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<p>Harry James tore me apart when I interviewed him in his dressing
room and asked him about 'the more commercial things' <br>
</p>
<p>'WHADDAYA MEAN, COMMERCIAL?' he roared.</p>
<p>'Well, Sleepy Lagoon and things like that,' I stammered.
'Commerical is when I stand on my head and wear a funny hat,' he
said 'I'm proud of everything we ever recorded.' The interview
didn't go too well after that. (The whole thing is quoted in his
biography).</p>
<p>I seem to be recovering. I can go out on my own for a few minutes
at a time.</p>
<p>Steve Voce<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 19/09/2017 20:06, Marek Boym wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CABGvO8DRH6z42PJwtQO-H8-UE9CVXAafQZJ=0yhNDDkR=SPJ2Q@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div>Harry James denied playing schmaltz, although he did, a
lot - he either really liked it or needed the dough.<br>
</div>
But listening to Lunceford uncovers some schmaltz, too - and
Willie Smith was with his band. Besides - why is this worse
than Latin music so many swing musicians had to play in later
years?<br>
</div>
Cheers<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 19 September 2017 at 20:48, ROBERT
R. CALDER <span dir="ltr"><<a
href="mailto:serapion@btinternet.com" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">serapion@btinternet.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div
style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<div
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_16810"
dir="ltr"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">OM
of course means Order of Merit, one of the highest
exclusive honours or honors available (though only
to a dozen people, including Henry James, not to be
confused with a brilliant jazz trumpeter who must
have had a hide two elephants thick to stand in
front of a band playing the superslithery Schmalz I
suffered when sifting out -- for ace
Williesmithophile Dick Lee -- some brilliant solos.
Poor Willie, that his last years came so early and
he was in a band playing THAT!).<br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17474"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17182"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">'tis
fifty years this 2017 year since the great
altosaxophonist Willie Smith departed, among other
wonders perhaps the final influence on Benny
Carter's alto playing -- a point which might be
argued, though the hunt for evidence through all
those recordings ought to keep people if not their
music rooms quiet, if interested in the possible
influence of WS on BC. A cat can influence a King.
<br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17154"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17445"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">And
it's a century and a year since the mordant comment
was passed around London literary circles that Henry
James was still alive only because resolutely,
stubbornly waiting to be preceded -- aloft, says the
old song Tom Bowling -- by the member of the Order
of Merit whose exit from this vale of tears rendered
available the letters OM to follow the name Henry
James on his tombstone. <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17444"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">And
sixteen days after the departure of Henry, Harry was
born and given his famous decaffeinated middle
name. <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17443"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17442"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">If you
want some rubbish of even less worth than the above
-- but it's always worth reminding people of Willie
Smith, and the marvel that is her performance on
Jimmy Lunceford's UPTOWN BLUES -- I am happily not
planning to produce some Goonery on the topic of
Henry James's philosopher-psychologist brother
William, and the 1930s blues guitarist Willie B.
James, greatly accomplished as Willie B. was. <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17441"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">Anyway
I've mentioned why OM is appropriate. <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17448"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17449"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">OK? <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17440"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17439"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">In that
wonderful genre OKOM <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17450"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">the
drummer did not drop the bomb <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17451"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">and the
chords weren't daft --</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17438"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">fifths
were properly quaffed ... <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17452"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024">and,
dear Bill Haesler, cheers! says this Pom. <br>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17415"><span
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17024"></span></div>
<div class="m_-7906884783118244376qtdSeparateBR"
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_16811">
<div
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17056">(phew!)<br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17055"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-7906884783118244376yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1505832718134_17054"><br>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
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</blockquote>
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