Saturday, October 29, 2011
RIP Beryl Davis.....1924-2011
A post from May of 2011: http://planetbarberella.blogspot.com/search/label/beryl%20davis
Beryl Davis has passed away.....Rest in Peace
BERYL DAVIS, British Singer - Career Spanned Eight Decades in U.K. and U.S.
British-born Beryl Davis, whose eight-decade career included singing with Maj. Glenn Miller, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra, has died. She was 87.
The daughter of English band leader Harry Davis, she spent her formative years traveling with his Oscar Rabin-Harry Davis Band and was the band’s featured singer by age eight.
At age 12, she was booked with the Quintet of The Hot Club of France, which featured Django Reinhardt and Stephane GrappellI. After touring for three years and multiple recordings, war broke out. She and Grappelli returned to England, and were joined by a young pianist by the name of George Shearing. That group performed in London clubs throughout the blitz.
Later, she rejoined the Davis/Rabin band and had her own BBC radio show.
She soon came to the attention of Captain Glenn Miller and, on August 17, 1944—the day he was promoted to Major, began singing with his band. She was the only British civilian ever officially attached to the Eighth Air Force, taking her orders directly from General James Doolittle. Her last broadcast with Miller was on December 12, 1944 at the Queensbury Club, and her final number was “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Three days later, Miller took his fateful flight over the English Channel.
After the war, Bob Hope invited her to come to the States to appear on his radio show. Six weeks after her American debut, she was preparing to return to England when Frank Sinatra invited her to join him on “Your Hit Parade” as his singing partner, leading to featured spots with Benny Goodman, Vaughn Monroe, David Rose and many others.
In 1948, she married Hollywood radio and television personality Peter Potter, who was host of “Peter Potter’s Platter Parade” and later, the Emmy-winning nationally-broadcast “Jukebox Jury.” The couple had three children and divorced in 1965.
In 1954, Davis, along with friends Jane Russell, Connie Haines and Della Russell, performed a little-known gospel song entitled “Do Lord” for a church benefit. They recorded the song and it immediately went Gold, selling 2 million copies. Rhonda Fleming later replaced Della Russell and the group continued recording and performing their gospel-inspired show in the nation’s top nightclubs and casino showrooms.
As a solo act, she performed in theaters and concert venues around the globe, and was a regular guest artist at music festivals and events honoring Reinhardt and Miller. She also performed on multiple cruise ships, including Princess Cruises, where she was known as “The First Lady of Song” for over 30 years. She was long admired and respected by the many Big Band musicians with whom she worked.
She was preceded in death by her life partner of 35 years, record executive and concert producer Buck Stapleton, in 2003. They were longtime residents of Toluca Lake, California, where she served as Honorary Mayor. The couple also resided in Palm Springs, California, where she received her star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame.
On November 11, 2000, she was a special guest at the ground breaking ceremonies of the National WW II Memorial in Washington, D.C. where she sang “I’ll Be Seeing You,” by then her trademark song. Dignitaries that day included President Bill Clinton, who personally commended her performance at a post-event reception.
She is survived by her children, Bill Moore, Merry Moore and Melinda Moore Garber; her sister, Lisa “Cherry” Davis; and grandchildren, Shannon Moore and Asher Ferguson.
Funeral services are planned for 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2011 at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, Church of the Hills. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITOR’S NOTE: For additional information, please contact family representative Greg Purdy at 760-808-3650 or gmpurdy@dc.rr.com.
British-born Beryl Davis, whose eight-decade career included singing with Maj. Glenn Miller, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra, has died. She was 87.
The daughter of English band leader Harry Davis, she spent her formative years traveling with his Oscar Rabin-Harry Davis Band and was the band’s featured singer by age eight.
At age 12, she was booked with the Quintet of The Hot Club of France, which featured Django Reinhardt and Stephane GrappellI. After touring for three years and multiple recordings, war broke out. She and Grappelli returned to England, and were joined by a young pianist by the name of George Shearing. That group performed in London clubs throughout the blitz.
Later, she rejoined the Davis/Rabin band and had her own BBC radio show.
She soon came to the attention of Captain Glenn Miller and, on August 17, 1944—the day he was promoted to Major, began singing with his band. She was the only British civilian ever officially attached to the Eighth Air Force, taking her orders directly from General James Doolittle. Her last broadcast with Miller was on December 12, 1944 at the Queensbury Club, and her final number was “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Three days later, Miller took his fateful flight over the English Channel.
After the war, Bob Hope invited her to come to the States to appear on his radio show. Six weeks after her American debut, she was preparing to return to England when Frank Sinatra invited her to join him on “Your Hit Parade” as his singing partner, leading to featured spots with Benny Goodman, Vaughn Monroe, David Rose and many others.
In 1948, she married Hollywood radio and television personality Peter Potter, who was host of “Peter Potter’s Platter Parade” and later, the Emmy-winning nationally-broadcast “Jukebox Jury.” The couple had three children and divorced in 1965.
In 1954, Davis, along with friends Jane Russell, Connie Haines and Della Russell, performed a little-known gospel song entitled “Do Lord” for a church benefit. They recorded the song and it immediately went Gold, selling 2 million copies. Rhonda Fleming later replaced Della Russell and the group continued recording and performing their gospel-inspired show in the nation’s top nightclubs and casino showrooms.
As a solo act, she performed in theaters and concert venues around the globe, and was a regular guest artist at music festivals and events honoring Reinhardt and Miller. She also performed on multiple cruise ships, including Princess Cruises, where she was known as “The First Lady of Song” for over 30 years. She was long admired and respected by the many Big Band musicians with whom she worked.
She was preceded in death by her life partner of 35 years, record executive and concert producer Buck Stapleton, in 2003. They were longtime residents of Toluca Lake, California, where she served as Honorary Mayor. The couple also resided in Palm Springs, California, where she received her star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame.
On November 11, 2000, she was a special guest at the ground breaking ceremonies of the National WW II Memorial in Washington, D.C. where she sang “I’ll Be Seeing You,” by then her trademark song. Dignitaries that day included President Bill Clinton, who personally commended her performance at a post-event reception.
She is survived by her children, Bill Moore, Merry Moore and Melinda Moore Garber; her sister, Lisa “Cherry” Davis; and grandchildren, Shannon Moore and Asher Ferguson.
Funeral services are planned for 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, 2011 at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, Church of the Hills. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDITOR’S NOTE: For additional information, please contact family representative Greg Purdy at 760-808-3650 or gmpurdy@dc.rr.com.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Part 3......The classic Gottlieb jazz photos...........
Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157624588645784/
View of the Apollo Theatre marquee, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948
Portrait of Billy Butterfield, Columbia studio, New York, N.Y., ca. Mar. 1947
Portrait of Charlie Barnet, WOR broadcast, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1946
Portrait of Count Basie, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948
Portrait of Count Basie, Ray Bauduc, Herschel Evans, and Bob Haggart, Howard Theater, Washington, D.C., ca. 1941
Portrait of Eddie Bert, 1947 or 1948
Portrait of George Brunis and Tony Parenti, Jimmy Ryan's (Club), New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1946
Portrait of Henry Allen, Onyx, New York, N.Y., ca. May 1946
Portrait of Jack Teagarden, Dick Carey, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Haggart, and Sid Catlett, Town Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. July 1947
Portrait of Lawrence Brown, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. Nov. 1946
Portrait of Leonard Bernstein in his apartment, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948
Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Aquarium, New York, N.Y., ca. July 1946
Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. Apr. 1947
Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947
Portrait of Mildred Bailey, Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y., ca. Apr. 1947
Portrait of Ralph Burns, Edwin A. Finckel, George Handy, Neal Hefti, Johnny Richards, and Eddie Sauter, Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y., ca. Mar. 1947
Portrait of Ray Bauduc, Herschel Evans, Bob Haggart, Eddie Miller, Lester Young, and Matty Matlock, Howard Theater, Washington, D.C., ca. 1941
Portrait of Serge Chaloff, Georgie Auld, Red Rodney, and Tiny Kahn, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947
Portrait of Sidney Bechet, Freddie Moore, and Lloyd Phillips, Jimmy Ryan's (Club), New York, N.Y., ca. June 1947
Deutsche Swing-Tanzorchester James Kok (pre-1935 /Erhard Bauschke as leader)
James Kok
Between 1929 and 1935 Rumanian James Kok founded one of the hottest big bands in Germany. The orchestra consisted mainly of German musicians. Bandleader Kok attracted negative attention from the "Reichsmusikkammer" (Reichs-music-board) because of his outspoken public support of the British Jack Hylton Orchestra, which was rather unpopular with the Nazis. This incident led to the discovery of his "half-Jewish" origin and resulted in his work ban. Erhard Bauschke continued his work leading the "Aryanized" band from summer 1935 on.
Erhard Bauschke
Erhard Bauschke was one of pioneers of German swing music, playing clarinet in the James Kok Tanz-Orchestra, a Berlin band popular for its jazzy interpretations of international hits. The Kok orchestra was dissolved when Kok, along with most of the band's Jewish musicians, were forced to flee to Romania in order to avoid Nazi persecution. Bauschke, together with whatever former members were left, formed his own band. He died in 1945, struck by a speeding motorist in Berlin.
James Kok
James Kok 1902-1976 was a Romanian musician (clarinet, alt. sax, violin), and director of a dance orchestra.
After studying at the Prague Conservatory, he escaped military service, and in 1923 moved to Berlin, founding his first band. The dance orchestra subsequently performed all over Germany, leading to a contract with the German Gramophone Company, in 1933. His work permit was withdrawn in 1935 by the government, and the band was then led by Erhard Bauschke.
Kok put together a new band in Switzerland, playing until Ausust of 1935 in Zurich. He then returned to Romania, forming a band that toured through 1939. His war years ewre spent in Geneva, with yet another group of musicians. His postwar years were spent in the USA, in somewhat ailing heath, followed by a return to Berlin in 1969. He passed in 1976.
Just a small selection today from one of my favourite bands of the era....he deserves better attention, IMHO. I personally like the band better with Kok then under the baton of Bauschke.
My apologies....my German isn't terribly good, and I doubt this bio in English will be as informative as the original.. I'll include the original notes that I found online for him in German
James Kok (* 26. Januar 1902 in Czernowitz in der Bukowina; † 18. Oktober 1976 in Berlin) war ein rumänischer Musiker - Klarinette, Altsaxophon, Geige - und Leiter eines Tanzorchesters.
Der Vater, ein Anwalt, gab dem Sohn Arthur (später „James“) Kok den ersten Geigenunterricht. Am Prager Konservatorium studierte er Geige, Saxophon, Klarinette, Klavier und Arrangement. Um dem Wehrdienst in seiner Heimat zu entgehen, zog Kok 1923 nach Berlin, wo er seine erste eigene Kapelle gründete. In den Folgejahren gastierte das Tanzorchester in ganz Deutschland. Während eines Gastspieles im Hamburger Trocadero im März 1933 entstanden erste Probeaufnahmen, die zu einem Exklusivvertrag für die Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft führten (September 1933 bis April 1935). In dieser Zeit war das Orchester fast durchgängig im Moka Efti in Berlin engagiert. Zum 1. Mai 1935 entzog ihm die Reichsmusikkammer die Arbeitserlaubnis, denn Kok war wiederholt durch regimekritische Äußerungen, unangepasstes Hotspiel und Unklarheiten bei seinem „Arier-Nachweis“ aufgefallen. Das Stammorchester, nun ohne Kok, spielte die zunächst in einem Berliner Vorort; die Musiker wählten Erhard Bauschke zum neuen Orchesterleiter. Zur Sommersaison 1935 trat das neue Orchester auf Rügen - nunmehr mit einer „rein arischen Besetzung“ - auf.
James Kok stellte in der Schweiz ein neues, eigenes Orchester zusammen und spielte bis Ende August 1935 in Zürich. Da seine Arbeits- und Aufenthaltsgenehmigung nicht verlängert wurde, kehrte er nach Rumänien zurück, wo er 1936 erneut ein Tanzorchester gründete. Dieses Orchester bereiste Rumänien, spielte für den dortigen Rundfunk (1938) und unternahm Auslandstourneen in die Schweiz (1938) und in die Niederlande (1939). Während des Krieges ließ er sich in Genf nieder, wo er aus Emigranten eine weitere Kapelle zusammenstellte.
Als nach Kriegsende die Musiker in ihre Heimatländer zurückkehrten, musste Kok sein Orchester endgültig auflösen. Der gesundheitlich angeschlagene Kok verbrachte einige Jahre bei Verwandten in den USA; er kehrte 1969 nach Berlin zurück wo er wenige Jahre später verstarb. Neben konzertanten Stücken bestand sein Repertoire aus Schlagermelodien und flotten Tanztiteln. Klassisch ausgebildet war er kein herausragender Solist. Dennoch gilt er als einer der besten Vertreter des Hotstils im Berlin der 1930er Jahre; sein Orchester, für das er eigene Arrangements schrieb, orientierte sich an den Vorbildern von Jimmie Lunceford und des Casa Loma Orchestra.
And on to the music!!
Das macht die liebe-mit Paul Hörbiger aus dem P.K.-Film "Fräulein Frau"
Das Töchterpensionat-mit Männer Trio
Das verliebte Tanzorchester-mit Erwin Hartung
Das war einmal-mit Paul Dorn
Deinetwegen- mit Erich Schulz
Der lustige Xylophonist-mit Kurt Engel
Dort Tanzt Lu-lu Ahah aUhuhu-
Ein Blonder Schlagzeugmann-mit Männer Quartett
Fliegender Hamburger-
Geisterspuk-
Harlem-
Heimat, was kann's schöneres geben auf der ganzen Welt-
In einem kleinen japanischen Garten-
Jazznocrazy-
Jungle Jazz-mit Fritz Schulz-Reichel
Mehlspeis-mit Erwin Hartung
On the Alamo-
Orient Express -
Pacific Express-
Parade der xylophonisten-
Tiger Rag-
Und Die Ganze Welt Spricht Von Nanette-mit Max Mensing
White Jazz-
Wir sind Matrosen von der Waterkant-mit Erwin Hartung
Part 2 of the Pre-Zeppelin list....Jimmy, Bonzo, John Paul, and Robert....
Robert and Bonzo...Band of Joy
Mr. Jones
Part 2..........the Pre-Zepp list..........
A Tout Casser-Johnny Hallyday (JP session guitarist)
Don't Turn Your Back On Me-Jackie DeShannon (JP session guitarist)
Help Me-Primitives (JP session guitarist)
Hush Your Mouth-Mickey Finn & The Blue Men (JP session guitarist)
I Can Tell-The Zephyrs (JP session guitarist)
I Gotta Find My Baby-Band of Joy (Plant and Bonham)
I just can't go to sleep-The Sneekers (JP session guitarist)
I Took My Baby Home-The Pickwicks (JP session guitarist)I'll Go Crazy-The Untamed (JP session guitarist)
I'm Confused-The Yardbirds (Dazed and confused...pretty close to the Jake Holmes original)
I've Got a Secret-Robert Plant
In My Time Of Sorrow-Marianne Faithfull (JP session guitarist)
Keep Movin'-Jimmy Page
Laughin' Cryin' Laughin'-Robert Plant
Leave my kitten alone-First Gear (JP session guitarist)
Let Them Tell-Primitives (JP session guitarist)
Little by little-The Pickwicks (JP session guitarist)
Little Surfer Girl-Kenny & Deny (JP session guitarist)
Long Time Coming-Robert Plant
March Of The Defiant Ones-The London Studio Group (JP session guitarist)
Medley-P.J. Proby (Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant)
One Fine Day-Larry Page Orchestra (JP session guitarist)
Pageing Sullivan-The London Studio Group (JP session guitarist)
Psychedelic-Johnny Hallyday (JP session guitarist)
Sweet And Tender Romance-The McKinleys (JP session guitarist)
That's The One-Phillips Gregory (JP session guitarist)
Try To Forget Me-Kenny & Deny (JP session guitarist)
Two Lovers-Louise Cordet (JP session guitarist)
You Really Got Me-Larry Page Orchestra (JP session guitarist)
You Said-Primitives (JP session guitarist)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Early Doris Day.....1939-1941 w/ Barney Rapp and Les Brown
Doris Day
Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff was born in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Evanston to Alma Sophia Welz (a housewife) and William Kappelhoff (a music teacher and choir master). All of her grandparents were German immigrants. In Doris Day: Her Own Story she states, "I was named by my mother in honor of her favorite actress, Doris Kenyon, a silent screen star of that year 1924." Her biographer, Pianist Jim Martinez, who organized her 87th birthday party in her hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, at Day's hotel, the Cypress Inn, states that according to Doris Day's current assistant, when Day was a teenager, she added two years to her age so she would be old enough to sing with big bands. The youngest of three children, she had two brothers: Richard, who died before she was born, and Paul, a few years older.
Her parents' marriage failed owing to her father's reported infidelity. Although the family was Roman Catholic, her parents divorced. After her second marriage, Day herself became a Christian Scientist. She has been married four times. Day developed an early interest in dance, and in the mid-1930s formed a dance duo with Jerry Doherty that performed locally in Cincinnati. A car accident on October 13, 1937, damaged her legs and curtailed her prospects as a professional dancer.
While recovering, Day started to sing along with the radio and discovered a talent that she didn't know she had. Day said: "During this long, boring period, I used to while away a lot of time listening to the radio, sometimes singing along with the likes of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller [...]. But the one radio voice I listened to above others belonged to Ella Fitzgerald. There was a quality to her voice that fascinated me, and I'd sing along with her, trying to catch the subtle ways she shaded her voice, the casual yet clean way she sang the words." Seeing that her daughter was interested in show business again, Alma decided to give Doris singing lessons. She came with a teacher, Grace Raine. After three lessons, Raine told Alma that Day had a "tremendous potential", which led her to give Day three lessons a week for the price of one. Years later, Day said that Raine had the biggest effect on her singing style and career. During the eight months of singing lessons, Day had her first professional jobs as a vocalist in the WLW radio program, Carlin's Carnival and in a local restaurant, the Charlie Yee's Shanghai Inn. It was during her performances in the Carlin's Carnival that Day first got the attention of Barney Rapp, who was looking for a girl vocalist and asked if Day would like to audition for the job. According to Day, Rapp had auditioned two hundred vocalists when she got the job. It was while working for Rapp in 1939 that she adopted the stage name "Day" as an alternative to "Kappelhoff," at his suggestion. Rapp felt her surname was too long for marquees. The first song she had performed for him was "Day After Day", and her stage name was taken from that.
After working with Rapp, Day worked with a number of other bandleaders including Jimmy James, Bob Crosby, and Les Brown.
To quote a quote I once read: Oscar Levant once quipped that he knew Doris Day before she was a virgin......I imagine that her recordings with Les Brown were made before she was a virgin, too :) I love Doris Day's entire catalog of work, but the recordings before and during the war are still my favourite.. That being said, this list is just recordings from 1939-1941...just leading up to the war. One live recording with the Barbey Rapp band.....several with Les Brown, including a rip of one "Soundie". These are in chronological order today. SOOoooo sit back, relax, and enjoy......a different side of Miss Day than most of us know. :)
DDay :)----1939-1941
OTR I'm Happy About the Whole Thing-With Barney Rapp (Cincinnati, Ohio June 17, 1939)
Let's Be Buddies-w/ Les Brown and his Band of Renown- Nov.29, 1940
Three at a Table for Two-w/ LB Nov.29, 1940
While the Music Plays On-w/ LB Nov.29, 1940
Dig It, (I Ain't Hep to That Step but I'll dig it)-w/ LB Nov.29, 1940
Between Friends-w/ LB Jan.7, 1941
Broomstreet-w/ LB Jan.7, 1941
Barbara Allen-w/ LB Jan.7, 1941
Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)-w/ LB Feb.6, 1941
Easy as pie-w/ LB Feb.6, 1941
Booglie Wooglie Piggy-w/ LB Feb.17, 1941
Celery Stalks at Midnight-w/ LB Feb.6, 1941
Beau Night in Hotchkiss Corners-w/ LB Feb.17, 1941
Alexander the Swoose (Half Swan-Half Goose)-w/ LB Apr. 8, 1941
Keep Cool, Fool-w/ LB Apr. 8, 1941
Made Up My Mind-w/ LB Apr. 8, 1941
Lost Horizon-(from a "Soundie" w/ Les Brown) -1941
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday night at the movies.......the 3rd "Thin Man" installment: "Another Thin Man" 1939
It's been awhile........time for another episode of the "Thin Man" series............Number 3...."Another Thin Man" from 1939. Your first clue: A hint......look in the comments area ;) Enjoy!!
And I blame my daughter for getting me addicted to them.......lol
Granted, there are worse things than being addicted to Pomplamoose :)
Oooh, Oooh....a link to a nice OTR podcast site!!
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