Music Hub
Register
Advertisement

Henry Haag "Harry" James (Albany15 March 1916 - Las VegasJuly 5, 1983) was an American trumpeterbig bandleader and movie actor best success in the 1930s and 1940s. He is considered the discoverer of singer Frank Sinatra.

Content[]

[hide]*1 the early years

The early years[Edit][]

James was the son of a trumpeter and band leader, and an Acrobat and Amazon who worked in a traveling circus. Itself here when he was four he was like a werke contortionists. His father gave him from his tenth trompetles. He went to school in Beaumont, won a trumpet competition and then went to play in local dance groups.He played regularly in the Orchestra of Herman Waldman, where he was noticed by the nationally known band leader Ben Pollack. James was a member of his Orchestra in 1935 and made his first recordings, in september 1936. Shortly afterwards he joined Benny Goodman's band. He was here one of the star soloists, besides Ziggy Elman and worked here until 1938. In his time with Goodman he took under its own name (for Brunswick), also he played on recordings by Teddy Wilson (1937) and Lionel Hampton (1938).

Big Band[Edit][]

In February 1939 he came with its own big band which debuted in Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Philadelphia. The Group was known as Harry James and His Music Makers. With this Orchestra he toured and played in the 1980s. He also took plates on and scored the band leader until 1953 in America more than 70 hits, the first in 1939 ("All or Nothing at All". The orchestra played music in the border area between jazz and dance music, such as that in the swing era often occurred. The Orchestra was often supplemented by strings. In the group played different musicians of (later) name and fame, including Ray ConniffWillie SmithBuddy RichNick Fatool and Juan Tizol. Also different vocalists were known, such as Dick HaymesHelen ForrestKitty Kallen and Louise Tobin, with whom he was married eight years (1935-1943) and had two children.The most famous singer who sang at James was undoubtedly Frank Sinatra, who began his career in 1939 at the band leader. James wanted Sinatra changed his name to Frank Satin, but the singer refused. At the end of that year Sinatra stepped all over to Tommy Dorsey 's band.

[1]Harry James with Lucille Ball(Center) and his then-wife Betty Grable, a publicity photo for a tv show of Ball, 1958==Hits and movies[Edit]==

The success came only after a difficult time in the years 1939 and 1940, when James even by his record company Columbia was dumped. James went the musical to stir and came up with a sweeter sound. He returned to Columbia and soon came the hits, such as "Music Makers", "Lament to Love" and the very sweet "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)". In 1942 he scored seven top ten hits, including three with vocals by Helen Forrest. Also in the following years he had hits, including several with material he had recorded before the recordingban , such as a reissue of "All or Nothing at All" sung by Sinatra. He has also appeared extensively in the radio (among other things in the program that he had of bandleader Glenn Miller ' retrieved ') and played in hotels and theaters in New York. Also, he appeared in feature films, the first was "Syncopation" in 1942. In his second film, "" Springtime in the Rockies ", also starred Betty Grable, whom he married in July 1943 and had two children. After the end of the record new material again and recordingban could James in 1945 he had seven top ten hits.

After the war[Edit][]

After the war dried up the hits on and in a period of decline of the big bands also James his Orchestra on doekte. In 1947 he was back with a slimmed-down band, with which he went on to play more jazz. In the following years he acted in several films, including "The Benny Goodman Story" in which he played himself. He played the soundtrack of the movie "Young Man with a Horn", in which Kirk Douglas James ' trumpet's voice. He scored hits with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra and had his own television show in 1951.

In the Middle 1950s he moved to another record label, Capitol Records, for which he recorded many albums. His band sounded at the time as that of the band leader Count Basie, had ex Neal Hefti Basie arrangers as in service. He toured with his band at home and abroad (in Europe) and he performed in hotels in Las Vegas. In that city he met his third wife, the Showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he had married only kjort (1968-1970). When cancer was diagnosed in 1983 with James (malignant lymphoma), he continued to play, he gave his last concert on June 26, 1983, shortly before his death. In the same year, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

The Orchestra with the name of Harry James is still active, it is led by the trumpeter Fred Radke.

Trivia[Edit][]

Discography (selection)[Edit][]

  • Dance ParadeColumbia, 1950
  • Young Man with a Horn, Columbia, 1950
  • Hollywood's Best (with Rosemary Clooney), Columbia, 1952
  • Radio Discs of Harry JamesJoyce Records, 1953
  • 1954 BroadcastsSunbeam Records, 1954
  • Harry James at the Hollywood Palladium, Columbia, 1954
  • Saturday Night SwingGiants of Jazz, 1954
  • swingin' N ' Sweet, Giants of Jazz, 1954
  • Harry James in Hi-FiCapitol, 1955
  • Jazz Session, Columbia, 1955
  • Harry's Choice, Capitol, 1958
  • Harry, Not Jesse, Metro, 1961
  • Double DixieMGM, 1962
  • Harry James and His Western FriendsDOT Records, 1968
  • Mr. TrumpetHindsight Records, 1972
  • Eight Bar Riff: 1943-1950Hep Records, 2007
  • Ultimate Big Band Collection: Harry JamesMasterworks Jazz, 2011
Advertisement