[Dixielandjazz] Re: Jazz & Strings - Shaw

[Steve barbone]

Bill Haesler at bhaesler at bigpond.net.au wrote: (polite snip)

> I have been told that Artie Shaw recorded the "Prelude In Bb" for Brunswick
> (23 Dec 1936), with strings, under the title "Streamline". I have this, but
> have not seen the comment verified.

Hi Bill: If the cut sounds like the same chords as "Shine" in the Jazz
portion, it may very well be "prelude in Bb".

> While on the Artie Shaw subject.
> As you may know, Artie Shaw and His Navy Band 501 visited Australia and New
> Zealand in 1943 (as part of a (very) traumatic tour of  active duty in the
> Pacific war zone) and played in several ballroom locations for US servicemen
> only.
> In Sydney and Melbourne, a few local Oz servicemen/musicians managed to
> gate-crash the events. And still talk in awe about it!

I can imagine. I later saw his 1949 Band with: (from memory subject to
correction) 

These saxes from Woody's Four Brothers Band: Tenor Sax - Al Cohn, Zoot Sims;
Alto Sax Herbie Steward, Baritone Sax Danny Bank;

Others included: Trumpeter Don Fagerquist,  Alto Sax Frank Socolow,
Trombonist Angie Callea, Guitarist Jimmy Rainey, Pianist Dodo Marmarosa.

Arrangements by Johnny Mandel, Marmarosa, Ray Coniff, Al Cohn, Angie Callea,
Tadd Dameron, Gerry Mulligan. and more.

This band played, without question, some of the best and most exciting big
band music I have ever heard.

More's the pity that its time was so short. It broke up in 1950, and never
got to develop fully. To think what could have been if Shaw's attention span
wasn't so damn short.

Unlike Ellington, Music was not his mistress. Music was only a VERY SMALL
part of his life. Jazz music even smaller, a fact while hard for us lesser
mortals to understand, makes the sum total of his contributions to it, all
the more incredible.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone