Ted Heath was one of the most famous big band leaders in Great Britain of the 1950's. His bands played modernized swing music that was always danceable but occasionally had worthwhile solos played in the tradition. Heath started out playing tenor horn before he switched to trombone when he was 14. He spent a period playing as a street musician... [+] Read More

Ted Heath was one of the most famous big band leaders in Great Britain of the 1950's. His bands played modernized swing music that was always danceable but occasionally had worthwhile solos played in the tradition. Heath started out playing tenor horn before he switched to trombone when he was 14. He spent a period playing as a street musician and then was discovered by Jack Hylton who hired him for his band. Heath had long stints as a sideman with a variety of top dance bands including Bert Firman (1924-25), Hylton again (1925-27), Ambrose (1928-36), Sydney Lipton (1936-39) and Geraldo (1939-44). Heath began leading his own big band in 1944 and, through regular appearances on the radio, tours and concerts, he soon became a household name in England. The innovations of bebop were largely ignored in favor of playing swing-oriented charts although some of Heath's soloists (particularly Ronnie Scott, Danny Moss, Don Rendell and Kenny Baker) became notable as jazz players. Ted Heath, whose band was always of high musicianship and used "Listen To The Music" as its theme song, also became well-known in the United States, visiting the U.S. several times starting in 1956. His orchestra recorded quite frequently starting in 1944 (mostly for Decca and London) including ten albums in 1959 alone. Even after Ted Heath's death in 1969, the big band continued performing and recording with a live concert cut as late as 1977. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Violin, vocals, arranger, bandleader. Birthdate in dispute; officially listed as Sept. 4, 1913 but could be as early as 1908. Savitt's father played in Tsar Nicholas II's Imperial Regiment Band, and his family came to America in 1914. Savitt played violin as a child, and was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra at 15. He studied both in... [+] Read More

Violin, vocals, arranger, bandleader. Birthdate in dispute; officially listed as Sept. 4, 1913 but could be as early as 1908. Savitt's father played in Tsar Nicholas II's Imperial Regiment Band, and his family came to America in 1914. Savitt played violin as a child, and was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra at 15. He studied both in Europe and at the Curtis Institute, and in the '30s formed a string quartet that had a nationally broadcast show. He formed the band The Top Hatters in 1937, and began touring in 1938. Savitt was a child prodigy and accomplished player, but his real fame was as a bandleader. His groups were throughly practiced and disciplined, and the ensemble sound was considered among the finest of its era. Their signature song was "Quaker City Jazz," and they had a big hit with "720 in the Books." Savitt's band included vocalist George Tunnell, who used the name Bon Bon, and was one of the first Blacks to work with a white band. The band had a number of smash successes in the '40s, then made some low-budget films in 1946-1947. Savitt died suddenly while on a tour in 1948. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide [-] Hide

"The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven" was the logo of Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, who by 1930 had established themselves as America's top dance band. Unfairly lumped in with unswinging "mickey mouse" bands of the era, the music of Lombardo's outfit was actually top-notch, and they were constantly cited by Louis Armstrong as his... [+] Read More

"The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven" was the logo of Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, who by 1930 had established themselves as America's top dance band. Unfairly lumped in with unswinging "mickey mouse" bands of the era, the music of Lombardo's outfit was actually top-notch, and they were constantly cited by Louis Armstrong as his favorite band for their purity of intonation. A cache of early sides for Gennett reveals that the band was capable of playing "hot" any time they wanted to, but sweet music and singing novelties featuring brother Carmen is what the public wanted, and Lombardo failed to disappoint. He became a national institution hosting televised New Year's Eve broadcasts from New York, making his rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" part of our national memory chest and his lasting legacy.

Guy Lombardo began his musical career in 1924, when he and his brothers Lebert, Carmen, and Victor -- who joined slightly later -- formed a big dance band. Originally, Guy was a violinist for the band, but he soon became its leader and conductor. The band received a moderate amount of success in Canada and soon went to the United States, where they landed a regular gig in Cleveland, Ohio. While they were performing in Cleveland, they began using the name Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. After their Cleveland engagement, they moved to Chicago and then New York City, which became their home base after a successful stay at the Roosevelt Grill.

Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played numerous radio broadcasts from New York and they began a long string of hits in 1927 that ran all the way to 1954. By the early '30s, Lombardo was an international celebrity, having hit records and appearing in films like Many Happy Returns. During this time, not only Lombardo's records were massively popular, but so were his radio broadcasts; it was his annual New Year's Eve show that made "Auld Lang Syne" a national standard. Lombardo also became a well-known speed boat racer during the '40s and, in fact, won many awards for his skills, including a National Championship in the late '40s.

Between 1927 and 1954, Lombardo and his Royal Canadians sold well over 100 milllion records on a variety of labels, including Columbia, Brunswick, Decca, and RCA/Victor; it's estimated that his total worldwide record sales ranged between 100 and 300 million copies. In 1954, Lombardo assumed the operation of the Marine Theatre, located at New York's Jones Beach. At the Marine Theatre, he staged a number of musical revues that were very popular. Lombardo continued to lead these musical productions until his death in 1977. ~ Cub Koda & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

It would probably be stretching the definition considerably to put Fred Waring in the jazz category, though he was very popular utilizing some concepts from the improvisational school. Waring led a dance-based banjo band at 18; he attended Penn State, then formed Fred Waring's Collegians, who ultimately became the Pennsylvanians, although they... [+] Read More

It would probably be stretching the definition considerably to put Fred Waring in the jazz category, though he was very popular utilizing some concepts from the improvisational school. Waring led a dance-based banjo band at 18; he attended Penn State, then formed Fred Waring's Collegians, who ultimately became the Pennsylvanians, although they were based in Detroit. They recorded extensively in the '20s and enjoyed some success. The 1929 film Syncopation and 1930 stage show The New Yorkers helped Waring's band become popular sensations. They got steadily more commercial and lightweight in the '30s, while becoming widespread radio and film performers. The band appeared in a film with Dick Powell in 1937, were at the 1940 World's Fair, appeared on Broadway in 1945, then in a cartoon film in 1948. They also scored pop hits in 1947 and 1949, and became the first band to land their own television show in 1949. They became a diversified empire, with businesses, workshops for glee club directors, publishing wings, a monthly journal, real estate and a corporation to run it all from 1950-1970. The recepient of a 1982 Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to American music, Waring continued to perform until his death on July 29, 1984. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Bandleader, violinist and trombonist Ted Weems and his orchestra were among the most popular attractions on the Midwest music circuit throughout the period separating the two World Wars, earning their greatest success with the novelty hit "Piccolo Pete." Weems was born September 26, 1901 in Pitcairn, PA; he organized his first band in 1922 with... [+] Read More

Bandleader, violinist and trombonist Ted Weems and his orchestra were among the most popular attractions on the Midwest music circuit throughout the period separating the two World Wars, earning their greatest success with the novelty hit "Piccolo Pete." Weems was born September 26, 1901 in Pitcairn, PA; he organized his first band in 1922 with the aid of his trumpeter brother Art, and the following year they notched their first hit with "Somebody Stole My Gal." The orchestra moved to Chicago in 1929, and the Windy City remained their primary base of operations throughout their lengthy career. Although the Weems band frequently toured the vaudeville and ballroom circuits, they were perhaps best known for their regular radio appearances on hit programs including The Jack Benny Show and Fibber McGee and Molly.

In the wake of "Piccolo Pete," a major hit in 1929 (it soon spawned a sequel, "Harmonica Harry"), Weems and his orchestra enjoyed new popularity; any number of singers passed through their ranks, the most notable among them including future Hollywood star Marilyn Maxwell, Red Ingle and Art Jarrett. In 1935 the band welcomed a then-unknown Perry Como, who remained their featured vocalist until 1941, when Weems dissolved the group after he and many of his musicians joined the Merchant Marines to fight in World War II. In 1947 the reconstituted orchestra enjoyed an unlikely hit when their original 1933 recording of "Heartaches" became a favorite on a North Carolina station, with their promotional push eventually launching the song to national success. By the middle of the following decade Weems was working as a disc jockey in Memphis; he died in Tulsa, OK on May 6, 1963. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Fred Waring's Greatest Hits delivers exactly what the title promises: 24 of Waring's highest-charting singles from the '20s and '30s, including "Memory Lane," "Looking at the World through Rose Colored Glasses," "Roses of Yesterday," and "I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream." Amazingly, none of the songs in this collection charted... [+] Read More

Fred Waring's Greatest Hits delivers exactly what the title promises: 24 of Waring's highest-charting singles from the '20s and '30s, including "Memory Lane," "Looking at the World through Rose Colored Glasses," "Roses of Yesterday," and "I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream." Amazingly, none of the songs in this collection charted lower than number 11; this single-disc collection is a testament to just how popular Waring's "glee club" sound was for over three decades. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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In 1999, mail-order company Collectors' Choice Music licensed from Sony Music the two-disc/tape, 36-track The Best of Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, the most extensive compilation of Kyser's recordings ever released and, with prices upon release of about $25 for the CDs and $20 for the tapes, at a reasonable cost. Though Kyser led one of the ten... [+] Read More

In 1999, mail-order company Collectors' Choice Music licensed from Sony Music the two-disc/tape, 36-track The Best of Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, the most extensive compilation of Kyser's recordings ever released and, with prices upon release of about $25 for the CDs and $20 for the tapes, at a reasonable cost. Though Kyser led one of the ten most successful swing bands of the 1940s, his sweet, comedic approach brought him less respect and far fewer reissues than bandleaders who played in the more jazz-oriented, hot style. This chronologically sequenced set, drawing upon his Brunswick and Columbia recordings, traces his career from the mid-'30s, when he first began to score hits, to the late '40s, when he turned to television and then retired. In that period, there were ten #1 hits and six reported million-sellers, all of which are included. They ranged from the children's novelties "Three Little Fishes" and "Woody Woodpecker," and the adult novelty "Strip Polka," to romantic fare like "Who Wouldn't Love You" and "On a Slow Boat to China," and a heavy complement of World War II-themed songs like "'Til Reveille," "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover," "He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings," and "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition." The set departs from the hit parade occasionally to include some characteristic and timely numbers, such as "Isch Ka Bibble (I Should Worry)," which gave band member Merwyn Bogue his pseudonym of Ish Kabibble; "So You Left Me for the Leader of a Swing Band?," "The Merry Old Land of Oz" from The Wizard of Oz, and "Way Back in 1939 A.D" (recorded in December 1939). There are enough Top Ten hits left out to fill another disc (the chief omissions are "Playmates" and "Johnny Dougboy Found a Rose in Ireland," both of which hit #2), but the scarcity of Kyser material in print can only make a swing fan thankful for what's here. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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