated, but the tale has circulated for many years that Dorsey received a visit very late one night at his comfortable country home from some "gentlemen" who were very persuasive in their reasoning, and convinced Tommy to let Frank out of the contract. Was the Mob involved? Now, that's a very ugly accusation. Was violence threatened or implied? Was the barrel of a gun placed in the bandleader's mouth? Who can say? But Frank Sinatra found himself a free man in short order. 

We will start the show this week with about 20 minutes of Frank Sinatra's best recordings with the Tommy Dorsey band. We start with This Love of Mine, one of the first songs "owned" by Sinatra in the Dorsey band. The arrangement was written by one of Dorsey's staff men, Axel Stordahl, who wound up writing arrangements for and backing Sinatra in his Columbia recordings. Sinatra would adopt this as his radio theme song in the 1940s. Among others, we'll hear the big production number, Let's Get Away from It All, which pairs Sinatra with Connie Haines for some lighthearted banter, and the mega-hit I'll Never Smile Again, a sensitive and artful collaboration between Frank and the Pied Pipers.

To start Hour 2, we turn to the danceable, stylized sound of the Russ Morgan Orchestra. Russ was a versatile and hard-working arranger who knew his stuff and produced sparkling charts for symphony orchestras, Big Bands, studio orchestras, radio shows, movies, and more. Russ's band had many hit records, and several number one hits. And they were big favorites of dancers everywhere. They even delivered credible Dixieland performances from time to time. The one thing that the Morgan orchestra did not do was swing. They had a straight-ahead dance band style, ornamented with Russ's favorite bag of signature arranging tricks, and they stuck to it with great success. 

A lot of what Morgan played was considered "cornball" even by 1940s standards, but you can't argue with box office. "There are millions of squares out there," Russ once said, "Millions. And they like to dance too." There were no star soloists in this band; Russ was versatile enough to cover all solo spots, either on piano, singing, or on that muted wah-wah trombone. I'll admit, Music in the Morgan Manner is an acquired taste. But it doesn't take long to acquire. Your foot will be tapping before you know it. We'll hear a generous representative sampling of Russ Morgan's music on this week's show.

In addition to the aforementioned musical experiences with Frank Sinatra and Russ Morgan, this week's In the Mood brings you a delightful array of sweet and swinging treats from the likes of Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Count Basie, Dick Jurgens, the Dukes of Dixieland, and many more. Doris Day will sling a happy pop tune, Cab Calloway will shout and jive, and Eddy Howard will raise an eyebrow with one of the most suggestive songs we've ever played. In all, a well-rounded couple of hours.

As always, I am grateful for your interest in this music and this show. Remember to share this incredible music with a young band student or musician this week. They NEED the benefit of having this stuff in their back pocket. 

Feel free to leave a comment or request, either here on on our Facebook Page. 

Be good to one another this week, and above all, 

Keep Swinging! 

Scott