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David Miller's Occasional Blog

May 3, 2012

Parting Songs

I received an unusual request recently from a member of the SDL Club. He wondered if I would put together a medley of his favorite big band recordings so that they could be played at his funeral. "I'm not expecting to die right away," he explained, "but I am over 90 years old." He went on to say that the songs would be played during the period when people were being seated in advance of the funeral ceremony. Because time was limited and he had a lot of favorites, we agreed that I would include only short excerpts from the full recordings.

You might be interested in a few of his favorites. Some will be "naturals," others will be somewhat more of a surprise. here they are: At last, All the things you are, Dream, Stairway to the stars, Stardust, I'll never smile again, Fools rush in.

Maybe we all should compile a list of parting songs. I'll start on mine now. Let's see -- well, how about Charlie Barnet's No name jive? Lionel Hampton's Gin for Christmas? Gene Krupa and Anita O'Day's That's what you think? On second thought, maybe my list wouldn't be well received during a solemn funeral service.

Les Brown Jr.'s Band of Renown

On June 5 I'll present a program that includes an interview with Les Brown, Jr. To accompany our conversation, Les has sent two recent CDs that will be sure to please my audience. "A Time to Smile" Includes readings by the Band of Renown of songs made famous by other bandleaders. There's In the mood; Sing, sing, sing and I'm beginning to see the light. Not surprisingly, Sentimental journey is included. The title track, A time to smile, was the theme music for the Dean Martin summer replacement show.

The other CD features the Lettermen, backed by the Band of Renown. The personnel in 2010, when the CD was produced, included Tony Butala, Mark Preston and Donovan Tea. Butala was a member of the original group. Their choice of material reflects 70 years of American popular music, ranging from Rodgers and Hart's Lover to Take one look at me by Dave Tull.

Now, if I can only figure out how to pronounce Donovan's last name. Is it TAY-uh, as in the actress Tea Leoni? Or is is TEE as in the drink? Unless I hear to the contrary, I'll go with TEE. After all. he's from England.

April 14, 2012

Jon Faddis in Concert

Jon Faddis came to our town this week to perform with the Jazz Central Big Band, a group of talented students at Little Rock Central High School. The former director of the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, Jon has become an inspirational teacher as well as accomplished trumpeter. He demonstrated both talents during his three-day stay.

I attended a lecture he gave to students yesterday afternoon. He traced the trumpet styles over the years, illustrating each with his own imitations --- Louis Armstrong, then Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. In between he entertained with stories about his fellow musicians, told jokes and posed trivia questions. When on two occasions he stumped his teenage audience, I stepped in to provide the name of Dinah Washington's NFL star husband (Night Train Lane) and the trumpeter who accompanied Billie Holiday on Strange Fruit (Charlie Shavers).

The evening concert was a delight. After Principal Nancy Rousseau greeted the assembled audience of proud parents and music lovers, the band, under the direction of their leader, Brice Evans, romped through In the Mood, complete with the sax interchanges that Tex Beneke and Al Klink lent to the 1939 Glenn Miller recording. After Night Train and Fly Me to the Moon (the Sammy Nestico arrangement), Jon Faddis came on stage to play with the high schoolers for the rest of the program. All in all, an inspirational program. I can only hope that the student musicians realized fully what a privilege it was for them to jam with such an accomplished player.

Below: Jon Faddis in lecture mode; Jon and vocalist Jana Marie Herrington; Jon and emcee David Miller. In the background, Director Brice Evans.

April 10, 2012

Tribute to Clark Terry

There's a gala event scheduled for April 23 in honor of legendary Clark Terry. The venue is St. Peter's Church, 619 Lexington Avenue, New York City. Starting at 7 pm, a Who's-Who of jazz artists will combine their talents in a massive jam session. Admission is just $25. Proceeds will go to help defray Clark's massive medical expenses.

I won't be able to attend, but I've contributed what I can, just as I hope those who read this blog will do. Tax-free contributions can be made through the website of the Jazz Federation of America. Check out their website or go to Clark's own website for more information (and great music!)

I visited with Clark and his lovely and gracious wife Gwen last evening. Clark is still in great pain following amputation of his legs earlier in the year, but he's able to muster up that mischievous smile when prompted. He's at home now but has 'round-the-clock nursing care.

While I talked with Clark I was joined by two of his devoted friends. Quincy Cavers is one of his students. An alto saxophone player from California, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff so that he could continue his music studies with Clark. In recent weeks he has gladly taken on the added responsibility of helping with his instructor's care. Also Dr. David Demsey had just arrived at the Terry home and will remain in the area for a few days. David is the curator of jazz studies at William Patterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. He serves as curator of the Living Jazz Archives on that site. He told me they are establishing the Clark Terry Archives, an area on campus that will house all manner of objects and documents relating to Terry's life and career.

My immediate reason for visiting Clark was to tell him how much I enjoyed reading his recently released autobiography. I highly recommend CLARK, which provides an amazingly detailed peek into the life of an extraordinary musician. Clark has a remarkable talent for remembering the many people who influenced his life --- their physical appearance, their mannerisms and their clothes. And he has funny stories to tell about many musicians who, like him, have become icons among jazz fans. He can speak with authority,, having been a member of the Ellington, Basie and Barnet bands and having led his own Big B-A-D Band later in his career

The book is available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or ePub. A fast read. I found it hard to put down. He had me hooked from Page One, when he told of building his first trumpet from pieces in the local scrap yard.

Above: David Demsey and Clark Terry share a smile over the T-shirt that David brought from the East Coast.

April 8, 2012

Update on the Les Brown Festival

I've heard from Tom McLaughlin, leader of the Unforgettable Big Band (see below). He was kind enough to supply a photo of the presentation of the street sign to members of the Les Brown family.

The Brown family includes Les's daughter Denise (red vest), son Les Jr. (dark sports coat)
and grandnephew "Swampy" Marsh (green sweater).

Tom also provided photos that I hadn't had access to because my emcee duties required me to be behind the scenes during some performances:

The Manhattan Dolls

Vocalists Tonia Grubb and James Scofield. In background: Leader Tom McLaughlin on sax,
Christine McEachrin on guitar and Brent Downs on drums.

For more photos, check out the Facebook page of the Unforgettable Big Band.

March 29, 2012

Les Brown Festival

The much anticipated Les Brown weekend in Tower City, Pennsylvania turned out to be everything I had hoped it would be – and then some. The occasion was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this esteemed bandleader. Joel Guldin, overall organizer of the event, outdid himself. It was nonstop entertainment from the Friday night dinner-dance through the eight-hour extravaganza held Saturday afternoon in the auditorium of the area high school.

I was privileged to serve as master of ceremonies for the Saturday festivities. After greeting the audience, I read a beautiful letter from Doris Day in which she reminisced about her days with the Les Brown band and expressed her love and admiration for her former boss.

Honored guests included Les Brown, Jr., his sister Denny and other members of the extended Brown family. Denny's son, "Swampy" Marsh, was on hand to sign autographs for a long line of youngsters who thrive on his television cartoon program, Phineas and Ferb. I've never seen it but understand it's the highest-rated program on the Disney Channel.

Appearing on stage were the Unforgettable Big Band of York, Pennsylvania, the Elizabethtown College Jazz Band and three local bands that I'll fill you in on in a moment. Also on stage were a trio from New York, the Manhattan Dolls, who treated the audience of 200 to a medley of songs including hits associated with the Andrews Sisters.

Three former members of the Les Brown band were present, each with his chosen instrument. Dave Pell brought his tenor sax. Jack Redmond had trombone in hand, while Don Clarke brought along his trumpet. At the Friday evening dinner dance, held at Kevin's Place in nearby Lykens, all three sat in with the band known as After Hours. Les Brown, Jr. got into the act as well, demonstrating his vocal skills on a run-through of Mack the Knife and taking over on the drum set for one selection.

The three local bands included the Williams Valley "Cool Blue" Jazz Band, made up of students in grades 7-12; the Town of Renown Alumni Jazz Band, comprised of local musicians from high school classes of 1976 to 2009; and the Williams Valley Elementary Jazz Ensemble. Did I say "elementary"? Indeed I did. Joel Guldin teaches music at the school. His fifth-graders were up on stage to play a musical set that included their interpretation of Les Brown's most memorable composition, Sentimental Journey. It had to be a big thrill for these kids to find Dave, Jack and Don sitting in with them during their concert.

As emcee, it was my responsibility to hold the audience's attention while one band left the stage and another set up. This was accomplished by interviews with Les Brown, Jr. and the three ex-sidemen. At one point members of the Brown family were called on stage for a special surprise: The street that runs alongside the home where Les was born 100 years ago will henceforth be known as Les Brown Lane. Local officials brought along the street sign to prove it, but it was hard to get a good photograph because of the reflective paint on the sign. We'll just have to return to Tower City to see what it looks like when it's put in place.

My wife Tish and I arrived on Thursday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon. We agreed it was a marvelous outing and already have it on our calendars to attend the bicentennial.

Below: Birthplace home; Historical marker; David interviews Les Brown, Jr. on stage.

Above, left to right: Joel Guldin, Dave Pell, David Miller, Les Brown, Jr., Don Clarke, Jack Redmond.

March 14, 2012

Technology Marches On

Sometimes I wonder how people manage to keep up with the fast pace of technology. Over the past few weeks I've been busy converting my VHS tapes to DVD. So far there have been over 100 conversions with another 25 or so still to go --- material such as "The Glenn Miller Story" and "The Benny Goodman Story." Now this morning I read in the daily paper that Walmart will digitize people's DVDs for two dollars apiece. DVDs, the article states, are declining in popularity. Wish they'd told me that before I went to the trouble to burn all those discs!

March 9, 2012

I've been catching up on my reading. The July 30, 1947 issue of Down Beat has several articles of interest. I've learned that Jimmie Lunceford has died while on a tour of the Pacific Northwest. He collapsed in a Seaside, Oregon music store while autographing records for his fans. He died in the ambulance transporting him to a local hospital. The band played their gig that evening under the direction of reedman Joe Thomas, who had been with Lunceford's band for the past 14 years.

Guy Lombardo is indignant when he hears his critics downplaying his band. "What are you talking about?" he says. "My band doesn't have standards? Of course we do. You don't see us playing tunes like Chi Baba Chi Baba, do you?"

Taft Jordan and Wilbur DeParis have left the Ellington band. Seems that the Duke felt some belt-tightening was in order. He asked his sidemen to take a salary cut. Taft and Wilbur said "no thanks" and struck out on their own. Both formed small jazz groups.

Peggy Lee and Woody Herman are going to combine their talents on a weekly program on CBS. Woody will act as emcee and do occasional vocals. Peggy will be backed by a band led by her husband, Dave Barbour.

Rose Murphy, the "chee chee gal" is coming to Cafe Society Downtown, replacing pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams. Skitch Henderson is starting a gig at the Cafe Rouge of the Pennsylvania Hotel.

There's so much news to report that I'll put together a one-hour episode of "Swingin' Down the Lane" based on this issue of Down Beat. Why keep all this late news to myself?

March 7, 2012

Desert Island Selections

This morning I completed the 58th in a series of Desert Island episodes in which I ask people to name the recordings they'd like to have with them if perchance they were stranded in the middle of the ocean. Roger Marks of Carlsbad, New Mexico has come up with a super list, balanced between hot instrumentals, smooth ballads and amusing novelty songs --- all from the mid-20th century. It's great fun to put these programs together because it affords the opportunity to see what other big band fans treasure.

We have one more such episode scheduled for late May. I would welcome more lists for consideration in future broadcasts. It's easy to do --- just jot down up to 25 favorite recordings and e-mail them to me. Typically about 16 selections can be included in our one-hour program.

February 24, 2012

Upcoming TV Broadcast

The following news release just came via e-mail. Sounds right up our alley!

"Airing nationally on PBS on March 3, 2012 (check local listings) BIG BAND VOCALISTS looks back at the “crooners” and “canaries” of the 1940s, featuring the greatest vocalists of the period when they started their careers performing with orchestras and dance bands. Among the legendary artists included in the rare, vintage footage are Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, Doris Day, Helen Forest with the Harry James Orchestra, Peggy Lee with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, June Christy, Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting, Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and many more favorites from the World War II era. Nick Clooney and Peter Marshall host."

February 22, 2012

Henry Mancini

A friend passed along to me a Wall Street Journal review of a new book about Henry Mancini. It's entitled simply "Henry Mancini." The author is John Caps. He writes about Mancini from a standpoint that hadn't occurred to me before. Mancini, he argues, made an enviable reputation from writing music for the movies. Who will ever forget the hit song from "Breakfast at Tiffany's," the immortal Moon River? Or the daffy sound track while the credits rolled at the beginning to "The Pink Panther"? But then the Hollywood formula shifted. John Williams and his ilk took center stage, writing much more ambitious film scores, ones that supported the action on the screen but weren't the type of music to stay with moviegoers when they went home after the show.

Mancini took to turning out LPs containing his orchestrations of other people's music, with some commercial success but relatively devoid of originality. As the book's author puts it, the Mancini sound "devolved into near self-parody."

Seems like a book I'll want to examine more thoroughly.

What to do with those old Videotapes

I have a couple hundred videotapes that I've acquired over the past thirty years, most of them in the 1980's Some are prerecorded, bought at music stores. Many more were recorded off the air. What to do with them? Toss them out? Hard to do. Sell them on eBay? A quick visit to the website suggests that they have little monetary value. Give them to Good Will? They don't want them.

My solution is to convert the tapes to DVD, using a low-cost piece of software from HonesTech (www.honestech.com). The program is easy to use (once you get used to it and make a couple of free calls to their service tech department). Their editing capability is such that I can eliminate the commercials, which is a real advantage. The picture quality is excellent -- as good as the original, in my opinion. I do notice a sound distortion -- the letter s comes out as sh -- but the music doesn't seem to be affected.

I've converted about 100 tapes so far, some wonderful footage. Included are the Kennedy Center Honors with Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton; Biography productions on Billie, Ella and Dizzy; and PBS fundraisers with the likes of Peter Marshall as narrator.

February 12, 2012

Thoughts on Valentine's Day

Love is in the air as we approach Valentine's Day. Quite by coincidence I was contacted earlier this week by a lady who was directed to me by a mutual acquaintance. She's writing an essay entitled "Whither Love Songs?" and thought I might have some insights to share. We arranged to meet to discuss possible approaches to her assignment. It was a most enjoyable session. We started talking about the music of World War II and expanded it to include Broadway musicals of several decades. We identified at least six kinds of "love songs":

The excitement of new love. Examples: So in love, Got a date with an angel, I'm getting sentimental over you, My heart stood still, A wonderful guy (From "South Pacific").
Denial of love. Examples: I've grown accustomed to her face, This can't be love.
Separation. Examples: I'll be seeing you, Miss you, We'll meet again, A little on the lonely side, You'd be so nice to come home to.
Faithfulness. Examples, all from World War II: I'll walk alone, I don't want to walk without you, No love - no nothin', Don't sit under the apple tree, I was here when you left me (I'll be here when you get back).
Lost love. Examples: I'll never smile again (written by Ruth Lowe after her husband's death), When I lost you (a poignant song by Irving Berlin when his bride of a few months succumbed to illness).
Spurned love. Examples: Somebody else is taking my place, Goody goody, I can't stop loving you.

Who knows, maybe I'll explore this subject on-air next year about this time. There are more songs about love than any other subject. Suggestions welcomed. swing@bigband-era.com.

Happy Valentine's Day.

January 29, 2012

Les Brown Centennial

Long-time listeners to "Swingin' Down the Lane" are aware that I salute bandleaders who, if alive, would be marking their 100th birthday. We did a pair of programs recently in tribute to Stan Kenton. Now it's Les Brown's turn. Not only will I devote two programs to this fine leader, I also plan to be part of the festivities to be held in the town he grew up in -- Tower City, Pennsylvania. For more details about the weekend of March 24-25, check out this website: http://www.townofrenown.org/index.html.

Not sure where Tower City is? Neither was I till I consulted my Rand-McNally. The closest big city (and nearest airport) is Harrisburg. It's about 50 miles northeast of the airport, or about a one-hour drive.

I had always read that Les Brown was born in Reinerton. That's a village of about 500 inhabitants a couple of miles down the road from Tower City, a metropolis about four times more populous than Reinerton. It's understandable, then, why the festivities are being held in the larger community.

As the website indicates, I'll play a small role in the proceedings, interviewing Les Brown, Jr. It would be great if the audience that afternoon included listeners to "Swingin' Down the Lane." If you attend, please be sure to introduce yourself.

Jazz Central Concert

Any doubts that big band jazz is still very much alive are literally blown away at concerts featuring Jazz Central, an ensemble comprised of students at Little Rock's Central High School. I feel privileged to have been invited to emcee their annual concert, to be held on April 12. As is their custom the group has called on an outstanding jazz soloist to make a guest appearance. Jon Faddis, trumpeter, is a stellar musician who lists the late Dizzy Gillespie as his friend and mentor. His full biography will be found at www.jonfaddis.com. It is sure to impress.

I'm excited at the prospect of sitting in when Mr. Gaddis holds a clinic for band members before the concert. It is always a source of amazement to see how an accomplished musician/teacher can raise the level of excellence of young musicians.

LP Bonanza

Last week an acquaintance put me in touch with a gentleman who, over the years, has amassed an impressive collection of jazz and big band LPs. I went to meet with him last week and was amazed to find a collection that must number more than a thousand albums. My host is in the process of winnowing down his household possessions. With considerable regret he has decided to discard them by some means still to be determined. Not inclined to add more bulk to my own collection, I asked if I could borrow some albums of interest so that they could be converted for use in my future broadcasts.

"Help yourself" was his ready response. Good news, but where to start? I decided to borrow all the Woody Herman albums that are not already in my possession. I thought I already had a pretty comprehensive collection of Woody's work but found to my amazement that he had 25 albums missing from my stash, including some great Concord recordings of live concerts. So I'm in the process of adding them to my collection, a process that'll take a couple more weeks. Then who knows --- maybe Kenton next. Or Basie. Or James.

Join the SDL Club

Consider this your personal invitation to become a member of the SDL Club. SDL stands for Swingin’ Down the Lane. It also stands for a dedicated effort to preserve one of America’s proudest art forms --- big band music.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND: For over 20 years I’ve hosted a weekly radio program spotlighting the big bands --- everyone from Goodman to Garber, Miller to Mancini and Ellington to Elgart. Each week I reach into our database of 100,000 song titles to select recordings that fit the theme of our program. We may play music to accompany an interview with a big band vocalist or leader. We may salute women in jazz or mark the 100^th birth anniversary of big band pioneers.

Though we’re adding new stations all the time, many people who regularly visit our website don’t live in areas where they can receive our weekly broadcasts. If Swingin’ Down the Lane isn’t broadcast in your area, the SDL Club offers the opportunity to hear the program on a regular basis. On the other hand, if it is broadcast near you, we provide a chance to hear a program as many times as you wish.

CLUB BENEFITS. As a member of the SDL Club, you will receive each month the CD of your choice from among programs broadcast during the previous month. You’ll also be eligible to purchase additional programs for only $7.00, less than half the prices quoted in our Music Store..

MEMBERSHIP DUES. Regular membership in the SDL Club is $75 a year. Imagine, each month you’ll receive a one-of-a-kind CD. Over the course of a year you’ll receive 12 CD’s valued at $180 – more than twice the amount of the dues!

We’ve also established an elite member category, which offers all 52 programs on CD for annual dues of $250. This category is limited to 12 people --- one for each month of the year. In recognition of their support, each Elite Member is designated on-air as program underwriter of the month.

As a special introductory offer, a 3-month trial membership in the Club is available for only $25. If you elect to continue, we’ll extend your membership for an additional nine months for an additional payment of $50.

So join now, and become a member of a club dedicated to the glorification of big band music of yesterday and today. Show your interest by e-mailing me at swing@bigband-era.com.

Links to Other Websites

http://www.hamburger-lokalradio.de
Find out what German listeners can hear on a Hamburg radio station --- including "Swingin' Down the Lane"!

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