Where Swing is King!
Writings about swing by Michael P. Zirpolo and other experts that will provide a context for the music you will be hearing, and allow for a deeper understanding of the music and the people who made it.
The Ripening of “Cherry” “Cherry” Composed by Don Redman; arranged by Jimmy Mundy. Recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra from a CBS radio sustaining broadcast October 27,1937, Madhattan Room, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City. Benny [..]
(This is the second installment in the ongoing Rodgers and Hart celebration here at swingandbeyond.com.) The story: Lee Wiley, born October 9, 1908 in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, and died December 11, 1975 in New York City, was a [..]
NOTE: With this post, swingandbeyond.com inaugurates a small celebration of the music of Rodgers and Hart. Subsequent posts will continue this joyous presentation of the music of one of the greatest song writing teams in [..]
They both grew up in Pittsburgh at the same time, the 1920s and 1930s, and knew each other. They were about the same age. But they were very different people. One was big and boisterous; [..]
MANHATTAN’S BRILL BUILDING A JAZZ SHOWCASE AND MUSICAL SHRINE I am constantly looking for historic buildings that are a part of the fabric of jazz history whenever I am in Manhattan. One building I have [..]
James Francis Dorsey was the older of the Dorsey brothers, and the smaller, in terms of both physical stature and ego. He was a master musician whose virtuosity on both clarinet and alto saxophone was [..]
“Benny Goodman’s Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert” by Catherine Tackley I recently finished reading this wonderful book, which was published in 2012 as a part of Oxford University Press’s “Studies in Recorded Jazz” series. [..]
“Dawn on the Desert” Composed and arranged by Charlie Shavers Recorded by the John Kirby Sextet for Vocalion on January 9, 1939 in New York. John Kirby, bass, directing: Charlie Shavers, trumpet; William “Buster” [..]
Some Thoughts on the Autobiography of Clark Terry, and Recollections of Larry Elgart. I have recently read two books about notable musicians, an autobiography by the great jazz trumpeter Clark Terry (1920-2015), and the other, [..]
The older I get, and the more music I listen to, the more I marvel at the staggering musical achievements of George Gershwin (1898-1937) in his short life. He wrote music for Broadway shows, for [..]
With the approach the High Holidays of the Jewish faith each year, I think of the pioneering jazz tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman. Although Bud was Jewish, I think it accurate to describe him as a [..]
I have recently been re-reading the wonderful biography of pianist/arranger/composer Mary Lou Williams entitled “Morning Glory,” by Linda Dahl, (1999) University of California Press. I have long been beguiled by Ms. Williams’s compositions and arrangements, [..]
Tale Number One: “Hey Eugene, take the gum out of your mouth.” The swing era was not only a time when wonderful music was being made, it was a time when interesting personalities were very [..]
Johnny Mercer…Poet of American Popular Song I have found over time that my reading is very often directed by the music I have listened to recently. Last month, I rediscovered the marvelous Benny Goodman/Johnny Mercer recording [..]
Mosaic Classic 1936-1947 Count Basie and Lester Young Studio Sessions First Impressions: Yesterday I received the new Mosaic set of recordings featuring Count Basie and Lester Young. Whenever I receive any set of Mosaic recordings, [..]
