Artie Shaw, Big Band Leader, Dies at 94

The New York Times ^ | December 30, 2004 | The New York Times

[Eagle9]

Artie Shaw, may you rest in peace.

Artie Shaw - The Blue Room of The Hotel Lincoln, NYC - NBC Radio, December 6, 1938 (2.21 MB .mp3 file)

[squidly]

"I did all you can do with a clarinet," he said in a 1994 interview. "Any more would have been less."

Not bragging, just stating the facts. And succinctly too.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[JennysCool]

A true classic. What a talent -- and a character!

[leadpenny]

It wasn't until the Vietnam era that Armed Forces Radio catered to the younger generation. As a young soldier stationed in Munich, Germany in the early 60's, I listened to lots of music from the Big Bands played over the network. Didn't really appreaciate it then. Do now. Thanks for that link.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Weird - just yesterday I was trying to remember if Artie Shaw was still alive.

With all due respects to the deceased and as much as I love Shaw's music, Bennie Goodman will always be king.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Some amazing stuff found here at the official Artie Shaw website:

http://www.artieshaw.com/bio.html

My mom's sorority hired Artie Shaw's orchestra to play their spring formal in the 1940's. Her scrap book has the original dance bid card from the party.

[Argh]

From P. G. Wodehouse's The Mating Season, copyright 1949, a young Hollywood starlet is discussing with Bertie Wooster a visit to a little old lady movie buff in a small English town:

"...She knows exactly how many times everybody's been divorced and why, how much every picture for the last twenty years has grossed, and how many Warner brothers there are. She even knows how many times Artie Shaw has been married, which I'll bet he couldn't tell you himself. She asked if I had ever married Artie Shaw, and when I said No, seemed to think I was pulling her leg or must have done it without noticing. I tried to explain that when a girl goes to Hollywood she doesn't have to marry Artie Shaw, it's optional, but I don't think I convinced her. A very remarkable old lady, but a bit exhausting after the first hour or two..."

[Heatseeker]

Pretty wild when you outlive the guy who wrote your obituary. Sad also that I should be mourning, in my 5th decade, a guy who retired from music the year before I was born. RIP Artie.

[joesbucks]

In my early years, I yearned to be a radio DJ. I was working at an adult contemporary formated station and got bounced. My next gig was working on a station that played adult standards and I was named to host their weekend Big Band Show. I was a ripe 23 in 1976. And while I had heard some of the songs played by the Big Band artists such as Miller's In the Mood or Ellingotn's take the A train, my knowledge of that genre of music, was miniscule.

But I studied everything I could get my hands on and learned and listened. One of my favorite artists was Shaw. I had articles written about me and my knowledge of the music at such a young age (amazing who you can sound authoritative when scanning books and record jackets) and the local PBS station would invite me to pitch for their station when they aired Big Band themed shows.

I was reading earlier this week in our newspapers year in review that Billy May died earlier this year. My first thought was he had to be the last of that era to be with us. Why I forgot about Artie, I'll never know.

Yes, he was a bit eccentric, but man was his music just a little bit of heaven. RIP Artie.

[Route101]

Artie Shaw......My dad didn't admit it but he loved his music....As a kid, I heard those old 78's from the forties which our family still has. More recently, I came across Artie Shaw on the internet and downloaded some of his music....It's awesome how the digitally reproduced music compares to those scratchy 78's. God Bless you Artie Shaw.

[Petronski]

Arshawsky! I had no idea he was still alive.

My favorite of his is "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody." It's intoxicating, much like a pretty girl.

[Route101]

Artie must have been a nickname his band members gave him...

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I have loved Big Band since I was in Highschool and the kids my age thought I was nuts. I never stopped loving it and I loved to hear Artie Shaw's clarinet solos. I hope his last days were peaceful and painless for him.

[Route101]

Never heard anybody play the clarinet like this man did....

[Eagle9]

"I tried to explain that when a girl goes to Hollywood she doesn't have to marry Artie Shaw, it's optional, but I don't think I convinced her. A very remarkable old lady, but a bit exhausting after the first hour or two..."

Artie Shaw

[My Melody]

May Big Band Live Forever!!!

I recently read about Bob Snyder the `musical director` at the Grand Hotel Mackinac Island.

He has a Medley of Artie`s music on one his CD`s maybe more,

`Show Time at the Grand`

It is fabulous clarinet and sax!

Here is `Misty` if you have your sound on ~ this is also a story, a bit bitter~sweet, but a nice story.

http://www.dobhran.com/greetings/GRinspire257.htm

Happy New Year 2005!

Celebrate Life!

my melody

[Eagle9]

Here is `Misty` if you have your sound on ~ this is also a story, a bit bitter~sweet, but a nice story.

Thanks for the link, MM. I really enjoyed hearing "Misty", while reading that short, incredible story. I'll look for 'Show Time at the Grand'.
________________________________________________________

This new concept was epitomized in an arrangement by Jerry Gray, a violinist in Mr. Shaw's original string-quartet band, of "Begin the Beguine." Released in the fall of 1938, Mr. Shaw's recording of the Porter song became a classic of swing era jazz and allowed him to take over the swing band pre-eminence that Mr. Goodman had held for three years.
Artie Shaw - Begin The Beguine (383 KB .mp3 file)

He owed RCA Victor six more recordings on his contract, so he formed a 31-piece studio band with 13 strings and recorded, among other things, a tune he had heard a group playing on a wharf in Acapulco. It was called "Frenesi" and, like "Begin the Beguine," it set off a new career for him just when he was trying to get out of an old one.
Artie Shaw - Frenesi (362 KB .mp3 file)

And in 1983, when Franklin Cohen, the principal clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra, was to be featured playing Mr. Shaw's Concerto for Clarinet, he listened to Mr. Shaw's recording of the work and said he found his playing unbelievable.
Artie Shaw - Concerto For Clarinet (1.08 MB .mp3 file)
___________________________________________________

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

[Eagle9]

Correction - typo on the previous link to Artie Shaw - Frenesi (362 KB .mp3 file)