Roaring Twenties: Ben Pollack Orch.- On With The Dance! 1929

Ben POLLACK born 1903 in Chicago to a family in the fur business. He was a talented drummer and a bandleader, active from 1926 (Ben Pollack and His Californians) thru 1930s (Ben Pollack and His Park Central Orch., Ben Pollack and His Orchestra, Ben Pollack And His Pick-A-Rib Boys). He had an excellent ear for the music as well as for the future luminaires and his bands always included such personae in the Word of jazz as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James,, Mugsy Spanier, Jack Teagarden,, Frank Teschemacher or Bud Freeman. From the Dixieland style, that he favoured, leading bands in New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles, Ben Pollack in 1930s became the leader of the swing band working with then unknown Harry James and Freddie Slack, as well as trumpeter Shorty Sherock, clarinetist Irving Fazola, and saxophonist Dave Matthews . In the early 1930s Pollack fell in love with vocalist Doris Robbins, and the two eventually married. As he began to concentrate more and more on her career and less on the orchestra his musicians became disgruntled. In 1940s Ben Pollack was a director of the touring band behind music/comedy star Chico Marx - though he may have had an all-star line-up he was unable to keep most of them for very long. In 1971 he died , hanging himself in his flat in Palm Springs, California.

Recording: Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra, voc. Scrappy Lambert - On With the Dance! (Monaco /Leslie / Dubin), Victor 1929

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1920s
• Jazz
• Age
• America
• hot
• dance
• band
• 78s

[TCDS75]

Preciosa, amable, recordable, ¡Ese saxofon!................

[althejazz]

Great stuff this - the Pollack organisation were tops with Jimmy McPartland, Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden on this side and the vocal is definitely Ben Pollack and the alto at the beginning sounds like Benny Goodman rather than Gil Rodin. In later years the alumni of the Pollack band transmogrified into the Bob Crosby led co-operative band which achieved so much success between 1935 and 1940 and featured the superb Irving Fazola on clarinet.

[Jotaemesg]

Lovely music and words indeed

[ErnieHollerhagen]

Clarinet sounds like early BG, still influenced by Chicago-style players like Russell and Teschmaker.

[bobparis]

The vocal is Ben Pollack, not Scrappy!

[dzheger]

Some energetic jazzy tune, and some smily chorus girls.

[fuzzbear6240]

JC, Agreed-I'm always on the lookout to add more Pollack to my collection.

Regards, J.

[JCJasion]

Even so, Fuzz, what he and the boys did with the Pop material was exceptionally good hot dance music and well within the Jazz canon!!!

[barjonah1]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your kindness. It is very sad that we do not have a nice collection of his music but in a way it does not surprise me. My grandfather was very humble. Never spoke of his talent or success as a jazz musician. He was very special to me and to share his gift my my children, his gr grandchild would be pure joy. Thanks again.

[althejazz]

I have been researching for the name Irving Verret and he shows up with Phil Harris and His Orchestra in 1936/37 on four sessions for Vocalion. Among the sides are the very popular 'Woodman, woodman, spare that tree', 'You can tell she comes from Dixie', 'Between the devil and the deep blue sea' and 'The darktown strutters' ball' all of which are available on CD.