[78-L] 78-L Loyal to the Kyser

[JD]

----- 
> Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:54:08 -0800
> From: "Taylor Bowie" <bowiebks at isomedia.com>
> Subject: [78-L] Loyal to the Kyser
> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Message-ID: <5567D2B3986A4994BE06CB5BD051B653 at TaylorPC>
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> reply-type=original
>
> Oh come on,  Cary...the Kyser band esp, starting around 1940 made many,
> many superb sides.  Julian mentioned two featuring Haymer...Herbie is also
> shown to fine effect on Strip Polka.
>
> Here are some other outstanding Kyser Columbia sides,  not one of which 
> has
> any barking dog noise:
>
> Can't Get Out of This Mood (Jack Martin on lead soprano sax)
> Ole Buttermilk Sky (best version I've heard,  great trombone and reed
> section passages...Mike Douglas vocal)
> That's The Beginning of The End (great ensemble, trombone,  trumpet solo,
> Douglas vocal).
> You're So Good To Me (flip of Pushin' Sand...super Kyser "Glee Club" vocal
> with Harry Babbitt and the totally cool Trudy Erwin)
> Say It Isn't So (very hip post-war Glee Club side,  complete with a few
> little boppish flats...band sounds fine as well)
>

> Taylor
>


I couldn't agree more. Kyser had an excellent band, fine musicians and 
excellent charts even on many of the dumber novelty tunes. Some of his 
arrangers went on to firmly establish themselves in later years. It was a 
lot more than a sweet band which careful listening will substantiate. Kyser 
was a great front man and the band did some pretty funny comedy toutines. In 
a weird way some of Kyser's bandstand antics remind me a bit of some of 
Dizzy's later bandstand clowning. Both were natural comics on the stand.

As a veteran of the big bands I had a  close associations with some of the 
more successful "sweet" bands among others and for me Kyser's band was by 
far the best in that category and the most imaginative and entertaining 
despite some of the corny tunes which they made far more palatable than the 
efforts of the competition. One of their fine recordings  (instrumental-not 
mentioned) was "Pushin' Sand". It was so well played & written that for 
years I thought  Columbia might have used a  studio band insted of Kyser's 
until I read the personell list. I think it proves that Kyser could hold his 
own with much of the not so sweet  competition. Then there were the films, 
the standout which is probably "You'll Find Out." The film and band's gags 
still break me up today. I guess I'm still loyal to the Kyser all these 
years later.
JD