Teoría de Bandas

(From the Columbia picture “The Jolson Story”

(Based on a theme by Ivanovici) (AL Jolson-Saul Chaplin)

Vocal refrain by Garry Stevens and The Mello Larks Issues:

10” 78: RCA Victor (USA) 20-2126-B 12” 33: RCA Camden CAL-491

CD: BMG (Japan) BVJJ-2905, BMG Special Products (USA) DMC 12173

BIG NUT CUES MOSS BOW TO TEX BENEKE

Run of the Tex Beneke-Glenn Miller orchestra at the 400 Club, New York, has been cut from six weeks to four. This move was agreed to late last week following Beneke's opening, in direct contrast to the previous refusal by Nat Moss, 400 operators, to let Beneke out of the final two weeks of his run. Apparently, the convincer set it following Beneke's opening Thursday (12) night. While his business has been good, an improvement over previous figures with other bands, the size of Beneke's band (31 musicians, five vocalists) forced a backbreaking $4,750 guarantee, plus the first $1,250 in covers and 50% of all covers thereafter. This obligation finally induced Moss to let the band out of the final two weeks of the date.' It will close Jan. 8. Meanwhile, Moss had been asserting that he had talked to Tommy Dorsey and that the latter was amenable to opening at the spot immediately after his Capitol Theatre, N. Y., dale, starting Dec. 26. This move by T. D. would have been an- about-face since Dorsey had been most definite about laying off for a couple of months at least following the Capitol. Dorsey flatly denies,, however, that he has any plans concerning playing the 400.”⁷⁰

69 Possibly recorded at RCA Victor Studio #1

70 Variety, December 18, 1946, p. 55

ON THE STAND

Reviews of Orchestras Playing Hotels, Night Club and Ballroom Locations and One Nighters

TEX BENEKE

Reviewed at the 400 Restaurant, New York, December 17. Personal Management, Don W. Haynes, Booked by General Amusement Corporation.

“Nat Moss, 400 Restaurant operator, calls the Tex Beneke ork the greatest band in America today. That may or may not be true, but certainly it is physically the largest band with its 36 members, musically one of the more meticulous and commercially one of the hottest outfits in the band biz. Use of the late Glenn Miller's name in billing also has helped to establish the ork as one of the top moneymakers of the past year.

“Beneke's is a band that impresses before it is heard. He crams a small-sized symphony onto the bandstand, seating them behind cleverly designed Plexiglas music stands. The band looks as clean as it plays, and it definitely plays clean. Playing an evening of music dominated by ballads three-to-one, the band is gradually moving away from the style that Glenn Miller made the most easily identifiable sound in the band biz. The new arrangements, especially the ballads, are scored with a heavy emphasis on the strings, which abet the less frequent Miller scorings for sax. The clarinet-led section shows on the older Miller arrangements that still are in the new band's book. The net result of the gradual switch gives the Beneke arrangements a full, rich sound (editor's note: the reviewer evidently did not grasp the evolution of the Miller library from 1942 through 1946 and the AAF Orchestra; what he was hearing bore very much resemblance to the direction GM had taken in uniform). Beneke took a tough assignment when he was chosen to replace Miller at the front of the band, and her performs his chores more than adequately.

Plays one of the best tenor saxes in the biz, is a personable singer of novelty and rhythm tunes and mingles freely with the customers dispensing autographs and chatter.

“Everything this band tries reflects the good taste and precision that were Miller identifications. Choice of material is particularly effective, with heavy concentration on pretty standards such as "Someone To Watch Over Me,” "Yesterdays,” "Sweet Lorraine"

and "It Had To Be You,” scored for muted brass and strings. Band plays smart arrangements of today's top plugs and spices the evening with an occasional light jumper or rhythm novelty featuring the Mello Larks vocal quartet.

Beneke review, continued –

“The vocal department is perhaps the strongest commercial attraction. In Garry Stevens, old-time Spivak crooner, and Beneke, it boasts a rock-ribbed foundation. Stevens is singing better than he did with Spivak and is particularly effective against the lush string backgrounds. Mello Larks, three boys and a girl combination, recently joined the band and have done a phenomenal job of learning the book, which is loaded with work for the group. Ginny O'Connor, formerly of Mel Torme's Meltones, comes down front to solo on pop tunes and though she still seems on pop uncertain, she sells her songs well. Gal dresses well and looks same. Except for Beneke's occasional sax spots and an infrequent Bobby Nichols trumpet solo, the band plays mostly unison section scores. Saxes boast a fine leader in Freddy Guerra; brass is A-1, especially on muted stuff; rhythm section keeps well-selected tempos while 13 strings make a terrific section to work with. Arranger Norman Leyden is responsible for most of the band's new scores. Pianist Henry Mancini added his contributions to complement the old Miller and Jerry Gray scores that round out the ork's book.

“Band's handling is entitled to the same praise that its music rates. Personal manager Don Haynes has won innumerable friends among spot operators, which showed to advantage in the returns for the band's first year of existence. Beneke is top drawer booking material at General Amusement Corporation and his dates are carefully selected.

Ork's RCA-Victor waxing pact contributes to its box office value. The only factor that casts doubt over the band's future is its tremendous $6,000 weekly payroll. Ork has been asking and getting $3,000 for one-nighters, will not do locations for less than its payroll figure and has been receiving equally fabulous rates for theatre dates. With today's trend toward smaller more inexpensive ork’s beginning to pick up steam throughout the country, one must wonder if ops will be willing to chance the Beneke kind of money six months from now. Beneke management says the band will stay at present size and will go for its current prices for the present. The ork is booked solid into April.”⁷¹

71 The Billboard, December 28, 1946

RCA Victor Recording Session Roland Bundock and Tex Beneke

2. 1947 Personnel

Marshall Hutchins (trumpet) replaces Graham Young

TEX BENEKE WITH THE MILLER ORCHESTRA

Trumpets: Marshall Hutchins, Bobby Nichols, Jack Steele, Whitey Thomas Trombones: John Halliburton, Jimmy Priddy, Bob Pring, Paul Tanner

French Horn: John Graas

Reeds: Tex Beneke (leader/tenor sax/vocals), Stanley Aaronson, Vince Carbone (tenor sax); Freddy Guerra (clarinet/alto sax), Sol LIbero (clarinet/alto sax/flute), Manny Thaler (alto/baritone sax)

Strings: Gene Bergen, Phil Cogliano, Earl Cornwall, Norman Forrest, Stan Harris, Jaspar Hornyak, Joseph Kowalewski, Stan Kraft, Richard Motylinski, Carl Ottobrino, Gene Shepard, Michael Vislocky

Rhythm: Henry Mancini (piano/arranger), Bobby Joe Gibbons (guitar), Roland Bundock (string bass), Jack Sperling (drums)

Vocalists: Garry Stevens, the Mello Larks: Tommy Hamm, Jack Bierman, Bob Smith and Ginny O’Connor

Arrangers: Bill Finegan, Jerry Gray, Norman Leyden

January 1947

“400” Restaurant, New York AFRS One Night Stand 1395

GMA: B-B27-4, B-1352-1, M-42-4, AFRS-790 16” 33: AFRS (USA) SSC 7-8-1