Those Benny Goodman Stories - Bob Knack

THE GREAT ESCAPE! ♪ 

*“Anything that is good jazz is a great escape. When you’re involved in playing or listening to great 

jazz, no one can get to you.” -Woody Herman 

Issue #10 September/October 2008 

Presented by www.dixieswing.com 

Those Benny Goodman Stories 

by Bob Knack 

Benny Goodman walks onto a European stage for a 

concert. His fly is open. 

Bill Harris asks, “Why is Benny’s fly open?” 

Jack Sheldon replies, “In case he has to count to 

eleven.” 

For years, fans of the big bands have been hearing 

those funny stories about the eccentric, preoccupied, frugal 

and sometimes ill-mannered Benny Goodman. The one you’ve 

all heard, of course, is when Benny jumped into a taxicab, 

looked at the driver and after a long moment of silence asked 

him, “What do I owe you?” Following are a few that perhaps 

you haven’t heard. 

Born in 1909 in Chicago, Goodman was 

only 10 when he first picked up a clarinet. At the 

age of 16, he was asked to join a California-based 

band led by another Chicago leader, Ben Pollack. 

Goodman played with Pollack’s band for the next 

four years. 

In the early part of his career, Goodman 

shared a flat with fellow-musician Jimmy Dorsey. 

Both played clarinet and saxophone, so there was 

fierce competition when any job came up. Rather 

than share the work fairly, they operated on the 

basic rule that whoever answered the telephone 

first got the job. There was an occasion when 

there was a tie, Jimmy got the mouthpiece of the 

phone and accepted the date. But Benny had the 

receiver and knew where the job was." 

In 1934, Benny organized a big band for Billy Rose’s 

Music Hall in New York City. He then reorganized that band 

and won a regular spot on the coast-to-coast NBC radio 

program, “Let’s Dance,” and followed that up by taking the 

band on a cross-country tour. With all the young listeners 

digging the band on the West coast via the radio broadcasts as 

they toured in 1935, Goodman made his first big success when 

they all came to hear him at the Palomar Ballroom in Los 

Angeles on August 21. The swing era had arrived. 

Sacramento California pianist, raconteur and 

moderator of the Dixieland Jazz Mailing List, Bob Ringwald 

(www.ringwald.com), recently blogged: “Zeke Zarchy who 

played trumpet in my Great Pacific Jazz Band, 1981 - 1995, 

joined the Goodman band beginning on the first gig out of Los 

Angeles where Benny had gotten such a great reception. Zeke 

said that Benny sometimes lacked in the manners department, 

to put it nicely...At one concert, Benny was standing up in front 

of the band picking his nose. Zeke yelled ‘Put that back 

Benny.’ The whole band broke up and could not play.” 

More of Benny’s early success came in downtown 

Chicago’s Congress Hotel’s Urban Room. The engagement 

was supposed to be for three weeks but turned into several 

months. It’s where Teddy Wilson joined them to complete the 

Benny Goodman Trio with Gene Krupa on drums. Monday 

night was an off night for Benny but the music continued with 

Bill Hogan’s band. That group featured Richard Maltby on lead 

trumpet, who would later write only one chart for Benny. The 

tune, “Six Flats Unfurnished,” was unusual in that Goodman 

didn’t get a solo. Maybe that’s why Benny didn’t let him do 

another one. 

The late WGN Radio broadcaster and Browser Len 

Johnson told this most likely apocryphal BG story. It seems 

there was an arrangement in the Goodman book involving a 

clarinet ensemble with Benny and the whole reed section. After 

each set, BG instructed Vido Musso to put 

away Goodman’s clarinet. Vido didn’t like this 

new assignment, and as a response, as he 

put the clarinets back in the cases each night, 

he replaced just one section of Goodman’s 

clarinet with his own. So, after a few 

performances, Benny was playing Vidos’ 

clarinet and Vido was playing Benny’s. 

In the book, “Miss Peggy Lee, An 

Autobiography,” the author likens Benny to 

The Absent-Minded Professor. “He would 

come running out of a building with his hat on 

sideways. He once went into a hamburger 

joint and ordered a hot dog. The waitress 

informed Benny that they didn’t have any. 

‘But I’m Benny Goodman.’ We still don’t have 

any hot dogs,” reiterated the waitress. 

Or the time he and a friend took a couple of girls to a 

nightclub and when the girls, apparently wanting to go to the 

ladies room, asked, "Will you excuse us, please?" Benny 

replied, "Why certainly," and got up and walked away. 

Browser Joe Carlton thinks it was Helen Forrest who 

related the often told Goodman yarn that when she was 

singing with Benny's band, at breakfast one morning, as he put 

ketchup on his eggs the bottle top fell into the eggs. Benny 

didn't pickup the top of the bottle; he just ate around it and left 

it there. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like 

twenty years," noted Forrest. 

Bassist Bill Crow writes on his website, 

www.billcrowbass.com “Benny apparently did something to 

insult, offend or bewilder nearly everyone who ever worked for 

him. Benny had a reputation for taking advantage of his 

musicians. He appropriated clarinet reeds from his saxophone 

players, cadged their cigarettes, and when he joined "the boys" 

for coffee or lunch, he usually stuck them with the tab. He once 

met drummer Maurice Mark and his wife on the street and 

invited them to join him in a visit to a New York nightclub. At

2 

the end of the dinner, Benny went to make a phone call and 

never returned, leaving them with the bill.” 

When Helen Ward, another of Benny’s warblers, 

rehearsing with the band at Benny’s home in Connecticut 

complained that the room was cold, Benny said, "You're right," 

left the room for a minute, and returned wearing a heavy 

sweater, ready to continue with the rehearsal while the rest of 

the band shivered. 

On January 16, 1938, the Benny Goodman band 

appeared in Carnegie Hall. Goodman was now the undisputed 

“King of Swing” and that concert gave the music a new 

legitimacy. Jazz blogger Norman Vickers recalls “I was at the 

Jan 16, 1988 Carnegie Hall concert, (The 50th anniversary of 

Benny Goodman’s jazz concert of 1938.) Marvelous concert. I 

was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who stood 

up when they asked who came to the original concert. Benny’s 

bassist brother, Harry, was in the audience. They even had 

people sitting on stage behind the band, just like the original 

concert. Benny had forgotten to ask for tickets for friends and 

family. Since it was already sold out, Carnegie Hall people put 

up chairs on stage behind the orchestra.” 

Christopher Popa, the creator of the website Big Band 

Library, www.bigbandlibrary.com, graciously contributed 

several stories to this article including these: Once, in the early 

days in New York City, Benny walked along 53rd St. after a 

snowstorm and noticed an open Ford convertible parked at the 

curb and filled with snow. "The poor jerk," he murmured to 

himself, "leaving a car like that out all night." Then it dawned 

on him that it was his own car! 

Another story has him being jolted out of a sound 

sleep one night in his room at the Pennsylvania Hotel. "We'd 

been doubling at the hotel and at the Paramount Theater," 

Goodman recalled. "It was quite a schedule, and each night I'd 

go to bed right after we finished working at two so that I could 

get some sleep. But on this particular night I was awakened by 

a pounding on the door. I got up and asked who was there. 'It's 

the waiter [from the restaurant],' a voice said. 'You didn't pay 

your check and we followed you here.' We talked back and 

forth a while and then I decided to open the door to let him see 

I'd been in bed. Well, when I opened it, I found nobody there. 

But standing in front of the door to the next room was this guy 

in a waiter's outfit. He'd been talking through one transom and 

I'd been talking through the other. 

In 1955, Benny recorded the soundtrack for the 

Universal-International film biography “The Benny Goodman 

Story” starring Steve Allen and Donna Reed. Popa’s favorite 

Goodman story took place when he was on the "Merv Griffin 

Show" in the 1980s. Merv asked him how factual the movie 

had been. Benny just laughed so uproariously... and kept 

laughing. Finally, he responded, "The MUSIC was good!" 

In 1962, Benny made a Jazz tour of the Soviet Union 

with the backing of the U.S. State Department Cultural 

Exchange Program. "I am not a jazz fan," Russian Premier 

Khrushchev told him. "I like real music. I don't understand jazz. 

I don't mean just yours. I don't even understand our own." 

A reporter later asked Zoot Sims what it had been like 

touring Russia with the Benny Goodman band. He replied, 

"Every gig with Benny is like playing in Russia". It was also 

during that Russian tour that the notoriously misery Goodman 

was persuaded, against his better judgment, to give some 

small change to a hungry child. This incident was filmed by 

Victor Feldman, who provided a great deal of amusement 

subsequently at parties by running the film backwards so that it 

appeared that Benny was snatching the money away from the 

youngster. 

As most of the above has been at the expense of 

Goodman, I think we should conclude with something in 

defense of Benny. First, it is not widely known that Goodman 

suffered a great deal of back pain during his career. For those 

of us who have had this problem, we know it can seriously alter 

one’s disposition at times. Secondly, Goodman without 

considerations of race or his own ego, promoted some of the 

greatest jazz stars of the era…Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, 

Harry James and Gene Krupa. True, he was a tough 

businessman, but then again, so were other respected leaders 

like Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Finally, it could be said 

that there would have been a swing era without Benny 

Goodman, but it would not have sounded the same. He found 

the right recipe for swing music and served it up to the public 

paving the way for the other big bands that followed. 

On John Dankworth 

by Reg Kimber 

I was particularly interested to see Bob Knack's 

reference, in the March/April issue of THE GREAT ESCAPE to 

John Dankworth's recording of "Experiments with Mice". The 

Dankworth Band was the first one which got me going on the 

big band scene and I saw them quite often whenever they 

were playing within range of my hometown Coventry (UK). If 

they were playing at dances and fans gathered round the 

stage, I always positioned myself in front of the trombone 

section to wallow in the stupendous sound they produced. 

The Dankworth band first hit the road in 1953. For 

three years before that he led the Johnny (he was always 

'Johnny' in those days) Dankworth Seven, a modern jazz group 

composed of top jazzmen. There were still a lot of big bands 

active in the UK at that time and Ted Heath was top of the 

heap. Heath had a great band but he tended to be a bit too 

commercial for me, playing quite a lot of hit songs of the days 

to keep his three vocalists occupied. 

Dankworth on the other hand had a class girl singer, 

Cleo Laine, who was singing stuff like "Ain't Misbehavin’” and 

"Jeepers Creepers" and the band played mostly his 

arrangements of which some were pretty wild. They had a 

superb band-within-a-band in the Keith Christie Quartet 

composed of Dankworth on alto sax, Keith Christie on 

trombone, Bill Sutcliffe on bass and my favourite drummer, 

Alan Ganley. The quartet had a unique sound and made two 

superb albums (10 inch in those days), one of Duke Ellington 

material and another entitled "Cleo sings British". They are 

probably collector’s items by now. 

One thing which set the early Dankworth band apart 

from the rest was they had top vibes player Bill Lesage in the 

line up. No British band had vibes before or since but 

unfortunately, he was not with the band for long, due, I 

understand to problems involved in taking the hefty piece of 

equipment on the road. The band had its own supporters club 

and magazine. I won a competition in the first issue for writing 

a piece on my favourite recording by the band at that time 

which was "Bugle Call Rag". I won a record token with which I 

obtained a Les Brown album entitled "Invitation", an album I 

really treasured. 

Dankworth wrote "Experiments with Mice" for a bit of 

fun but as so often happens, it caught the public's imagination 

and actually got into the British hit parade. I often wondered if 

the British public really understood the references to, and the 

playing in the style of Billy May, Gerry Mulligan and the like. 

The band did a follow-up to "Mice" called "Big Jazz" but it didn't 

catch on in the same way. It was quite funny that this band 

had a hit record, as it was Ted Heath, Joe Loss and others 

who were playing the more commercial stuff at the time.

3 

Dear Bob, 

I enjoyed the latest issue of your Jazzmag very much. 

T.D's "Marie" with Bunny's sensational chorus turned me on to Big 

Bands & Jazz back in 1939 or '40 when I was 9 or 10 & I've been 

collecting ever since. My brother had a little turntable that we were 

able to connect to a plug in the back of our Philco table radio to 

listen through. 

I started playing trombone professionally when I got into 

high school & have been a free-lancer in NYC for the past 63 

years & had the honor of playing in both the Newport Jazz Festival 

(while it was still held in Newport) & a KOOL Festival at Carnegie 

Hall (Tribute to Lester Young) with an All-Star band. Another 

musical highlight was playing at Grace Kelly's Wedding in Monaco 

in 1956. 

In 1955 I joined the staff of Metronome as a 

photographer under George Simon, Bill Coss & Dan Morgenstern 

& with my press pass I could get into any club or session I chose 

to. I shot a lot in the original Birdland club. Remember Pee Wee 

Marquette? Oddly, the only major jazz star I didn't ever get a 

chance to shoot was Charlie Parker! 

Speaking of photos, I must make a slight correction on 

the caption of that great shot of Woody being pulled through that 

wall. The handsome young guy on the left is Irving "Marky" 

Markowitz - not Irving Markey. He was a really great & underrated 

player. He settled into the studios in NY & I got to know him quite 

well. 

I also shot a lot of Harry Lim sessions & designed several 

album covers for his Famous Door label. I think that Marky did his 

only session as a leader for him & there is some wonderful music 

on it if you can still find it. 

In closing, I'd just like to mention that in 1987 I got a 

Grant from the NEA to videotape the life stories of as many 

surviving members of the Big Band Era as I could find - a project 

I'm still working on. So far I've shot over 450 interviews - from Al 

Aarons to Si Zentner. They range from two to 16 hours in length. 

Just a couple of months ago I documented my 3rd tour with Mike 

Vax's Stan Kenton Alumni Band on video(the Fitzgerald's portion 

of which was reviewed in your latest issue). What a treat to be able 

to hear these fabulous musicians night after night & get to know 

them as individuals & gather their memories of Stan, Woody, 

Harry, Tommy & many other bands. 

I've donated all of my tapes to the Institute for Jazz 

Studies at Rutgers in Newark, NJ & they are available for study & 

pleasure for the General Public as well as researchers & fans & 

generations yet to come. 

Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to your next 

issue as well as catching up on the past ones. 

Dear Great Escape: 

Letters, E-mails, Errata Etc… 

-Sincerely, 

Bill Spilka 

We would like to propose a US postage stamp honoring 

the legendary New Orleans born musician, bandleader, performer, 

composer, and entertainment icon Louis Prima. Mr. Prima should 

be honored for his many accomplishments as a composer and 

entertainer. This year marks the 30th anniversary of his passing A 

US postage stamp bearing Louis Prima’s likeness issued in 2010 

on the 100th anniversary of his birth will be the perfect way to 

celebrate his fascinating life and entertainment legacy. 

Please sign our Louis Prima Stamp Petition to bring 

about a US postage stamp bearing Louis Prima’s likeness to be 

issued in 2010 on the 100th anniversary of his birth. 

-Ron Cannatella 

Bob: 

After reading John Macek's article entitled Memories Of A 

Record Collector in Issue No. 9 of THE GREAT ESCAPE, I am 

reminded that it is said his wife Ruth never was able to bake a 

cake or pie as John had LPs stacked in her oven. 

-Joe Carlton 

Hi Bob, 

Another nice edition of The Great Escape, particularly 

fellow Browser John Macek’s account of his record collecting. Just 

a little bit of errata. It is Capitol Records, not Capital. Also, when 

John claims that his special interest in collecting Harry James 

began when he heard him with Benny Goodman on Chesterfield 

broadcasts, it was actually the Camel Caravan that Benny 

appeared on between 1937 and ‘39 with Harry as part of Benny’s 

orchestra. Harry took over the Chesterfield show with his own 

band in 1942 after Glenn Miller folded his band to enlist in the 

Army Air Corps. That exposure on the Chesterfield show 

propelled Harry’s band to the number one ranking in the land. 

-Perry Huntoon 


I have just found your website and THE GREAT 

ESCAPE after meeting Joe Carlton at the Syd Lawrence band’s 

convention in June. Your article on epitaphs is great. You might 

like to know about the epitaph on the grave of Spike Milligan, 

British comedian who was a pretty fair jazz trumpeter. It reads, “I 

told you I was ill”. Your articles are full of interest and I will be an 

avid reader from now on, along with some of my buddies who I am 

putting in the picture. 

Dear Great Escape, 

-Reg Kimber, Whitley, UK 

I am interested in information regarding Husk O'Hare. 

My aunts, the Burke Sisters, were members of his troupe that 

traveled in the early 1930's and did radio broadcasts of some of 

their shows. Then, afterward from the LaSalle Hotel in 

Chicago.Thanks! 

-Michelle Gabel 

“Orchestra leader 'Husk' O'Hare, 'The Genial Gentleman 

of the Air,' was my uncle. He raised me. Every night over WGN 

Radio from the Boulevard Room of the Stevens Hotel he said, 'A 

smile is worth a million dollars and it doesn't cost a penny. Laugh 

and the world laughs with you: cry and you cry alone’." 

-George O’Hare 

Michelle: The above quote is from George’s website. We 

forwarded your question and have not received the courtesy of a 

response. You might try to contact him at GO@AllSpeak.com. 

Good Luck! Many of the Browsers sent some biographical info on 

“Husk” which we have forwarded to you also. 

Bob: 

When I took drum lessons at the age of 13, my drum 

book was by Husk O'Hare. When my Dad saw the book, he said 

he and Mother used to dance to Husk's music in the '20s. There 

are no vocalists listed with the band. 

-Joe Carlton 


This looks like a breath of fresh air that my ageing heart needs. 

-Lance Travis

4 

Greasy Sack News 

Chicago’s Legendary Jazz DJ Signs Off 

After 50 plus years in radio, the last 31 on public 

radio, Chicago’s highly-respected and beloved jazz radio 

host Dick Buckley made his last broadcast on Sunday, July 

27. Many of us would plan our Sundays around his program. 

I would tune every radio in our split ranch home to his show 

so that wherever I was in the house, I wouldn’t miss a note 

of the great Jazz, all of which was culled from Dick’ s own 

collection. During the football season, we’d watch the game 

with the sound off and Buckley’s show on in the background. 

If there happened to be a meeting of our Browsers that 

night, invariably, someone would shout, “Hey, did you hear 

what Buckley was playing today?” Our best wishes to you, 

Dick, we’re gonna miss that show. 

Passing: Acclaimed Jazz drummer and Browser 

member Ellis Leonard "Stukey" Stukenberg, 87, died July 

10, 2008 in his home after a lengthy illness. Stukenberg 

began his music career at age nine after receiving a snare 

drum from his school band director in Rockford Illinois. By 

the time he was twelve, he had traded his farm chores for a 

job leading his own combo at radio station WROK Rockford. 

By the end of WWII he was traveling the country with the 

orchestras of Henry Busse, Del Courtney, and Alvino Rey. 

By 1951, he had settled in Chicago and began playing at the 

Chicago and Oriental theaters, as well as the famous Chez 

Paree supper club and the College Inn at the Sherman 

House Hotel. During this time he also traveled with the Roy 

Rogers, Dale Evans Western Show in Hollywood and 

Hawaii. In the 1960's, 70's and 80's, he freelanced in 

Chicago and the Midwest. During this time he also worked 

with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nelson Riddle, Steve 

Lawrence and Edie Gorme along with Skitch Henderson of 

the Tonight Show Orchestra. In 1967 Stukey played drums 

for Sammy Davis, Jr. in the Chicago production of the 

Broadway Musical, "Golden Boy". He also found time to 

form his own group and record as Ellis Stukey and The Dixie 

Wildcats. Stukey came out of semi- retirement in the early 

90's to work with Jack Hogan and the Skylarks Unlimited. In 

1997, Stukey began playing with Erwin Helfer and the 

Chicago Boogie Ensemble appearing at Jazz Clubs, Andy's 

and Joe Segal's "Be-Bop café" at beautiful Navy Pier. 

Stukey played his last job in February 2002 with the Chicago 

Mudcats, a fine dixieland/swing band led by Jack Rusnak. 

Jo Stafford, 90, a big band and pop singer ranked 

by Billboard as the top female singer of the pre-rock 1940- 

54 era, died July 16 at her home in Century City, California. 

Stafford was born in Coalinga, California, in 

November 12, 1917. After performing in a singing group with 

her sisters, she joined the Pied Pipers, who sang with 

Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra, which included a young Frank 

Sinatra. The Pied Pipers signed to the new Capitol Records 

in 1943 and Stafford later married the label’s musical 

director, Paul Weston. By that time, Stafford had already 

placed some 60 records on the charts as a solo artist. 

In 1947, Stafford launched a side career as a 

novelty singer when she sang with Red Ingle and the 

Natural Seven on a number one single called “Temptation 

(Tim-Tayshun),” under the name Cinderella G. Stump. In the 

late ‘’50s, as Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, Stafford and 

husband Weston performed as an exaggerated New Jersey 

lounge act. Their 1961 album, Jonathan and Darlene 

Edwards in Paris, won that year’s Grammy Award for Best 

Comedy Album. 

Stafford left Capitol for Columbia Records in 1952 

recording her two biggest hits, “You Belong to Me” which 

topped the Billboard chart for 12 weeks in 1952. and “Make 

Love to Me”. During her time with Columbia, Stafford hosted 

her own musical TV series. 

Jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin, has died. Born 

April 24, 1928, his career spanned more than a half-century, 

including touring with Lionel Hampton's big band. He 

attained a national reputation with his hard-bop 

improvisations in the late 1950’s playing with Art Blakey and 

Thelonius Monk.. He was 80. 

Lee Young, a jazz drummer who served as Nat 

King Cole's musical director for nearly a decade and brother 

of the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young, died July 31. 

He was 94. 

Chris Calloway, Singer bandleader, and daughter 

of jazz legend Cab Calloway, has died at 62. She sang 

with her father's Hi-De-Ho Orchestra until his death in 1994 

and later put together a new version of the band, touring in 

more than 50 cities. 

Thelma E. Adams, known as Marianne to many, 

age 87, of Kansas City, passed away on Friday, August 22, 

2008. For many years she was also the personal manager 

and companion to Jay McShann. 

Lou Teicher, one half of a twosome of Ferrante 

and Teicher that produced and performed popular theatrical 

recordings of big Hollywood movie themes, has died. He 

was 83. Teicher and Art Ferrante were first dubbed "The 

Movie Theme Team" in 1961, acclaimed for their rapid fire 

twin-piano and orchestral performances. Together they 

performed theatrical recordings of themes from such movies 

as "The Apartment," "Exodus" and "Tonight" from "West 

Side Story." 

The duo also hit the Top Ten with their version of the 

"Midnight Cowboy" theme in 1970. 

-Compiled by Bob Knack 

Swing band… 

Pictured from left: Russ Phillips, Ted Butterman, Scott Black 

and Eric Schneider 

Specializing in swing music of the 30s and 40s, ala 

Benny Goodman the group is versatile and their repertoire 

reaches back to the 20s and onward to the 50s, 60s, and some 

later, excluding rock. 

The band performs at any kind of function limited only 

by your imagination. This includes picnics, Bar-B-Qs, pool 

parties, Mardi Gras, conventions and wedding receptions. The 

band consists of piano, bass, drums, rhythm guitar and features 

a variety of horn players on different occasions including reed 

players, trumpets, trombones, vibes, and other instrumentalists 

from time to time. Expect guest artists to sit in occasionally! 

Check out the Ted's song list here! They know 'em all! 

To book the Neo-Passé contact Ted at 

TBBands@dixieswing.com

Mike’s request line is 708-493-1530. Or request via e-mail 

forgotten45s@wjjgam1530.com 

Contact The Browsers at thebrowsers@wjjgam1530.com 

Tell Mike, you saw it in “The Great Escape”. 

The WJJG website lists Chicago music artists of 

the 50s, 60's and 70's. You will also find lyrics to songs spotlighting 

"Chicago". I have slowly added to this list changing criteria. I wanted a 

list of hit 45’s artists raised in the Chicago area. Even though the web 

page doesn't explain it, there are asterisk marks besides artists who 

came to Chicago - making it their hometown. The list is still "a work in 

progress" and I would like your feedback. I started to add pre-rock 

and roll artists with hit records trying to narrow it down to 

"Chicagoans" (1920's to the 80's). Example: Gene Krupa was born in 

Chicago. Even though he left Benny Goodman to form his own band 

in New York, he put out records under the name "Gene Krupa's 

Chicago Jazz Band". Let me hear from you! 

--Thanks, Mike. 

The Browsers, experts in the big band era, return to the 

Chicago Airwaves Sunday evenings this summer via Mike Baker and 

the Forgotten 45’s and Music of the Stars from 5:00pm-7:00pm on 

WJJG-AM 1530, Elmhurst/Chicago (708)-493-1530. The station is 

heard in most parts of a four county Illinois area including Will, Kane, 

Dupage and Cook. WJJG’s hours of operation are determined by the 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule concurring daytime 

broadcasting and vary monthly with the changes in sunrise and sunset. 

www.wjjgam1530.com 

September... 6:30am - 7pm 

October... 7am - 6:15pm 

Vinyl News—A Pittsburgh-area record collector who hoped 

to sell his vintage vinyl for at least $1 a record has instead, closed up 

shop. Paul Mawhinney locked up his Record-Rama Sound Archives for 

good in August, saying he's been squeezed out of business by the 

recording industry and big-box retailers. Mawhinney stopped buying 

CDs in 2002 and sold off his 300,000-disc collection in recent weeks. 

But efforts to sell more than a half-million albums, a million more 45 

rpm singles, and thousands of tapes foundered. One buyer went 

bankrupt while another on eBay turned out to be not genuine. The 68year-old 

started collecting records in 1951 when he bought the Frankie 

Laine single, "Jezebel." 

In response to your many requests: The Browsers theme song 

“Browsin’ by Ronnie Kole is still available at www.ronniekole.com 

The Jazz Clubs Present… 

The St. Louis Jazz Club: www.stlouisjazzclub.org An outstanding 

web site and club with lots of events and info. Next: Cornet Chop 

Suey, Sunday, September 21, Bel-Air Bowl. Dixie Daredevils. 

Sunday, October 12, Moolah Shrine Center 

Illiana Jazz Club http://www.illianajazz.com/ Sunday, Sept. 21 - 

2 pm to 5:30 pm Rex Allen and Friends Ticket reservations: 708- 

672-3561 -or- 708-425-4596 -or- 219-923-6775 Held at the 

Glendora Ballroom 10225 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago Ridge, IL. 

Come to our 35th Anniversary Festival on October 24-25-26, 2008. 

Recommended Chicagoland Happenings… 

“The Browsers”, experts in the big band era, meet the 

last Friday of every month @ 6:30 PM “for pizza, beer and good 

conversation”. The group is pleased to announce their new 

headquarters: Paterno's Pizza 5303 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, 

IL 60630 (773) 631-5522 Dues are six dollars and include a share 

of the pizza. Details subject to change. E-mail the Browsers at 

thebrowsers@wjjgam1530.com 

Disc Jockey “Rowdy” Ron Richter plays big band and 

jazz the second Sunday of every month at Gusto Italiano 

Ristorante, 1470 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL 60025 Tel: (847) 

729-5444 Fax: (847) 729-5447 4:00 PM - ? Attendees are invited 

to bring a favorite CD to play and comment on. Call ahead. Details 

subject to change. 

On the Radio: Carousel Bandstand: (Thursday 10 to 11 

a.m.): “Ken Meyer draws from his own vast, personal music library 

to present an hour of the best of the big bands, standards and 

great vocals of that golden era of music. Ken also presents many 

of the big band radio shows from the Aragon, Waldorf Astoria, and 

network radio studios. WEPS-FM 88.9, Elgin, Illinois 

Mission Statement 

This newsletter, created by Bob Knack and friends, 

remembers The **Browsers on the ABC network, Bob’s radio 

shows on WJJG-AM 1530, Elmhurst, Illinois; and contains articles 

for all aficionados of big band, swing and traditional jazz 

worldwide. It is an attempt to fill the void left when periodicals such 

as the **Browser’s Notes ceased to publish. We will concentrate 

on, but will not be limited to, fun-to-read articles on the music from 

“back in the day”. Letters, articles, suggestions or any help 

whatsoever is appreciated. Send inquiries to 

bobknack@hotmail.com or PO Box 642012, Chicago, Illinois 

60664. B&W printed copies of past and this current issue are 

also available in booklet form for $2.00 each from the above PO 

Box. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter 

**A Browser is a dedicated devotee of the truly 

American art form known as the Big Band. Some years ago, Phil 

Holdman, founder, often visited record shops seeking rare 

examples of LP’s and 78’s to add to his extensive collection. Here, 

he also met other collectors who sought similar discs or tapes. 

Phil’s wife, Alberta, named the group “The Browsers” because 

“they are always browsing in record shops.” 

We wish to acknowledge the many contributions made by readers 

to help defray expenses. 

“I don’t know anything about running a newspaper; I just try 

everything I can think of.” 

-Charles Foster Kane 

Ketter’s Korner: 

Warren Ketter asks, “Do you remember…Clyde Lucas And His California Dons, Barney Rapp And His New Englanders, Boyd Senter 

And His Senterpeds, Irving Aaronson And The Commanders, Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy, Jimmie Grier The Musical Host Of The 

Coast, Johnny Hamp And His Kentucky Serenaders, Larry Funk And His Band Of A Thousand Melodies, Cecil Golly And His Music By 

Golly, Ace Brigode And His Fourteen Virginians, Mitchell Ayres And His Fashions In Music, Coon Sanders And The Nighhawks?”

That Big Band Singer’s Column 

By Walt Andrus 

I attended Bill 

Finnegan's memorial/wake 

and it was wonderful tribute to 

a great arranger. His son 

James (Jamie) and I went to 

High School together here in 

Trumbull, CT. I had no idea 

about The Sauter-Finegan 

Orchestra at that time . I was 

just a sax and trumpet player. 

Jamie played trumpet. Later I 

got Jamie on the TDO with 

Buddy Morrow and we had 

some fun times on the road! 

Bill came to see us several 

times when we performed in the CT area,, A true Gentleman 

and was writing charts right until his last days... for Warren 

Vache' and many others... 

Barry Manilow hired the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to 

do a recreation of "I'll Never Smile Again" at Nola Studios in 

Manhattan above the Edison Hotel... The producer was Phil 

Ramone (who was an engineer on Buddy Morrow's recording 

gigs in the 50's) and the Musical Director was Artie Butler,,, I 

was NOT required to be there but I wanted to see the 

session,,, They used vintage drums and mikes to make it 

sound "old school" Barry showed up to hear the band as well 

as CNN and decided that he wanted to record "Sunnyside Of 

The Street" as well ....so we had to bring the books up from the 

bus...; Barry didn't know the "jive" lyrics so I was asked to write 

them out and do a demo track for Barry... I was VERY 

NERVOUS. Phil Ramone said "Hey you sound like “The Old 

Man." Barry said "Thanks for the ‘throwaway track’.” I got 

$113.00 for the recording session and the "Singin With The Big 

Bands" album sold over 500,000 copies ,,,I got NO credits. 

For the 15 years I’ve spent on the road with Buddy 

Morrow and The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, I remember us 

being booked at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA one week every 

summer at Carnation Plaza for several years at the park... We 

would be part of a series of Big Bands per week, 3 shows per 

night... there was TDO, Tex Beneke, Peanuts Hucko/ Benny 

Goodman Tribute, Ray Anthony, Les Brown, Les Elgart, Buddy 

Rich (NO Dancing allowed for Buddy), Harry James etc. It was 

always PACKED with fans and dancers,,, 

MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 

On Sunday, July 6, 2008, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, 

directed by Larry O'Brien, and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, 

directed by Buddy Morrow, faced off in the Battle of the Bands 

to culminate the Montreal Jazz Festival. The rumble ensued at 

the Place des Arts and was witnessed by two sold-out houses 

totaling 6,000 energized fans. 

Hard swinging TDO "boy singer" Walt Andrus (a role 

historically held by Frank Sinatra) delivered on "The Song is 

You" and "Sunny Side of the Street." 

The last round featured Larry O'Brien and Buddy 

Morrow sharing the trombone solo on Buddy's hit "Night Train." 

(Historic note: O'Brien was a member of Morrow's Night Train 

Band in 1960 before joining the Glenn Miller Orchestra as lead 

trombonist. Then the TDO stole Larry from the GMO to play 

the Tommy Dorsey solos. Buddy Morrow led the Glenn Miller 

Orchestra in the 1970s.) In an unscripted moment, Larry 

placed his trombone on the stage floor and bowed at the feet 

of longtime friend and mentor Buddy Morrow. A knockout! 

Source for above story: http://www.glennmillerorchestra.com 

A Must for Your Collection! 

Ted Butterman’s Neo-Passé Band 

Live At The Village Tavern 

Pictured L to R: Russ Phillips, Scott Black, Dave Elias, Ronnie 

Baron, Ted Butterman 

© 2001 dixieswing.com 

CD Baby Price: $15.00 

Order now, supplies are limited! 

Four rhythm; piano, bass, guitar and drums, and one of four 

different world-class horn players on each track . 

The over 73 minutes of music includes: 

1 When You're Smilin', 2 The One I Love, 3 Sweet Georgia Brown, 

4 China Boy, 5 On The Alamo, 6 I Can't Believe That You're In 

Love With Me, 7 After You've Gone, 8 These Foolish Things, 9 

Rosetta, 10 Undecided, 11 Let Yourself Go, 12 Three Little Words, 

13 It All Depends On You, 14 Some Of These Days, 15 Lester 

Leaps In 

Ted’s band, with a four-man rhythm section, and a 

rotating horn player, usually stays in a mellow relaxed swing 

mode. The group, particularly with a clarinet lead, often has the 

sound of a small group Benny Goodman session. 

Ted recorded the band over several weekends 

between February and June of 2001 and thus captured the 

best of four Chicago area musicians on the front line. With 15 

standards featured over a generous 73+ minutes, the average 

tune plays for over five minutes, affording the horn players 

ample room to show their talents. 

Eric Schneider, well known around Chicago, played 

with Basie for a couple years in the early 80’s. A wonderful. 

Perhaps underrated talent, Eric has the ability to take a tune 

and swing hard with seemingly little effort. Featured on six of 

the tunes on the CD, Eric takes “Three Little Words” at a nice 

mid-tempo on the tenor and just rolls with it in very much a Chu 

Berry style. On “China Boy”, he switches to soprano and can 

be compared favorably to Sidney Bechet. Kim Cusack, long 

time veteran of the Salty Dogs, plays clarinet on three tunes 

while Stu Genovese is the featured tenor on “Sweet Georgia 

Brown” and “These Foolish Things”. Russ Phillips, son of 

Russ, Sr. who played trombone with Louis Armstrong’s All- 

Stars after Teagarden left, capably offers a change of pace 

with his trombone on three titles notably, “Undecided”. 

With a rock solid rhythm section, this band cooks. 

Highly recommended for lovers of small group swing. 

--Perry Huntoon 

International Association of Jazz Record Collectors Journal 

www.cdbaby.com for ordering info or 

Click to See the Neo Passé Band in Action! 

Tell Your Friends! 

We’d love to increase readership of “The Great Escape” newsletter. Why not send this issue to a friend who may not be aware of us. 

If everyone does that, we’ll double our audience. Thanks. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

Bring The Excitement of “That 

Championship Season” to Your Party or 

Event… 

Pictured: T. Bartlett E. Wilkinson T. Butterman J. Kuncl J. Blegen 

The Cubs Dixieland Band has been playing 

the ‘friendly confines’ of Wrigley Field for over a quarter of a 

century. Our foot-tapping aggregation consists of Trumpet, 

Trombone (or Tenor Sax), Clarinet, Banjo, and Tuba. We have 

appeared on TV hundreds of times over the years on many 

local and nationally broadcast programs. 

The band performs at any kind of function, limited 

only by your imagination, including picnics, Bar-B-Qs, pool 

parties, Mardi Gras, conventions and wedding receptions. We 

have even performed at five funerals. We appear in Cubs 

uniform unless otherwise specified. Book the band for your 

next event! Bring the excitement of Wrigley Field 

musically to your party. 

Contact Ted at TBBands@aol.com for details. 

Click here to see the Cubs band in action! 

Here is a partial list of the great musicians who’ve played 

with the CCDB over the last quarter century: 

Rich Armandi, Bernie Attridge, George Allen, Ed Avis, Dan 

Anderson, John Bany, Al Burke, Jim Barrett, Tom Bartlett, 

Keith Baumann, Mike Bezin, Leah Bezin, Loren Binford, Kurt 

Bjorling, John Blegen, Ron Brusky, Ted Butterman, Ed Byzner, 

Mike Carrell, Kim Cusack, Mike Delaney, Mike Delman, Ron 

Dewar, Bill Dinwiddie, Don Dygert, Bill Findlay, Doug Finke, 

Tom Fischer, Rich Fudoli, Stu Genovese, Harry Graves, Virgil 

Freeman, Frank Gualtiere, Irv Hackin, Bill Hanck, Steve Hart, 

Chuck Hedges, Charley Hooks, Bill Hutchins, Ralph 

Hutchinson, Dave Ivaz, Don Jacobs, Bill Jeffery, l Johnson, 

John Knurr, Glen Koch, Steve Ley, Gordie Lofgren, Mike 

Marois, Ralph Maxson, Frank McCallum, Jack Meilahn, Ken 

Millar, Dennis Morris, Curt Morrison, Audrey Morrison, Rick 

Meyer, Ray Migacz, Steve Mengler, John Mose, Jerry Mulvihill, 

Brian Naylor, Ralph Norton, John Otto, Bruce Petsche, Terry 

Pettijohn, Russ Phillips, Bill Porter, Fred Runquist, Eric 

Schneider, Lance Schulz, Scott Silver, John Skillman, Harold 

Smith, Don Stiernberg, Chris Stind, Greg Studebaker, Tim 

Stewart, Ann Stewart (Mc), John Topel, Scott Sutter, Cy Touff, 

Mike Walbridge, Dan Williams, John Watson, Ed Wilkinson, 

Lucien Williams Miles Zimmerman, Mike Zudis, Armin Von 

Der Heydt 

Syd Lawrence Big Band Convention 

by Browser Joe Carlton 

"A big band convention; what a unique idea to have 

here", said Editor Bob Knack when I told him I was headed off 

to England to attend just such sort of an event, lasting three 

days at a posh seaside resort north of London. Yes, the idea 

of a big band staying in one spot, playing for nights in a row is 

not a new idea for the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. 

With the backing of a very involved fan club (Syd 

Lawrence Orchestra Society) this orchestra voted "the best big 

band in the land" has a yearly convention and has done so for 

more years than I can remember. There is music, more music, 

fun, good eating, a beautiful venue and of course, great 

evenings of listening and dancing. The band itself has evolved 

from a Glenn Miller tribute orchestra into a dance and swing 

band with its own style. 

From the first notes of "Cherokee" (which brought 

tears to my eyes as I had not heard the band live in seven 

years) to the last notes of "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Land Of 

Hope and Glory" (which everyone sang) the band met all 

expectations. In the three nights, no song was repeated and 

everything played was bright and fresh as leader Chris Dean 

kept the players on their toes. 

One of the happiest events was the Syd Lawrence 

version of "American Idol" in which seven brave souls got up in 

front of a friendly audience to take a chance at singing with the 

band that night. They were only accompanied by a piano and 

they had more intestinal fortitude that I would have been able 

to muster. Funny thing, three of them were so good, they all 

had their chance to sing that night. This "contest" may have 

been the highlight of the convention. 

Wouldn't it be something to have a convention like 

that in this country? 

The Browsers Book Still Available 

Author and quizmaster Joe Carlton has written an 

excellent book, “THE BROWSERS AT LARGE: Phil Holdman's 

Tall Tales and True.” This book containing many stories by Phil 

and other Browsers, along with many, many photos, is still 

available. Phil and his cadre of big band experts aired a popular 

big band trivia show on the ABC network with Eddie Hubbard for 

over twenty years. If interested, please send your check for $17.00 

made out to Joe Carlton, 317 Cottage Avenue, Glen Ellyn, IL 

60137 and your copy will promptly be mailed to you. 

Woody: 1947 This is the 

promotional photo sent 

out by Woody’s publicity 

people circa 1947 to 

newspapers like The 

San Francisco Examiner 

and their music column 

“Platter Chatter”. At this 

time, Herman organized 

the Second Herd or "The 

Four Brothers Band" 

derived from the song 

recorded December 27, 

1947 for Columbia 

written by Jimmy Giuffre. 

The record features the 

three-tenor, one-baritone 

saxophone section. The 

order of the saxophone 

solos on that record is 

Zoot Sims, Herbie 

Steward, Serge Chaloff 

and Stan Getz.

A Night to Remember 

With the Carl Schreiber Band 

By Browser President Phil Holdman 

This is the second of three articles Phil wrote about his days on 

the Carl Schreiber band for the Browsers Notes. We are 

reprinting them here along with some updates for the benefit 

of those who have not seen them: 

I remember the date; it was October of 1950. I 

remember the place; it was the grand ballroom of the now 

defunct LaSalle Hotel in downtown Chicago. I remember the 

event; it was the first gala reunion of the L.A.A. (the 

Leathermen’s Association of America). There was electricity in 

the air when the Carl Schreiber Band started tuning up. We 

knew we were in for a big night. The all-male audience became 

quite boisterous after having spent a few hours at the bar. 

“Let’s get the show on the road,” one of them shouted. The 

Schreiber Orchestra had a pretty big name around Chicago in 

those days and I must say we had a terrific bunch of musicians 

in the band. There was “Jumpin’” Sam Thomas on hot tenor; 

Ed “Liver Lips” Michelski on lead trumpet, who played a lot like 

Harry James; Loren Binford, the best trombone man in the city 

was there; and “Sleepy” Leo Doolan, who played great bass, 

when he was awake. 

Phil Holdman (standing) along with Joe Spery and Warren 

Ketter just prior to a Browser broadcast on ABC Radio 

network, circa 1990. 

Kenny Iversen was at the eighty-eights while I was in 

my third year at the drums with this fine aggregation. The rest 

of the sidemen weren’t too shabby either, with names like alto 

man Crane Hauser, who also arranged some fine charts for the 

band; Jack Gaylo, a terrific clarinet man who later went with 

Ralph Marterie; Dick Judson, in the trumpet section lead his 

own band at the posh Drake Hotel. 

Leader Carl Schreiber played celeste and saxophone 

(he was not too hot on either instrument) but was a stickler on 

discipline. 

Now getting back to the show, after playing a stirring 

arrangement of “Swanee River” ala Sy Oliver, we brought on 

the first “act”. It was the well-known entertainer “Professor 

Lamberti” who played the xylophone, dressed in shabby attire 

like a clown and surrounded by a bevy of beautiful gals 

prancing in the background. Hardly anyone had their eyes on 

the Professor. The whistling from the audience was for the 

girls. For the finale, while the band played “Nola” at breakneck 

tempo, Lamberti was banging away at this woodpile and 

started kicking at the audience and his shoes would fly off. 

That was his shtick for almost fifty years. 

Then, our vocalists came forward to do one of their 

specialties which was a duet of "They Wouldn’t Believe Me” 

with lovely Mary Corliss (Everyone in the band was in love with 

her) and our romantic baritone singer Herman Baldassarie. We 

often wondered why Herman never changed his name to either 

Henry Bald or Herm Baldass, to make it shorter. After a few 

more flag wavers from the band, the time came fro what the 

inebriated patrons were waiting for. To the tune of “Temptation” 

with a spotlight on the entrance, came four of the most 

beautiful buxom women I’ve ever seen. The applause and 

whistles were deafening. These patrons never saw such 

pulchritude in revealing outfits, in the State of Iowa. Even Carl 

Schreiber was kind of embarrassed as these blondes, 

redheads and brunettes bumped and grinded their way to 

center stage. Red headed “Bubbles” LaRue was the leader of 

the dancing group and when you ogled her dimensions, you’d 

know why. 

After “Temptation”, with the crowd screaming for 

more, we went into “Hawaiian War Chant” as the girls stepped 

down from the stage to "mingle" with the audience. Carl didn’t 

think that was such a good idea, but the rest of the band loved 

it. As I was banging away on the tom-toms, the whole room 

was in a frenzy. By this time, the girls were topless and Carl 

was going out of his mind, thinking the joint was going to be 

raided. He tried to stop the band, but to no avail. I kept banging 

away…no one could stop me now. I was inspired by the 

dancers inspired by my tom-tom solos. This was a night to 

remember, even though I risked being fired after the gig. 

Finally, Jack Gaylo got up to the mike and played a subdued 

version of the chart to cool off the festivities. We heard about 

forty minutes of “War Chant” when it finally ended, breaking 

Benny Goodman’s longevity record of “Sing, Sing, Sing” at 

Carnegie Hall in 1938. When all the house lights were turned 

on, the girls scurried to their dressing rooms with their apparel 

in their hands, not on their bodies. 

The Leathermen loved it and couldn’t wait to sign up 

the Carl Schreiber band for 1951. My last chore of the night 

was to return the music charts to “Bubbles” in her dressing 

room. I volunteered! It’s all over now. No more LaSalle Hotel. It 

was torn down after a fire about thirty years ago. No more Carl 

Schreiber He passed away years ago. (I think that night at the 

LaSalle shortened his life) No more, “Bubbles” LaRue, I’m sure 

she’s gone by now, she was no “spring chicken” in 1950. 

I wonder if the Leathermen’s Association is still 

around. I’d like to get one more crack at them. 

More on the La Salle Hotel: 

The Hotel opened in 1909 at the corner of LaSalle 

and Madison Street. It was called the largest, safest and most 

modern hotel west of New York City. On June 5 1946, a fire 

broke out in The Silver Grill and Cocktail Lounge around 

midnight. At first, employees and patrons tried to put out the 

fire and did not call the fire department for fifteen minutes. The 

blaze spread rapidly through the two story, lacquered woodpaneled 

lobby and up to the mezzanine. Swiftly, the fire and 

smoke spread to the upper guest room floors. The hotel had no 

automatic sprinkler system, fire alarm, or smoke detectors. As 

a result, sixty-one persons lost their lives. 

A two million dollar restoration followed the fire and 

the hotel reopened in July of 1947, allowing Phil to entertain 

those Leathermen in 1950. The cocktail lounge was renamed 

the Hour Glass. The LaSalle was demolished 29 years later in 

1976.

Those Benny Goodman Stories - Bob Knack

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