This edition of our newsletter created a little controversy ... as though no one before had ever cut out a photo of Glenn Miller's head, placed it on top of the body of a bikini model and put the whole thing on the cover in the manner of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue:
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Music attorney (and our good friend) Al Schlesinger wants to note that singer/songwriter Jackie DeShannon will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Manhattan on June 17. DeShannon's hits as a vocalist include Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and a composition for which she shared writing credit, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." She also co-wrote "Bette Davis Eyes" for Kim Carnes. Among the other honorees that night will be trombonist/arranger/composer Johnny Mandel. If you like New York in June, there's still time to make your travel plans!
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Lastly, word has come from Dan Del Fiorentino -- historian for the National Association of Music Merchants -- of the death of Fritz Sennheiser. Prof. Sennheiser led a team of German engineers assembled after World War II to improve the function of the electronic microphone. Using his innovative designs, Sennheiser formed the company that bears his name to this day, developing a line of products that includes speakers and headphones, in addition to state-of-the-art microphones.
As Dan puts it, "Having lost the Shure brothers, Electro-Voice founder Al Kahn and now Prof. Sennheiser, it is clear we are seeing the end of the era of microphone pioneers who helped create the current industry of these pro audio products."
Yeah, I guess that just leaves Mr. Microphone himself:
In fact, the great jazz pianist Hank Jones did anything but hammer the keyboard. However, he was every inch the master in his field that Hank Aaron was in his.
I never met Mr. Jones, who died May 16 at the age of 91, but in my work as a travel agent, I did have the privilege of speaking with him on the phone exactly once. Some fifteen years ago, bassist Ray Brown asked us to call Hank and arrange for him to fly from his home on a small farm in upstate New York to a city in the Midwest where he and Ray would perform. I made the call.
Some people -- celebrities more than most, perhaps -- are only as considerate as they need to be. Hank Jones didn't need to do more than simply answer a few questions about his flight plans from a lowly travel agent. But by the end of our conversation, he had made me feel like a favorite nephew. At one point, I mentioned that relatives on my mother's side lived on a farm in the same general region of New York State. Hardly an earthshaking announcement, yet Hank seemed genuinely interested and we chatted for a while about the Baseball Hall of Fame and other attractions in the area.
Recently, Hank spent nearly all his time in a 12-by-12-foot room at Broadway and 108th Street, while his wife remained upstate in an assisted-care facility. By all accounts, though, this man who had worked with giants such as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, was content. Hours every day he practiced at an electric piano, listening through headphones for fear that his playing might otherwise disturb the neighbors.
Yeah, that considerate. Rest well, Hank.
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Following the 2001 Big Band Reunion, the BBAA produced a limited-edition compact disc commemorating the concert. The CD was created not to be sold, but was given away to each member who renewed their membership for the coming year and to non-members who joined.
Highlights of the program include performances by Billy May and Gerald Wilson, reminiscences from trumpeter Buddy Childers and the inductions onto the Golden Bandstand of Billy, Gerald, Buddy and jazz DJ Chuck Niles, along with the posthumous induction of clarinetist Willie Schwartz. Emcee Milt Bernhart is in top form, people talk back from the audience ... it's great stuff:
Thinking all copies except those in our archives had been distributed, we were surprised last week to discover a box containing another two dozen of these CDs. Would you like one? Or more than one? Single copies are available at our cost, $10, and there's no extra charge for shipping. If you're interested in multiple discs, we'll knock $5 off the cost of each additional copy: two for $15, three for $20 and so forth.
To pay by credit card, just e-mail us at bigbandacademy@yahoo.com and let us know how many CDs you'd like. We'll e-mail you a secure PayPal form into which you can enter your credit card information with complete privacy.
If you'd rather send a check, e-mail us as above and we'll provide you with our mailing address.
Whether you were in attendance that afternoon and wish to relive the memories or want to hear it all for the first time, don't miss this opportunity!
In a belated Mother's Day salute, Ed Cecchini presents the mother of all big band quizzes. Answers appear near the bottom of the post:
1. Who played saxophone and headed an orchestra called the Connecticut Yankees? 2. His band was tagged with the "Tic-Toc Rhythm" label. Who was he? 3. At 18, Yvonne Marie Antoinette JaMais had her name changed by Harry James and became a famous band vocalist. Name her.
4. Jack Benny clowned around on the violin as part of his act. Before entering comedy, with whose orchestra did he play violin seriously? 5. Born in 1908. Child prodigy. Staff pianist with CBS radio house band. Stern taskmaster with his own "Quintette." Identify him. 6. What was the professional name of the guitarist born Salvatore Massaro? He died in 1933 at age 30. 7. Name the California Collegians sax player who later became a movie star. 8. By what nickname was singer George Tunnell better known? 9. A legendary drummer came into the world as Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni.Identify him. 10. From 1941 to '46, the Coca-Cola Company sponsored a radio show featuring big bands, Kay Kyser's being the first to appear. Name the show.
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Jazz historian and author Steven Harris has been hosting his own radio show since December and it deserves your attention. "Silhouettes in Jazz" airs every Saturday night at 10:00 (with a repeat broadcast Sunday evenings at 6:00) on KSPA AM 1510 out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. If you don't live within the reach of KSPA's signal -- which is more or less confined to the Inland Empire and Orange County -- try the streaming audio at www.am1510kspa.com. In coming weeks, Steven will celebrate the birthdays of Woody Herman and Artie Shaw, highlight vintage and contemporary jazz vocal ensembles, and spend an hour with jazz virtuosos of the violin.
Steven is particularly pleased that management has given him the green light to air recordings from his private collection. Don't miss the opportunity to hear these rarities!
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Here are your answers to the quiz:
1. Rudy Vallée
2. Gray Gordon
3. Connie Haines
4. Joe Kayser
5. Raymond Scott
6. Eddie Lang
7. Fred MacMurray
8. Bon Bon
9. Louie Bellson
10. "The Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands"
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A Southern California man believes the shirt he bought recently at a garage sale was once worn by Frank Sinatra:
What I want to know is whether Sinatra's underpants are out there somewhere. Hey, I've heard stories.
