boyd raeburn orchestra

[alocispepraluger102]

i hear he had a pretty hip band in the 40's but i dont have any of his music.

i remember wilis conover played a great deal of his music.

any recommendations?

Edited August 10, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[B. Clugston]

I was just reading about him a couple of weeks ago. Sounds like it was an intriguing band.

[mikeweil]

There's a Denon/Savoy CD called "Jewells" ('cause the tracks were originally recorded for the Jewell label).

Terrific sound for mid-1940's and a representative selection.

[ghost of miles]

Yes, that 2-LP Savoy (came out nearly intact on a single CD in the mid-1990s that now appears to be OOP--some of it's been reissued again on Boyd Meets Stravinsky), but if I were you I'd also track down the Heps--Jubilee Broadcasts 1946 and the other two titles listed along with it at Hep Records. Warning: buying Hep CDs can become strongly addictive.

[Chuck Nessa]

Get what you can and try to find recordings by the Earl Spencer band.

[brownie]

Another recommendation for those Hep CDs of the Raeburn band!

[jazzwestcoast]

Here's Harry Babasin playing in the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra in 1946 -

They did an arrangement of Over The Rainbow that you wouldn't believe!

[JSngry]

Get what you can and try to find recordings by the Earl Spencer band.

Is this a joke, or is this a really obscure outfit?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

a famous musican friend of mine who should not be named as of now pertaining to this, has told me time and again a story about how he had this woman singer in his band, and the gig every week a lot of the guys in the band would go down to the beach to chill and get wasted, etc- and finally after bugging my friend the band leader week after week to 'not be a square' and attend with them, he finally decided to go, when he got there, the whole band were lining up taking turns having sex on the beach with the singer and she was taking them all on like a champ- my friend could hardly believe it she seemed to nice and conservative in rehersals-- she later went on to marry Boyd Raeburn, but i can't remember her name, Betty or Jenny or Jeanie, i cant remember now

[Eloe Omoe]

Get what you can and try to find recordings by the Earl Spencer band.

Is this a joke, or is this a really obscure outfit?

The Complete Black & White Recordings 1946-1949 - 2 Cds

Earle Spencer and his New Band Sensation of the Year 1946

Featuring: Performances at Casino Gardens with Earle Spencer, Al Killian, Paul Lopez, Les Robinson, Jack Marshall, Tommy Todd, Red Callender, Jackie Mills, Ralph Lee, Tony Rizzi, Art Pepper, Herb Geller, Roy Hall among others

Fresh Sound CD 2501, 2CD)

Earle Spencer, The Pioneer of Modern Big Band

Earl Spencer’s ambition was to be a progressive bandleader and a top-flight arranger-composer of an orchestra capable of playing his advanced ideas.

When the first Black & White record by the new Earle Spencer orchestra came out the band was already a sensation in Los Angeles.

Now the complete Black & White recordings 1946-1949 are available for the first time on CD. An historical moment for any Big Band Jazz fan.

Tracklisting:

Cd-1: Black & White Studio Recordings 1946-1949

Orchestra Featuring Al Killian, Paul Lopez, Les Robinson, Jack Marshall, Tommy Todd, Red Callender, Jackie Mills, Ralph Lee, Tony Rizzi, Art Pepper, Herb Geller, Roy Hall Among Others.

1. Bolero In Boogie

2. Concerto For Guitar

3. Production On Melody

4. Soft And Warm

5. Earle Meets Stan

6. E.S. Boogie, Part I

7. E.S. Boogie, Part Ii

8. Rhapsody In Boogie, Part I

9. Rhapsody In Boogie, Part Ii

10. Amber Moon

11. Spencerian Theory, Part I

12. Spencerian Theory, Part Ii

13. Five Guitars In Flight

14. Gangbusters

15. Piano Interlude

16. Oh! You Beautiful Doll

17. Sunday Afternoon

18. Box Lunch

19. Jazzboo

Cd-2: Plus Live Performances At Casino Gardens 1946

Orchestra Probably Featuring Al Killian, Paul López, Bob Fowler, Clair Jones, Ray Sims, Ollie Wilson, Ronny Lang, Steve Perlow, Doris Carl, Bob Clarke Among Others.

Live At The Casino Gardens Ballroom, Ocean Park, November 1946

1. Theme

2. Spenceria

3. I May Be Wrong

4. Hey! Mr Postman

5. In The Hall Of Mountain King

6. The Flying Saucer

7. Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop

8. Bolero In Boogie

9. Progressions In Boogie (E.S. Boogy, Part Ii)

10. Theme

Recorded At Us Services Hospital In California, November 1946

11. E.S. Boogy, Part Ii

Probably Recorded At Casino Gardens, November 1946

12. E.S. Boogy, Part I

[JSngry]

Ok, it's Earle Spencer. "Earl Spencer" was getting me nothing but a bun of Pricesss Di stuff...

Thanks!

[Big Beat Steve]

Another Thumbs Up for anyting recorded by the Boyd Raeburn band, especially the HEP reissues featuring his airshots and transcriptions plus the Savoy/Denon reissue!

Other Raeburn material from various sources was reissued on the following LP's:

"Hep Boyds" (Golden Era LP-15014)

"1944-46" (First Time Records FTR-1515, maybe also pressed as OTY (Onward To Yesterday) 1515)

"More 1944-45" (Circle CLP-113; these are Lang-Worth transacriptions, there were other reissues on Circle which I haven't heard)

"Experiments in Big Band Jazz" (Musicraft MVS 505)

Not too many duplications with the HEP vinyl reissues but I am not sure about the HEP CD's which probably include additional material not included on the HEP LP's.

Any YES - the Earle Spencer band of the mid-40s is VERY MUCH worth a listen and certainly no joke.

I have the material included on the Fresh Sound CD set mentioned above on two LP's issued years ago on IAJRC 41 and First Heard 16. Great stuff!

In the same vein, I suggest anybody interested in bands like Raeburn's also check out the Tom Talbert Orchestra. Try to get hold of his "1946-1949" CD on Sea Breeze SB-2069. Amazing!

Finally, a word of caution about those who explore Boyd Raeburn for the first time.

In the mid-50s he did a few oddities for the Columbia label that were .... well ... just odd: A big band finding itself out of its traditional audience trying to cash in on the teen market instead. Their LP's carried titles like "Teen Rock" and "Fraternity Rush". Need I say more? "Teen Rock" is wort the price of admission for its great period-like cover photo; the music is OK though tame by jazz AND R'n'R standards. Picture it as big bands trying the impossible; making big band music palatable both to mid-50s adults and to youngsters raised on rock'n'roll. (Alan Freed did a far more convincing job with his star-studded bands at tha time) At any rate, it's not really comparable with the progressive 40s Raeburn sound.

Edited August 11, 2007 by Big Beat Steve

[Eloe Omoe]

In the same vein, I suggest anybody interested in bands like Raeburn's also check out the Tom Talbert Orchestra. Try to get hold of his "1946-1949" CD on Sea Breeze SB-2069. Amazing!

I definitely agree. That's a great record!

[Stereojack]

Finally, a word of caution about those who explore Boyd Raeburn for the first time.

In the mid-50s he did a few oddities for the Columbia label that were .... well ... just odd: A big band finding itself out of its traditional audience trying to cash in on the teen market instead. Their LP's carried titles like "Teen Rock" and "Fraternity Rush". Need I say more? "Teen Rock" is wort th price of admission for its great period-like cover photo and the music is OK. Picture it as big bands trying the impossible; making big band music palatable both to adults and to youngsters raised on rock'n'roll. (Alan Freed did a far more convincing job with his star-studded bands at tha time) At any rate, it's not really comparable with the progressive 40s Raeburn sound.

I agree about the Columbia LP's - they are lightweight, and not in the same league as the great 40's stuff. However, Coleman Hawkins (uncredited) sits in on a couple of tracks of "Fraternity Rush", which makes it a must-have for Hawkins fans like me.

[Big Beat Steve]

Well, it's the other one - "Teen Rock" - that I have.

Any big-league jazzmen uncredited on that one?

Speaking of "Fratenity Rush": I wonder if the tune "Creole" on that one is the same title that was also recorded by the George Williams Orchestra (on the "The Fox i Hi-FI" album on Brunswick) around the same time for the same target audience?

[JSngry]

In the same vein, I suggest anybody interested in bands like Raeburn's also check out the Tom Talbert Orchestra. Try to get hold of his "1946-1949" CD on Sea Breeze SB-2069. Amazing!

I definitely agree. That's a great record!

Who's the vocalist on "April In Paris"?

[mikeweil]

I second (or third or whatever) the recommendation of those HEP and Circle issues - I have a lot of them on LP. There are multiple takes of several tracks, but all are good.

That Earle Spencer band is a nice recommendation, Chuck!

Edited August 11, 2007 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

she later went on to marry Boyd Raeburn, but i can't remember her name, Betty or Jenny or Jeanie, i cant remember now

Ginnie Powell?

[Eloe Omoe]

Who's the vocalist on "April In Paris"?

Jean Louise, IIRC. Wait 'til I find the CD in this mess...

[Larry Kart]

In the same vein, I suggest anybody interested in bands like Raeburn's also check out the Tom Talbert Orchestra. Try to get hold of his "1946-1949" CD on Sea Breeze SB-2069. Amazing!

I definitely agree. That's a great record!

Who's the vocalist on "April In Paris"?

One Jean Louise. Talbert: "Jean Louise was so great; she had perfect pitch. You could write any kind of intro you wanted. I think she was married to the piano player Frank Patchen [later of the Lighthouse All-Stars]. She played piano as well and was working as single when I came back to LA in the 1970s."

Quote from Bruce Talbot's fascinating bio "Tom Talbert: His Life and Times" (Scarecrow), which I picked up as a remainder a few years ago. I recommend every Talbert album, especially his 1956 Atlantic classic "Bix Duke Fats." The bio BTW comes with a CD of previously unreissued Talbert tracks.

[alocispepraluger102]

Well, it's the other one - "Teen Rock" - that I have.

Any big-league jazzmen uncredited on that one?

Speaking of "Fratenity Rush": I wonder if the tune "Creole" on that one is the same title that was also recorded by the George Williams Orchestra (on the "The Fox i Hi-FI" album on Brunswick) around the same time for the same target audience?

george williams, who did all the slick gleason string arrangements?

[JSngry]

In the same vein, I suggest anybody interested in bands like Raeburn's also check out the Tom Talbert Orchestra. Try to get hold of his "1946-1949" CD on Sea Breeze SB-2069. Amazing!

I definitely agree. That's a great record!

Who's the vocalist on "April In Paris"?

One Jean Louise. Talbert: "Jean Louise was so great; she had perfect pitch. You could write any kind of intro you wanted. I think she was married to the piano player Frank Patchen [later of the Lighthouse All-Stars]. She played piano as well and was working as single when I came back to LA in the 1970s."

Quote from Bruce Talbot's fascinating bio "Tom Talbert: His Life and Times" (Scarecrow), which I picked up as a remainder a few years ago. I recommend every Talbert album, especially his 1956 Atlantic classic "Bix Duke Fats." The bio BTW comes with a CD of previously unreissued Talbert tracks.

I heard a soundsample of that cut from someplace & it was her singing the bridge, but even more impressive to me than her pitch was her phrasing. Long flowing lines uninterrupted by anything superfulous, not unlike the best Sinatra. There's a sensuality in those long lines, a sense of uninterrupted "outpouring" that stirs something in me...

I guess, though, that if you don't gotta worry about pitch, you can focus more on phrasing and such. One less thing to worry about.

Must be nice!

[Stereojack]

Well, it's the other one - "Teen Rock" - that I have.

Any big-league jazzmen uncredited on that one?

Speaking of "Fratenity Rush": I wonder if the tune "Creole" on that one is the same title that was also recorded by the George Williams Orchestra (on the "The Fox i Hi-FI" album on Brunswick) around the same time for the same target audience?

Hawkins plays on "The Solid, Solid South" on "Teen Rock", and on "A Little Bit Square But Nice", "If I Could Be With You", & "Summertime" on "Fraternity Rush". He may not solo on all of them. All these tracks were recorded at the same 7/19/56 session.

"Creole" is credited to G. Williams on the Raeburn album, so I guess they must be the same tune.

[Chuck Nessa]

Ok, it's Earle Spencer. "Earl Spencer" was getting me nothing but a bun of Pricesss Di stuff...

Thanks!

You shudda known it without the friggin' "e". Fascinating era. There is a fine IAJRC lp of the commercially issued sides.

[brownie]

There is a fine IAJRC lp of the commercially issued sides.

... and our friends at Freshsound also released a double CD (Black and White sessions on disc 1 and live performances on disc 2) of Earle Spencer 'Sensation of the Year 1946

Note:

apologies to Eloe Omoe and Big Beat Steve for having missed their earlier mentions of this Earle Spencer 2CD.

Also Jordi Pujol's carefully documented 's liner notes correct previous discographies of the band that mention Lucky Thompson participation in some of these sides.

Lucky was not on those!

Edited August 12, 2007 by brownie