[78-L] Al Klink-Eddie Condon's

[simmonssomer]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bud Black" <banjobud at cfl.rr.com>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 4:28 PM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Al Klink-Eddie Condon's


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> From: davdieh at aol.com
> Date: 4/7/2009 3:03:43 PM
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Al Klink-Eddie Condon's
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>  -----Original Message-----
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> That was his point,  but he did say "died" at least in the account I read.
> I love the Miller sound and have never quite understood why so many
> musicians disliked it and do so to this day.  It's not as if many other
> bands didn't use formulas.
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> Taylor
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> Try playing that sound 4 hours a night, six nights a week. And, wait, 
> you're
> a jazz tenor player who might get two eight-bar solos per night,
> meanwhile you gotta listen to Tex Beneke play his yakkity sax all damn'
> night.
> David Diehl
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> But if you're a "jazz tenor player" what the devil are you doing working
> steady with a "sweet band?"
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> Bud

It was the best paying job in the entire big band industry. They were paid 
extra for the Chesterfield shows and were solidly booked for more than three 
years.
Miller was certainly not a "sweet" band as, for example, were Orville Knapp, 
Will Osborne, Ernie Holst, Ted Black, Guy Lombardo and a host of others.
The Miller band was an excellent dance band capable of playing hot flag 
wavers and swinging pop tunes. It was never sacharine as were the above 
groups
and although the formulaic clarinet lead sound was the most recognizable 
signature, it was far from the only noises the band made. BUH-WAH....
However, I must agree with David Diehl in that it is stultifying these days 
to listen to that band for more than say an hour or so and it must have been 
torture to play that book night after night. Kinkle was, after all, not the 
only fine jazz soloist in that band.
But it sure rolled in the cash. I believe I read somewhere that Miller 
netted $750,000 in 1941. In today's money...well maybe twenty million or so.

Al Simmons