Big Band Specials
Encyclopedia
Big Band Specials .
Tracks 3, 6, 7
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 25 October 1962
Tracks 9, 10, 12
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 5 November 1962
Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 19 November 1962
- “You Came a Long Way from St. Louis” (John Benson BrooksJohn Benson BrooksJohn Benson Brooks was an American jazz pianist, songwriter, arranger, and composer....
, Bob RussellBob Russell (songwriter)Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
) - 2:16 - “Swingin’ On Nothin’” (Sy OliverSy OliverMelvin "Sy" Oliver was a jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader...
, Billy Moore) - 2:23 - “Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My BabyIs You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" is a 1944 Louis Jordan song, released as the B-side of single with "G.I. Jive". "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" reached #1 on the US folk/country charts. The Louis Jordan recording also peaked at number two for three weeks on the pop chart and peaked at...
” (Billy Austin, Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
) - 2:46 - “Prelude to a KissPrelude to a Kiss (song)"Prelude to a Kiss" is a 1938 song composed by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, with lyrics by Irving Gordon.In 1989, saxophonist Nelson Rangell covered the song from his self-titled album.-Notable Recordings:...
” (Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Irving MillsIrving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
, Irving GordonIrving GordonIrving Gordon was an American songwriter.-Biography:Irving Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, he studied violin, and after attending public schools in New York City, went to work in the Catskill Mountains at some of the resort hotels in the area...
) - 3:54 - “Skyliner” (Charlie BarnetCharlie BarnetCharles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...
as Dale Bannett) - 3:01 - “A Night in TunisiaA Night in Tunisia"A Night in Tunisia" is a musical composition written by Dizzy Gillespie in 1942 while he was playing with the Earl Hines Band. It has become a jazz standard....
” (Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Jon HendricksJon HendricksJon Hendricks is an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is considered one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces many instruments with vocalists...
) - 2:50 - “It Don’t Mean a ThingIt Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for...
” (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills) - 1:43 - “FrenesiFrenesi"Frenesi" is a musical piece originally composed by Alberto Dominguez for the marimba, and adapted as a jazz standard by Leonard Whitcup and others. A hit version recorded by Artie Shaw reached number one on the Billboard pop chart on December 21, 1940...
” (Alberto Dominguez, Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Bob Russell) - 2:20 - “Stompin' at the SavoyStompin' at the Savoy"Stompin' at the Savoy" is a 1934 jazz standard composed by Edgar Sampson. It is named after the Savoy Ballroom.Although the song is credited to Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, and Edgar Sampson, and the lyrics by Andy Razaf, in reality the music was written and arranged for Chick Webb's band by...
” (Edgar SampsonEdgar SampsonEdgar Melvin Sampson was a composer, arranger, saxophonist, and violinist...
, Chick WebbChick WebbWilliam Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader.-Biography:...
, Benny GoodmanBenny GoodmanBenjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, Andy Razaf) - 2:30 - “GoodbyeGoodbye (Gordon Jenkins song)Goodbye is a song written by American composer and arranger Gordon Jenkins, published in 1935. It became well known as the closing theme song of the Benny Goodman orchestra....
” (Gordon JenkinsGordon JenkinsGordon Hill Jenkins was an American arranger, composer and pianist who was an influential figure in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s, renowned for his lush string arrangements...
) - 3:04 - “Time Was (Duerme)” (Miguel Prado, Gabriel Luna, Bob Russell) - 2:54
- “Until (The Mole)” ( LeRoy HolmesLeRoy HolmesLeRoy Holmes was an American songwriter, composer, arranger and conductor....
, Harry James, Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
) - 2:47
Musicians
- June Christy - vocals
- Conte CandoliConte CandoliSecondo "Conte" Candoli was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show. He played with Gerry Mulligan, and on Frank Sinatra's TV specials...
- trumpet - Lee Katzman - trumpet
- Al PorcinoAl PorcinoAl Porcino is an American jazz trumpeter.Porcino began playing professionally in 1943, playing in many big bands of the 1940s and 1950s, including those of Georgie Auld, Louis Prima, Jerry Wald, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, and Chubby Jackson. He played with Woody Herman in 1946, 1949-1950, and again...
- trumpet - Ray Triscari - trumpet
- Vern Friley - trombone
- Lew McCreary - trombone
- Frank RosolinoFrank RosolinoFrank Rosolino was an American jazz trombonist.- Biography :Born in Detroit, Michigan, Frank Rosolino studied the guitar with his father from the age of 9. He took up the trombone at age 14 while he was enrolled at Miller High School where he played with Milt Jackson in the school's stage band and...
- trombone - John Halliburton - trombone
- Dick NashDick NashRichard Taylor "Dick" Nash is an American jazz trombonist most associated with the swing and big band genres.He began playing brass instruments at ten. He became more interested in this after his parents died and he was sent to a boarding school. His first instruments were the trumpet and bugle...
- trombone - Kenny Shroyer - bass trombone
- Joe MainiJoe MainiJoe Maini was an American jazz alto saxophonist.Maini played early on in the big bands of Alvino Rey, Johnny Bothwell, and Claude Thornhill . Soon after, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked frequently as a session musician...
- also saxophone - Bud ShankBud ShankClifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
(as Bud Legge) - alto saxophone - Charlie KennedyCharlie Kennedy (saxophonist)Charles Sumner "Charlie" Kennedy was a big band-era alto saxophonist.Kennedy played with Louis Prima's big band orchestra in the 1940s. He performed a solo on that band's 1943 recording of "The White Cliffs of Dover"...
- alto saxophone - Bob Cooper - tenor saxophone
- Bill PerkinsBill Perkins (saxophonist)Bill Perkins was a cool jazz saxophonist and flutist popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist. Born in San Francisco, California, Perkins started out performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald. He also worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which...
- tenor saxophone - Jack NimitzJack NimitzJack Nimitz was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.He played in a variety of genres including jazz and rock...
- baritone saxophone - Jimmy RowlesJimmy RowlesJimmy Rowles was an American jazz pianist who was best known as an accompanist. He also released a number of albums under his own name, and explored various idioms including swing and cool jazz. - Biography :Born in Spokane, Washington, Rowles studied at Gonzaga College in Spokane, Washington...
- piano - Joe MondragonJoe MondragonJoe Mondragon is an American jazz bassist.Mondragon was an autodidact on bass, and began working professionally in Los Angeles. He served in the Army during World War II, and then joined Woody Herman's First Herd in 1946...
- bass - Mel LewisMel LewisMel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
- drums - Bob Cooper - arranger (track 12)
- Shorty Rogers - arranger (tracks 1, 4 & 11)
- Bill Holman - arranger (all other tracks)
Tracks 3, 6, 7
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 25 October 1962
Tracks 9, 10, 12
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 5 November 1962
Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11
Recorded Capitol Tower, Hollywood, 19 November 1962