Big Bands.

[Wild Root]

Yes, the sound of the Big Bands is still around! I had the pleasure of hearing a swell outfit led by my friend Jonathan Stout. He had a small combo named the Campus Five, now he has a full 14 piece Orchestra! They play some standards, but they specialize in playing the tunes that you can only hear on a crusty 78rpm! They play a lot of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman arraignments that no one has heard for 50 years. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s really grate stuff! I know that I get tiered of hearing the same old songs over and over again. This band breathes new life into swing music! His Orchestra will be playing at the Argyle Hotel in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd on the 2nd of February. Cover is 15 bucks at the door and that is cheap for a night of grate live music and dancing!

So, all of you within the grater LA area, come on down and get the taste of this fading fad! The swing revival is dwindling and it wont be long till these bands are no more.

Any questions, just ask!

Thanks.

 

[Pyroxene]

One interesting thing is Big Band music still thrives in most high schools. I play guitar and the only way to play guitar at school was to play in the jazz band. That's where I learned to play and appreciate the music of Glen Miller, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Fats Waller, etc.

The music should be quite fair. The bands are ususally comprised of some of the best players in the school. It's a great way to enjoy the era and give something back to the community all at the same time.

Pyro.

 

[Wild Root]

This is so true! The High school Jazz bands across the US have really helped the music survive! There is a band that recruits High School and Collage students to make up a grate swing band! The members of the band also get their name out so they can pursue a musical career! This band has new members all the time! It rotates as players leave the band for scalar ships with collages and for jobs. Thy play all over California and they are known as the Esquire Orchestra. A grate foundation and grate music. The next time they are playing here in the Pasadena area is this coming Saturday!

The thing I really like about the Dean Mora?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Modern Rhythmists is that the leader, Dean Mora has such a deep passion for the music of the mid 20?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s to the late 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s! He has songs in his books that were never recorded by any band! They were played, but not by a band that had a recording contract. So, he digs this rare gold out and plays them for the first time that this music has been played in 60-70 years! Dean Mora also knows how to play vintage Wurlitzer?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s! He has been playing for silent movies here in LA for 6-7 years! His band is so tight and rehearsed that it sounds like the originals! I have heard many of the original recordings then, I would listened to Dean?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s recordings of the same songs and the only difference is that one is mono and Dean?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s is fresh and clear! You can see him once a month at the Argyle Hotel. He also is good friends with an arranger that arranged for Benny Goodman in the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s! This is Spud Murphy! He?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s in his mid 90?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s and still comes out and enjoys the bands.

Ok, I have rambled on enough for today,

Any questions or comments are more then welcome!

 

[Michaelson]

I played bass in a big band through Jr AND Senior High School. Totally agree that that's where you learn the basics of swing. Almost pursued a career playing bass professionally too, but times and interests changed....Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

Really, that?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s cool! I wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t in any bands, but I did take clarinet lessons for a few years. I was inspired by Benny Goodman. I got hooked on swing music because of ?¢‚Ǩ?ìSing, Sing, Sing,?¢‚Ǩ? from the first time I heard that song on a Chip?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Ahoy cookie commercial. I am now some what tired of that number but, we all have a first. I can play a few Goodman songs, but I could learn some more.

Take care,

 

[Michaelson]

Yes, apparently they were DESPARATE for new players in the industry, as I was offered a full scholarship to Ohio State if I'd consider continuing on with string bass. I decided to pursue music, but as a pipe organ performance major instead. So, here I am, 30 years later, an industrial videographer, and haven't touched a keyboard for quite a while now, let along a bass!!!! Ya never know where life is going to lead you..... Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

Wow! That is something! Pipe organ eh? That's cool! Did you ever play on one of those big Wurlitzer's? You are right about life, you never know where it will take you!

 

[Michaelson]

I did once, but boy, that's a lifetime ago. Largest I ever played was at the Duke University Chapel (chapel, ha! It's the size of a catheredral!) in Durham, N.C. Huge instrument. 70 foot ceilings, 3-4 second reverb (echo). I was asked not to play the 60 foot pipes (you read that right) as they shook the windows to bad. Oh, of course, I HAD to try them just once! You couldn't actually hear them, but boy, could you feel them! Like I said, that was so long ago, it seems like it happened to somebody else. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

60 foot pipes eh? Good night! I bet those would have shook the place! I love to hear a live Wurlitzer at one of the old joints in LA that hold silent movies once a year! Boy, they are so impressive! The Theatre on Catalina Island has it's original 1926 Wurlitzer and that thing is just as beautiful as the day it was made! The acoustics in that theatre are just perfect as well. If you ever make a trip to Avalon Catalina, be sure to check out the Casino Ballroom! The theatre is on the first floor and they show movies there all the time! The Art Deco styling in that place is just over the top!!! You would never want to leave!

Take care,

 

[Michaelson]

There's one from that era in Knoxville, TN that has been totally restored, and is played by a past Chanceller from the University of Tennessee at special concerts during the winter. I haven't heard it myself, but from all descriptions, it's like the one you describe, and played on special occasions for silent movies. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

That's cool! There is another one that I just found in a small theatre in El Segundo Ca. They have weekly movie nights and not only they have an old Wurlitzer but, they have all the original pipes plus, mechanized drums, symbols, bells, xylophones and a grate big gong! All original! The movie screen comes down, and then the man at the organ plays old songs that every one sings to. They will then have a short film, an intermission, and then the feature picture. All this grate entertainment for only $7.00! Sure beats most of the junk made today that they charge $9.00 to see.

 

[BD Jones]

For the past few weeks, my top middle school band has been working on a tough arrangement of "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and they absolutely LOVE IT!!! They have even requested more songs like it!! They have even made requests of specific artist and songs. Who would have thought 7th and 8th graders would know who Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman were?

After school today, some of these same kids were digging through my jazz band library looking for swing tunes to play. They read through "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Little Brown Jug", "In The Mood", and a few others. They formed their own little combo of 2 trumpets, 1 Sax, 1 Trombone, and a drum set. When I finally kicked them out of the band hall at 5:00, they went out singing loudly "PENNSYLVANIA 6-5-OH-OH-OH!!" (guess what I'll be hearing tomorrow )

This is why I do this job. It made me proud.

 

[Wild Root]

Well BD Jones that is so good to hear! I love to hear kids getting into this stuff! There isn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t enough of that over here in California! It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s funny since my cousin heard me play the clarinet; he wanted to play it too!! He?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s 11 years old and his band gave him the trombone. I told him that there should only be one Benny Goodman in the family! I told him that we need one Glenn Miller! I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t know if he has been practicing but I hope he has. That is so cool that your 7-8th graders got a small combo together! I wish I knew some guys that love jazz in my area that want to do that. I know of guys, but they haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t played since high school and they don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t care for swing or jazz. Well, I need some more lessons any way before I get any group together.

If your kids are getting hooked on Big Band, there is a song that they would love! I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m not sure if it would be e-z or hard to get the sheet music for but the song is ?¢‚Ǩ?ìBall of Fire?¢‚Ǩ?. It was first recorded by Gene Krupa about 1942. You can find it on CD in most music shops. Or you can find it on ebay or any other on line music shops. It is a very hard hitting swing song and full of plenty pep that just makes one want to jump up and dance!!! Do yourself a favor and get that song and play it for your kids and they will want to play it.

Take care and have a good night,

 

[Michaelson]

BDJ, old buddy, if you want to give them a challenge, throw some Stan Kenton in their direction! Wow, THAT will either build them up, or kill them. We survived, but just barely. That bass part for 'Every Time we Say Goodbye"... (grins) Regards. Michaelson