Big Band Idols —
alluring draw in Weymouth
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© 2015 — Kenneth Lelen — Al Rights Reserved
alluring draw in Weymouth
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© 2015 — Kenneth Lelen — Al Rights Reserved
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All photos: Sheethal Surendran
Ken Lelen at Whipple Senior Center, April 24, 2015
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Jointly sponsored by Weymouth Elder Services and Weymouth Cultural Council, the event was held in the gym of a former elementary school and managed by Chris Quinn, volunteer coordinator at the senior center.
Quinn was assisted by several people who set up tables and chairs, handled event reservations, tickets and reserved seating. In addition, they provided personal escorts for the disabled, event photography, refreshments and clean up.
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| Chris Quinn handled intros at concert |
Quinn was volunteered into directing the Weymouth concert at the last minute due to the unanticipated retirement of Susan Barnes, the senior center's director. As a result, Quinn was thrust into the multi-faceted role of managing the logistics of a mid-day event for an audience of 125 elderly people, a 60-minute concert by an unknown musician, and a boisterous post-concert social hour complete with cake, ice cream and coffee.
Back-in-the-day sound
For an authentic
back-in-the-day sound, Lelen sang hits from the Big Band period and performed each song with an acoustic guitar made in the
same era.
The songs the musician played were hits during the 1930s and 1940s for Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Helen Forest, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and other vocalists. Back in the day these singers fronted Big Bands, jazz combos and society orchestras for Les Brown, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ted Weems, Count Basie, Paul Whiteman and other band leaders.
The songs the musician played were hits during the 1930s and 1940s for Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Helen Forest, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and other vocalists. Back in the day these singers fronted Big Bands, jazz combos and society orchestras for Les Brown, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ted Weems, Count Basie, Paul Whiteman and other band leaders.
Lelen outlined a bit of the history and
romance of the Big Band era. Many of the tunes he sang were introduced with an amusing story of the big-hit singers, pop tunes, composers or band leaders of the era.
Many times the source of these stories are the people (like the woman in the photo below) who attend a Vintage Music Concert. Frequently, they will recount a story from "back in the day" — a personal memory of an event, Lelen said.
The stories, events and personal reminiscences are then combined with information Lelen gathers from various musical texts he has studied. He also visits many websites that offer videos of Cab Calloway, Slam Stewart, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Mildred Bailey and others on YouTube. Then, he fact-checks his musical tidbits at Wikipedia.
Big Band Idols concert
offered favorite songs
Sentimental Journey — Written in 1944 by Les Brown and Ben Homes with Bud Green (lyrics), this song was recorded by Dinah Shore and Les Brown’s Band of Renown. A #1 single from May to July, 1945, just as World War II ended in Europe, the record was a favorite of many homecoming veterans.
Heartaches — This song was composed in 1931 by John Klenner (lyrics) and Al Hoffman (music). It was recorded by the Ted Weems Orchestra, with whistler Elmo Tanner, in 1933, but never charted. In 1942 Weems disbanded his group and, like many musicians in the era, went off to the war.
One night in 1947 a Charlotte NC disc jockey re-discovered Weems' version of "Heartaches" and played it again and again. People requested the song on the radio and it grew popular enough that RCA Victor Records re-issued the Weems recording. His record ultimately reached #1 in February, 1947 and spent 16 weeks on Billboard’s best seller chart.
Many times the source of these stories are the people (like the woman in the photo below) who attend a Vintage Music Concert. Frequently, they will recount a story from "back in the day" — a personal memory of an event, Lelen said.
Big Band Idols concert
offered favorite songs
Sentimental Journey — Written in 1944 by Les Brown and Ben Homes with Bud Green (lyrics), this song was recorded by Dinah Shore and Les Brown’s Band of Renown. A #1 single from May to July, 1945, just as World War II ended in Europe, the record was a favorite of many homecoming veterans.
Heartaches — This song was composed in 1931 by John Klenner (lyrics) and Al Hoffman (music). It was recorded by the Ted Weems Orchestra, with whistler Elmo Tanner, in 1933, but never charted. In 1942 Weems disbanded his group and, like many musicians in the era, went off to the war.
One night in 1947 a Charlotte NC disc jockey re-discovered Weems' version of "Heartaches" and played it again and again. People requested the song on the radio and it grew popular enough that RCA Victor Records re-issued the Weems recording. His record ultimately reached #1 in February, 1947 and spent 16 weeks on Billboard’s best seller chart.
Why Don’t You Do Right? Written by Joe McCoy, this song was recorded by
the Harlem Hamfats in 1936 as “Weed Smoker’s Dream.” Re-written and re-titled
“Why Don’t You Do Right?” by McCoy, it grew into a woman’s blues tune as
recorded by Lil Green (second wife of Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong) in 1941.
In July, 1942 vocalist Peggy Lee convinced bandleader Benny Goodman to record the song. Their version sold more than one million copies and brought the Nebraska native to national notice at the tender age of 22.
I’ll Be Seeing You — Written in 1938 by Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics), this song was part of Right This Way, a Broadway musical that closed after 15 performances.
In the 1940s this wistful song was recorded extensively. The more popular it became, the more it was recorded. It was covered by Frank Sinatra, Connee Boswell, “The Incomparable Hildegarde,” and Billie Holiday, among others. Bing Crosby’s July, 1944 rendition was probably the biggest hit of the Big Band era.
“I’ll Be Seeing You” had its moment. Along with “Sentimental Journey” and “It’s Been A Long, Long Time,” it was a favorite of people on the home front as well as home-bound soldiers in the Spring of 1945 as WW II ended in Europe.
In July, 1942 vocalist Peggy Lee convinced bandleader Benny Goodman to record the song. Their version sold more than one million copies and brought the Nebraska native to national notice at the tender age of 22.
I’ll Be Seeing You — Written in 1938 by Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics), this song was part of Right This Way, a Broadway musical that closed after 15 performances.
In the 1940s this wistful song was recorded extensively. The more popular it became, the more it was recorded. It was covered by Frank Sinatra, Connee Boswell, “The Incomparable Hildegarde,” and Billie Holiday, among others. Bing Crosby’s July, 1944 rendition was probably the biggest hit of the Big Band era.
“I’ll Be Seeing You” had its moment. Along with “Sentimental Journey” and “It’s Been A Long, Long Time,” it was a favorite of people on the home front as well as home-bound soldiers in the Spring of 1945 as WW II ended in Europe.
Moonglow — Written in 1933 by Will Hudson and Irving Mills
with Eddie DeLange (lyrics), this jazz standard’s popularity grew during the 1930s in the
hands of many artists, including Joe Venuti’s Orchestra and singer Ethel Waters and Benny Goodman’s Orchestra.
Today, most seniors remember the song as a danceable hit by clarinetist Artie Shaw and his band in 1941. But "Moonglow" was also recorded by other artists, including June Christy in 1946, Billie Holiday in 1952 and Sarah Vaughan in 1962.
Today, most seniors remember the song as a danceable hit by clarinetist Artie Shaw and his band in 1941. But "Moonglow" was also recorded by other artists, including June Christy in 1946, Billie Holiday in 1952 and Sarah Vaughan in 1962.
Early in the concert Lelen announced he resides ½ mile up the hill from the Delaware River, 10 miles north of Trenton and halfway between New York and Philadelphia. Upon hearing this, a man in the audience stood up.
“Are you from New Jersey?" he asked. “Isn’t that where the Hindenburg crashed?”
In May, 1937 the German-made, heavier-than-air
airship caught fire and was destroyed as it tried to land at Naval Air Station
in Lakehurst, 10 miles from the Atlantic Shore of New Jersey. Though 36 people died in the disaster, 62 on board the Hindenburg survived, according to Wikipedia.
When the musician acknowledged the airship crash indeed happened in New Jersey, albeit 78 years ago, the man advised the singer: “Well, you’d better be careful.” With that comment, the crowd howled with laughter.
When the musician acknowledged the airship crash indeed happened in New Jersey, albeit 78 years ago, the man advised the singer: “Well, you’d better be careful.” With that comment, the crowd howled with laughter.
Vintage tones
The musician also played
several vintage acoustic guitars at the Weymouth event. Each makes sound
that’s remarkable for its sustain, character and tone without use of pick-ups, he said. The guitars Lelen played at Whipple Senior Center concert were:
1935 MarvelTone — x-braced grand concert rosewood guitar made by Regal Musical Instruments of Chicago.
1929 Galiano — ladder-braced, auditorium-sized mahogany guitar, custom-made by Antonio Cerrito of New York City’s Little Italy.
1933 Senorita — an x-braced mahogany and spruce concert guitar and
1936 Groton 1 — ladder-braced mahogany and spruce auditorium guitar
— both made by Regal and sold by Bacon & Day of Groton CT.
1928 Weymann No. 840 — x-braced, auditorium-sized mahogany and spruce guitar made by Weymann Co. of Philadelphia.
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Copyright © 2015 — Ken Lelen —
All Rights Reserved
