[Dixielandjazz] Ina Ray Hutton

[Stan Brager]

Thanks for the list of all-women bands although one of my favorites is missing - the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. This one was also a jazz big band with some excellent soloists. They made several recordings through their years of existence and they can also be seen on a few video clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpNjAmQmq90

Here's a program featuring the remaining members of the band in 2011 talking about their experiences:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cjmg8Jepvw&feature=related

Stan
Stan Brager

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dradjazz at aol.com [mailto:Dradjazz at aol.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 2:19 PM
> To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Ina Ray Hutton
> 
> Regarding Ina Ray Hutton, you can read more about her, see a picture of
> the
> Melodears or stream a audio clips at my website in the extensive
> section
> about Women of Jazz:
> 
> http://jazzhotbigstep.com/170.html
> (scroll halfway down the page until you see a headline and pics of Ina
> Ray &
>  the Melodears)
> 
> 
> ***********
> 
> INA RAE HUTTON AND HER MELODEARS
> 
> Singer, and leader of the 14 piece all-female Melodears, Ina Ray began
> her show business career tap dancing at age 8 or 9. She later appeared
> in
> several Broadway shows, the 1934 Ziegfield Follies, movies and
> television.
> 
> A platinum blonde in the jean harlow mold, Hutton fronted the Melodears
> from 1934-39. She went on to lead all-male bands through the late 40;
> reorganizing an all-woman band again in in the 50s which appeared on
> her nationally
> televised Ina Ray Hutton Show.
> 
> I wouldnt call the Melodears a swing band, but a big band, in that they
> seem to be playing mostly from the written page: tight playing of good
> arrangements, but lacking the riffing and spontaneous solos of a great
> swing
> orchestra. Though only a half dozen sides were commercially issued, the
> Melodears appeared in several short films in the mid-1930s.
> 
> Incidentally I dont mean to give the impression Melodears were the only
> all-women band of the 30s -- just the only to make records. There were
> several all-female bands playing and touring in the late 30s and early
> 40s who
> did not record, such as: Darlings of Rhythm; The Harlem Play-girls;
> Dixie
> Rhythm Girls; Eddie Durhams All Star Girl Orchestra and Prarie View Co-
> eds.
> One of the best known all-female ensembles was Phil Spitalnys Hour of
> Charm
> Orchestra, with harp and strings. Neither a swing, jazz or big band,
> the
> very sweet, bland Hour of Charm was the complete opposite of the sassy
> Melodears fronted by Blonde Bombshell Ina Ray Hutton!