I'd love to see the Harlem Hell Cats, too! I remember reading someplace that after their band played, a French general asked, "Are they playing the same instruments as our men?"
And because it's Leonard Bernstein's birthday today, I gotta say there were a few wonderful Jewish composers and conductors, including Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Mahler, and Aaron Copland. That said, it's strange there haven't been more, given the number of great Jewish musicians.
I'm guessing you've read it, but Mezz Mezzrow's autobiography is a lot of fun -- another Jewish guy who was an early jazzman. And thanks for this series -- I've really been enjoying reading each entry.
I would love to see that movie. "Harlem Hell-Cats"? The title is perfect.
I've always liked Benny Goodman's appearances in Busby Berkeley movies, in particular the trippy "The Gang's All Here," with Carmen Miranda. That movie is a doozy.
I'd love to see the Harlem Hell Cats, too! I remember reading someplace that after their band played, a French general asked, "Are they playing the same instruments as our men?"
And because it's Leonard Bernstein's birthday today, I gotta say there were a few wonderful Jewish composers and conductors, including Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Mahler, and Aaron Copland. That said, it's strange there haven't been more, given the number of great Jewish musicians.
I'm guessing you've read it, but Mezz Mezzrow's autobiography is a lot of fun -- another Jewish guy who was an early jazzman. And thanks for this series -- I've really been enjoying reading each entry.
I would love to see that movie. "Harlem Hell-Cats"? The title is perfect.
I've always liked Benny Goodman's appearances in Busby Berkeley movies, in particular the trippy "The Gang's All Here," with Carmen Miranda. That movie is a doozy.