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Swing-Era Dossier

Harry James

1916 – 1983

Born

Mar 15, 1916, Albany, Georgia. Given name Harry Haag James — the "Haag" from the Mighty Haag Circus, where his father Everette was bandmaster/cornetist and his mother Myrtle was a trapeze artist and horseback rider. Trained as a contortionist at age 4, played snare drum in the circus band by 6, and was leading the second band in the Christy Brothers Circus by age 12. Family settled in Beaumont, Texas, in 1924.

Died

Jul 5, 1983, Las Vegas, Nevada, age 67. Lymphatic cancer. Worked almost to the end — his last job was June 26, 1983, nine days before he died. Frank Sinatra delivered the eulogy, 44 years after James gave him his first break.

Instruments

Trumpet (primary). Started on drums in the circus, switched to trumpet at 8 under his father's strict daily Arban's-method drilling.

Nicknames

  • "The Hawk" — for his uncanny sight-reading; the band saying was that "if a fly landed on his music, Harry James would play it." (Not a reference to Coleman Hawkins.)

Bands / years

  • Ben Pollack Orchestra (1935–36) — recording debut; met Glenn Miller.
  • Benny Goodman Orchestra (1937–38) — featured high-note trumpet star; played the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert at the band's peak. Down Beat Best Trumpet 1937, '38, '39.
  • Harry James and His Orchestra (1939–1983) — formed early 1939 with a loan from Benny Goodman. Took off after he added a string section in 1941; one of the biggest commercial bands of the early–mid '40s. He never formally retired — led big bands for 44 years, working Las Vegas for decades.

Active

1933–1983 (professional; circus boyhood reaches back further).

Signature tunes

"Ciribiribin" (theme song), "You Made Me Love You" (1941 trumpet-feature smash), "I've Heard That Song Before" (his biggest hit), "Sleepy Lagoon," "I Had the Craziest Dream," "It's Been a Long, Long Time," "Flight of the Bumblebee" (virtuoso showpiece), "Two O'Clock Jump."

Famous compositions

James was overwhelmingly an interpreter and soloist, not a composer — almost none of his famous hits were written by him.

  • Did NOT write: "Ciribiribin" (Alberto Pestalozza, 1898 — James only adapted it as his theme and co-wrote English lyrics), "You Made Me Love You" (Monaco/McCarthy, 1913), "All or Nothing at All" (Altman/Lawrence — the Sinatra side), "Sleepy Lagoon" (Eric Coates), "I've Heard That Song Before" (Styne/Cahn).
  • Did co-write: "Life Goes to a Party" (1937, with Benny Goodman), "Peckin'" (1937, with Ben Pollack), "Two O'Clock Jump" (his variant of Basie's "One O'Clock Jump," co-credited Goodman/James/Basie), and trumpet showpieces like "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile."

Interesting facts

  • Circus contortionist at 4, snare drummer at 6, leading a circus band by 12 — the most unusual apprenticeship in the swing world.
  • Benny Goodman financed his own rival — lent James the money to start the band that became Goodman's commercial competition.
  • Discovered Frank Sinatra in June 1939, singing on a radio remote from the Rustic Cabin. James's wife, singer Louise Tobin, is the one who heard Sinatra first and told Harry to listen. James suggested he change his name to "Frankie Satin"; Sinatra refused, signed at $75/week, cut his first records ("All or Nothing at All") with James, and left for Tommy Dorsey after ~6 months — released on a handshake. ("All or Nothing at All," reissued in 1943, then sold a million.) He also launched Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, Buddy Rich, and Connie Haines.
  • Married Hollywood's #1 pin-up, Betty Grable (1943–65), whose legs were insured by Lloyd's for $1,000,000 — one of the era's most famous celebrity marriages.
  • Ghosted the trumpet for Kirk Douglas in Young Man with a Horn (1950) and coached his fingering. Appeared in 30+ films (with Grable in Springtime in the Rockies, etc.).
  • Passionate Thoroughbred owner/gambler — his horses won stakes races; he was a founding investor in Atlantic City Race Course.
  • The wide "James vibrato" — heavy vibrato, half-valve effects, lip glissandi — beloved by the public, dismissed by jazz purists as schmaltzy.

Sources

Clips