Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 3:45 pm Post subject: Harry James?
So it occurred to me the other day that as trumpet players we talk about a lot of the great past and present masters of our instrument, even though some of them passed away decades ago. One name that I used to hear all the time growing up from my grandparents was Harry James. Yet, I can't remember the last time I heard an actual trumpet player mention his name.
So I have to ask; was Harry James actually a good trumpet player by today's standards who deserves more appreciation (and if so, why do we never talk about him)? Or was he simply a popular band leader who's fame has faded as the generation that listened to his music disappears? _________________ Chris
Harry James was an extremely skilled player both in jazz and in classical. I think that the reason we don't hear him mentioned often, other than because of the passage of time, is that his style is not emulated by today's jazz trumpet players. His style is considered "dated," which is not necessarily a bad thing because it distinguishes him as a standard of a certain style in the history of jazz trumpet.
I will say, however, that when you hear Doc live you hear a lot of Harry James influence (and Louis Armstrong, too) that doesn't really come across on Doc's recordings. _________________ HERMOKIWI
Joined: 14 Mar 2003 Posts: 936 Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 4:02 pm Post subject:
He was an awesome trumpet player. He played great and look-up the movies that he appeared in. There aren't really any trumpet players in our time that are as well known by non-trumpet players as he was.
His big band was filled with other great players too.
Oh yeah Harry was great. Doc is great. We don’t hear great musicians like them much now because the airwaves are crowded with un-great stuff with monotonous chord structures and pop singers.
I hope the pendulum swings back toward the difficult and thrilling music of which the guys mentioned were masters. I think the masses would love it if adequately exposed. _________________ Craig Mitchell
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9014 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 6:50 pm Post subject:
tptptp wrote:
I think the masses would love it if adequately exposed.
You know, it's funny. Now, it's been a while but even then, tastes had changed. But did you ever notice that when Johnny Carson came back after a commercial break and you could hear just the last few licks from the band, what unanimous and enthusiastic the audiences' applause always was? I think the appreciation is still out there. _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
And Johnny was certainly a big fan of Doc and the band!
To return to the first post, Harry James is indeed mentioned quite a bit on Trumpet Herald, and I think he is well-appreciated here. In my opinion, he was as great as any modern player. Style different from some modern masters, but technically and artistically great.
My lament:
Fifty years ago, just about everyone knew who these guys were: Harry James, Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Isaac Stern, Horowitz, Liberace, etc.
Now, other than folks like us, I bet hardly anyone can name even one great instrumentalist. _________________ Craig Mitchell
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 3:45 am Post subject:
Well I am on the doorstep of turning 84 so Harry James and Louis Armstrong were a big part of my era, and Harry was a huge influence on how I played back then in the 50s and even how I play today in the 2020s. In his day, he was one of, if not, the very best trumpet players in the business. _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 9014 Location: Hawai`i - Texas
Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 6:56 am Post subject:
The crazy thing is that, unlike compulsive practicers like Doc, my understanding is that Harry hardly practiced. _________________ "If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
There are a lot of jazz things he did with people like Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, and Albert Ammons that don't seem to be as well known today as they should.
And, of course, go to youtube for tunes such as Cherokee and Green Onions from the mid 60s when Buddy Rich was his drummer- wow!
Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 2018 Location: Charleston, SC
Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 7:31 am Post subject:
Just a bit off the thread topic (but with a great tie in)... Here's a contemporary of Harry James - and another tremendous trumpeter. I hear more of Harry James here than I do Rafael Mendez. This vid is one I go back to when I want a challenge. His tonguing and breath control are exemplary. When I get young players that respond to some of my demo vids, I'll often send them a link to this video and ask their impression. Even the first notable line, '...scales, scales, and more scales...' is a huge move toward improvement.
Anyway, I once heard that Rafael and Harry discussed the Flight of the Bumblebee; particularly discussing where best to breathe or whether it was best to circular breathe. They may both be from another planet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUij8FCg0z8 _________________ Jonathan Milam
Trumpets: 18043B, 18043*, 18043 Sterling Silver +, 18037 SterlingSilver+, Benge 4x, Olds: '34 Symphony, '47 Super, '52 Recording
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Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 11:23 pm Post subject: Harry James?
Great is great in any age. Whoever said that Raphael and Harry were from a different planet hit the nail on the head. I used to get lps from an aunt and uncle. My dad worked for my uncle and I had an interest in music before 5th grade before we could start an instrument in school. So, I had a Harry James album. a couple others. I had Gershwin and some other classical stuff. When Harry James played there were many big bands and he and others made a good living traveling and that was what everyone was buying on 78s and then 33 1/3. Harry seemed to play everything effortlessly. Another hero from growing up was Doc and thank God he is still with us. I agree with Kehaulani that if people were to listen to the big band stars they would like them, too. Remember a few years ago when "Stray Cats" recorded an old jitterbug standard and we had three clubs in my city teaching jitterbug lessons and playing the music again in the club at night. _________________ "There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush
Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 8:39 am Post subject: Re: Harry James?
blbaumgarn wrote:
Harry seemed to play everything effortlessly.
That is what amazes me about Harry James -- no matter how difficult the piece, he never even seems like he's working up a sweat.
Maybe that's a common characteristic of all the great trumpet players of the past. Billy Butterfield and Charlie Spivak never seemed to be straining to produce those gorgeous, rich tones of theirs.
Harry was a superb player. He learned to play when his parents worked for the Haag circus - which is where his middle name comes from. As I understand it, his father was very strict, insisted young Harry practice constantly.
When he was coming up he was known as both a strong lead and jazz player.
There are endless superb recordings and video of Harry - as a demonstration of his technical chops a performance from the 40's playing Concerto For Trumpet from the movie Private Buckaroo. I've never heard a performance of this that IMO matches Harry's. Listen to how all the notes just pop.
From a 1957 episode of Make Room For Daddy - he plays a YMCA counselor who comes to loggerheads with Danny Thomas over how he runs the band at the Y. This is the second half of the episode where Harry does some hot playing.
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 4:13 am Post subject:
Thanks for that clip, Robert. I actually remember watching that show. It was a time in my life that my little 5 piece band and I were really active, and Harry, as always was my hero, and one of the reasons why I started playing the trumpet in 1953. _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8914 Location: Orange County, CA
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:55 am Post subject:
tptptp wrote:
My lament:
Fifty years ago, just about everyone knew who these guys were: Harry James, Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Isaac Stern, Horowitz, Liberace, etc.
Now, other than folks like us, I bet hardly anyone can name even one great instrumentalist.
Even back in the 70's when I was in high school I was irked that hardly any one of my band mates could name a great player of their instrument of choice.
I don't think my son follows any particular trumpet player but I know he can at least name a few. If I get my way I'll drag him out to see the Kubis big band some day when this lock down ends. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 754 Location: Cambridge, MA
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:07 pm Post subject: Re: Harry James?
soulfire wrote:
So it occurred to me the other day that as trumpet players we talk about a lot of the great past and present masters of our instrument, even though some of them passed away decades ago. One name that I used to hear all the time growing up from my grandparents was Harry James. Yet, I can't remember the last time I heard an actual trumpet player mention his name.
So I have to ask; was Harry James actually a good trumpet player by today's standards who deserves more appreciation (and if so, why do we never talk about him)? Or was he simply a popular band leader who's fame has faded as the generation that listened to his music disappears?
I'm not a big fan of the style of his music...I mean, I don't hate it or anything, but I tend to gravitate toward more modern players. I could say the same thing about Doc, I don't hate what he does, but it's not of great interest to me generally. Purely in terms of playing the horn though, both Harry James and Doc Severinsen are total bada**es....TOTAL bada**es!!!!!
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