wacky tacky tunes: Alvino Rey

Sometimes I have a hard time following my own train of thought because it makes quite the habit of jumping the tracks.  I was actually writing a blog post the other night and searching for the perfect musical accompaniment in the form of a youtube video; it wasn't long before I got distracted by listening to and singing along with Doris Day tunes.  Proud to say that I kept right up with her as she expertly maneuvered the trickiness of "Cuttin' Capers," I even made it through the tongue-twisting lyrics, "You'll never pick about or pick a quarrel with Mr. Krupa or with Frankie Carl; you'll never dig a list of bigger names a cuttin' capers with Harry James.  With Benny Goodman and his clarinet, and Tommy Dorsey's in it too.  Alvino Rey will star; a walkin', talkin' steel guitar..."  Hearing Rey's name, I couldn't help but forget Doris and remember the clip of "St. Louis Blues" as uploaded and shared by our pal, Deke.

"St. Louis Blues" - Alvino Rey & Stringy (the walkin', talkin' steel guitar)

After re-watching the above video, you can bet that even Casey Jones couldn't get my train of thought back on track; I had a first-class ticket on the Alvino Rey Express.

Heralded as "The King of Guitar," Rey was a pioneer in developing the technology necessary for electric instruments and modern sound equipment.  With his pedal-steel guitar, he forged new territory by incorporating electric instruments into the Big Band sound.  Rey's real magic, of course, was not just playing the pedal-steel guitar, but making it sing.    

"Mama Blues" - Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" - Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

"Bloop Bleep" - Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

Having met The King Sisters while performing with Horace Heidt's band, it was clear that Rey appreciated real singing talent over and above even Stringy's vocal stylings; in 1937 Rey married his favorite King sister, making Luise King his queen.

Alvino Rey & The King Sisters

I believe that's Luise on the far right.

(Source)

Upon their marriage, Rey converted to Mormonism (The King Sisters were natives of Utah); it comes as no surprise as one look at Rey's orchestra looks like a veritable casting call for The Book of Mormon musical.  Fortunately for Rey, The King Sisters came as a package deal (insert ploygamy joke here) and after leaving the Heidt band, Alvino Rey created his own orchestra with the sisters as the featured vocalists.

"Tiger Rag" - Alvino Rey & His Orchestra featuring The King Sisters

As if it couldn't get any more wacky tacky than a marionette guitar, a pedal-steel guitar wailing for its mama, and a group of four grown women singing, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty" at hyper-speed, we see Mr. Rey's appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show.  Nothing makes our figurative pedal-steels sing like two giants of wacky tacky joining forces!

"Hindustan" - Alvino Rey on The Lawrence Welk Show

As the Big Band era faded, Rey continued to be an innovator, translating his dynamic musicality into the realms of lounge, exotica, and spooky soundtracks.

"Night Train" - Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

A cool arrangement of one of my all-time favorite songs.

"The Bat" - Alvino Rey

Needless to say, the original blog post has all but been banished for life to the blog wasteland that is the "Draft" folder.  Here's hoping your 2014 pours out upon you like a real REY of sunshine (or at least a saucy game of double-paddle, blind-man's ping pong)!!!

It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt...

(Source)

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Swing! Sister, Swing!

Why is it that all-girl bands have always been such a novelty?  Even today, outside of a classical, string quartet, we still tend to be somewhat suspect of a group of "girls" taking to the stage to perform.  Why?  I wonder.  Far be it from me to get into a serious discussion of sexual politics as they relate to the history of music; wacky tacky seldom invites such serious, thought-provoking, and potentially polarizing discourse.  However, I have a sister that has more musical talent in her little finger than most people have in their whole body and I know plenty more women who are solid senders.  And yet, there is something inherently fascinating and incredibly wacky tacky about a bandstand filled with women.  Every time I see old footage of a woman playing a saxophone, I wonder about her history and what inspired her to take up that particular instrument. 

The 1920's, 30's, and 40's saw a particular surge in all-female orchestras and while they may have never made a name as famous as their male counterparts, they had the drive and the musicianship to create some crazy rhythms.  One thing is for sure, these women took the charge to "Hurry up and send me; let me go to town," very seriously.

THE INGENUES

Musical medley from "Band Beautiful"

The Ingenues (1928)

"Can't Help Lovin' that Man of Mine"

The Ingenues (1929)

RITA RIO

"Feed the Kitty"

Rita Rio & Her Mistresses of Rhythm

Rita Rio (1939)

"I Cried for You"

Rita Rio

ADA LEONARD

Ada Leonard (1943)

THELMA WHITE

"Choo Choo"

Thelma White

The biggest take away from these clips for me is not the fact that there have always been talented female musicians, but rather the amazing vitality, pep, and perpetual motion of the band leaders.  You couldn't count on Tommy Dorsey to do much more than wave his baton or swing his trombone in a circular motion.  For Rita, Thelma, and Ada, the dance was all part of the show.

Truth be told, some of these orchestras were little more than publicity gimmicks.  Apparently, Thelma White was an actress who was handed a baton and miles of fringe and told to get groovy for the cameras.  Nevertheless, all-female orchestras existed and exhausted themselves in an effort to put out great music and put on a great show!

It is obvious that these bands were the inspiration for "Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators" from the 1959 film Some Like it Hot, so we just couldn't resist including a little boop-boop-a-doop.

"I Wanna Be Loved by You"
Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopaters
Some Like it Hot (1959)

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky icons: Anita O'Day

Anita O'Day
(October 18, 1919 - November 23, 2006)

"Body and Soul"

Anita O'Day was a junky.  I read an excerpt from her autobiography that detailed the time her heroin dealer told police that O'Day suffered a heart attack in the ladies' restroom to cover up the fact that she had actually overdosed while mainlining.  Fortunately, the story had a happy ending and O'Day not only survived but managed to resurrect her career from the hopelessness of addiction, anonymity, and bankruptcy.

She was hep to the jive.

O'Day exemplified wacky tacky in every phrase of every song she ever performed.  She could turn a corny, novelty number into something equally hilarious, timeless, and danceable.  She had the timing of a comedian, the phrasing of a poet, and the jive of a jazz musician.  She turned the prevailing notion of a girl singer on its ear.  She was one of the boys and her voice was equal to any horn in the band.  

She was still a bit of a glamour-puss.

She is probably best known for her work with Gene Krupa and their musical relationship gave birth to some of my favorite recordings.  Her voice, at once harsh and mellow, was compelling.  She was a consummate storyteller and never let a lyricist down.  Here are but a few examples of her genius.

"How Come?"

"Let Me Off Uptown"

"And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine"

While she rose to fame in the big band years, I am inclined to believe that she felt most accomplished later in her career.  Having overcome much adversity, she came into her own as a jazz vocalist.  Years of struggle could be heard in her voice but it only added to her ability to relay the story behind the song.  She sang more ballads and explored her range both vocally and emotionally.  She toured the world and received much more individual recognition than she ever had on Krupa's bandstand.  I love her recordings from the early 40's and I equally appreciate her later recordings for completely different reasons.  Her early work makes me want to dance and get groovy while her later work is more thoughtful, introspective and even sultry.  Even a traditionally-rousing song like "Sweet Georgia Brown" under the treatment of Miss O'Day could cast a spell.

"Sweet Georgia Brown"

Live at The Newport Jazz Festival

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny