[ Billy Maxted Orch ]
A great pianist, Billy wrote many arrangements for Ray Eberle; Red Nichols; Will Bradley, and even Benny Goodman. At the end of the big band era, Billy had his own band briefly.

[ Billy May Big Band ]
b. Nov. 10, 1916, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, d. January 22, 2004,, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA. Age: 87 (Heart Failure).
Theme Song: "Lean Baby"
Overview
Billy is remembered today as one of our great arrangers, who had worked with such orchestras as Charlie Barnet (1938) and Glenn Miller (1939). He played trumpet and did some arranging for both bands. He also contributed some arrangements to the then new Hal McIntyre orchestra.

As a youngster, May first played the tuba after his physician suggested it might help his asthma but eventually switched to trumpet. In 1933, he made his professional debut playing with 'Gene Olsen's Polish-American Orchestra'. He next found work in the bands of Al Howard, Lee River, and Barron Elliot. In 1938, the 21 year old trumpet player's career really took off when he joined the the Charlie Barnet Orchestra. Without a doubt, his best known arrangements for Barnet was for the hit recording of the Ray Noble song "Cherokee". Six months earlier. the Count Basie orchestra had recorded the tune in two parts. The song became a Swing era standard and inspired the Barnet band's signature tune "Redskin Rhumba". In October 1939, after Barnet lost all his band's original charts in the Palomar Ballroom fire, May helped rewrite the Barnet band book from scratch .

In 1940, he signed on with Glenn Miller as an arranger/musician. His arrangements included "Take the 'A' Train" and "Serenade in Blue". He was also very well known for his trumpet playing with Miller's band, notably on 1941s "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem", and in 1942s "American Patrol". Vocalist Marion Hutton called out his name in Miller's release of "Swinging At A Seance".

It should also be pointed out that in the early 1940s May was responsible for helping the then new Hal McIntyre big band achieve success. McIntyre, a former Glenn Miller band reedman, had received both encouragement and financial backing from Miller, as well as some fine arrangements from Billy May. Among May's contributions to McIntyre were "Daisy Mae" which was similar in structure to his arrangement of the same song for Miller's orchestra and a song called "Friday".

Billy had what may be called a 'happy personality'. He wasn't just a drinker ~ he was a guzzler. One member of the Stan Freberg TV program cast once recalled that May was "the only man I ever knew who could conduct a full orchestra and chorus while he was stone drunk." While his drinking was out of control, his music was not. During a session for the "Burnished Brass" album, George Shearing was playing the melody of a piece he wanted May to arrange. After one run-through, he started to repeat it and describe how he wanted it arranged. May interrupted him, saying, "Well, take it from after the bridge because I've got that much orchestrated already." Others recall May giving a studio band the downbeat by chugging a fifth of vodka or sticking his finger up his nose and then pulling it out with a flourish. Throughout the 1940's, Billy was doing radio and film scores. Mays was heard on radio playing for the 'Red Skelton', 'Bing Crosby', and the 'Ozzie (Nelson) and Harriet' shows. In 1942, he was writing arrangements for the Les Brown and Alvino Rey, and Woody Herman orchestras. When Johnny Mercer; Glen Wallach and Buddy DeSylva formed Capitol Records in 1942, Billy May was their choice for Music Director. He both wrote and directed for such stars as Peggy Lee; Nat "King" Cole, and Frank Sinatra. In particular, he did much arranging and conducting for Frank Sinatra producing several of Sinatra's big hits.

He became a leader only after the big band era had ended. He formed the band in 1951, the same year that Ralph Marterie formed his band. The May big band was a well drilled orchestra playing danceable, swinging tunes. The band included such sidemen as Murray McEachern; Alvin Stoller, and Ted Nash. Billy formulated a technique that voiced the reeds section in thirds, creating what has be described as a 'slurping saxophone' sound.Among his band's successes were arrangements of 'All Of Me', 'Lulu's Back In Town', 'Charmaine', 'When My Sugar Walks Down The Street', 'Lean Baby' and 'Fat Man Boogie' - the last two written by Billy. His recording of the movie theme 'The Man With The Golden Arm' made the UK Top 10 in 1956.

Still, the big band era had ended, and bookings were, sadly, very scarce. After disbanding, he went back to arranging for others including making some great sides with Frank Sinatra. He found work as musical director of several TV shows including 'TIME-LIFE's Swing Era' re-creation series.

When Billy passed away at age 87, he left us a wealth of beautiful musical memories.

    [ Nye Mayhew Orch ]
Tenor Sax. Nye's band (1937) never 'made' it - despite the facts that: It was backed by Hal Kemp and used Hal's arranger, John Scott Trotter (who also played the piano in the band). Hugo Winterhalter played Sax. The Band had dates at both the Glen Island Casino and the Hotel Pennsylvania.
By the time the 1930's had ended, so did the Nye Mayhew orchestra. No one knows why. It just lacked something.

    [ Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass ]
Please see our Canadian Bands Database for full information on on Rob McConnell

    [ Clyde "Sugar Blues" McCoy and his Orch. ]
Theme Song: "Sugar Blues"
b. Dec. 29, 1903, Ashland, KY, USA. d. June 11, 1990, Memphis, TN, USA.
né: Clyde Lee McCoy
Here's a photo of Clyde McCoy. While still a child, his family moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where Clyde grew up. By age nine years, he was already marching with the 'Loyal Temperance Legion Band' and playing - on a trombone that was almost bigger than himself - "The Brewer's Big Horses Can't Run Over Me". He soon switched to trumpet and was playing on riverboats and in theaters during his 'teen' years. When he was 16 he formed his first band and just 19 when he stumbled upon the 'Wah Wah' trumpet sound that would later bring him fame if not fortune. By the late 1920's, Clyde had his own full size orchestra playing clubs and ballrooms.

Dave Pieper, whose grandfather worked with McCoy, has kindly shared some photos of a very young Clyde McCoy at the Lyric Theater in Portsmouth, Ohio.. Clyde is 4th from the left, - holding his trumpet. The note on the reverse side has the signatures of the bandsmen..presumable L-R in the above photo... are Joe Barron; Guy Horne; Walter Davison; Clyde McCoy; Oscar Clemmons; and Amzy Asbell (Mr Pieper's grandfather). Here's a close-up view, of (L-R), Guy Horne, Clyde McCoy, Amzy Asbell, and Oscar Clemmons, and Amzy Asbell.

He developed a very distinctive growling, 'wah-wah' trumpet sound through the clever use of a mute, which is probably best exemplified in his first big hit recording, 1931's "Sugar Blues". Columbia Records sold several Million copies and later on Decca released another version selling another million records. Clyde made it his signature song. Other of his hits during the 1930's include "In The Cool of the Night"; "The Goona Goo"; Glen Gray's theme song "Smoke Rings", and "Wah Wah Lament".

It was his treatment of "Sugar Blues", that brought him to the attention of respected jazz authorities (such as George Simon, who thought him a much better trumpet player than he was given credit for). In his book "The Big Bands", Simon wrote "McCoy had been heard blowing such a good brand of dixieland jazz that nobody really knew what kind of musical impression and reputation he might have made during the band days if he hadn't boxed himself in with the Sugar Blues approach."

In 1937, McCoy added 'The Bennett Sisters' , (photo: source unknown) singing group, and in 1938, he married the lead singer, Maxine . (The sister's family name was "Means".)

During WW2, McCoy took the band and vocalists into the U.S. Navy Special Services. When hostilities ended, in 1945, Clyde got out of the navy and re-formed his big band. His 1950s recordings were made with this band, after which he went into a very brief retirement, and came back into the music scene with a Dixieland Jazz septet.

His 1950's band represented the period between his earliest success with "Sugar Blues" and his later Dixieland Jazz period. The big band recorded such Swing Era tunes as "Opus No. 1"; "In the Mood"; "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", and "Panama", (not the 1920s jazz tune that New Orleans bands played but a popular 1930s Latin tune).

Both "Basin Street Blues", and "St. Louis Blues", were first recorded by McCoy in 1933, and both were again recorded by his 1950's big band. Regarding the newer version of "Basin Street Blues", John S. Wilson, jazz critic for the NY Times, has said: "Basin Street Blues" is practically a compendium of the McCoy techniques. With a mute in his horn, he comes right on stuttering, coughing, brawling, smacking wet kissing sounds, and when the ensemble takes over, wandering through it with muttered bits of brass conversation. When he gets to the verse, the idiomatically Clyde emerges in his strict tempo and the right wah-wah-phrases. But as he goes along he shows off the artistry he had developed in the use of these techniques."

During the 1950's Clyde was especially successful getting work in major clubs, ballrooms and concert halls, throughout the US and Canada. But the end of the big band era finally took it's toll on Clyde and he disbanded. He came back a few years later with a Septet, playing Dixieland music which, in the 50s, had a big following. He continued performing with a small dixieland outfit, up to the mid-1980's. He was 87 years old when he died, after spending over 60 years in the music business.

    [ Jack McClean Orch. ]
Currently no information on this band.
Tag: "Down Melody Lane with Jack McLean"
One reader (Ms. Burrows of Oregon, USA) has one of the orchestra's recordings on the Coast Records label. The vocalist was Wayne Gregg. The name of the songs are "Christmas Island" and "When the April Showers Reach Hawaii". McClean may also have recorded for another label.

    [ McFarland Twins Orch. ]
Twin Brothers Art and George (George on right) played Saxophones. First orchestra in the 1930's. was so-so. The 1942 orch was much better. They had originally been with Fred Waring and billed as 'the twin saxophonists'. Later, they started their own band..."Music that Wins with the McFarland Twins", and recorded for Okeh Records. They also made a couple of pictures in Hollywood. After WWII, they owned a restaurant/night club in Oyster Bay, Long Island, N.Y. (USA), and still later, they went into the real estate business in East Williston, LI.
The above information on the McFarland Twins Orch., was graciously supplied by Mr. Wyn Walshe who was in the orchestra.

    [ Robert Maxwell Orch. ]
Born in New York City to non-musical parents, Bob was already studying the harp at age ten. He attended Lincoln High School where he won a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music. At Juilliard, he studied under Giannini and Grandjany. At just age 17, he joined the National Symphony Orchestra (their youngest member) and gave solo recitals in Los Angeles and New York. In addition, he also performed in the orchestra of Arturo Toscanini and Serge Koussevitsky.

During WW2 and the mid-1940s, Maxwell served in the U.S. Coast Guard under singer/bandleader Rudy Vallee (who was serving with the rating of C.P.O.). Vallee arranged for Maxwell to tour with a band and to perform for his fellow servicemen. During this time, Maxwell gathered solo-performance experience and learned to make his instrument appear less delicate and fragile to audiences.

During the 1950s, the harpist recorded a number of imaginative albums for MGM with up-tempo and beat oriented arrangements that included "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Harp", "Hi-Fi Harp",and "Red Hot Harp".

In 1964, Maxwell's composition "Shangri-La" (Decca), composed while he was working with Matty Malneck's Octet), reached #15 on the pop charts. The tune later became the 'theme' for the Reggie van Gleason character on Jackie Gleason's popular TV Show. Maxwell is also the co-composer of "Ebb Tide" (Carl Sigman was the other composer. The tune has been recorded by such groups as Frank Chacksfield; Vic Damone; Lenny Welch; and The Righteous Brothers). Very few folks now recall that he is also the composer of "Song Of The Nairobi Trio (Solfeggio)", a curious little melody made famous by the comedian Ernie Kovacs, who used it in a sketch with three actors costumed as gorillas wearing overcoats and Derby hats, -their movements in perfect synchronization with the music. ("Accidental Slip On An Oriental Rug" was the B-side of the original "Nairobi Trio" release.) He appeared on the 1966 Christmas show Heart of Christmas, with host/conducter Skitch Henderson, playing seasonal music on his harp.

During his career, Maxwell appeared on radio, TV, films, as well as in hotel and theater venues. On television he appeared on the Cavalcade of Stars, and on the Milton Berle, and Morton Downey shows. He also appeared as CBS's summer replacement for the Frank Sinatra show (his harp was rigged with electric lights). He was on Bob Hope's 1960 Birthday show playing a medley of popular tunes on his harp. (Other guest stars included, Robert Cummings, Lily Pons, tap dancer Betty Bruce, newly elected New York City Mayor Vincent Impelliteri, and Eleanor Roosevelt.)

Much of his later (mostly Studio) orchestra recordings are best described as "Bachelor Pad" Music, and were quite popular with the younger crowd.

    [ Mitchell's Jazz Kings ]
This drummer/leader may have been the principle "flag waver" for American Jazz in Europe at the end of World War I. He originally went to Europe in 1912 with famed dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. In 1915, he was playing in British Vaudeville. In 1918, he returned to New York where he formed another orchestra which he took Paris, France, where he played at many popular hotels, and a five year residency at the famed Casino de Paris.

A reader has contributed this photo of the 1921 Mitchell's Jazz Kings

    [ Dick McDonough Orch. ]
b. July 30, 1904, New York, NY, USA, d. May 25, 1938, New York, NY, USA
né: Richard Tobin McDonough,
McDonough originally studied the banjo, and even started his career playing that instrument. In 1927, Dick was the banjoist with the Red Nichols group, but soon made the guitar his major instrument, and participated in hundreds of sessions as a guitarist. Included among those with whom he worked during this period are such stars as 'Red' McKenzie, Connee Boswell, The Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman, Joe Venuti, Mildred Bailey and Glenn Miller.

In the 1930s, McDonough's career accellerated. With Eddie Lang's premature demise in 1933, it was thought that Dick McDonough and Carl Kress would be the likely successors both in the recording studios and on Jazz dates.

Incidentally, Kress also got his start as banjoist (with the 1926 Paul Whiteman Orch., that also featured Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer.) In the 1930's Kress too switched over to the guitar, and, beginning in 1932, began to record some of the finest Jazz guitar duets in history, with Eddie Lang and again in 1934 with Dick McDonough. With Lang's passing, Kress and Dick McDonough advanced this completely orchestrated style, and their work is still very worthy of study.

During 1936-1937, McDonough led a series of mid-size group recordings, few of which have ever been reissued. McDonough both recorded with Glenn Miller's unsuccessful 1937 big band, and also appeared on an all-star recording date with Bunny Berigan, Fats Waller, Tommy Dorsey, and drummer George Wettling. It was issued as "A Jam Session at Victor."

Typical 'Dick McDonough And His Orchestra' lineups for the '36-'37 recordings were:
The New York June 23, 1936 recording date: Bunny Berigan (tpt), Artie Shaw (cl), Larry Binyon (cl,ts), Adrial Rollini (bass sax), Claude Thornhill (p), Dick McDonough (g), unknown (poss. Paul Prince) (b), Chanuncey Morehouse (dr), Buddy Clark (vocals)

New York August 4, 1936.
Bunny Berigan (tpt), probably Toots Mondello (cl,as), Larry Binyon (ts), Adrian Rollini (bass sax, vibes), Sammy Prager (p), Dick McDonough (g), Paul Price (b), Cozy Cole (dr), Buddy Clark (vocals)

New York August 5, 1936.
Bunny Berigan, unknown (tpt), Lloyd Turner (?) (tb), probably Artie Shaw or Toots Mondello (cl,as), Babe Russin or Larry Binyon (ts), Sammy Prager (?) (p), Dick McDonough (g), Paul Price (?) (b), Cozy Cole (?) (dr), Buddy Clark (vocals)

New York January 5, 1937.
(??Bunny Berigan) unknown (tpt), possibly Toots Mondello (cl,as), possibly Larry Binyon (ts), unknown (Johnny Ingram?) (sax), unknown (p), Dick McDonough (g), probably Artie Bernstein (b), possibly Chaucey Morehouse (dr), Charles "Chick" Bullock, Art Gentry (vocals)

Dick McDonough's life was cut short by his alcoholism. In retrospect, we can see how his Chordal acoustic guitar technique strongly influenced those who came after him (including Marty Grosz decades later). He was an important figure in the development of the Jazz guitar.

    [ Edwin J. McEnelly's Orch. ]
Currently no information available.
Basically, a Boston, MA, based "territory" band that mainly toured the New England area from ca. 1910 to the end of the 1920s. In 1902, McEnelly formed his first band in Milford, Massachusetts, which was soon touring throughout New England as 'McEnelly's "Singing" Orchestra'. By 1917, the band had a regular gig playing at 'Riverside Park' in Springfield, Massachusetts, and by the early 1920s was regularly broadcasting. Here's still another view of McEnelly's Band. (Photos courtesy of Mr. Leonard Schwartz) During the 1925 to 1929 period, the McEnelly Band (1925) recorded 21 sides for RCA Victor. One of the future stars who got his start with McEnelly's band was pianist Frankie Carle. In 1929, the great world-wide Economic Depression brought an end to McEnelly's recording career, although he continued leading his band until 1942 when failing health forced him to retire. Up to his demise in 1959, McEnelly worked as a violin teacher and piano tuner.

Listening to these tracks give one a good indication of the musical expertise of these early dance bands, and most certainly shows that the expression "territory band" should never ever be used demeaningly.
  "My Sunday Girl", (646 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with vocal refrain by Frederick L. Wade (Ruby - Cooper - Stept). Rec'd: Victor 20589-B 4-1-1927. The band also recorded "I'll Take Care Of Your Cares " on this same date. Besides vocalist Frederick L. Wade and several unknown instrumentists, the band's personnel included F. Carle at the piano, W. Kauppi on cornet, W.C. Kihulein and H. Greene on trombone as well as E. J. McEnelly and C. Farrell on violin.

  "A Siren Dream", (554 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with vocal refrain by Elliot Shaw . (Lew Pollack - Al Sherman) 1927 Victor 21011-B

  "Just Cross The River From Queens", (649 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with vocal refrain by Frederick L. Wade. (Neville Fleeson - Albert Von Tilzer). (The lyric refers to the Island of Manhattan.) Rec'd: Victor 20601-B 3/21/1927

  "Normandy", (563 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with vocal Trio., (Robinson - Little - Britt) Re'd: Victor 19841-A 11-2-1925

  "Desert Isle", (538 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with a delightful instrumental rendition. (Harlan Thompson - Harry Archer) Rec'd: Victor 19617-B

  "Blame It On The Waltz", (628 kb): Edwin J. McEnelly's Orchestra with vocal Rec'd: Victor 20370-A