Any Artie Shaw fans?

[Larry Kart]

FWIW, I prefer Shaw to Goodman, but why do I have to choose? They're very different, and B.G. did a lot of marvelous things, both as a player and a bandleader. Defranco vs. Scott, though -- yes, Buddy has his licks (though less so than some have thought), but Scott often strikes me as a histrionic twiddler.

[Christiern]

Larry, I also prefer Shaw's playing, much as I like Goodman's approach.

BTW, Years ago, when I was a member of the NY Jazz Museum board, I recall a meeting at which we discovered that founder Howard Fisher had misused a grant from Seagram. It was earmarked for musicians' fees to keep the Sunday afternoon concerts going, but Howard had spent it elsewhere, his contention being that "musicians will play for nothing, anyway." When Howard said that, Artie exploded and gave him a lecture that I am sure he still remembers. He explained how he, Artie, was one of relatively few musicians who had made a beyond decent living by playing jazz--he really stood up for his fellow musicians, and I respect him for that.

[mmilovan]

Chris, I would like to agree with you!

And, here is the key: Artie probably was "better" than Goodman because his playing was closer to swing than Goodman's (although I, yes, I like Goodman very much, also). Goodman was more like clarinetists of previous generation.

Speaking of Artie's tone it was perect, as well as intonation. He can play all those fast passages in high register couple years ago before bop, with spontanity and very clever minded. And he always have so many to tell while he played.

Well, here is question for all Shaw fans: what happened to him after he quit his band? I have no reference, nor books about him, so - what was his story?

P.S. During his 1940's years he composed so many compositions for his big band and small group (at least he is marked for credits in these tunes). It is interesting fact also.

Edited March 5, 2004 by mmilovan

[brownie]

Well, here is question for all Shaw fans: what happened to him after he quit his band? I have no reference, nor books about him, so - what was his story?

My standard reference book (The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz) says:

'He (Shaw) assembled his last Gramercy Five in October 1953 and after recording with the group in February and March 1954 he went into retirement. In 1983 however, he was persuaded to reorganize his band, which he has continued to conduct occasionally: it mainly performs under the leadership of Dick Johnson, who also plays clarinet.'

[Christiern]

This will tell you what Grove won't

In 1954 Artie Shaw made his last public appearance as an instrumentalist when he put together a new Gramercy 5 made up of such superb modern musicians as pianist Hank Jones, guitarist Tal Farlow, bassist Tommy Potter, et al. The most comprehensive sampling of that group (as well as a number of others, going all the way back to 1936 and on up through this final set of records) can be heard on a four record album, now a rare item, released in 1984 by Book of the Month Records, entitled: Artie Shaw: A Legacy, which has also received rave reviews. Some of this music was re-issued on two double CD's by MusicMasters as Artie Shaw: The Last Recordings, Rare and Unreleased, and Artie Shaw: More Last Recordings, The Final Sessions.

Artie Shaw packed his clarinet away once and for all in 1954. In 1955 he left the United States and built a spectacular house on the brow of a mountain on the coast of Northeast Spain, where he lived for five years. On his return to America in 1960 he settled in a small town named Lakeville, in northwestern Connecticut, where he continued his writing, and in 1964 finished a second book (consisting of three novellas) entitled I Love You, I Hate You, Drop Dead! In 1973, he moved back to California again, finally ending up in 1978 in Newbury Park, a small town about 40 miles west of Los Angeles, situated in what he refers to as "Southern California pickup-truck country."

Since then, aside from a brief venture into film distribution (1954 to 1956), and a number of appearances on television and radio talk shows, Artie Shaw has had very little to do with music or show business. He still gives occasional interviews on television, radio, and newspapers and lectures all over the United States. He still conducts seminars on literature, art, and the evolution of what is now known as the Big Band Era. He has given lectures at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of California at Santa Barbara, the California State University at Northridge, and Memphis State University. He has received Honorary Doctorates at California Lutheran University and the University of Arizona. His home contains a library of more than 15,000 volumes, including a large collection of reference works on a wide variety of subjects ranging from Anthropology to Zen.

Artie Shaw has been a nationally ranked precision marksman, an expert fly-fisherman, and for the past two decades has been working on the first volume of a fictional trilogy, dealing with the life of a young jazz musician of the 1920's and 30's whose story he hopes to take on up into the 1960's.

Shaw's own life is the subject of a fine feature-length documentary by a Canadian film-maker. Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got is a painstakingly thorough examination of Shaw as he is today and as the leader of some of his great bands, including an appearance from one of his two earlier motion pictures, Second Chorus (1940). (Scenes from his other motion picture, Dancing Coed (1939), were not included in the documentary due to prohibitive cost.) In a review of the film at Los Angeles's Filmex Film Festival in the summer of 1985, Variety commented: "A riveting look back at both the big band era and one of its burning lights." The film has received glowing reviews wherever it has been shown -- Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Minneapolis, Toronto, Boston, and on Cinemax -- as well as in England, where it ran twice on BBC. It has also appeared at Film Festivals in Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, and Spain (where it took first prize in the documentary category). In 1986 it opened the San Francisco Film Festival, and in 1987 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded it the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature of 1986.

On first meeting Artie Shaw, young Wynton Marsalis remarked, "This man's got some history." Shaw is regarded by many as the finest and most innovative of all jazz clarinetists, a leader of several of the greatest musical aggregations ever assembled, and one of the most adventurous and accomplished figures in American music.

As Artie Shaw goes on into his nineties, he has also developed a crusty humor, as evidenced by an epitaph for himself he wrote for Who's Who in America a few years ago at the request of the editors: "He did the best he could with the material at hand." However, at a recent lecture to the music students of the University of Southern California, when someone mentioned having read it, Shaw said, "Yeah, but I've been thinking it over and I've decided it ought to be shorter, to make it more elegant." And after a brief pause, "I've cut it down to two words: 'Go away.'"

[BERIGAN]

This is a very good Documentary on Artie Shaw from the mid 80's.... out of print of course(At least it was last year)

http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:123757

Also, Richard Sudhalter did an interesting interview(They didn't seem to get along too well though) with Artie in his Book Lost Cords.

[brownie]

Christiern, if your latest Artie Shaw contribution was from a reference book, please give me the details where I can find it. I'll skip the Grove

[MartyJazz]

There is an excellent biodiscography on Shaw written by Vladimir Simosko.

Information about the book can be obtained here:

http://www.scarecrowpress.com/Catalog/Sing...data=0810833972

[Christiern]

Christiern, if your latest Artie Shaw contribution was from a reference book, please give me the details where I can find it. I'll skip the Grove 

I don' know if it is from a book, but this is where I found it.

[brownie]

Thanks Christiern. I remember a very long and detailed interview of Shaw that appeared several years ago in Goldmine magazine. Will try to dig up a copy of this.

[Tjazz]

Shaw played like an angel, but that documentary film about him that came out in the mid-1980s I think made quite clear what I'd long suspected -- that Shaw is one of the all-time narcissistic jerks. This came through all the more vividly because the approach of the filmmakers was total adulation; without intending to do so, they gave Artie all the rope he needed to hang himself. That a man like that could make the music he did -- go figure.

I saw the film. Shaw was in the audience too and took questions.

Does anyone know if it's available on DVD or VHS?

[mmilovan]

Probably I can guess that most of the people will like Artie and his last small band - yes, with Hank and Tall, nothing can be wrong.

But, in some historic perspective, that early Gramercy Five with Johnny Guarnieri on celesta, Al Hendrickson on electric guitar, Artie himself on clarinet, Billy Butterfield (as far as I remember it, if I am not wrong) on trumpet, supported with perfect string bass and drums (I can not recall who they were, don't remember the names, but bassist was awesome one) - was even greater! They all were so clean and they swung so hard.

And it is always gem to hear Guarnieri playing that slow blues on celeste!

Did that Gramercy ever recorded in public, live or via broadcasts?

[FrancoisD]

But, in some historic perspective, that early Gramercy Five with Johnny Guarnieri on celesta, Al Hendrickson on electric guitar, Artie himself on clarinet, Billy Butterfield (as far as I remember it, if I am not wrong) on trumpet, supported with perfect string bass and drums (I can not recall who they were, don't remember the names, but bassist was awesome one) - was even greater! They all were so clean and they swung so hard.

And it is always gem to hear Guarnieri playing that slow blues on celeste!

Did that Gramercy ever recorded in public, live or via broadcasts?

Bassist was Jud DeNaut, drummer was Nick Fatool.

The only non-studio tracks by that edition of the Gramercy 5 I have been able to locate are :

Billy Butterfield (tp), Artie Shaw (cl), Johnny Guarnieri (harpsichord), Al Hendrickson (g), Jud DeNaut (bass), Nick Fatool (d).

Hollywood Palladium January 22, 1941

Dr Livingstone I Presume Hep 19 (LP), Hep CD-19

Hep CD-19 and CD 55 contain a fascinating documentation of what the Shaw 1940-41 band was playing on the Burns and Allen Show in 1940 (most of this material had never been previously listed in standard discographies) and at the Hollywood Palladium and Atlantic City's Marine Pier Ballroom in Sept. 1941.

The second non-studio Gramercy 5 is from an unknown location :

Same personnel as above.

Listed in Vladimir Simosko's discography as "c. September 1940-March 1941"

No Name Blues ASG5 ("Artie Shaw Club issue")

Edited March 7, 2004 by FrancoisD

[mmilovan]

Speaking of Shaw, how many of you people are excited (today and now) hearing “Special Delivery Stomp” – classic Gramercy 5 number?

From the time I’ve first heard it, this number is one of a kind to me; the way band shines through last two choruses is just marvelous.

Band members showed perfect sense for building climax, and contrast between Guarnieri (celesta) and Al Hendrickson (el. amplified guitar) is so unique (old time instrument gathered together with most recent one)...

Edited January 18, 2005 by mmilovan

[Swinging Swede]

That is indeed a great recording; one of my favourites too.

One note though: Guarnieri plays harpsichord.

[mmilovan]

Just found this 10 minute film:

http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...mphony-of-swing

Awesome!!!

[BFrank]

Just realized that "Portrait" is OOP. I remember hearing so many good things about it when it came out a few years back. I thought I found a copy (on sale, too!) on SonyMusic.com, but since the order has been "in progress" for a couple of weeks, I'm thinking they won't be able to ship.

[Kalo]

Just realized that "Portrait" is OOP. I remember hearing so many good things about it when it came out a few years back. I thought I found a copy (on sale, too!) on SonyMusic.com, but since the order has been "in progress" for a couple of weeks, I'm thinking they won't be able to ship.

If you're referring to the 5-disc "Self Portrait" box, the latest True Blue catalog lists it at a painful $79.98. I bet Amazon would have some available used or new if it's OOP.

I scored a copy during the Tower records meltdown, after lusting after it for years, but haven't gotten around to listening to it more than once.

[BFrank]

Yeah. "Self Portrait". That's the one.

I just checked Amazon and they DO have it listed ... for $49.98. Good price. I'm sure I checked them before and it wasn't there, but maybe my mind is on vacation.

[BFrank]

"Self Portrait" arrived yesterday from SonyMusicStore.com. I think they still have it in stock for $39.98. Great price - especially if it's OOP or nearly OOP.

I listened to the first disk and was very impressed.

[mmilovan]

"Self Portrait" arrived yesterday from SonyMusicStore.com. I think they still have it in stock for $39.98. Great price - especially if it's OOP or nearly OOP.

I listened to the first disk and was very impressed.

I don't know what exactly is on those discs, but I've heard that Doug Pomeroy recently did some transfer form metal matrices - and that the sound of those transfers is unbelievable...

[BFrank]

"Self Portrait" is a collection of tunes that Artie himself assembled a few years ago (before he passed away ... obviously). Not necessarily hits, but interesting and unusual stuff that he thought was his best work over the years.

[neveronfriday]

Speaking of Shaw, how many of you people are excited (today and now) hearing “Special Delivery Stomp” – classic Gramercy 5 number?

[Old thread, but ... with recent activity. , so ... ]

That's exactly the number that got me hooked. It was on an early Shaw compilation from 1988 (really crappy-sounding CD from the UK, "Diamond Series. Artie Shaw: 16 Top Tracks") and if it had had grooves, the CD would have been completely worn out in the "Special Delivery Stomp spot" (track 1) today.

I have the Self-Portrait box, a cheapo 10-CD box (Membran) and the three "Jazz Tribune" (14, 37 and 67) twofers. There's quite a bit of duplication between these, but when I bought them, all of them were dirt-cheap.

I'd love to buy and hear any spectacular remaster of his material.

[king ubu]

Ok, so I have that cheapo 10CD box of Shaw's, which covers - with very few exceptions - the whole run of Shaw's studio sessions up to mid 1945 (many sessions done that year). Where to go for the remaining parts? Too bad the box doesn't leave out some of the older strings tracks and continues further into the 40s!

Anyway, Classics have two volumes, 1945 and 1945-46, but both are OOP.

Amazon lists an expensive 3CD set:

http://www.amazon.com/1944-1945-Artie-Shaw...2851&sr=1-1

What's this one? A collection of V-discs / broadcasts, or a set with studio material?

And is there any way to get the small group session with Tal Farlow and Hank Jones?

[king ubu]

This is the 10CD set in question:

http://www.membran.net/Serien/Wallet_Box-S...guine_2943.html

As usual with that series, it comes with just track listings, no other information.

(btw: The Lionel Hampton is decidedly NOT to get - it contains only 30-35 minutes of music per disc, rather ridiculous!)