Harry James and his Orchestra - BBC 'Sounds For Saturday' Oct. 23rd 1971

Harry James and his Orchestra 'live' on BBC TV in London October 23rd 1971
Tpts: John Madrid, Bob Hicks, Peter Bellomo, Skip Pfyle
Troms: Dave Robbins, Robert Payne, Gail Martin
Reeds: Dick Spencer, Don Mohr, Corky Corcoran, Roger Dale, Ernie Small
Piano: Jack Percival
Bass: John Smith
Drums: Sonny Payne
Vocals: Rita Graham
1) Ciribiribin
2) Don't Be That Way
3) Shiny Stockings
4) Moonglow
5) Opus 1
6) That's All (feat: Corky Corcoran)
7) Trumpet Blues
8) Charade (feat: Rita Graham)
9) More Splutie Please
10) Apples (feat: Sonny Payne)
11) Medley - I Had The Craziest Dream - You Made Me Love You - I Cried For You - It's Been A Long Long Time - I Don't Want To Walk Without You - I've Heard That Song Before (feat: Rita Graham)
12) Two O'Clock Jump
13) Ciribiribin

[@MegaLJ3]

I was playing at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix in the mid-70's and on a break I went to the coffee shop and Harry was sitting against the wall. I stared at him and all I could do was stare. I didn't have the courage to walk up and say hello to such a legend. I regret it today.

[@Johnnycdrums]

If you were a young guy, and big band jazz aficionado, I think he would have gone out his way to be nice. Buddy Rich went out of his way for me as a kid when I stuck around to help him pack his kit in an empty auditorium He wanted to know why I dug jazz and all kinds of stuff. I was like 15, you a bit older obviously, but probably not that much older. Yeah, I was nervous, but he broke the tension and made me feel at ease pretty quickly.

[@dynjarren8355]

It’s sad how Western Culture has deteriorated over the years! Gone straight into the Garbage Can. Seeing this reminds me that we used to have music with class and sophistication and style! We celebrated beautiful art and how it enriched our lives. That’s gone now. Now they celebrate vulgarity and tawdriness. Very sad. This music made you feel good about life and living along with the possibilities. This music enriched your spirit and made you feel life was good. Todays music does the exact opposite.

[@Johnnycdrums]

True, but there are people still keeping the tradition (culture) alive. You just have to dig for it.

[@user-dr1yd1tg7g]

My father was a Harry James wannabe, he looked like him,and played like him,growing up, big band's was all we heard in our house,,was nothing better than that big band sound,,,,u go harry

[@jmon0072]

As a kid in Las Vegas I was able to see a lot of performers at the edge of lounges and or in showrooms with my mom. My favorite was Harry James at the Flamingo, (Al Hirt & Pete Fountain together) at the Riviera. I can still remember seeing the Kinston Trio at the Dunes around 1957. They were funny and exciting. Keely Smith, Eydie Gorme' and Ella Fitzgerald were so darn great and influenced my tastes in music as I grew. My mom took me to the original Las Vegas Cashman Field (baseball field )where we actually sat right behind Harry and his wife Betty Grable. As a kid seeing their movies on tv it seemed interesting in an odd way. It was amazing those high and long held notes Harry James could still play late in his life. Take listen to the 1988 King James Version direct to disk. Peace and Good Music

[@thomasgray7869]

37:27 is Its been a long long time :)

[@ralfmulde7723]

This concert tok place in 1971. Harry James was only 55 years old. One might imagine him as an old man because of his great success already in the 30s but he wasnt. However, the swing-era found its end threse days latestly he was able to pay this enourmos band with about 50 members - a big band, indeed. A ver great success was his music in the 1944 movie "Bathing Beauty" with the carreer startingg Esther Williams (22).

[@bigjimsjazz]

The great Johnny Madrid palying lead trumpet.

[@ajn465]

If you got to do a gig with any guy on this band… Anyone of them would leave you in the dust. 15 monsters.

[@vaughnnark1733]

Beautiful..and total CLASS. May Harry's Spirit, John Madrid and the others who have passed on since this performance rest peacefully..knowing what a gift they were to the world. Respectfully..Vaughn Nark

[@gerald5954]

The trombone solo at 26:08 says it all for this band's superior talent and versatility.

[@celticpridedrums]

the Sonny Payne orchestra with Harry James

[@RichardKimpton]

Privilege to have seen him in the early 1970 at Disneyland. 😊

[@kinkajou777]

I’m a semi professional musician who loves Harry James! I will practice my instrument to his genre. We can keep his genre alive by playing his songs ourselves. It doesn’t matter what level the musicians are. The key is, keep his music alive!

[@triode1]

I grew up with live big bands of the '40s & '50s-Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Kay Kaiser, Tony Pastor, Dick Jurgens , Xavier Cugat, etc.,) but I never heard Harry James live….sad.

[@russelljgaspard3004]

00:51 - 03:30 Don't Be That Way 03:50 - 05:48 Shiny Stockings 06:00 - 09:45 Moonglow 09:50 - 12:04 Opus 1 12:24 - 14:40 That's All 14:48 - 17:05 Trumpet Blues 17:35 - 19:45 Charade 20:09 - 27:57 More Splutie Please 28:18 - 34:57 Apples 35:35 - I Had the Craziest Dream (start of medley) 35:58 - You Made Me Love you 36:41 - I Cried For You 37:26 - It's Been a Long Long Time 38:13 - I Don't want to Walk Without You 39:01 - 39:49 I've Heard That Song Before 40:01 - 41:37 Two O'Clock Jump 41:50 - 42:29 Cirbiribin

[@iranmachado5576]

Thank you, Russell!

[@adamprincipe5022]

Opus one

[@adamprincipe5022]

I mppnglow

[@user-ub8mk7oo8c]

thank u

[@janeber1805]

Amazing HARRY!!!!!

[@nsawanobori]

What a delight to see Corky Corcoran.

[@johnnyz7752]

Had the pleasure of actually seeing him perform live. I’ll never forget it.

[@iranmachado5576]

Me too in Rio de Janeiro.

[@user-pt8mp3wv7v]

Harry James? Is it Sevalen? This is Harry James! please! Harry come back to life for the trumpeter! -⊂iii⊃◁🎶〜♡〜

[@jacktaylor6929]

Anyone else catch Johnny Madrid's screaming triple G at the end? Wow!

[@ajn465]

Harry dances through the music with such skill and swing… and it creates the frame work for his clear conviction in leadership. All this captured in beautifully nuanced audio and video from the amazing early 70s BBC engineers. Great artistry delivered up live, and in Living Color, all around.

[@danielalexanderkandou9610]

Mr. Harry James is Truly Amaziinggg👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@user-yb8dc7se9r]

私ごとですが昔フルバンドで仕事していました!今でも新鮮に感じます!高度な技術には感服します。

[@iranferreira9387]

He was performing in Rio de Janeiro in late 70's. It was an excellent show!

[@evelynedecrouez1017]

La grande classe !!!

[@dynjarren8355]

Harry James! One of the greats! I never got to see him live but I did see Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie and I enjoyed all their live shows. Somehow I missed out on James. I think this kind of sophisticated Swing music might even make a comeback because today’s music and stupid lyrics are so annoying. Maybe singing will come back too! I am enjoying this show anyway! Thanks to whoever posted it and thanks to KZbin! Legendary Music! Along with Glenn Miller! What a great sound and style!

[@adrianotrentini6755]

best battery solo that I have heard

[@iranmachado5576]

Sonny Payne is the guy!

[@mjleger4555]

So many years ago, Harry James came to my school and I was asked to accompany him on one or two songs, I can barely remember, and didn't realize what an honor it was until years afterwards. He is a fantastic trumpet player and I listen to his recordings now! I wish I could remember the song we played, but it was just too long ago, I think it was around 1959 or 60.

[@RoryVanucchi]

That's how you do it.. Great energy and tempo. Sonny Payne on drums always brought the heat

[@jimcapone2593]

With Sonny Payne on drums the band has no choice but to swing !

[@sixtieskid062]

Sonny was my favorite Basie drummer. Love his swing.

[@rayszymarek2920]

@@sixtieskid062 yes sonny Payne was a very very fine drummer loved by all but the one drummer that harry james respected the most and drove the harry james like no other drummer was the worlds greatest drummer buddy rich case closed buddy rich

[@assignmentearth2899]

That Dave Robbins bone solo on More Splutie Please - - coolness. He stuck in "My Mama Done Told Me", "Swinging on a Star", and he and Harry ending on french horn orchestral excerpt, Til Eulenspiegel. Cool

[@garethflower3403]

Now THAT. is a band. Consumate professionals every one . As a band leader, notice how little direction he had to give the band. Superb from the first note to the last. Thankyou for uploading this masterclass.

[@g.koerber1144]

Such a timeless talent...

[@JackSandmeier]

ITS Harry James...5stars and a Super Band

[@general5104]

I just love Big Band stuff. It's funny to hear someone else playing other bands theme-songs. Harry James is one of the greatest trumpeters in show business ! He played in concert at Carnegie Hall, with Benny Goodman's band. He also was in the Benny Goodman Story, the life of Benny Goodman, when Harry was about 30, I believe. He was a very handsome man and could play notes that you could only wish you could play! THANKS to everyone that made this video available to listen to.

[@theartfactor]

America's premier trumpet player with his all star band. Got to see him a total of nine times from the '50's to the last time in 1974. He was much copied but never duplicated. His life and career demanded a bio film but it never hapened.

[@leelarson107]

I'm with you there, Bob. I always wanted to see not only 'The Harry James Story' but also more FACTUAL biographies.

[@kinkajou777]

I’m jealous! When you last saw him in 1974, I was in diapers. Everything aside, it’s cool that you got to see him multiple times!

[@Johnnycdrums]

"The Harry James Story"? I can't imagine that movie was anything but fabricated. As a kid, I mistakenly judged Harry James according to that movie. What did I know, I pretended he no longer existed after seeing that movie. I didn't pay attention to Harry James until about twenty years after music school.

[@thomaskirkpatrick1134]

Killer Band!

[@aliciaelcirapierri3683]

Una sola para definirlo....UNICO!!!

[@paulunde]

What else is there to say other than, THANK YOU! This is inspiring. What a band. Harry James is one of the greatest musical legends of all-time. Additionally, Sonny Payne on drums is mesmerizing. I think he possibly received more exposure with Harry than he did with Count Basie. Watching Sonny is an extra treat because I can see how he gets some of these great sounds, even while performing his "acrobatics". Great stuff!!!

[@assignmentearth2899]

You know, Harry was the dude. So much facility. Listening to this shows if he's wanted to explore the BeBop world he could've played that.

[@jmon0072]

Thanks for adding this fantastic piece of music history!!!! WOW!!! Finally saw this in 2023

[@georgelyman3519]

Super performance! Great arrangements and Sonny Payne driving them home. Wow!

[@user-hi1vl1nn1p]

Splendent !!

[@tonymaia8596]

The best of sound the world

[@kenbeyer5556]

Such great music. Thank You !

[@jeanmenard3060]

Marvellous ! 🙂👍❤

[@franciscoroldanhernandez1931]

Hermosa música y hermosa interpretacion,magnifica.

[@jeanmenard3060]

Simply amazing ! Bravo ! 😃👍❤

[@flaviofreitas4357]

Lovely, divine. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@lifelongbachelor3651]

fantastic sound. class all around.

[@renatekoell]

Wonderful! A delight to watch and listen!

[@fidelmendozarodriguez1563]

Excelente oportunidad para recordar mi juventud

[@elihyland4781]

What a party!

[@franciscoroldanhernandez1931]

Magnifica orquesta también, de las principales de esa época. Y hermosas melodías.

[@marcelodonadio7000]

O melhor solo de baterista de todos os tempos. Sonny Payne!!!!!

[@alfredosalgado5544]

Una gran orquesta que sobresalía en una época musical inolvidable.

[@rutgervangestel]

thank you for uploading!!!

[@philperson]

Great video!!!

[@bernardflegar8017]

Thank you to my friend Denny Ilett for sharing this treasure!

[@musicamexicana2022]

Cristo nunca nos soltara de su mano mientras nosotros sigamos el buen camino si lo cres dale like por favor

[@alexandredotrompete4000]

Foi o melhor trompetista de todos os tempos 👏👏👏👏

[@3alexcantor]

The drummer at 33:00 is the best drummer I’ve ever seen idc what anyone says

[@jazznbluesguitar]

Sonny Payne

[@deneencorcoran3277]

Hi i am the daughter of Mr. Corky Corcoran a 24 yr. Tenor sax player for Harry amongst many more. My opinion is that Buddy Rich was the world's greatest percussionist ever. Sunny plays too loud. Even the band used to say sunny Payne played too loud for them. NOT SAYING HES NOT GOOD JUST TOO LOUD. check the differences. You would agree.

[@edgarcook9607]

@@deneencorcoran3277 But you have to give it to Mr. Payne in his use of dynamics to play intricate & softly when needed... his triple F parts are pretty loud though...Fortisissimo!

[@thestone46]

Back in the day..Not much on rehearsing,, it's said he would show up late and take a quick look at the Score and say, "let's do it"

[@rmo52]

And they’d nail it. So many road bands did that. Playing most every night = TIGHT.

[@potato6226]

that was fantastic

[@ModelA]

That dummer is MONEY!! Wow, this orchestra is so tight.

[@michaelmoss6110]

Thank you for posting! So much to enjoy,appreciate, and study!

[@furcifer8218]

No doubt, Johnny Madrid at 42:25 with the incredible Triple G! Unreal!!!

[@rmo52]

He was a giant and just about the nicest cat in the world. 1st met him when he was with Woody Herman (1969?). Always in a good mood.

[@eliezermusico]

Sou muito fã de Harry James

[@midlandsroylenfield]

So good to see this again!! .....for those who don't know...Denny Ilett Snr is one of the great Trumpet players of our time and his son Denny Ilett Jnr, a fabulous Jazz Guitarist. It was my honour and pleasure to know them both some years ago and get to play great jazz with them both. Hope they are both alive, well and still swingin' ......... Sonny Payne was a great Big band Drummer, but like me, he was'nt Buddy who already was and he (Sonny) and I never would be !!

[@deneencorcoran3277]

My name is Deneen Corcoran my father played 1st chair sax for Harry James for 24 yrs. I used to go to Disneyland every summer to spend time with my dad. And I will have to agree that Buddy was much more quiet playing and never drowned out the band as sunny does at times. But never the less he was still a great percussionist for the James band. Also Buddy passed and im not sure about Sunny

[@jazznbluesguitar]

@@deneencorcoran3277 your father was a wonderful musician!!

[@deneencorcoran3277]

@@jazznbluesguitar HI Denny llett, it is my pleasure to meet you as well. My father died at 55 yrs old in st Joseph s hospital, in Tacoma on Oct. 4, 1979. Harry died in Sept. 1983. Betty died 1973. All of cancer.

[@deneencorcoran3277]

Thank you i thiught he was one of the best medians I've ever heard too. I have his sax. The LeBlanc Co. Sent him. I would love to see it played.

[@jazznbluesguitar]

@@deneencorcoran3277 are you on Facebook? There's a Harry James Music Appreciation Group that would love to hear from you..

[@captaintor7920]

This on the Shetland CD's.

[@marleneray3110]

ano em que nasceu meu 1 filho..

[@paulyouphone2793]

Fantastic, but . . . . I wish they hadn't attacked Trumpet Blues with such a fast tempo. (@ 14:40 ) It became a bit trumpet blurs. Thanks for posting this.

[@rmo52]

Tempos changed often for the “hits” on Harry’s band, and Woody’s, and Duke’s, Miller, etc. No harm done.

[@luanmesquitta1637]

Se me perguntassem: Qual trompetista você gostaria de tocar igualmente? Eu responderia: Harry James ou Doc Severinsen

[@glennsband1]

My all time favorite trumpet hero! Still inspiring to me when I perform! Wonder if this is available on 📀 dvd?🎺🎺♥️

[@loumcconnell503]

Harry James live in London c.d.

[@lewstone1934]

When the BBC catered for adults and not ageing children. I feel cheated out of my middle age; there's very little sophistication around today in life. I couldn't stand the BBC anymore so I cancelled my TV Licence in 2016. Why I paid it for so long is a constant mystery - habit I suppose.

[@leelarson107]

Well, that's the way Civilization is going today, encouraging mediocrity and praising lack of talent altogether.

[@paudcmarvelotakuarmy]

No entendí

[@s1mplen1ck42]

38:13 Just hear

[@e_l_u_z_a_n6729]

pos gracias

[@SeamusMcGillicuddy0]

Harry, blew his lip out on Betty Grable !

[@Johnnycdrums]

Sonny Payne "Stick trick" at 30:13.

[@aleks5821]

37:26 😊

[@glennmiller9508]

Where can we get a hard copy of this treasure? Thanks!🎺🎺

[@thestone46]

Still playing out of the front of lip!

[@smudger671]

Shame the sound is not stereo.

[@davidcarson1959]

8:19

[@jaumebas3370]

Quines bandes mare meva

[@eriknorlin8968]

An ass who knew his way around a horn

[@muziklvr7776]

Hard guy to get along with, like Buddy Rich?

[@formerfarmer1718]

I never was a big fan of the “drum solo”! Without the music it’s just noise. But I guess the drummer demands his spotlight………..

[@erikblok6808]

If you think a drum solo is just noise, then you have a lot to learn about musical time...

[@leelarson107]

The drums are much too loud and heavy, which has been a problem in recent decades. Drummers often sound like they're building a house back there behind the band.

[@loumcconnell503]

Deliberate Lee ,that’s the way the punters like it. !

[@muziklvr7776]

Sounds pretty well balanced in my headphones.