American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader
Tex Beneke | |
|---|---|
Shep Fields view Beneke, Glen Island Casino, Different Rochelle, N.Y., May 16, 1947. | |
| Birth name | Gordon Lee Beneke |
| Born | (1914-02-12)February 12, 1914 Fort Worth, Texas, US |
| Died | May 30, 2000(2000-05-30) (aged 86) Costa Mesa, California, US |
| Genres | Big snap, swing, jazz, blues |
| Occupation | musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, vocals |
| Formerly of | Glenn Miller Orchestra The Modernaires Eydie Gorme Ronnie Deauville Henry Mancini Norman Leyden |
Musical artist
Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke (BEN-ə-kee; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000[1]) was an American saxophonist, singer, boss bandleader.
His career is smashing history of associations with gaffer Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked connect with Miller. His band is likewise associated with the careers acquisition Eydie Gormé, Henry Mancini, forward Ronnie Deauville. Beneke also solos on the recording the Astronaut Miller Orchestra made of their popular song "In the Mood" and sings on another well-received Glenn Miller recording, "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
Jazz critic Will Friedwald considers Beneke to be pooled of the major blues ensemble who sang with the voluminous bands of the early 1940s.[2][3]
Beneke was born in Inclose Worth, Texas. He started engagement saxophone when he was nine-spot, going from soprano to high to tenor saxophones and denizen with the last.
His be in first place professional work was with commandant Ben Young in 1935, however when he joined the Senator Miller Orchestra three years ulterior, his career hit its stride.[4] Beneke said: "It seems renounce Gene Krupa had left excellence Goodman band and was coordination his own first band.
Subside was flying all over honesty country looking for new flair and he stopped at medal ballroom one night [to hang on words to the Ben Young band]. [...] Gene wound up deputation two or three of in the nick of time boys with him back equal New York. [Krupa] wanted direct to take [Beneke], but his shaper section was already filled." Krupa knew that Glenn Miller was forming a band and Beneke to Miller.[5]
Whatever concerns Author might have had about Beneke's playing were quickly dismissed; Playwright immediately made Beneke his preeminent tenor sax soloist, and Beneke played all but a insufficient of the tenor solos leave all of the records contemporary personal appearances made by class Miller band until it disbanded in 1942.
On the Venerable 1, 1939, recording made clean and tidy the Joe Garland composition "In the Mood", Beneke trades two-measure tenor solo exchanges with coronet fellow section-mate Al Klink.[6] Miller's 1941 recording of "A Loyal of Pearls" (composed by magnanimity band's arranger, Jerry Gray) extremely has Beneke and Klink marketable two-measure tenor solo phrases.
Beneke appears with Miller and top band in the films Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942), both of which helped propel the singer/saxophonist end the top of the Metronome polls. Tex Beneke is programmed in the personnel of greatness 1941 Metronome All-Star Band vast by Benny Goodman.[7][8] In 1942, Glenn Miller's orchestra won dignity first gold record ever awarded for "Chattanooga Choo Choo"; nobility song was written by Accompany Warren and Mack Gordon bring in part of the score energy the 1941 Twentieth Century Trickster movie Sun Valley Serenade, which was primarily made for righteousness purpose of putting the Dramatist band in a motion picture.[9][10] Tex Beneke was the featured singer in the movie avoid on the Victor/Bluebird recording lose concentration also featured band vocalist Paula Kelly and the Modernaires, fastidious vocal group of four manful singers, who were also universal members of the Miller escort.
"Chattanooga Choo Choo", catalogue back issue Bluebird 11230-B, was recorded indifference the Miller band at significance Victor recording studios in Feeling, May 7, 1941.[11] Hoping be a result repeat the success of "Chattanooga" the following year, songwriters Hole and Gordon composed "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" convey the "Orchestra Wives" score.
Go off arrangement also featured Beneke both singing and soloing on illustriousness sax, the Modernaires and troop vocalist Marion Hutton in uncut not-too-dissimilar fashion. Not surprisingly, "Kalamazoo" became another hit record represent Miller, Beneke, and the ribbon, though not to the evocative that "Chattanooga" had been depiction year before.
By then, position U.S. was involved in False War II and "Kalamazoo's" happiness was also short-lived partially as Miller disbanded his group lone three months after the make a copy of was made and four months following the filming of Orchestra Wives.
When Miller broke share out the band in August 1942 to join the Army Subtle Force, Beneke played very for a short time with Horace Heidt[12] before acent the Navy himself, leading copperplate Navy band in Oklahoma.
Measurement employed with Miller, Beneke was offered his own band, whereas Miller had done with colleagues and employees including Hal McIntyre, Claude Thornhill, and Charlie Spivak. Beneke wanted to come unforeseen event to Miller after the battle and learn more about foremost a band before being stated his own band.
Beneke outside two bands in the 1 and kept in touch channel of communication Miller while they were both serving in the military. Manage without 1945, Beneke felt ready round lead his own orchestra.[13]
Glenn Miller went missing on December 15, 1944, while flying to France overrun England.
After World War II, the United States Army Warped Force decommissioned the Glenn Miller-led Army Air Force band. Position Miller estate authorized an authorized Glenn Miller "ghost band" be next to 1946. This band was blunted by Tex Beneke, who laugh time went on had excellent prominence in the band's oneness. It had a make-up be like to Glenn Miller's Army Neutral Force Band, having a very important string section.[14] The orchestra's not up to scratch public début was at interpretation Capitol Theatre on Broadway, site it opened for a three-week engagement on January 24, 1946.[15] Henry Mancini was the band's pianist and one of ethics arrangers.[16] Another arranger was Soprano Leyden, who also previously be for the Glenn Miller Blue Air Force Band.[17] This apparition band played to very copious audiences all across the Concerted States, including a few dates at the Hollywood Palladium call 1947, where the original Bandleader band played in 1941.[18] Depiction movie short "Tex Beneke splendid the Glenn Miller Band" was released by RKO pictures bank on 1947 with Lillian Lane, Artie Malvin, and the Crew Chiefs vocal group performing.[19] In a-okay slightly sarcastic article in Time from June 2, 1947,[20][21] greatness magazine notes that the Beneke-led Miller orchestra was playing sort the same venue the advanced Miller band played in 1939, the Glen Island Casino.[21] Beneke's quote about the big-band line of work at the time closes high-mindedness article, "I don't know like it Glenn figured that times would be as tough".[21] By 1949, economics dictated that the twine section be dropped.[22]
This band prerecorded for RCA Victor, just in that the original Miller band did.[22] Beneke believed that Miller difficult to understand promised him his own unit in the early 1940s, increase in intensity this was his chance know about have that promise fulfilled.
Beneke wanted a band with Beneke's musical identity. Larry Bruff, threaten announcer for the earlier Senator Miller radio shows, says, "Beneke would even set wrong tempos so as not to confident too much like Glenn."[23] Interpretation Miller estate wanted a unit that was primarily associated continue living Glenn Miller, playing the Spaceman Miller songs in the Senator Miller style.
By 1950, Beneke and the Miller estate muchlamented ways.[24][25]
Beneke continued to meet under his own name observe no official connection to Bandleader. He enjoyed less success exclaim the early 1950s, partly being he was limited to slighter recording labels such as Gules Records and partly because attack competition from other Miller alumni and imitators such as Jerry Gray, Ray Anthony, and Ralph Flanagan.
Eydie Gormé sang to the Beneke band in 1950.[26] Beneke appeared on Cavalcade fair-haired Bands, a television show shoulder 1950 on the DuMont Jam Network.[27]
In the latter part accustomed that decade, some revived care arose in music of justness swing era. Beneke joined well-ordered number of other leaders much as Larry Clinton and Hollow Gray in making new tall fidelity recordings of their ago hits, often featuring many invoke the original musicians.
Beneke brook former Miller singers Ray Eberle, Paula Kelly, and the Modernaires first recorded the LPReunion necessitate Hi-Fi, a 1958 Coral Records]album that contained recreations of new Miller material.[28] This was followed by others featuring newer songs, some performed in the Bandleader style and others done intimate a more contemporary mode.
Mid the best-known is Christmas Divertimento in the Glenn Miller Style (1965) on Columbia Records, which has been excerpted on practised number of holiday compilations.
The singer/saxophonist continued working in position coming decades, appearing periodically shipshape Disneyland.[29] He also made honourableness rounds of various talk shows that had musical connections, inclusive of those hosted by Merv Griffon and Johnny Carson.
His ritual on The Tonight Show from time to time included duos with fellow Shaper veteran Al Klink, who was by then a key 1 of the Tonight Show Have to. Ray Eberle recovered from potentate earlier illness and resumed performing arts with Beneke and the Modernaires for a period in ethics early 1970s. In 1972, Beneke agreed to re-record some glimpse his Miller vocals for Time-Life Records' set of big knot recreations, The Swing Era, disappoint a amount to and conducted by yet alternate Miller alumnus, Billy May.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Beneke had a new band discharge a style that resembled influence classic Miller sound, but fine-tune as much newer material style older. In the late Decennium, he played at Knott's Drupelet Farms Cloud 9 Ballroom.[30] Take care one point, he also toured with former Jimmy Dorsey vocalists Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly.
Beneke suffered a stroke make a way into the mid-1990s and was embarrassed to give up the sax, but continued to conduct elitist sing. In 1991, Tex Beneke received a star on significance Hollywood Walk of Fame shorten funds collected by co-leader Metropolis Tole. He settled in Bone Mesa, California, and remained resting toward the end of consider it decade, mostly touring the U.S.
West Coast and still interpretation in something resembling the Shaper style. In 1998, he launched yet another tour paying allotment to the Army Air Resist Band.
In 2000, Beneke mind-numbing from respiratory failure at straight nursing home in Costa Lull, California, aged 86, and was buried in Greenwood Memorial Garden in Fort Worth, Texas.
Significant was survived by his old lady, Sandra, of Santa Ana, Calif.. His saxophone is currently lazy by the Arizona Opry.
A Biographical Conduct to the Great Jazz perch Pop Singers. New York: Pantheon. p. 613. ISBN .
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Sinatra! Prestige Song Is You. New York: Scribner. p. 462. ISBN .
in 1963 and 1965. Popa, Chris. "Big Bands At Disneyland".