[Dixielandjazz] Harry James

[Patrick Ladd]

Sure some of James`s stuff was `Sweet` (Cant spell sakkareeny) but these 
guys were there to make a living and had to play what the public demanded. 
James `swing` credentials are not in doubt Just listen to Ciribiribin . His 
technique was flawless `Flight of the bumblebee`, his jazz, well the Goodman 
Carnegie Hall Concert. My main grouse is that we didn`t get enough of his 
super band because James was hogging the limelight with his brilliant 
solo`s.

Pat

-----Original Message----- 
From: Charles Suhor
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2015 3:33 AM
To: Pat Ladd
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] profitable insider joke

I like your distinction between the "obscene saccharinity [nice word] of 
some non-jazz James:" and "his heat when he's hot." Some young be-boppers I 
knew in the 50s had a habit of dismissing James because of his schmaltzy 
performances. One of them, Jerry St. Amant, though, said, "He mastered his 
horn long ago." Some of James's work with Goodman and later his own band was 
burnin' good jazz. Too bad that the sentimental stuff is often what's 
remembered. Dig his muted 75rpm, so boppish, on Limehouse Blues from the 
early 50s, as I recall.

Charlie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvFqN7uVP3g


On Jul 1, 2015, at 4:33 PM, ROBERT R. CALDER wrote:

> I did like the thought that the trumpeter was delivering a copy of Harry 
> James -- amusing footnotes ever welcome!
> (a guitarist friend of mine used to tell his audience to watch his left 
> hand, which didn't move as he delivered several pop-songs of the day on 
> one chord)
> imitation can be the best way of demonstrating lack of uniqueness --  
> James's technique was not in doubt, or his heat when he was hot, but
> I hope Frank Beach was unable to match the obscene saccharinity of some 
> non-jazz James,  which lie around some actual musical performances on CDs 
> I bought for literally a few cents in Germany some time ago.  Some lovely 
> Willie Smith on the musical numbers, but the Schmaltz items horrified me.
>
> of  course the MD of the JITTERBUGS film had composed "That's a Plenty" 
> long before it appeared in presumably his arrangement in this film.
> Oh, the blue rinsed virgins of Montana
> are so lonesome and prone to pine...
>
> Robert R. Calder
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