Some late Big Band this weekend. A set by Harry James and his New Band, recorded at the Hollywood Palladium on November 27, 1959.
Even though the acknowledged Golden Age of Big Bands was long gone, there were glimmers that it was still around, still grabbing audiences and still occasionally cranking out records. Although the playing field had greatly thinned out by the 1950s, there were still bands and notable leaders making the rounds, mostly on the college dance circuit. These were bands which consisted primarily of “pick ups”, grabbing freelance musicians from local unions for one night stands. The notion of touring with an intact ensemble of permanent members was just not possible; the financial constraints of keeping a band like that together was out of the question.
Small, intimate club dates couldn’t happen because of the sheer size of a band and the sheer size of the club – so the Big Band was pretty much relegated to large gatherings, the above mentioned College dances, State Fairs and Ship Cruises, the Special attraction concerts at places like The Hollywood Palladium or some of the bigger hotels around the country.
The notable Band Leaders from the Golden Age were still the draw, particularly with the “nostalgia crowd” – and Harry James continued to maintain a high visibility, due largely to his Television appearances and his recorded output. He was one of the few who were still active and who drew instant recognition so he continued gigging, although sporadically, all the way up to his death in 1983.
Radio was still a big practitioner of The Big Band Era; still running programs and remotes from some of these gigs, such as this one. And Armed Forces Radio was holding on to Big Band as its go-to source Music for military bases and facilities around the world.
So, to get an idea of what later Big Band was like, here’s a sample from November 27, 1959 – Harry James as he held court at The Hollywood Palladium and re-broadcast by Armed Forces Radio.
Dancing is encouraged.
