The Big Bands

If you are a jazz fan and this is not on your shelf you are not the jazz fan you think you are! Simon covers a wide variety of the big name artists and bands in depth, and many more in less depth. He was there, he lived it, he knew the musicians, he knew the music and he brings it all vividly back to life in these pages. It is such a shame that this book has gone out of print. I would strongly urge anyone reading this review to buy it used while you can. It is a terric read. One of the most interesting things about it to me is how, looking back through it, some of the bands he doesn't cover (Boyd Raeburn and Billy Eckstine being two prime examples, both receiving only mentions in a list of "other bands" at the end of the book) have come to take a much larger role in jazz history than he imagined when he wrote this book. Alas, both are seriously neglected to this day by the average jazz fan. But I digress. Do yourself a favor and read this book. The era will come alive in a way that isn't tainted with phony nostalgia and swing-revival nonsense. Most of these were really great JAZZ bands not just Moonlight Serenaders for old-folks homes and Hawaiian War Chants for the clueless "swing kids". Hmmm, this review makes me sound more bitter than I am about how jazz is treated these days. Wait! No it doesn't. I am bitter.

An obvious work of love, George Simon's book sets out to mention almost every big band that was on the scene between 1930 and 1960; the most important ones are given chapters to themselves, minor ones are grouped and given less prominence and the also rans are just mentioned. The bands' relative importance is not however measured by their musical value but their commercial succes. Thus we find unlikely contenders to musical fame such as Eddy Duchin sandwiched between Dorsey and Ellington and 'waltz king' Wayne King between Stan Kenton and Andy Kirk, do black bands generally get less space than the white bands (Ellington is allotted nine pages, Harry James fifteen; Earl Hines two, Kay Kyser six) and are bands like Hudson-de Lange and Johnny Long (and indeed, Wayne King) given chapters to themselves while Horace Henderson's fine big band and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band are not mentioned at all. To his credit though, I must add that Simon never fails to vent his admiration for the musically good bands and his dislike of the mickey mouse bands of which there were so many during the big band years (some, like Sammy Kaye and Guy Lombardo, with a longevity and a degree of commercial succes that must have been the envy of many a 'serious' swing band leader and which surprises me every time I can get myself to listen to them). While it may not be the 'definitve volume in its field' as the back cover suggests, it certainly is an unmissable book written by one who knows what he is writing about and why, his great love and admiration for the bands and the men and girls who populated them dripping from every page. So while it is not an in depth study of the why and wherefore, it is a most helpful introduction to the wonderful world of the swing era.

Simon's wonderful book on the Big Band Era succeeds on a number of levels. First, George T. manages to introduce you to virtually any big band leader that was anybody during the period spanning 1935 to 1946. Second, since the Big Band Era is long gone, it is important to understand this fantastic music in context. The best introduction to that context is this book. Third, as a personal friend to perhaps the greatest popular big band leader, Glenn Miller, Simon gives you some insights into this period which started an explosion in popular music. This is not a book for jazz apologists who rail at any commercial success by jazz musicians. It is also not the book for people that don't understand that Jazz was first and foremost a popular music at it's inception. Simon unapologetically conveys the story of the union of the Big Band, Jazz and Popular music. That union really only occurred for about 11 years. By the late 40's the Big Band as a mainstream popular music vehicle was passing out of focus and into history. This book is a great introductory overview of the Big Band Era. People wanting to learn more are encouraged to read "The World of Swing" by Stanley Dance, "The Swing Era" by Gunther Schuller, "Big Band Jazz" by Albert McCarthy and "The Dance Band Era" by Albert McCarthy. Unfortunately all of these books except for one are now out of print, but well worth finding. Start with Simon if you really want to understand what the Big Bands meant to popular culture during the latter part of the Great Depression and World War Two. Plus, Simon is a highly skilled writer (a former magazine editor), so this is an easy read.

This is, as they say, the definitive work on classic big band and swing music, full of profiles of bands and band leaders large and small, from the Artie Shaws and Glenn Millers to the Will Bradleys and Hal Kemps. The scope of the book is very well-rounded, including information on often-neglected "sweet" band musicians such as Isham Jones, along with pre-big band acts like Ted Lewis. The downside is that Simon -- a jazz music critic for "Metronome" magazine during the big band years -- wears his insider credentials on his sleeves, and is a bit of an insufferable name-dropper. Nonetheless, this is a great reference work, and a nice look back at the glory days of swing.

George Simon was an intimate part of the big band scene. He was there when it was born and he was there when it atrophied during Word War Two. He was an original member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra (he played drums) and one of the first writers for Metronome Magazine, the trade mag for the music industry in that time. I have a hardcover copy of the 9th printing. The original copyright is indicated as 1967. I also have an accompanying three record set that is unique in that it was a cooperative effort by three competing companies: RCA, Decca and Columbia. It's a shame that this isn't available too! Over 400 bands are mentioned, some extensively. It is full of first-hand accounts, anecdotes and many photos. I felt as if I was there! George Simon gave us a true window into this piece of music history. If I had an extra thumb, I would give it three thumbs up!