A joyous romp by an unknown jazz combo is one of the delights that one discovers in the World of Soundies, and it is time to resurrect the career of one Ron Perry, a vocalist and jazz fiddler, and not to be confused with tenor saxophonist of the same name who worked with Artie Shaw in the late 1930s.
During the war years, the phrase “Meet me under the clock at the Astor “could mean only one thing to Manhattan nightclub devotees: “I’ll see you at the Hotel Astor, just a stone’s throw from Times Square, under the large pedestal clock in the lobby.” (The story of the ornate clock tower has a fascinating history that can be found online.)
In the mid-1940s, an extended job at the Astor’s Broadway Cocktail Lounge was a valued engagement. Members of the band could lead a somewhat stable life, with regular working hours and limited touring. Ron Perry led the combo at the hotel in 1945, and his son, Richard, told me that the engagement allowed his father to play his music and be with the family that was very much loved.
It is unusual that Ron Perry is so unknown today, especially since Perry’s band broadcast regularly and was captured on transcription and the Armed Forces Radio Service a number of times. In addition to the ongoing gig at the Astor, Richard Perry told me that the band also traveled and that they played Chicago once a year. They would also spend part of the winter working in Florida.
While the focus of the band’s music, and that of any hotel combo, was not jazz, this Soundie shows just how versatile Perry’s band was, and that jazz was part of his repertoire. “Oh Marie” is not necessarily part of the Great American Songbook, but it was (and is) a favorite of Italian performers, and was recorded by such notable vocalists as Dean Martin, Louis Prima and Jerry Vale. Played here with a gentle and propulsive swing, this is a unique interpretation of the song and one that requires some analysis.
Unfortunately, production files are missing for this particular series, and it took me a long time to develop the personnel that is listed in the Soundies catalog. Billboard noted that the band’s pianist doubled on vibes, and that the guitar player also played trumpet. This is exactly what is seen on screen! Louis Giffone plays a relaxed tenor sax solo, while the unidentified guitarist is particularly inventive and technically adept. Towards the end of his guitar solo, while the guitar music continues, he puts down the guitar and picks up a trumpet. Doubling on the two instruments was certainly not unusual – think about Bobby Hackett and Bobby Sherwood – but here I am not entirely certain that two musicians were not involved. Just for the record, it is Lee Harlin who we see and hear on string bass.
Regardless of the two unidentified members, this band swings, and any jazz fan in New York City would have been delighted to spend an evening at the Astor. I’ll meet you under the clock at 7:30 this evening.