Ben Pollack (June 22, 1903 – June 7, 1971) was a drummer
and bandleader from the mid 1920s through the swing era. His eye for talent led
him to either discover or employ, at one time or another, musicians such as
Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Glenn Miller, Jimmy McPartland and Harry James.
This ability earned him the nickname "Father of Swing".
One of the more successful bandleaders of the late 1920s
and early 1930s, Ben Pollack was born in Chicago, Illinois. He played drums in
school and formed groups on the side. He got his professional start in Chicago
in the early 1920s playing drums for Dick Schoenberg's orchestra. He
subsequently worked for Izzy Wagner in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, before joining the
New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1921. He later traveled to the West Coast, spending
a week with Larry Shields and eleven months with the Harry Bastin Band.
From California Pollack returned to Chicago with plans to
take over his family's fur business but was unable to get music out of his
blood. He headed for New York in late 1924 and wasn't there long before he
received an offer from Bastin to take over his band. He went back to the West
Coast, remaining there for a year before returning to Chicago in 1926. He
worked briefly with Art Kassel and then formed his own orchestra that May. He
took his new band back to California the following year and then to New York,
where it spent much of its time at the Park Central Hotel.
Producing some of the most exciting music of its era,
Pollack's orchestra was chocked full of talent. At various times it featured
such future stars as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Smith Ballew,
Charlie Spivak, Bud Freeman, Fud Livingston, Ray Bauduc, Nappy Lamare, and Gil
Rodin. Pollack often sang. The group recorded on Victor from 1926 to 1929, on
the Banner label in 1930 and 1931, and on the Columbia label in 1933 and 1934.
From about 1928, with involvement from Irving Mills, members of Pollack's band moonlighted at Plaza-ARC and recorded a vast quantity of hot dance and jazz for their dime store labels — Banner, Perfect, Domino, Cameo, Lincoln, Romeo — under the names Mills' Merry Makers, Goody's Good Timers, Kentucky Grasshoppers, Mills' Musical Clowns, The Lumberjacks, Dixie Daises, The Caroliners, The Whoopee Makers, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, Dixie Jazz Band, and Jimmy Bracken's Toe Ticklers often without Pollack’s approval. Combining Pollack's regular recordings with these side groups made Pollack's one of the more prolific bands of the 1920s and 1930s.
Ben Pollack & The Boswell Sisters |
From about 1928, with involvement from Irving Mills, members of Pollack's band moonlighted at Plaza-ARC and recorded a vast quantity of hot dance and jazz for their dime store labels — Banner, Perfect, Domino, Cameo, Lincoln, Romeo — under the names Mills' Merry Makers, Goody's Good Timers, Kentucky Grasshoppers, Mills' Musical Clowns, The Lumberjacks, Dixie Daises, The Caroliners, The Whoopee Makers, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, Dixie Jazz Band, and Jimmy Bracken's Toe Ticklers often without Pollack’s approval. Combining Pollack's regular recordings with these side groups made Pollack's one of the more prolific bands of the 1920s and 1930s.
Though Pollack may have had an all-star line-up he was
unable to keep most of them for very long. By 1930 Goodman, Miller, and many
others had left, forcing Pollack to revise the group's direction. Pollack's
band of the 1930s, while still talented, was not as consistent as his 1920s
grouping. It also suffered because of
Pollack's inattentiveness. 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. Finally, in 1934, they quit en masse and formed a new group under sax player Gil Rodin, which later went on to fame under Bob Crosby's name.
Pollack's inattentiveness. 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. Finally, in 1934, they quit en masse and formed a new group under sax player Gil Rodin, which later went on to fame under Bob Crosby's name.
Inspired by the commercial success of swing Pollack
formed a new orchestra in late 1935. Though it featured a then unknown Harry
James and Freddie Slack, as well as trumpeter Shorty Sherock, clarinetist
Irving Fazola, and saxophonist Dave
Matthews, it failed to live up to its predecessor and soon disbanded. Pollack attempted to put together another band on the West Coast, but it too was short-lived, breaking up in 1938. Pollack's later groups recorded on Vocalion and Brunswick in 1936 and on Decca in 1937 and 1938. Vocalists for Pollack during the 1930s include Peggy Mann, Paula Gayle, Jim Hardy, Frances Hunt, Carol McKay, and Lois Still.
Matthews, it failed to live up to its predecessor and soon disbanded. Pollack attempted to put together another band on the West Coast, but it too was short-lived, breaking up in 1938. Pollack's later groups recorded on Vocalion and Brunswick in 1936 and on Decca in 1937 and 1938. Vocalists for Pollack during the 1930s include Peggy Mann, Paula Gayle, Jim Hardy, Frances Hunt, Carol McKay, and Lois Still.
After the demise of his big bands Pollack soldiered on,
never venturing far from the Dixieland style that he favoured He led bands in
New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where Muggsy Spanier became an alumnus.
In 1942, he became the leader of the touring band working behind music/comedy
star Chico Marx. By this time, the field of big-band music was dominated by his
former alumni, most notably Miller, Goodman, and James. In 1945 he founded his
own record label Jewel and employed Henry Stone as an executive for A&R. Pollack
was working out of New Orleans in the late '40s, and hosted the Second Annual
Dixieland Jubilee in 1949, after which he led a sextet.
Pollack and Doris Robbins, who had no children, were
divorced in 1957. By the late 50’s he went into the business world, operating
his own club in Los Angeles. In 1966 he moved to Palm Springs, California where
he and his sister ran a successful reteraunt. In later years, after suffering a
series of financial losses, Pollack grew bitter and despondent, often filing
lawsuits against various big bands. Ben Pollack committed suicide in 1971,
hanging himself in his bathroom of his Palm Springs home.
In 1992, Ben Pollack was inducted into the Big Band and
Jazz Hall of Fame.
(Edited mainly from parabrisas.com, AllMusic & Wikipedia)
3 comments:
For “Ben Pollack – The Ben Pollack Orchestras: 1928-1938” go here:
https://filecat.net/f/psmNZ
01. Singapore Sorrows - Ben Pollack & His Californians (2:53)
02. Buy, Buy For Baby - Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra & Belle Mann (2:52)
03. Futuristic Rhythm - Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra (2:40)
04. Wang Wang Blues - Ben's Bad Boys (3:07)
05. Yellow Dog Blues - Ben's Bad Boys (2:37)
06. Shout Hallelujah! ‘Cause I’m Home - Louisville Rhythm Kings & Smith Ballew (3:06)
07. In A Great Big Way - Lousiville Rhythm Kings & Vocal Trio (3:14)
08. Bashful Baby Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra & Scrappy Lambert (2:50)
09. Where The Sweet Forget-Me-Nots Remember - (as above) (3:18)
10. True Blue Lou - Ben Pollack & His Park Central Orchestra & Scrappy Lambert (3:07)
11. Cryin’ For The Carolines - Ben Pollack's Orchestra (3:12)
12. Two Tickets To Georgia - Ben Pollack's Orchestra (2:42)
13. Deep Jungle - Ben Pollack's Orchestra (2:55)
14. Swing Out - Ben Pollack's Orchestra (2:50)
15. I’m Full Of The Devil - Ben Pollack's Orchestra (3:05)
16. I’m One Step Ahead Of My Shadow - Ben Pollack & His Orchestra & Lois Still (3:07)
17. I Couldn’t Be Mad At You - Ben Pollack & His Orchsetra & Carol Mackay (2:44)
18. Spreadin’ Knowledge Around - The Dean & His Kids (2:41)
19. Zoom Zoom Zoom - The Dean & His Kids & Harry James (2:47)
20. Jimtown Blues - The Dean & His Kids (3:05)
21. In A Sentimental Mood - Ben Pollack & His Orchestra (3:12)
22. Peckin’- Ben Pollack & His Orchestra (3:10)
23. Alice Blue Gown - Ben Pollack & His Orchestra (3:10)
24. The Snake-Charmer - Ben Pollack & His Pick A Rib Boys (2:28)
25. After You’ve Gone - Ben Pollack & His Orchestra & Paula Gayle (2:39)
A big thank you to AnyJazz.com for active link.
Hi Bob,
Normally you do not create a biography on a backup singer, but Millie Kirkham (June 24, 1923 - December 14, 2014) may be an exception, and her birthday is in two days. Please consider checking out her Wikipedia biography.
Elvis heard her high soprano at the very end of Ferlin Husky's "Gone" (6-1957 Cash Box), and then asked her to sing on his classic "Blue Christmas", and the rest is long pop chart history :-).
Ben's name pops up a lot in 78 crate digging expeditions. Thanks for the opprtunity to revisit his work
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