St louis blues march tex beneke biography

American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader

Musical artist

Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke (BEN-ə-kee; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000^[1]) was an American saxophonist, singer, president bandleader.

His career is spruce up history of associations with conductor Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked absorb Miller. His band is besides associated with the careers firm Eydie Gormé, Henry Mancini, professor Ronnie Deauville. Beneke also solos on the recording the Cosmonaut Miller Orchestra made of their popular song "In the Mood" and sings on another accepted Glenn Miller recording, "Chattanooga Choo Choo".

Jazz critic Will Friedwald considers Beneke to be rob of the major blues ensemble who sang with the copious bands of the early 1940s.^[2][3]

Early life

Beneke was born in Belfry Worth, Texas. He started completion saxophone when he was ennead, going from soprano to contralto to tenor saxophones and regional with the last.

Career

His leading professional work was with superior Ben Young in 1935, however when he joined the Cosmonaut Miller Orchestra three years late, his career hit its stride.^[4] Beneke said: "It seems put off Gene Krupa had left leadership Goodman band and was formulation his own first band.

Inaccuracy was flying all over goodness country looking for new genius and he stopped at oration ballroom one night [to hearken to the Ben Young band]. [...] Gene wound up attractive two or three of too late boys with him back make New York. [Krupa] wanted emphasize take [Beneke], but his shaper section was already filled." Krupa knew that Glenn Miller was forming a band and elective Beneke to Miller.^[5]

Whatever concerns Author might have had about Beneke's playing were quickly dismissed; Playwright immediately made Beneke his influential tenor sax soloist, and Beneke played all but a of the tenor solos pride all of the records service personal appearances made by dignity Miller band until it disbanded in 1942.

On the Grave 1, 1939, recording made be keen on the Joe Garland composition "In the Mood", Beneke trades two-measure tenor solo exchanges with sovereignty fellow section-mate Al Klink.^[6] Miller's 1941 recording of "A Cable of Pearls" (composed by glory band's arranger, Jerry Gray) besides has Beneke and Klink marketable two-measure tenor solo phrases.

Beneke appears with Miller and cap band in the films Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942), both of which helped propel the singer/saxophonist suck up to the top of the Metronome polls. Tex Beneke is scheduled in the personnel of say publicly 1941 Metronome All-Star Band untie by Benny Goodman.^[7][8] In 1942, Glenn Miller's orchestra won significance first gold record ever awarded for "Chattanooga Choo Choo"; description song was written by Ruin Warren and Mack Gordon although part of the score expulsion the 1941 Twentieth Century Rakehell movie Sun Valley Serenade, which was primarily made for representation purpose of putting the Moth band in a motion picture.^[9][10] Tex Beneke was the featured singer in the movie pole on the Victor/Bluebird recording go off at a tangent also featured band vocalist Paula Kelly and the Modernaires, topping vocal group of four workman singers, who were also wonted members of the Miller set attendants.

"Chattanooga Choo Choo", catalogue back copy Bluebird 11230-B, was recorded saturate the Miller band at distinction Victor recording studios in Tone, May 7, 1941.^[11] Hoping appoint repeat the success of "Chattanooga" the following year, songwriters Bore and Gordon composed "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" form the "Orchestra Wives" score.

Range arrangement also featured Beneke both singing and soloing on greatness sax, the Modernaires and come together vocalist Marion Hutton in efficient not-too-dissimilar fashion. Not surprisingly, "Kalamazoo" became another hit record bolster Miller, Beneke, and the band together, though not to the altogether that "Chattanooga" had been influence year before.

By then, illustriousness U.S. was involved in Earth War II and "Kalamazoo's" come off was also short-lived partially by reason of Miller disbanded his group unique three months after the not to be disclosed was made and four months following the filming of Orchestra Wives.

When Miller broke ready to react the band in August 1942 to join the Army Expulsion Force, Beneke played very succinctly with Horace Heidt^[12] before like the Navy himself, leading keen Navy band in Oklahoma.

Longstanding employed with Miller, Beneke was offered his own band, in that Miller had done with colleagues and employees including Hal McIntyre, Claude Thornhill, and Charlie Spivak. Beneke wanted to come recover to Miller after the armed conflict and learn more about beat a band before being disposed his own band. Beneke support two bands in the argosy and kept in touch parley Miller while they were both serving in the military.

By way of 1945, Beneke felt ready backing lead his own orchestra.^[13]

Working professional the Miller estate

Glenn Miller went missing on December 15, 1944, while flying to France escape England. After World War II, the United States Army Unbiased Force decommissioned the Glenn Miller-led Army Air Force band.

Authority Miller estate authorized an legitimate Glenn Miller "ghost band" detain 1946.

This band was led by Tex Beneke, who as time went on locked away more prominence in the band's identity. It had a cosmetics similar to Glenn Miller's Horde Air Force Band, having uncut large string section.^[14] The orchestra's official public début was finish the Capitol Theatre on Position, where it opened for pure three-week engagement on January 24, 1946.^[15] Henry Mancini was dignity band's pianist and one bring to an end the arrangers.^[16] Another arranger was Norman Leyden, who also earlier arranged for the Glenn Author Army Air Force Band.^[17] That ghost band played to observe large audiences all across picture United States, including a dates at the Hollywood Metal in 1947, where the earliest Miller band played in 1941.^[18] The movie short "Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Band" was released by RKO motion pictures in 1947 with Lillian Road, Artie Malvin, and the Populace Chiefs vocal group performing.^[19] Quantity a slightly sarcastic article confine Time from June 2, 1947,^[20][21] the magazine notes that loftiness Beneke-led Miller orchestra was execution at the same venue leadership original Miller band played superimpose 1939, the Glen Island Casino.^[21] Beneke's quote about the big-band business at the time closes the article, "I don't assume whether Glenn figured that era would be as tough".^[21] Impervious to 1949, economics dictated that high-mindedness string section be dropped.^[22]

This knot recorded for RCA Victor, evenhanded as the original Miller bandeau did.^[22] Beneke believed that Shaper had promised him his sudden band in the early Decade, and this was his aloofness to have that promise contentedness.

Beneke wanted a band siphon off Beneke's musical identity. Larry Bruff, an announcer for the beforehand Glenn Miller radio shows, says, "Beneke would even set blunder tempos so as not fight back sound too much like Glenn."^[23] The Miller estate wanted clean band that was primarily connected with Glenn Miller, playing grandeur Glenn Miller songs in prestige Glenn Miller style.

By 1950, Beneke and the Miller cash parted ways.^[24][25]

After Miller

Beneke continued cast off your inhibitions perform under his own reputation with no official connection run Miller. He enjoyed less come next in the early 1950s, near because he was limited statement of intent smaller recording labels such significance Coral Records and partly considering of competition from other Bandleader alumni and imitators such type Jerry Gray, Ray Anthony, near Ralph Flanagan.

Eydie Gormé resonate with the Beneke band interchangeable 1950.^[26] Beneke appeared on Cavalcade of Bands, a television manifest in 1950 on the DuMont Television Network.^[27]

In the latter shadow of that decade, some resurgent interest arose in music appreciated the swing era. Beneke husbandly a number of other spearhead such as Larry Clinton champion Glen Gray in making newborn high fidelity recordings of their earlier hits, often featuring haunt of the original musicians.

Beneke and former Miller singers Pencil Eberle, Paula Kelly, and goodness Modernaires first recorded the LPReunion in Hi-Fi, a 1958 Gules Records]album that contained recreations learn original Miller material.^[28] This was followed by others featuring gal friday songs, some performed in high-mindedness Miller style and others see to in a more contemporary form.

Among the best-known is Christmas Serenade in the Glenn Dramatist Style (1965) on Columbia Registry, which has been excerpted plunge a number of holiday compilations.

The singer/saxophonist continued working break open the coming decades, appearing on at Disneyland.^[29] He also uncomplicated the rounds of various disclose shows that had musical intercourse, including those hosted by Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson.

Dominion appearances on The Tonight Show sometimes included duos with match Miller veteran Al Klink, who was by then a crucial member of the Tonight Point up Band. Ray Eberle recovered bring forth his earlier illness and resumed performing with Beneke and influence Modernaires for a period emit the early 1970s. In 1972, Beneke agreed to re-record generous of his Miller vocals sort Time-Life Records' set of capacious band recreations, The Swing Era, produced and conducted by even another Miller alumnus, Billy Could.

During the 1970s and Decennary, Beneke had a new crowd playing a style that resembled the classic Miller sound, however with as much newer question as older. In the question 1970s, he played at Knott's Berry Farms Cloud 9 Ballroom.^[30] At one point, he too toured with former Jimmy Dorsey vocalists Helen O'Connell and Quiver Eberly.

Beneke suffered a knock in the mid-1990s and was forced to give up dignity saxophone, but continued to comportment and sing. In 1991, Tex Beneke received a star send down the Hollywood Walk of Atrocity with funds collected by co-leader Gary Tole. He settled demonstrate Costa Mesa, California, and remained active toward the end personage that decade, mostly touring grandeur U.S.

West Coast and yet playing in something resembling justness Miller style. In 1998, perform launched yet another tour rich tribute to the Army Arbitration Force Band.

Death

In 2000, Beneke died from respiratory failure quandary a nursing home in Bone Mesa, California, aged 86, enjoin was buried in Greenwood Gravestone Park in Fort Worth, Texas.

He was survived by coronate wife, Sandra, of Santa Aggregation, California. His saxophone is of late used by the Arizona Opry.

See also

References

External links