Big Band Bash

For the last Saturday of Black History Month, we are going to be listening to some recordings by Ella Fitzgerald. With the passing of Chick Webb in 1939 Ella became the leader of the band. She made roughly 150 recordings for the Decca label between 1939 and 1942. The are the original recordings and I hope you like them. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

Over the last couple of weeks, we've lost two members of the big band world. Paul Tanner, who played trombone with the Glenn Miller orchestra, passed away at the age of 95. A week earlier we lost Patty Andrews the last surviving member of the famous Andrews Sisters trio. To pay tribute to both of these artists on the show today I would like to play a recording I found of a live radio remote featuring the Andrews Sisters with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Although he doesn't solo, Paul Tanner was on trombone throughout the broadcast. There's some great music here and I hope you enjoy the show as we pay our respects to Paul Tanner and Patty Andrews. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

February starts Black History month here on Big Band Bash. To start our celebration we're going to look at the music and career of Duke Ellington. One of the most prolific composer in the history of jazz, Duke was able to adapt with the times and still compose beautiful songs. Many of his compositions are part of the Great American Songbook. The recordings on the show today come from a set of four two record sets released by the Smithsonian Institute. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

It was one hundred years ago this year that one of the most interesting bandleaders in the history of the big bands was born. Charlie Barnet celebrates his birthday later this year but I wanted to do a show paying tribute to his band and music. Charlie produced some great music and proved that you didn't have to be a strict taskmaster to do it. He also proved to be very resourceful even in the face of terrible events such as the fire that burned down the Palomar Ballroom and took with it his music library and instruments. He was married several times and liked to have a good time. These are the original songs performed by the Charlie Barnet Orchestra. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

January 16, 1938 is the date of the famous Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall concert. I have had this concert in my collection for many years first on vinyl and now on CD. In 1999 Columbia rereleased the concert in its entirety. I discovered recently that when the concert was initially released, Benny Goodman recorded some introductions and comments for some of the selections. They are included on the 1999 release so I included them on this week's program as we listen to some of the selections performed that night. These are the original songs performed by the Goodman orchestra on that magical night in January, 1938. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

Every now and then I like to focus on the great composers and songwriters from the big band era. On the show today I'll be focusing on the late George Gershwin. From an early age until his death, Gershwin wrote many of the songs that found their way into the great American Songbook. We'll be hearing the Gershwin classics played by many different big bands. I hope you enjoy this salute to one of America's greatest composers. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

Happy New Year everyone! For the first podcast of the new year I would like to go back and revisit one of my favorite bands, the Gene Krupa Orchestra. Gene was one of the first bands I listened to when I got interested in the big bands. He passed away when I was a senior. I remember seeing Gene playing with the Benny Goodman Quartet on a Timex All-Star Jazz program. I hope you enjoy his music as much as I do. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

The area of New York City known as Harlem has been celebrated throughout history by many big bands. This week we celebrate Harlem and take note of the fact that the name Harlem is in every song title on our program. Duke Ellington has the record for the most song titles with the name Harlem in them but there are plenty of other songs by different bands to create an interesting program. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week we celebrate the birthday of Martha Tilton. She was born November 14, 1915. One of the great big band vocalists, although she didn't sing with many different bands, she spent most of her big band career with Benny Goodman. After leaving Benny she freelanced and appeared on the radio and in motion pictures. These are the original recordings, some with Goodman and some made under her own name. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week we're going to learn about and listen to some of the great songs composed by Jimmy McHugh. Many of his songs were recorded by bands and singers during the big band era. He was elected into the songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 a year aftr his passing. The recordings are in no particular order they are just how I discovered them in my collection. I hope you enjoy the songs composed by one of our greatest composers, Jimmy McHugh. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week I'm going to revisit some of the great big band recordings that have lyrics by Johnny Mercer. I tried to pick the original recordings in chronological order. We will also learn about Johnny as we take a look at his biography. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week we will be listening to some recordings of the Benny Carter orchestra. Benny was a fantastic musician saxophonist, composer, trumpeter, arranger, and bandleader. I've picked some of his more popular recordings to play and I have a little biography on the show this week. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week we will be listening to some of the early recordings of the Glenn Miller orchestra from 1939 and 1940. These are the original recordings for RCA Bluebird. I tried to pick some of the lesser known recordings rather than the big hits. We'll also learn a little bit about Glenn Miller himself. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

This week I am going present a musician and bandleadleader who is not that well know today. He had a very fine band but due to conditions beyond his control just never made the big time. Sonny Dunham was a great trumpeter and left us some top notch recordings of the band he fronted during the war years. These are the original recordings from the original bands. In addition to the studio recordings we will also be listening to a live radio remote from the Dunham Orchestra Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/

Duke Ellington's orchestra is one of my all-time favorite big bands. He wrote some of the most exciting and beautiful songs of all time. Instead of featuring Duke for the whole hour, I would like to explore how different bands performed his music. These are the original recordings from the original bands. In addition to the music I have two short interviews with Duke Ellington himself. Please visit this podcast at http://www.fgmiller.com/bbb/