Previous Vocal Group Record of the Week
#909 (7/28/18)

THIS WEEK'S SELECTION PROVIDED BY DAVE SAVIET

"When I Grow Too Old To"
by The Tempo Jazz Men
on Dial 1004 B
released in 1946


Above: John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie in 1946. He was a jazz trumpet player, orchestra leader, composer, and a leading proponent of be-bop music.


INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER, May 22, 1948:
JIVIN' IN BE-BOP is a new [sic] full length variety musical coming to the Walker Sunday, which stars Dizzy Gillespie, his orchestra, and Dolores Brown.

JIVIN' IN BE-BOP is a full-length (about one hour) documentary style movie, starring Dizzy Gillepsie and his orchestra, released in 1946. There are nineteen musical and dance numbers in the film, featuring two selections with Helen Humes singing. Unfortunately, Dolores Brown does not sing in this movie. She appears in one selection as "the girl" to which the male singer is crooning. Musicians in Gillespie's orchestra in this movie include Milt Jackson (vibraharp), James Moody (saxophone), and Ray Brown (bass fiddle). This is Gillespie's only feature film.

There is one song in the movie, "Oop-Bop Sh-Bam", that has some minimal vocalizing by Dizzy backed by his orchestra. Audio of it is provided below.

LISTEN: (Windows Media Player)
"Oop-Bop Sh-Bam" - Dizzy Gillespie And His Orchestra - Jivin' In Be-Bop Movie - 1946.




Above: Still shots from this movie.







Above Left: Dizzy Gillespie in a 1940 photo at 23 years old.

Above Middle: ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, May 3, 1948:
DIZZY GILLESPIE ... The Metronome All-Star record, a perennial, is a Capitol product for the first time this year. It's a 10-inch disc, cut Dec. 21 in New York. The personnel: Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet (he was an hour late, arrived in time for the last take); Bill Harris, trombone; Buddy DeFranco, clarinet; Nat Cole, piano; Billy Bauer, guitar; Eddie Safranski, bass; Buddy Rich, drums. The group works together pretty well and everyone solos on Cole's riff original "Leap Here," with honors going to Gillespie and DeFranco.

Above Right: HARTFORD COURANT, September 26, 1948:
HERE MONDAY— Dizzy Gillespie, the "King of Be-Bop", will bring his 17-piece band to the Bushnell Memorial, Monday evening, September 27, under the auspices of Art Slade, well known local orchestra leader, the Music Box, Hartford jazz record center.



Above: Along with Dizzy Gillespie, the other two vocalists comprising "The Three Angels" on this week's record are (Left) Lucky Thompson and (Right) Milt Jackson.



Above Left: Clipping from The Town Talk (Alexandria, LA) newspaper dated December 17, 1946.

Above Right: Ella Fitzgerald performing at the Downbeat Club in New York City in 1947. With her are Dizzy Gillespie (looking on with admiration), Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Timmie Rosenkrantz, and others.

PITTSBURGH COURIER, August 31, 1946:
ELLA SELECTS DIZZY FOR TOUR—Ella Fitzgerald, "First Lady of Swing," has selected Dizzy Gillespie, creator of the be-bop music, as the number one new band leader of 1946. In making her selection, Miss Fitzgerald said "Dizzy is one of the first musicians to bring something new to modern jazz on trumpet since old 'Satchmo' Armstrong." Miss Fitzgerald notified her bookers that she wishes to go on a limited tour of one nighters and would like to have Dizzy Gillespie accompany her on this trip. She claims that Dizzy's spontaneous style and manner are in keeping with the way she likes to sing.

PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 19, 1946:
DIZZY AND ELLA SET FOR HOWARD—For the first time since he appeared as sideman in the Eckstine band quite a while ago, Dizzy Gillespie, the new high priest of the rhythm with the engaging title of re-bop, will make an appearance at a Washington theatre. But this time it's not as just another member of a name band that the trumpeter will view D.C. audiences, but as the leader of his own seventeen-piece aggregation. Simply another story of "local boy makes good." Along with the re-bop horn artist will be featured a lady of song, whose rags to riches story was the talk of the town many years ago, America's first lady of swing, Ella Fitzgerald.




Above: The Tempo Record Shop on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles. Ross Russell, owner of the shop and Dial Records, moved his business to New York City in 1948, so this photo would be before that happened.

Above: Dial Records advertisement from late 1946.



Above: Ross Russell.






Above: The Cash Box dated 1/31/48.



Above: Dizzy Gillespie's big band recording for RCA Victor, probably in 1949. This band featured Cecil Payne (extreme left, saxophone), James Moody (fourth from left, behind microphone, saxophone), Ray Brown (second from right, bass fiddle), and Dizzy (far right, trumpet).



THE CASH BOX, December 25, 1948: DISK STARS TAKE IN BOP FESTIVAL
NEW YORK—Caught during a moment of relaxation, three of the nation's formost recording stars are pictured during an evening at New York's famed Metropolitan Bopera House, the Royal Roost. Pictured above, left to right: Roy Milton and singer Camille Howard, Specialty Records artists; and Dizzy Gillespie, who waxes for the RCA Victor banner. Juke box ops acclaimed the trio in the recent Cash Box music poll.




Right: New York Age 3/25/50.


ARTICLES AND BLURBS....

THE CASH BOX, August 4, 1947: GILLESPIE INKS VICTOR PACT
Dizzy Gillespie, former Musicraft recording artist, signed a two year contract with RCA-Victor Records this past week calling for eight sides the first year and ten sides the second. Gillespie's deal with Musicraft was broken when the former plattery did not release the scheduled amount of sides promised. Gillespie, foremost exponent of re-bop, came to fame last year while working for Musicraft. It is rumored that his present deal with Victor is a fat one, and may net the artist as much as $2000.00 per session.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUN, September 10, 1948: DIZZY GILLESPIE, BAND, APPEAR AT CITY AUDITORIUM TONIGHT
Dizzy Gillespie and his 17-piece jazz band will present a concert and dance in Municipal Auditorium beginning at 8:30 tonight.

The trumpet-playing leader features fingering and interpretations that are revolutionary in jazz. Gillespie has had a long and varied career as a modern music maker, getting his start with Lionel Hampton in the famed Carnegie Hall orchestra. Next, the New Jazz Foundation selected him as the "young man who has made a tremendous contribution to contemporary music." The foundation organized a concert for a Town Hall performance, featuring the trumpeter.

He has played with Teddy Hill, Edgar Hayes, Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Charlie Barnet (for a tour of Canada), Calvin Jackson, Duke Ellington, and others.

While with Teddy Hill, ten years ago, Gillespie toured Europe. He has just completed a second tour with his own orchestra, during which he played in many old country cities he had visited as a second trumpet player. Gillespie's new jazz, called be-bop and his whimsical sense of humor won admiration from the European "hepcats."

(Picture at left is from the above article.)


THE CASH BOX, June 11, 1949 ....Dizzy Gillespie instituted another gimmick to his stage presentation while at the Apollo Theatre. The idea is another one of the audience participation stunts—this one a bop singing contest with selectees appearing with Gillespie's band on stage every show. The winner of the contest at the end of the engagement gets a week with the band when Dizzy opens at Bop City for a month on July 8th....

INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER, October 1, 1949: KING OF BE-BOP TO DRAW CROWD HERE
Dizzy Gillespie, who begins an engagement at The Sunset on Sat. nite, Oct. 1st, is more than a great trumpet player — he's a new cult in himself. Disciples of Dizzy's new way of interpreting jazz are springing up everywhere, but, like many other new personalities, he was first discovered in New York.

First Lionel Hampton used him to strengthen his Carnegie Hall concert. He featured Dizzy for a couple of solo numbers. Then an organization called the New Jazz Foundation chose Dizzy as a "young man who has made a tremendous contribution to contemporary music" and built a concert around him at Town Hall. There were enough Gillespie devotees in New York to fill the place to capacity.

Gillespie's trumpeting features fingering and interpretations that are revolutionary in jazz. Hep fans, quick to recognize this, have made him the new idol.

(Picture at right is from the above article.)



Above: Label image of Dial 1004 B recorded on February 7, 1946 and released shortly afterward. Dizzy Gillespie is the "GABRIEL" credited on the label. The names of the other members of The Tempo Jazz Men are thoughtfully shown on the label, along with their corresponding instruments. The "Three Angels" are Gillespie, Lucky Thompson, and Milt Jackson. Was the "DREAM" at the end of the song title omitted for lack of room? (The flip side is "Moose The Mooche" by the Charlie Parker Septet with Miles Davis on trumpet. Dizzy Gillespie is not included.)

This label is missing composer credits. "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" was published in 1934 with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein III. It was first released on record in 1935 by several artists, including The Boswell Sisters and Glen Gray And The Casa Loma Orchestra.

The raised letters embedded in the label are "A BISHOP PRESSING". This indicates that the record was pressed by The Bishop Presses, located in South Pasadena, CA. At that time, Dial Records was located in Hollywood, CA.

Gillespie's trumpet can be heard on seven Dial records (for a total of nine sides), recorded in 1945, 1946, and 1947.


Listen to this week's selection featuring The Tempo Jazz Men on Dial from 1946 using Windows Media Player:
[Audio restoration by Dave Saviet.]

          When I Grow Too Old To

          [To download audio files, right-click on link and then select "Save link (target) as..."]


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