How? Royal Society Jazz Orchestra

This is as good as it gets. I have never heard this orchestra sound quite like this before. It's CLASSIC mid-1930s, with a style and arrangement which is transitional between hot 1920s jazz and smooth 1940s Glenn Miller.

To my own taste, this is the "sweet spot" of all the music of this genre. Bands like Hal Kemp come to mind. Even Paul Whiteman, Isham Jones and T. Dorsey had it figured out. They seem to have found their zenith during those years.

Swing of the 1940s (with a few exceptions, like Artie Shaw) seems derivative of this most fertile period of the mid-thirties, 1934-37. There's a subtle jazz edginess to this style which belies its sophistication. It's proto-swing, but very disciplined. Schmaltz bands like Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk tried to emulate this style, but much of their output, while polished, lacks sincerity and depth.

The British band Ambrose, as well as the later Fletcher Henderson, Ozzie Nelson, Eddie Duchin, Glen Gray and Casa Loma and the early Red Norvo Orchestra would be interesting studies of this era, each with a uniquely different approach to this transitional period.

I'm delighted to present this number as one of the masterpieces of the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. I am literally blown away with it, and I've been following this band for twenty years. Goosebumps!

CDs and playdates for the orchestra can be found at www.RSJO.com.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• How?
• Royal
• Society
• Jazz
• Orchestra
• Don
• Neely
• Carla
• Normand
• Bob
• Embry

[saxx43]

They sound just like the records...without the scratches!

[Bobchai]

@saxx43 Glad you enjoyed this! This is one of the greatest bands in the world.

[BiagiaRose]

Great RSJO videos!  Thanks for sharing!

[Bobchai]

Thank YOU for watching, BiagiaRose!

[Bigband78]

Very Nice,Bobchai,

[exkanuk]

My husband and I have been attending "Dixieland" Jazz festivals since 1974 and RSJO is without a doubt....hands down....my all time favorite band. Wish you guys would play at the LA Classic

[2reeler]

Wonderful song and performance! When I saw it I didnt recognize it and thought it was a typo of Who? But now I know its from the fertile brain of Don Neely, himself. I agree, He has captured perfectly the mid thirties early swing feel of say, George Hall, or Larry Clinton bands. Thanks for sharing this RSJO treat! I love it.

Carla Normand = Dolly Dawn

One of Dons first compositions is the broken record/victrola song. Do you have that? I'd love to hear that one again.

[mst777]

Awesome...something so new sounds so old.. :)

[telsport]

I think I have stumbled onto something a cross between time warp, black hole and frightening coincidence...where the composer-author drops in to tease the poster of the epic performance and leaves him delightfully nonplussed. Cute.

Music is wonderful, comments are subtle and very music literate (I guess) and having the composer drop in to crank off a few comments is a magic touch. Gee. I am happy I was here.

Tom Loughlin Jr, Utica NY

[pili2255]

Excellent, as always!!

Gaby.

[NouveauPasse]

What a great band. Thanks for posting this. I've always been a big fan of Don Neely's band. I lead a band similar in the SouthEast called the

Nouveau-Passe Orchestra.

Great job Don!