'My Music: Big Band Vocalists' PBS special next week

Yes, it's Pledge Drive time on your local PBS station. Starting this weekend, PBS stations will be airing a special My Music: Big Band Vocalists  

Hosted by Nick Clooney and Peter Marshall, this My Music special takes a nostalgic look back at the greatest "crooners" and "canaries" of the 1940s, featuring the incomparable vocalists of the period as they started their careers performing with orchestras and dance bands. The most popular singers from the era, among them Louis Armstrong, Perry Como and Doris Day, ultimately became stars in their own right.

My Music: Big Band Vocalists presents rare and vintage footage, from the 1940s and 1950s, of performances by an all-star lineup of legendary artists, including Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney (photo), Alice Faye, Dick Haymes, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Jo Stafford & the Pied Pipers and many more. The singers are backed by some of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of the World War II era led by Benny Goodman, Harry James, Bob Crosby, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Ray Noble and others.

 The program is produced by T.J. Lubinsky (photo below with Rick Busciglio).

Song List

"Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” — The Andrews Sisters with Harry James Orchestra
“I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” — Louis Armstrong
“Somebody Loves Me” — Tex Beneke
“Tampico” — June Christy with Stan Kenton Orchestra
“I’ll Dance at Your Wedding” — Buddy Clark with Ray Noble Orchestra
“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” — Rosemary Clooney
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” — Nat King Cole & Tony Martin
“I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” — Perry Como with Ted Weems Orchestra
“Big Noise from Winnetka” — Bob Crosby & Orchestra
“It’s Magic” — Doris Day
“Green Eyes” — Bob Eberle & Helen O’Connell with Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
"You’ll Never Know” — Alice Faye
“I Had the Craziest Dream” — Helen Forrest with Harry James Orchestra
“You Send Me” — Dick Haymes
“Why Don’t You Do Right” — Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman Orchestra
“Cow-Cow Boogie” — Ella Mae Morse with Freddie Slack Orchestra
“We Mustn’t Say Goodbye” — Lanny Ross with Freddy Martin Orchestra
“Blues in the Night” — Dinah Shore with Duke Ellington Orchestra
“Night & Day” — Frank Sinatra
“God Bless America” — Kate Smith
“It Started All Over Again” — Jo Stafford & the Pied Pipers with Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

T.J. Lubinsky and Rick Busciglio

Credits: 

NJN TV off-air photo

Review: Diana Krall Solo Concert disappointing

First, let me say that I've been a very enthusiastic fan of Diana Krall since the first time I saw the "Live in Paris" DVD. I've purchased all her CD's, watched her television appearances, and drove 350 miles to see her perform live at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont. 

Sunday, I drove only 40 miles to the world class New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey to see Diana in her new Solo Concert. Normally she works with a jazz trio, but at the Victoria theater it was simply Diana at the piano, plus an antique horn phonograph. The concert was originally scheduled for 7pm, but on arrival the audience was informed of a thirty minute delay to 7:30pm. Diana actually appeared on stage about 15 minutes later remarking that she had a 'zipper' issue.

From our vantage point in the second row right, Diana appeared either tired or bored. She did indicate that she was short of breath after opening with Peel Me A Grape and Did You Ever See A Dream Walking, remarking that she may need to get back to the treadmill. Consequently, Diana was not in the best voice for the rest of the 90 minute program.

The real disappointment was in the program selection. Very light on classics from the time tested Great American Songbook (It's Just A Garden In The Rain, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter, What'll I Do, and the Crosby novelty Don't Fence Me In)  and very heavy on a group of obscure tunes 'she found in her Dad's collection of 78's'...there is a reason why these songs never became classics...they are simply pleasant at best.

She did do a nice feature on Fats Waller including Your Feets Too Big. Diana also included a composition "Home" that she had composed with her husband Elvis Costello, it was also just pleasant. To close the program she moved to a stool and appeared very ill at ease strumming a ukulele that she clearly has not mastered.

The awkwardness of the evening maybe that we were actually viewing a dress rehearsal for the Solo Concert she will do over several days at the Montreal Jazz Festival later this month. A call to her publicist for comment or clarification went unanswered.

Back to the point about song selection, we were friends with Rosemary Clooney who had a very successful jazz career during the last half of her marvelous career. Rosie said that the best advice she had ever received was from Ella Fitzgerald..."sing only the great time tested songs....they make a good singer sound great."   

Tony Bennett, who was in the same theater complex on Sunday night, is quoted as follows; " I sing in Asia and I sing in Europe, and I start singing a Cole Porter song or a Gershwin (George Gershwin) song and the whole audience starts singing it with me. They are America's greatest ambassadors. We have created the greatest popular music that has ever been written and will not be topped because it's not dated. It doesn't sound old fashioned, it's not old. The corporations will say, 'That's old music'. It's not old music, it's great music and it comes out of the United States."  

Here Diana is singing a standard;

Rosemary Clooney one of the iconic singing stars of the 20th Century

Rosemary Clooney is one of the iconic singing stars of the 20th century. Rosie shines right up there with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland. Her early success at Columbia Records, under the direction of A&R chief Mitch Miller, however was with songs such as "Come On A My House" and "Mambo Italiano."

Sadly, many in my lecture audiences mention these very commercial pop recordings when I start to discuss Rosemary. She was so much more. My favorite comment: "Rosemary Clooney, an American musical treasure and one of the best friends a song ever had."

Many, forget that over her almost six decades of performing she did it all; vocalist with sister, Betty in Tony Pastor's band, Columbia recording star, movie star ("White Christmas" with her good friend, Bing Crosby), later in her career, jazz star for Concord Records, AND, what she was most proud of, mother of five (including my friend Monsita).

Listen to Rosemary Clooney sing the very beautiful "Tenderly." Many have recorded this now American Songbook standard, but Rosemary's version, to me, is so superior to the others.

Rosie meets Gershwin...Clooney sings "But Not For Me"

ROSEMARY CLOONEY

GETTY IMAGES

Related articles

Ira Gershwin-On the street where he lived Pt.1

George Clooney's

Rosemary Clooney...girl singer

Ira Gershwin-On the street where he lived Pt.2

Gershwin's Greatest Love Songs ?

Here from a Jazz Festival in Japan is Rosemary Clooney singing one of the great love songs of The Great American Songbook.  The song is "But Not For Me," from George and Ira Gershwin. Rosemary's home on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills  (now demolished) had been the last home of George Gershwin (circa 1937). Her next door neighbor was George's brother, and lyricist, Ira. One of her best CD's is the "Songs of Ira Gershwin."

Rosemary Clooney sings Gershwin's But Not For Me

ROSEMARY CLOONEY

GETTY IMAGES

Related articles

Ira Gershwin-On the street where he lived Pt.1

George Clooney's

Rosemary Clooney...girl singer

Ira Gershwin-On the street where he lived Pt.2

Gershwin's Greatest Love Songs ?

Here from a Jazz Festival in Japan is Rosemary Clooney singing one of the great love songs of The Great American Songbook.  The song is "But Not For Me," from George and Ira Gershwin. Rosemary's home on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills  (now demolished) had been the last home of George Gershwin (circa 1937). Her next door neighbor was George's brother, and lyricist, Ira. One of her best CD's is the "Songs of Ira Gershwin."

Rosemary Clooney...girl singer

ROSEMARY CLOONEY

Rosemary has become, and rightly so, one of the iconic singing stars of the 20th century. Rosie shines right up there with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland.

Her early success at Columbia Records, under the direction of A&R chief Mitch Miller, however was with songs such as "Come On A My House" and "Mambo Italiano."  Sadly, many in my lecture audiences mention these very commercial pop recordings when I start to discuss Rosemary.

She was so much more. My favorite comment: "Rosemary Clooney, an American musical treasure and one of the best friends a song ever had."

Many, forget that over her almost six decades of performing she did it all;  vocalist with sister, Betty in Tony Pastor's band, Columbia recording star, movie star ("White Christmas" with her good friend, Bing Crosby), later in her career,  jazz star for Concord Records, AND, what she was most proud of, mother of five (including my friend Monsita).

Listen to Rosemary Clooney sing the very beautiful "Tenderly." Many have recorded this now American Songbook standard, but Rosemary's version, to me, is so superior to the others.

Oh. yes...if you wish to purchase the CD click on MEMORY LANE.