[Dixielandjazz] Carnegie Hall Liner Notes

[Steve Barbone]

on 6/15/07 9:12 PM, Stan Brager at sbrager at socal.rr.com wrote:

> Steve;
> 
> The reference to Benny's single mike at Carnegie Hall comes from an
> interview with Bill Savory and was written in an email to the DJML list on
> June 12 which was addressed to you as well as DJML. Bill knew Benny fairly
> well according to his statements.

Yes, I read your post, but then you did not publish an actual quote. Also,
Bill Haesler's quote from another source following your note, said Benny was
unaware of the recording information at the time of the concert. I tend to
think that Benny was aware, given his penchant for control.
> 
> Zarchy's statements regarding the mikes was in reference to floor microphone
> standards for big band venues during the 30s and early 40s as well. For
> Carnegie Hall, my guess is that Benny noticed the overhead mike and was
> satisfied enough not to concern himself about other microphones. I can't
> remember ever seeing a photo taken in Carnegie Hall before 1940 which showed
> a floor microphone.

Below is the actual quote from Zarchy about BG's band and mikes.

"That story re Benny saying " Take away the mikes" could very well be true.
there was indeed only one mike on all the bandstands and that was indeed
used for announcements and vocalists. That went for every band I was ever
with."

The photo of B.G.'s band at the Paramount Theater in NYC in 1938, (Ken Burns
Companion Book  on Jazz) clearly shows at least 3 FLOOR MIKES. Other photos
in the book show FLOOR MIKES for bands of Basie, Woody Herman and Billy
Eckstein taken in 1938 and 1943. My post made that very clear. Those photos
directly contradict what Zarchy said. Perhaps Zarchy was not in the band for
that gig.

I would agree that Carnegie may never have had microphones, other than that
overhead, before BG's concert. The acoustics were wonderful. Toscanini
supposedly made his radio broadcasts with that mike only. But then, he
didn't have a jazz band. :-) VBG.
 
> Regarding Irving Kodolin, while was most probably at the concert, he erred
> when he stated that one copy of the recording was for the Library Of
> Congress. Judging from his liner notes and the fact that he was a budding
> journalist at the time, I would hazard the thought that he was more
> interested in the people and financial success aspects of the concert and
> didn't give a fig about the technical concerns such as microphones, etc.

I neither knew Kodolin nor what he cared about. However your thoughts are
reasonable. 
 
> While we'll never know for certain, I'll put my money on Bill Savory as
> having the most accurate assessment of the recording process.

I agree. That and John McDonough's liner notes on the re-mastered set seem
pretty much in agreement. Except that there seems to be some disagreement as
to whether BG knew about the recording of the concert at the time, which is
why, not having the book you quoted from, I'm interested in exactly what BG
said and when he said it via a direct quote rather than a paraphrase.

Basically because it seems to me that BG, who was a control freak, could not
have helped but see the various floor mikes around the bandstand, or in the
wings, and know exactly why they were there. Prior stories about BG saying,
on other gigs, that he did not want any mikes around would seem to indicate
that he would have had them removed at Carnegie . . . unless he knew they
were for recording and gave his permission.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone