Although King Of The Tenors was the title given to Ben Webster's classic 1953 album, making that type of pronouncement probably provoked an argument, as it would now. But even though Webster was certainly one of the best of the early jazz saxophonists, the title of the album was probably not his idea anyway. In … Continue reading Ben Webster – King Of The Tenors?
Tag: Big Band
Don’t Forget The Boswells
I've written several times about singing sister acts, and there are a lot of fans who still remember the Fontanes, the Andrews Sisters and others. But one of the earliest and best of the sister groups might be a little less familiar, and that's a shame because the Boswell Sisters were supremely talented. The Boswell … Continue reading Don’t Forget The Boswells
Remembering The B-List Music Stars
Although you seldom see much about the big band era that flourished before and during World War II, many of the names are still familiar. Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman have names that will ring the proverbial bell with most of us, but what about Chick Webb, Larry Clinton, or Claude Thornhill? As … Continue reading Remembering The B-List Music Stars
Bob — The Other Crosby
Something that has always fascinated me is how often two or more members of the same family find musical fame, even if in varying degrees. I suppose it's not that unusual for offspring, siblings, cousins, and the like to gravitate to the field that has provided success for others in the family, whether it's music, … Continue reading Bob — The Other Crosby
REVIEW: Frank Wess Nonet – Once Is Not Enough
If you're into all things jazz, you might have read the recent announcement about the winners of this year's Jazz Journalists Association awards, and you might even have noticed that the title of Flutist of the Year was given to Frank Wess. It's just the latest of the many honors the talented instrumentalist has received … Continue reading REVIEW: Frank Wess Nonet – Once Is Not Enough
The Blue Lady — Helen Forrest
I was listening to one of my favorites recently, and as I enjoyed the music I thought to myself that it was a perfect example of how the singers who performed in the big band era did their job. The song, performed by Harry James and his orchestra with a vocal by songbird Helen Forrest, … Continue reading The Blue Lady — Helen Forrest
Buddy DeFranco Deserves Some Love
I've been on a kind of clarinet thing lately, reminiscing about my childhood and my own lack of talent while also restating my admiration for some of the greats. With the latter thought in mind, it occurred to me that a few of the great jazz clarinetists have never received the recognition they deserve, and … Continue reading Buddy DeFranco Deserves Some Love
The Captain Meets His Match
I've once again been digging through old photos, and I ran across a standard school picture of myself as a sixth-grader. Nothing unusual about that, but I couldn't help but notice the white band across my chest. I immediately recognized it as part of my Safety Patrol belt, which in turn released a flood of … Continue reading The Captain Meets His Match
Master Of Vibrato – Sidney Bechet
Those who have read my stuff before (all three of you) will remember that I was once quite a clarinetist. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that I played at being a clarinetist, but that was enough to find myself drawn to some of the greats. You know, the guys who could … Continue reading Master Of Vibrato – Sidney Bechet
The Amazing Dinnings
There have been a lot of musical siblings through the years and some of them immediately come to mind, but it's difficult to imagine a group of brothers and sisters quite like the Dinnings. Over a period of several decades, they covered just about every aspect of music; including songwriting, bandleading, recording, and performing on … Continue reading The Amazing Dinnings
Geezer Music Club 