Unlike most of the entertainers I've written about, swing-era bandleader Horace Heidt's talents didn't depend on his own musical abilities. Although he could play piano, he usually left the keyboard to others. And he was never really known as a composer or arranger, like so many of his contemporaries. But he did have two things … Continue reading The Talents Of Horace Heidt
Tag: Big Band
And The Winner Is….Me
At least I hope so. I'm sort of setting aside the music stuff today (although I've still included a good tune below) because I wanted to report something. Random visitors will have no idea what I'm talking about, but regulars will remember that a few days ago I wrote that I was on the horns … Continue reading And The Winner Is….Me
Dave Pell – The Real Thing
I've mentioned before that I sometimes regret dumping all my old vinyl LPs in favor of CDs (most recently in Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova). Another of those missing albums came to mind today. It was an odd-looking one -- transparent gold instead of black -- recorded by a bandleader that I assumed at the … Continue reading Dave Pell – The Real Thing
The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Once in a while I like to feature one of the less-remembered bandleaders of the big band era, guys who might have been very popular at one time but lacked the lasting fame of a Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey. One who could be described in those terms was another trombonist, Russ Morgan, who had … Continue reading The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
Regular readers will recall that I often write about 'crooners' and 'songbirds' -- the vocalists of the big band era. In fact, if you put either word into the 'search' space on the left side you'll find lots of evidence of my fondness for them. That being the case, I thought maybe it was time … Continue reading Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
The Long Musical Journey Of Pete Rugolo
It might be unfair to call TV's Richard Diamond show a Peter Gunn clone, because even though both shows featured private eyes and a jazz-laden soundtrack, Diamond actually predated Gunn. It's just that the latter seemed to have made a more lasting impression, at least in part because of Henry Mancini's music. Richard Diamond is … Continue reading The Long Musical Journey Of Pete Rugolo
Si Zentner – Thriving In The Twilight
As a teenager in the late Fifties I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, including everything from early rock & roll to the softer sounds of my parents' favorite records. But even though I enjoyed a lot of what I heard, I often found myself attracted to big band jazz. The … Continue reading Si Zentner – Thriving In The Twilight
The Cooler Side Of Peggy Lee
Most successful singers are closely identified with a particular song, one that becomes known as their trademark or signature song. Of course, the best of them will have a number of good songs and best-selling records, but there will usually be one that stands out. For Peggy Lee, that song would have to be "Fever." … Continue reading The Cooler Side Of Peggy Lee
Earl Bostic – Taking Jazz In A New Direction
As much as I've always enjoyed the traditional big band sound of guys like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller, I've also had a certain amount of admiration for those who came along with something a little different. A good example of that would be the bebop revolution of the post-war years, when guys … Continue reading Earl Bostic – Taking Jazz In A New Direction
Revisiting The Chalk Man
A few weeks ago, I posted a piece I called Talkin' The Talk With Chalk, in which I reminisced about my faux pool-shark days and also featured an amazing picture. It was a sidewalk chalk drawing by an artist named Edgar Mueller, who somehow manages to give flat surfaces an astonishingly realistic 3-D effect. I … Continue reading Revisiting The Chalk Man
Geezer Music Club 