Harry James

Frank Sinatra, Jr. is keeping the memory alive

The  DAILY MAIL REPORTER ran this short piece this week about Frank Sinatra Junior. "The voice wasn’t as rich and the eyes weren’t as blue, but there was no doubt about the name.

Frank Sinatra Jr has a real advantage over any toupee-wearing copycat in keeping his late father’s music alive – it’s in his blood. 

Performing at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Florida, the 68-year-old singer recreated his father’s old act down to the last detail. 

An outspoken critic of modern digital music, he crooned his way through classic hits from ‘Strangers in the Night’ to ‘I’ve Got the World on a String’ to Sinatra’s traditional encore closer ‘New York.’ 

His stories about Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. also rang true, because he actually lived them rather than picked them up in a dog-eared biography.  

Frank Jr is the only son of the legend who died in 1998 at age 82. The star also had two daughters, Nancy, now 72 , and Tina, 64."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2173400/Ol-Blue-eyes-Jr--Frank-Sinatra-keeps-fathers-memory-alive-crooning-classics-Florida-casino.html#ixzz21Y8DnpTt

GMO enjoyed touring Quebec

Here is a report from the GMO: Quebec Tour, April 24 - May 18, the GMO was based in the city of Montreal traveling out to performance venues throughout the province of Quebec. This provided a rare opportunity to live in one place while performing; it is almost like being a resident, returning to the same apartment, having a kitchen, becoming familiar with local restaurants, grocery stores and other amenities when living in a vibrant city. As with life anywhere there are challenges and Montreal is no different in this regard.

May 2nd, 2012 found the Glenn Miller Orchestra continuing the 2012 Quebec tour with a performance in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at the Grand Theatre de Quebec another magnificent concert venue. May 3, Salle Jean-Grimaldi in LaSalle; May 4, Theatre Hector-Charland, in L'Assomption.

May 5 and 6 the GMO left Montreal for Drummondville and La Baie, the distance to these venues being too great for round trip travel; May 5 at the Maison des Arts Desjardins in Drummondville a beautiful fine arts performance center; May 6 in the magnificent region of Quebec on La Baie (the Bay), in La Baie the performance was at Theatre du Palais Municipal La Baie. There is too much to explain about the activities in the theatre in La Baie, QC. There is a spectacular that has been running here every summer since 1988 that includes 250 local volunteer actors. The set for the show remains in place and there was as much stage behind us as there was audience in front.

The body of water known as La Baie is the only fjord on the East coast of North America.  La Baie; the Bay. This body of water has 90 feet of fresh water covering salt water at the bottom. In the winter this makes for great ice fishing as the bay freezes over with 2-4 feet of ice. Ice fishing brings in halibut, flounder, cod and other salt water fish as they fish deep into the salt water. There is aluminum produced here which is shipped all over the world; La Baie is also a cruise ship destination. We had dinner with the promoter and crew in La Baie, very nice.

Returning to Montreal there was Salle Rolland-Brunelle in Joliette on the 8th, Theatre du Vieux in Terrebonne on the 9th, Centre des Arts Juliette Lassonde in St-Hyacinthe on the 10th, Centre Culturel de Beloeil in Beloeil on the 11th, Maison de la Culture de Gatineain u Gatineau on the 12th, and Theatre des deux Rives in Jean sur Richelieu on the 13th. In the 30 days between coming off break in Patchogue, NY on April 14 to the concert on May 13th the GMO performed 25 concerts with four travel days and one day off making this a very busy period of the tour schedule.

On May 11th many of the GMO were delighted with a guided tour of the Montreal Jazz Festival museum by one of the co-founders of the annual event, Andre Menard. Informative and a lot of fun to have an insider view of the largest Jazz/Musical Festival in the world. www.montrealjazzfest.com

 Before leaving Quebec on May 17 there were 13 more concerts. The audiences throughout the Quebec tour were very astute to the music; they were universally warm and welcoming as well as very appreciative of the performances. We feel it was a very successful tour. We appreciate the audiences of Quebec.

Returning to the USA on May 18 the month was completed with concerts in Norway, MI; shows on consecutive days at Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, IL; two shows on the 26th in Franklin, TN; a matinee at Ole Miss on the 27th, and to finish the month concerts in Lucas and Hays, KS on the 30th and 31st.

If you have been following The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestraon Facebook you have seen the photos of all of the venues in Quebec and comments made by audience members. The Facebook page is kept up to date for you, the GMO fans, as we want to take you along with us everywhere we go. There 4193 fans on this page as of today. If you are not using Facebook, you can use the website www.glennmillerorchestra.com and this news letter to follow the GMO.  However if you are on Facebook and have not yet stopped by to "Like" the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra please come by.  We feel you will truly Like this page as the content is for you. 

YouTube clip "Oklahoma Medley" performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra from current Oklahoma tour. 

Andre Rieu's tribute to Frank Sinatra

Andre Rieu, renowned Dutch violinist, conductor and composer, and his orchestra did this tribute to Frank Sinatra with My Way on his Stradivarius violin at Radio City Music Hall – New York.

Glenn Miller on Broadway

Q. In a recent article about the great big band leader Glenn Miller it mentioned that he had worked in a show orchestra on Broadway. Do you know what show? When was it? Any big named stars?

A. In 1930, the hit musical of the Broadway season was George and Ira Gershwin's “Girl Crazy,” The production starrred Ethel Merman (her debut) and Ginger Rogers.

Ethel Merman became an overnight sensation when she stopped the show with "I Got Rhythm." George Gershwin, supposedly visited her the day after the opening to congratulate her and to advise her to "never take another singing lesson...don't let anyone change you... just keep doing what you are doing!"

To fans of the big bands, the orchestra for the 1930 show is of great interest. The band in the pit for the original Broadway production was known for its richness of talents an included: Red Nichols, Jack Teagarden, Gene Krupa and Glenn Miller!  All future big band leaders!

Glenn Miller, working as a music contractor, put the group together, including his roommate from the Ben Pollack band days in California....Benny Goodman.