John Kirby Sextet “unidentified title”
SEPIA CINDERELLA is one of the finer independent black cast films produced during the late 1940s, and in terms of quality it is no better or
SEPIA CINDERELLA is one of the finer independent black cast films produced during the late 1940s, and in terms of quality it is no better or
Thrills of Music: Ray McKinley and his Orchestra is a superior band short from 1946, featuring drummer and vocalist Ray McKinley, a handful of terrific soloists
Video Varieties was a New York-based production concern headed by director/editor Leonard Anderson, and West Coast Studios founder George Goman. Video Varieties was formed to
Video Varieties was a New York-based production concern headed by director/editor Leonard Anderson, and West Coast Studios founder George Goman. Video Varieties was formed to
Video Varieties was a New York-based production concern headed by director/editor Leonard Anderson, and West Coast Studios founder George Goman. Video Varieties was formed to
At first glance the 1946 short subject LUCKY MILLINDER AND HIS ORCHESTRA seems to be no different than many of the band shorts that had
that television could be an asset to their operations. Their earliest activities, that is 1948-49, included the reissue of a few United Artist features and short subjects, as well as the production of musical shorts. For the latter they turned to Video Varieties.
The Les Hite orchestra had been a fixture on the Los Angeles music scene since the early 193Os. Louis Armstrong had fronted the band in 193O for an engagement at Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club in Culver City.
Lucky Millinder was one of the most charismatic of bandleaders, and he parlayed the ability to communicate with audiences into a career that lasted two and a half decades.
SEPIA CINDERELLA is framed as a love story with music, and it should not be surprising that all of the songs performed by Billy Daniels, Sheila Guyse and Rubel Blakey are strictly popular ballads, with no jazz content. In the music of Deek Watson and John Kirby, however, we have very fine jazz performances.