One of the most popular bandleaders of the wartime era, Harry James is best remembered today for his colorful trumpet playing and as the husband of pin-up girl Betty Grable. Born in a run-down hotel next to the city jail in Albany, Georgia, Harry's parents were circus performers -- his mother a trapeze artist and his father the bandleader.
James began playing drums at age seven and took up the trumpet at ten, performing for the Christy Brothers circus band. James' family later settled in Beaumont, Texas, and he began playing for local dance bands while in high school. In 1935 he joined Ben Pollack's orchestra, leaving in December 1936 for Benny Goodman. During his time with Goodman, James became very popular with the jazz crowd for his colorful, ear-shattering, trumpet playing. He became so popular that when he decided to leave Goodman in December 1938 to form his own band Goodman himself financed the outfit.
Harry James and His Music Makers debuted in February 1939 at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Philadelphia. They made their first recordings for Brunswick. Connie Haines was the female vocalist. In June of that year James hired an inexperienced Frank Sinatra as his male vocalist. The orchestra did well in New York, but its high-swinging sound wasn't well-received outside the city. A trip to Los Angeles proved financially disastrous, and the band struggled to make it through a booking at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago. Tommy Dorsey was in Chicago at the same time and was having problems with his male vocalist.
He offered Sinatra a job. With Sinatra's wife expecting and the band's financial future uncertain James let him go. He was soon replaced by Dick Haymes, who went on to become one of the top male vocalists of the era. In early 1940 James began recording with Varsity, a minor label. Although his records weren't selling well with the public he was greatly admired by other musicians. James, however, wasn't content with his financial picture and decided to adopt a new sound. He announced he was adding a string section. Horrified reactions from the jazz crowd convinced him to abandon the idea.
However, in 1941 when he signed with Columbia the label's A&R director made the same suggestion. James followed through and recorded several schmaltzy ballads and semi-classical selections, including the now famous ''You Made Me Love You.'' Though jazz fans cringed the new sound proved popular with the public, and the band was on its way to stardom. Haymes left the band in 1942, replaced by Johnny McAfee as lead male vocalist. James had gone through a string of female vocalists -- Haines, Helen Ward, Dell Parker, Bernice Byers, and Lynn Richards -- until he hired Helen Forrest in 1941. She turned out to be one of his most valuable assets. With Harry's sentimental horn and Helen's emotional singing the band was at its peak and soon began to receive movie offers.
While working in Hollywood, James met actress Betty Grable. Though James was married to vocalist Louise Tobin at the time he fell in love with Grable and divorced Tobin. James and Grable were married on July 5, 1943. Shortly thereafter Forrest left the orchestra to begin a solo career. Helen Ward was brought back to replace her. Buddy DeVito was male vocalist. Around that time Harry's band began to suffer from the draft. James himself, who had been originally classified 4-F, was in danger of being reclassified as fit for duty.
When he was called to take his physical in February 1944 he put the band on notice, and his radio sponsor cancelled his program. James was reclassified 4-F again, however, and he called back together some of his old personnel. The new orchestra continued to be successful, with Kitty Kallen as its featured vocalist, but Harry's interest were turning away from music. He had become a regular cast member on Danny Kaye's radio series, and he and Betty were devoting a great deal of time to raising their racehorses.
He began to perform less and less. When the bottom fell out of the band business in 1946 James called it quits. He didn't stay away for long however. He formed a new outfit the following year and continued to lead bands off and on until his death. He gave his last performance in Las Vegas just nine days before dying of lymphatic cancer in July 1983.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/harry-james/
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Harry James, uno de los directores de orquesta más populares de la época de la guerra, es recordado hoy en día por su colorida forma de tocar la trompeta y por ser el marido de Betty Grable, la chica de moda. Nacido en un destartalado hotel de Albany, Georgia, junto a la cárcel municipal, los padres de Harry eran artistas de circo: su madre era trapecista y su padre director de orquesta.
James empezó a tocar la batería a los siete años y la trompeta a los diez, actuando para la banda del circo de los hermanos Christy. Más tarde, la familia de James se instaló en Beaumont, Texas, y él empezó a tocar para bandas de baile locales mientras estudiaba en el instituto. En 1935 se incorporó a la orquesta de Ben Pollack, que abandonó en diciembre de 1936 para irse con Benny Goodman. Durante su estancia con Goodman, James se hizo muy popular entre el público de jazz por su colorido y estremecedor toque de trompeta. Se hizo tan popular que cuando decidió dejar a Goodman en diciembre de 1938 para formar su propia banda, el propio Goodman financió el grupo.
Harry James and His Music Makers debutó en febrero de 1939 en el Benjamin Franklin Hotel de Filadelfia. Realizaron sus primeras grabaciones para Brunswick. Connie Haines era la vocalista. En junio de ese año, James contrató a un inexperto Frank Sinatra como vocalista masculino. A la orquesta le fue bien en Nueva York, pero su sonido agudo no fue bien recibido fuera de la ciudad. Un viaje a Los Ángeles resultó desastroso desde el punto de vista económico, y la orquesta tuvo problemas para conseguir un contrato en el Sherman Hotel de Chicago. Tommy Dorsey estaba en Chicago al mismo tiempo y tenía problemas con su vocalista masculino.
Le ofreció trabajo a Sinatra. Con la mujer de Sinatra embarazada y el futuro financiero de la banda incierto, James le dejó marchar. Pronto fue sustituido por Dick Haymes, que se convirtió en uno de los mejores vocalistas masculinos de la época. A principios de 1940 James empezó a grabar con Varsity, un sello menor. Aunque sus discos no se vendían bien entre el público, era muy admirado por otros músicos. Sin embargo, James no estaba contento con su situación financiera y decidió adoptar un nuevo sonido. Anunció que iba a añadir una sección de cuerda. Las reacciones horrorizadas del público del jazz le convencieron para abandonar la idea.
Sin embargo, en 1941, cuando firmó con Columbia, el director de A&R del sello le hizo la misma sugerencia. James siguió adelante y grabó varias baladas sensibleras y selecciones semiclásicas, incluida la ahora famosa ''You Made Me Love You''. Aunque los aficionados al jazz se encogieron de hombros, el nuevo sonido resultó ser popular entre el público, y la banda se encaminó hacia el estrellato. Haymes abandonó la banda en 1942 y fue sustituido por Johnny McAfee como vocalista principal. James había pasado por una serie de vocalistas femeninas -Haines, Helen Ward, Dell Parker, Bernice Byers y Lynn Richards- hasta que contrató a Helen Forrest en 1941. Resultó ser uno de sus activos más valiosos. Con la trompa sentimental de Harry y el canto emotivo de Helen, la banda estaba en su mejor momento y pronto empezó a recibir ofertas de películas.
Mientras trabajaba en Hollywood, James conoció a la actriz Betty Grable. Aunque James estaba casado entonces con la vocalista Louise Tobin, se enamoró de Grable y se divorció de Tobin. James y Grable se casaron el 5 de julio de 1943. Poco después, Forrest dejó la orquesta para iniciar una carrera en solitario. Helen Ward volvió para sustituirla. Buddy DeVito fue el vocalista masculino. Por aquel entonces, la banda de Harry empezó a sufrir las consecuencias de la llamada a filas. El propio James, que originalmente había sido clasificado 4-F, corría el riesgo de ser reclasificado como apto para el servicio.
Cuando fue llamado para someterse a su examen físico en febrero de 1944 puso a la banda sobre aviso, y su patrocinador de radio canceló su programa. Sin embargo, James fue reclasificado de nuevo como 4-F y volvió a reunir a parte de su antiguo personal. La nueva orquesta siguió teniendo éxito, con Kitty Kallen como vocalista principal, pero el interés de Harry se estaba alejando de la música. Se había convertido en miembro habitual del reparto de la serie radiofónica de Danny Kaye, y él y Betty dedicaban mucho tiempo a criar sus caballos de carreras.
Empezó a actuar cada vez menos. Cuando el negocio de las bandas tocó fondo en 1946, James lo dejó. Sin embargo, no se mantuvo alejado mucho tiempo. Al año siguiente formó un nuevo grupo y continuó dirigiendo bandas hasta su muerte. Actuó por última vez en Las Vegas nueve días antes de morir de cáncer linfático en julio de 1983.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/harry-james/
Tracklist:
1. Kinda Like The Blues
2. Blues For Lovers Only
3. Countin'
4. Cotton Pickin'
5. Ring For Porter
6. Barn 12
7. What Am I Here For
8. Blues For Harry's Sake
9. Bee Gee
10. Blues On A Count
Credits:
Arranged By [Uncredited] – Ernie Wilkins (tracks: A1, A2, B2, B3), Herb Lorden (tracks: A5, B1, B4), James Hill* (tracks: A4, B5), Larry Kinnamon (tracks: A3)
Bass – Russ Phillips
Drums – Buddy Poor
Guitar – Allan Reuss
Liner Notes, Leader – Harry James
Piano – Larry Kinnamon
Saxophone – Corky Corcoran, Ernest Small, Francis Polifroni, Herb Lorden, Willie Smith
Trombone – Robert Edmondson, Herb Harper (tracks: A2, A4 to B1, B3, B4), Ray Sims (tracks: A1, A3, B2, B5), Robert Robinson
Trumpet – Art DePew (tracks: A1, A3, B2, B5), Robert Rolfe, Don Paladino, Harry James, Nick Buono, Ray Linn (tracks: A2, A4 to B1, B3, B4)
Recorded in May, 1957, in Hollywood.
Label: Capitol Records – T874, Capitol Records – T-874
Released: 1957
Genre: Jazz
Style: Big Band, Swing
https://www.discogs.com/release/3298912-Harry-James-And-His-Orchestra-Wild-About-Harry
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Had to share my favorite Harry James anecdote. My parents began dating in 1939 and my father was working as a guide at the NY World's Fair. To impress my mother, he scored some first-row tickets to a Harry James concert that summer at the fair. It was a hot night and my parents sat down with refreshments, in the case of my mother a lemonade with a lemon floating in it, which my mother then proceeded to suck on. Harry James came forward to play, made eye contact with my mother sucking on a lemon and found he couldn't pucker up to play. He pointed them out and had my parents removed from the front row. I laugh every time I think of it . . .
ReplyDeleteP.S. It was broadcast live via local radio, so somewhere (I doubt it) there may even be a recording of my parents being removed from the show.
ReplyDeleteFunny anecdote, thanks for sharing.
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