[Dixielandjazz] Re: A Lurker's Commentaries

[dingle]

Bill Haesler wrote:

>Dear George,
>Just mention my name and up I pop! Rarely fails.
>8>)
>Garry Moore (1915-1993) was indeed a friend of jazz.
>I am sure that Don Ingle can elaborate.
>Moore regularly featured jazz guests on his program.
>In particular, on 26 November 1961, he devoted his 'Dupont Show of the Week'
>TV program to "America's Music - Chicago and All That Jazz" which included
>(among others) Henry 'Red' Allen, Louis Armstrong (archive footage), Buster
>Bailey, Mae Barnes, Blossom Seeley, Bix Beiderbecke (archive material),
>Bessie Smith (archive footage), Bud Freeman, Johnny Guarnieri, Eddie
>Condon's band (music off screen), Bob Haggart, Gene Krupa, Meade 'Lux' Lewis
>and Jack Teagarden.
>I have a full synopsis, but please do not ask me to type it out.
>The Garry Moore LP you mention is probably  Columbia CL 717 'Garry Moore
>Presents My Kind Of Music' [that sounds familiar!] and features items by
>George Barnes, Wild Bill Davison, pianist Mel Henke, the Rampart Street
>Paraders, Ernie Caceres and Sonny Terry.
>Kind regards,
>Bill. 
>
>  
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Dixielandjazz mailing list
>Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>  
>
Bill: As per hint --
Gary Morfitt a.k.a. Gary Moore was indeed a friend of jazz and of big 
bands. I have some clips from a radio show he MC's just before WW II 
called "Beat the Band." The band was Ted Weems, and my dad was part of 
that band which did feature some good jazz players (Country Washburne, 
bass, Orm Downes, Drums, Allen Ruess, Guitar, Rosy McHargue, clarinet, 
and Red Ingle, tenor sax and jazz violin.)
Gary later partnered with Jimmy Durante on a very successful radio show 
before going into early TV.
Even earlier, he did a show that was almost a cult, must-listen show as 
MC and featuring a  droll comic named Ramson Sherman....(who did a 
character called Elmer Blurt, a shy and reluctant door to door salesman 
who'd knock on a door and mumble "Maybe nobody's home...I hope, I hope!)
Chicago was one of the top radio show production areas of the 1930's and 
the list of top radio people who got their start there is vast...Don 
Ameche, Paul douglas, Larry Keating, Fibber McGee and Molly, Charlie 
McCarthy and Edgar Bergen, etc.
Gary Moore used to hang out with the Weems guys, often at the Palmer 
House when they were there or at the Aragon or Trianon ballrooms. Later, 
dad did several of the Moore-Durante shows when he was with Spike Jones 
and it was then that I got to meet Moore several times. A most friendly 
and open man, and I recall  his chatting  with dad about  "where's Rosy 
and Orm these days" or "Wow didn't Marvel make a change of direction" 
referrng to Marvel Maxwell, Ted Weems' female singer who changed hair 
color and her name to Marilyn Maxwell, a highly successful actress in films.
Wow -- thanks for opening up this thread. It gives a lot of pleasure to 
remember Gary Moore, one who was indeed "with the band.!"
Don Ingle