Scouring the web in search of something unrelated, I came across a clip from a 1967 Ed Sullivan show that brought to mind—as if a reminder were needed—Harry James’s 
stunning musicianship. The trumpeter teamed up with Nancy Ames in a performance of one of Ethel Merman’s signature songs from Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. A couple of his licks in the piece emphasize James’s ability as a blues player, an attribute often ignored by critics who downgraded him for his sugary playing in hits like “Sleepy Lagoon.” On the Sullivan broadcast, he showed his jazz side.
Ames seemed omnipresent on television for a few years. She came to fame on a program
called Hootnenanny, something of a sensation in the early 1960s. She also sang the introductory news summary on the US version of the satirical This Was The Week That Was. Ames was typecast as a folk singer, but her stylistic range was wide. Part of her appeal came from relaxation and naturalness reminiscent of Peggy Lee. When bossa nova was still making modest waves in popular music, Nancy Ames showed that she had a nice touch with Brazilian songs. Her duet on “So Nice” (“Summer Samba”) with Andy Williams in a 1967 episode of his television show is an example. YouTube doesn’t allow us to embed the clip. To see it, click here.
As for Harry James’s blues authenticity, he established it convincingly on record in 1938 when he was a 22-year-old making his name as a sideman with Benny Goodman. He validated his credentials on two sides of a 78 with the boogie woogie piano giants Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons, drummer Eddie Dougherty and bassist Johnny Williams. Here are both takes, “Boo Woo” and “Woo Woo.” Video of the original 78s is presented on YouTube by Emile Dumur, who takes pains to show you the labels with personnel listings before he plays the records.
Less than a year later, in January, 1939, James left Goodman to form his own band. A string of hits lay ahead of him.
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Harry always had plenty of blues material in his big bands. Think of all the Ernie
Wilkins arrangements. Thanks for this-very nice.
If I’m not mistaken, the trumpet-player who made the music in Young Man With a Horn, while Kirk Douglas portrayed Bix, was indeed Harry James, who along with Hoagy Carmichael made some very tasty sounds in that great 1950′s classic.
The character wasn’t called Bix. He was Beiderbecke fictionalized; director Michael Curtiz took abundant liberties with the Bix story. Mr. Harris is correct about Harry James, as we hear in a clip that pretty much gives away the movie. Sorry about that, but the film is still well worth seeing.
SOLID!!!!
I’ve loved Harry’s playing since my teens in the 1940s, Doug. I got to meet and interview him in the early 1980s when he brought his big band to D.C.’s Shoreham Hotel for a dance gig. I used the interview in my first book The Jazz Scene. HJ was a GREAT jazz trumpet player!