Big Bands

Van Alexander co-wrote “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” with Ella Fitzgerald while both worked in the Chick Webb Orchestra back in 1938. The success of that song led to a job as arranger for Webb as well as Benny Goodman and Paul Whiteman and super stardom for Ella. Van formed his own band during the wonderful swing era but gave it up to work in the movies when Bing Crosby offered him a job in 1948.

 Ray Anthony has only endorsed two products during his long and successful career-- only two because he doesn’t give use of his name lightly.  As a teenager he played trumpet for the famed Glenn Miller Orchestra during the swing era.  A decade later he formed his own band and recorded a number of his own tunes including “The Bunny Hop.”  He played a Selmer trumpet in his early career, but switched some 40 years ago to a Yamaha trumpet.  Ray also formed his own music publishing company along the way and produced and released several well-selling albums.

Lyle Bird grew up in a musical family with his mother playing the piano daily. As a teenager he played trumpet in several swing bands during the big band era including with such leaders as Henry Busse. He played in a band during his navy service during World War II and again played in several small bands after the war before being hired by the Sherman Clay Company. Lyle sold saxophones for a short time, long enough he would say in order to realize he wanted to sell pianos. He managed a Sherman Clay location in Walnut Creek, CA and trained on selling organs direct to the customers in their homes and was the first to bring stand-up organ players to the front of mall stores as a drive for customers.

Bugs Bower is one of the great characters of music publishing that helped re-direct the industry following World War II. Before and during the war, Bugs was a musician and arranger who played with dance bands on stage and on radio. After the war he continued arranging and was given a job at the Brill Building in New York, the hub for music publishing. In 1946 he wrote the method book “Bop” published and edited by Charles Colin, which paved the way to countless books over the years including “Christmas & Cartoons” and duet books intended for students and their parents to play together. As a songwriter Bugs penned the international smash “Caterina.”
 

Jimmy Cheatham was one of the coolest jazz cats in the industry. Having worked with many of the top jazz players such as Duke Ellington and Ornette Coleman, Jimmy brought the sounds of tradition jazz to film scores and television programs over several decades. Jimmy’s warm personality was only watched by the smooth sounds of his trombone. When teamed with his wife, the jazz and blues pianist Jeannie Cheatham, the tones were unmistakable, clear and often strikingly intimate.

Jeannie Cheatham played roots music before anyone was calling it that. She grew up on church music and progressed to the music in a time and place where black women were encouraged to express their emotions through music, especially the blues. Jeannie was there when rhythm and blues became popular and played her own style in clubs and dances all around America. When she met Jimmy Cheatham their personal and musical lives forever became a part of each other. Jeannie’s autobiography “Meet Me with Your Black Drawers On: 
My Life in Music” was published in 2006 and tells of her incredible strength and vast musical talent. 

Del Courtney was among the most popular Big Band leaders of the golden age of swing. Getting his start in the Al Hill Orchestra, Del soon found fame when he formed his own band at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, Calif., in 1939. He established himself as "The Old Smoothie" and created a band ideal for hotel ballrooms. He later had success incorporating Hawaiian themes in his music, originating the "Sylvania Television Program" and becoming the official band director for the Oakland Raiders football team.

Margie Coyle joined several big bands as a singer in the golden age of the swing era. Bandleader Ziggy Coyle hired her for his band and the two fell in love. She worked at her husband’s store, Coyle Music in Columbus alongside Ziggy and years later with their son Jeff. She became NAMM’s first lady when Ziggy served as the president of the board. Together they continued to perform until Ziggy’s passing in 1997.
 

Roz Cron was a member of the all female swing band known around the world as The International Sweethearts of Rhythm. She toured with the group during World War II when many of her male counterpoints were drafted. Although a war was going on, it was a time of great opportunity for female players who were being booked into clubs and heard on the radio, many for the very first time in their careers. Roz played the alto saxophone and can be heard on several recordings made by the Sweethearts in the 1940s.
 

Alan Dale, as a lover of swing music, found himself as a radio station host in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graced the airwaves over several stations and along the way began approaching traveling artists for interviews to be played during his radio program. These interviews served as a strong influence to Dan Del Fiorentino, who helped develop the NAMM Oral History program beginning in 2000. The way Alan made the people and their stories come to life in a way that was a thrill to the listener and an honor for the interviewee.