"Ben Pollack and his Park Central Orchestra" 1929

[vitajazz]

Joe Showler and I had pretty well agreed that it's the Paul Whiteman band on the MGM short "Billy Rose's Casa Manana Review." Whiteman was the resident band at the Casa Manana, it SOUNDS like his band, and the opening pan shows the band with a leader with a stomach that looks suspiciously like Whiteman's. All subsequent shots avoided the band.

[harryoakley]

@vitajazz Very interesting! But can you upload "Billy Rose's Casa Manana Review" so we can see it?

[vitajazz]

@harryoakley It's on the Warner Archive Collection DVD "Classic Music Shorts from the Dream factory." I'd be surprised if you haven't got that, along with the other three Vitaphone shorts DVD boxes. They're a Must for any vintage jazz fan or Vitaphone lover.

[harryoakley]

@vitajazz Why don't you upload it on YouTube so we can all see it and discuss whether we agree it's Whiteman?

[vitajazz]

@harryoakley well I could.. but no one else is uploading shorts that have been released on these DVDs.. Seriously, those three Vitaphone sets give you a total of 180 Vitaphones! Plus this MGM set has good stuff including the Capitolians with Miff Mole and Jimmy Dorsey. Some shorts won't be released for a while, such as this 29 Pollack film which is tied up in litigation, 60 more Vitaphones are being issued soon, including Eddie Peaboy and Harry Wayman and the Horace Heidt I posted.

.

[vitajazz]

@harryoakley I'll accede to your request for Casa Manana since it is an unusual item, and has aired on TCM thus making it "public."; but seriously I'm not going to make a habit of uploading commercial DVD rips to Youtube! Plus I know the people who put together these DVDs, so it's embarrasing. ..

[vitajazz]

@harryoakley By the way I'm sitting on a Flying Spot to Betacam master of the 29 Pollack film, jus' sayin'...

[vitajazz]

@harryoakley Joe didn't realize the Casa Manana short still existed until I started playing it from laserdisc("That's Entertainment special edition," second issue only.) Joe was particulalry interested in the Casa Manana and had a lot of research material regarding it. He devoted a chapter in his Teagarden biography to the events surrounding Billy Rose, Jumbo, and the Casa Manana.

[harlanlattimore]

Teagarden played vibes in the band because that was Glenn Miller's job when he was the trombonist for Pollack. Joe Showler told me this. I think it's significant because JT also recorded on vibes with Fats Waller. That predates Lionel Hampton's sides with LA, Red Norvo, and, possibly Adrian Rollini which might make JT the first jazz vibe player recorded

[harryoakley]

@harlanlattimore I'm sure you're right - but I can't hear vibes anywhere on any of the Pollack Victor records.

[altoalto1]

@harlanlattimore You can see indeed that on 0:44 he plays the vides and ond 0:45 he takes the trombone from his lap to play it.

[artcramer]

At lest one of the trumpet players was Mannie Kiene. The clarinetist is of course Benny Goodman, and the tromboninst, the great Jack Teagarden. Man he sure played better straight horn in those days.

[harryoakley]

No, Mannie Klein is not present here. Trumpeters are Jimmy McPartland and Al Harris.

[sirjuandabicho]

Bellisimo, muchas gracias.

[rogharm]

great clip post. i love seeing the actual orchestra playing and featured. great violin playing. just as good as bing's version. like cymbal clash. like singer. ROGHARM

[DOMORCIDEA]

California echoes is my favourite Ben Pollack tune!

thanks for the post!

[brosro]

Also strange to see Tea on vibes.

[brosro]

Great post. Nice to see the whole clip.

Wish Ben (or Vitaphone) would have let them "cut loose" on at least one selection.

Wouldn't it be nice if Paul Whiteman made one of these shorts?

[harryoakley]

Indeed, and I have always wondered why that didn't happen. Perhaps Whiteman and his band were too "big" for this? Mind you, there is so much that could have been filmed for Vitaphone....

[PKomp]

strange to see goodman playing baritone sax

[memorylanefrank]

Great addition to You Tube. One of the 20's great dance bands..Ben Pollack gave many greats their start. Several seen on this video. Ben was also a terrific drummer. Great short!