For those who were born before 1990

[Daisy Buchanan]

Out with an older guy then?

Well, he was six years older than me. My parents weren't too happy about us dating, at first. He knew I was a huge Frank fan and won the tickets at an auction. He kept bidding and bidding until he won them. Quite the man, back then!

 

[Barbigirl]

Glenn Miller

Not sure if this counts by your standards even though the band is still touring.

http://www.glennmillerorchestra.com

Maintcoder and I attended early last spring in Seattle. It was an excellent show at Benaroya Hall. I wish there had been dancing but we made up for that dancing down the rainy Seattle streets afterward.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

I've seen Tony Bennet, Dave Brubeck and the Mills Bothers live. My first trumpet teacher had been a member of Woody Herman's first Herd way back in the day- that's as close as I can get to the real greats.

 

[John in Covina]

The Rat Pack is Back

Sadly, I have to say no, but I did get to see "The Rat Pack is Back" at the Las Vegas Sahara showroom. They had some of the best performers "impersonate' Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis jr., and joey Bishop recreating the show along the lines of "the Summit" when they were filming "Oceans 11" and it was great fun.

As to classic performances I have seen Arthur Fiedler and the Boaston Pops Orchestra twice, and that was superb.

Saw current singer Rene Olmstead a couple of Christmases ago in Pasadena.

 

[Wild Root]

I live vicariously

My two great uncles were trombonists in the late 30's and through the 40's with many name bands such as Paul Whitman, Benny Goodman and Spike Jones. My great uncle John is still alive... he's in his 90's now! My uncle Strat passed away soon after my Grandfather (His yougest brother) passed in 1992. They both played at my Grandfather's funeral... it was amazing! They had the sweetest sound even at their age, they knew how to play those T-bones. My Grandfather saw Glenn Miller when he was in the 8th Air Force during WWII in England... I have a few of the photos of Miller's band from those days that my Aunt gave me.

As for me, I saw Ray Antthony live at the Satin Ballroom once... that was pretty cool! I also talked with him back stage a little... a little on the grumpy side but, I told him it was a pleasure never the less. lol

At my first Camp Hollywood, I saw Anita O'Day sing with Bill Elliott's band... that was pretty sweet!

=WR=

 

[aliados]

Unfortunately, no. But, then again, most of my favorite musicians died before I became a fan. My friends are amused that I rarely listen to anything recorded after Repeal . . . (with the notable exception of Cab Calloway).
Charlie

 

[Rick Blaine]

A few...

I saw Ella at Radio City in the early 90's, Stephen Grappelli at the Blue note in NYC in '85, saw Dizzy THREE times before he passed, once at the Blue Note & once on a Circle line tour boat circling Manhattan island on a clear summer's night, >sigh< Sarah Vaughn at the Planting Fields Arboretum, Les Paul too many times to count at Sweet Basil's late night jazz breakfasts in the mid-eighties... good times, those (what I can remember anyway).

 

[Tomasso]

Benny Goodman
Louie Armstrong
Count Basie
Cab Calloway
Ella Fitzgerald
Lionel Hampton
Benny Goodman
Sarah Vaughan
Woody Herman
Gene Krupa
Lena Horne
Teddy Wilson
Peggy Lee
Benny Carter
Earl Hines
Buddy Rich
Miles Davis
John Coltrane
Dizzy Gillespie
Art Blakey
Dave Brubeck
Milt Jackson
Dave Brubeck
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Chet Baker
Stan Getz
Milt Jackson

Among others.

 

[Snookie]

My dad took me to a Gerry Mulligan concert when I was twelve. It must have been about 2 years before he died. I remember the concert, but my dad says I fell asleep after the intermission.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

the only concerts I was ever taken to when I was younger was The Parachute Express, Raffie, and Linda Arnold. lol


My very first staduim type concert was the Gypsy Kings at Griffith Park. That was great! Everyone in the crowd was on their seats dancing!

My parents took me to BeatleMania a long time ago. That's not really jazz or big band, but it was still neat to see the impersonators dressed as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I saw Glenn Miller's orchestra in December 1994, featuring seven original members including vocalist Beryl Davis, who was 17 when she performed at Glenn's final concert in England before he died. The whole orchestra was amazing and Beryl's recollections brought tears to our eyes.

I also saw some of the great sidemen of the era perform the hits of their mentors during a tour here back in '96 and again in '97 called "Celebration of Swing." The great clarinetist Peanuts Hucko (who incidentally played with the Miller band back in the early 40's) performed the music of Benny Goodman, and Art Depew played the sounds of Harry James. They were amazing.

I also got to see Johnnie Johnson, whose band Chuck Berry joined back in the early 50's, three times. He played very old school boogie woogie, in the vein of Albert Ammons and Mead Lux Lewis, and sounded fantastic.

 

[Guiduce]

Well let’s see: In the early forties I saw Sinatra at the Paramount theater in NYC, Horace Heidt, Louis Prima, Lena Horne, Frankie Laine at other theaters there; late forties and early fifties: Harry James, Russ Morgan, Ray Anthony, Billy May, Les Brown and Glen Gray, all at the Hollywood Palladium, at the time the ultimate dance hall in LA.

 

[Fletch]

Goodman twice, Herman four times (and once more under Frank Tiberi), Sinatra, Hampton, Dizzy, Buddy Rich, Les Brown once apiece, both Dorsey ghost bands, Rosie Clooney, Vic Damone, Benny Carter, Pepper Adams, the Ellington band under Mercer, and I kid you not, Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians...

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Very Fortunate!

I had the opportunity to see the greatest drummer in the world; Buddy Rich - twice before he died. It was fantastic! Intimate environment. Up close and personal. He wailed!

Also saw Pearl Bailey's husband and his band. Mr. Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni! We knew him as Louie Bellson! He used to sit in with Doc's band on the 'Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson. Man, oh man that man could swing!

-dixon cannon

 

[Brian Sheridan]

Saw the Chairman

I was lucky enough to see Sinatra in person 4 times.

The first time he was incredible!!! He opened the Niagara Fall Convention Center.

I also saw him with Sammy Davis on the Rat Pack tour after Dean left (sadly) but before (happily) Liza joined the tour. It was incredible hearing him sing Martin's songs.

The last time I had 3rd row for he and Shirley McClaine. He was ailing and reading from big teleprompters. Not always great but he still was the Chairman of the Board!

Ciao,

BRS

 

[Guiduce]

Although I SAW Sinatra at the Paramount (1944) I didn't HEAR him because the theater was packed with screaming bobby-soxers. I lived in Vegas for 25 years and never caught him there even though my wife worked at Caesar's and could have been comped. Go figure.

 

[GOK]

Is it just me, or do the modern orchestras who play swing (even the official bands like the Glenn Miller Orchestra) lack the amazing drive, tempo and passion of the stuff I hear on 78? It seldom seems up to tempo to me, and often a little too Bob Evans. Then there's the occasional clarinet squawk...

I'll let you know after I've been to see them in February Who is Bob Evans? [huh]

 

[DeeDub]

I Wish I Saw More

I saw Artie Shaw's band in Del Mar. He was alive at the time, but wasn't there. Still, they had the joint jumpin'.

I'm not sure they belong in this thread, but I saw Tom Jones -- fun concert -- and Wayne Newton. I'd have to say Wayne Newton is one of the best performers I've seen regardless of genre.

My Count Basie story is a sad one. I had long wanted to see the Count as he's one of my favorites of the Big Band genre. I finally had the time and money and made plans to see his band at the Cocoanut Grove in Santa Cruz, where he appeared pretty regularly. He died shortly before the concert date, so I never got to see him in concert. Damn!

If you're a Basie fan, look for the documentary The Last of the Blue Devils. Those old cats can sure blow!

 

[Spitfire]

Living in Copenhagen all my life, I had the great fortune that one could just go to a jazzclub "Montmatre" on any given day in the sixties and seventies, and there would be som great musicians hangin out. Many american musicians lived in Copenhagen parts of their lives - some are even burried here.
So on any night you could go in, buy a beer and have Dexter Gordon or Ben Webster playing for you! (Grand days!!!!)

Also went to a realy good Miles Davies concert in Copenhagen in the seventies.

And later on in the eighies I was on a businesstrip to Stockholm, living in a nice little Hotel in Riddargatan (Hotel Castle - think it's closed now). When I came down for breakfast one morning, there were som cats playing in the restaurant. The whole room was filled up with lugage, instrumentcases and a lot of musicians. Among them were Count Basie sitting there eating an omelet and drinking coffe. They had just arrived and were supposed to play a concert in the evening. But due to jetlack or whatever, they just had this littlejamsession with their breakfast.
There was not a lot of tables so i sat besides Count Basie, where the only free chair was. He said hello and introduced himself. (So did I)
I called the people I was supposed to have a meeting with, and said I was going to be an hour late - maybe more.
Breakfast with Count Basie and his orchestra!
Nice coffe too.:eusa_clap

 

[52Styleline]

Glen Miller Orchestra when it was being led by Tex Beneke in the mid 70's. Quite a few of the old memebers were still with the band at that time.

Ginny Simms (also in the early 70's) when she was promoting a resort development on the coast. She was backed by a small band and was past her prime but still had a way with a ballad.

Jimmy Dorsey in the late 50's.