Harry James - Ciribiribin live 1939

[@truthbetoldagain]

Very good ! As a youngster I had the pleasure of meeting him. A nice man. Loved his great movie star wife as well .

[@sweetadelinedrummer]

Happy 100th Harry James!

[@wyndhleodumegwu253]

Harry is so smooth and expressive! The Orchestra swings mellifluously, whilst Harry swiftly triple tongues above the staff. Thanks for the post!

[@edgarcook9607]

Harry really goes all out on this version!

[@leelarson6534]

No, no, you've got it all wrong. Harry James started out as the greatest and got better every moment from there onward.

[@ralphlanger3242]

Right

[@jasonkellogg388]

Until Doc Severinsen came along and played circles around him.

[@jourwalis-8875]

"King James"

[@bachtobebop]

@@jasonkellogg388 Only he didn't

[@charleslaporta3858]

Best rendition ! ! !

[@MatthewAFeldman]

Thank you so much for this upload. My grandmother is the woman pictured in this frame on the bottom right -- her stage name was "Marge Carroll" and she sang with Frank Sinatra and Harry James. Chuck Par-Due, I recently sent you a private message, and I am commenting here in the hopes that you may see it. Thank you in advance if you are able to respond.

[@EricJamesHanson]

Hi Matt. Are you related to the Feldmans who used to own Poland Spring resort? I'm very curious since I used to work for them, and play music gigs for Saul here and there.

[@MatthewAFeldman]

Hi -- I am not related, or at least not to my knowledge!

[@victorgonzalezescalante1504]

Me lo dijo siempre mi padre. El mejor trompeta del mundo.😊❤

[@tenniscal999]

incredible!

[@MrPrincetrumpet]

And thus, did a million kids all over the world decide they wanted to play trumpet!

[@bblegacy]

I would bet that the actual performance was not very much faster than the Columbia recording, although perhaps a bit, because that's how much ended up being played live or broadcast on air by any band. If anyone remembers analog (78rpm or LP record) turntables, if you slowed down the speed of a record the musical pitch would go down (getting progressively more and more flat the more you slow down the record) and if you increased a turntable's speed the pitch would get progressively higher the more you increase the speed of the turntable. This recording is VERY sharp, musically, (painfully sharp) from beginning to end, and being so, it is a dead giveaway and can ONLY mean that the recording turntable when this was recorded was spinning at less than (assuming) 78rpm, while it was recording the broadcast off-the-air. Therefore, when the master recording disk got played back at true 78rpm (assuming that's the speed it was recorded at), the resulting playback ends up being nearly a half tone sharp, and the tempo is faster because the playback is playing back on a turntable spinning faster than the turntable it was recorded on. What it means is that the technology of the master disk of this was botched (spinning too slowly) while it was recording this or else the transfer from the original disk was botched in the transfer process to tape or other 78rpm "2nd generation" media. (Whatever.) At any rate if this is slowed down on an analog playback turntable or is fed into a software program like THE AMAZING SLOW-DOWNER which can slow something down or speed something up AND make the corresponding logarithmic adjustment to pitch in a process, you will arrive at the correct tempo when you arrive at the proper music pitch. If this were to get fed into that and slowed down until the musical keys of the arrangement are properly in tune, (beginning in E major then modulating into F major at 1:09 and Bb major at 1:45), once you arrive at the correct pitch you will also have the (correct) slower tempo that Harry and the band were actually playing this. As it is, this is obviously faster and painfully sharp to the Columbia recording, if someone with well trained ears puts this side-to-side with the 1939 Columbia recording, and not only is it obvious that this is faster but the "sharpness" of this compared to the Columbia recording is also CLEARLY evident. Reputable record labels are not exempt from having messed up the tempos of a number of recording masters. I've written entire transcriptions of arrangements only to learn later on that I wrote them from beginning to end, off by a half step. The original Decca recording of Jimmy Dorsey's theme song "Contrasts" was recorded on a turntable running significantly faster than it should have been so that virtually every 78rpm issue and all transfers for LP, CD and digital reissues by Decca / MCA always have been and still are WELL below the key of Ab Major (the proper key of "Contrasts"), which also contributes to the recording also playing back too slowly (the opposite problem as with this being too fast and very sharp). If you listen to later recordings of Jimmy playing the theme and A/B compare them to each other, the original Decca recording pitch is significantly lower, and also accounts for the lower pitch of the Decca recording having a somewhat "anemic" sound as well, especially on JD's first notes on his Alto solo at the beginning of the record..

[@mustafa1name]

Good to know, thanks for sharing 👍

[@KVNDV1]

I recognized the announcer's voice. This is from the Fitch Bandwagon, isn't it?

[@ChuckParDue1953]

Not sure.

[@KVNDV1]

@@ChuckParDue1953, the announcer's name is Tobe Reed. It doesn't say so there, but this is how I know. The FITCH BANDWAGON show had as a guest Chico Marx, and this is a link to the show: www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/variety/fitch-bandwagon/fitch-bandwagon-42-12-20-w-chico-marx-orchestra

[@KVNDV1]

Just to add, a clip of this show (from December 20, 1942) was featured on a 4-LP set put out by Murray Hill Records, called THREE HOURS, FIFTY-NINE MINUTES, FIFTY-ONE SECONDS WITH THE MARX BROTHERS.

[@jourwalis-8875]

But where is Sinatra...?

[@windstorm1000]

He's in the photograph!!!!

[@rustinaginger9502]

Sinatra is on the left side.

[@Pauu-vd5ln]

Niceto.move.the.legs❤❤❤❤😂😂😂🎉

[@ralphlanger3242]

Only rafael mendez was technically much better. Rafael was not as all around as harry.not a jazz or Dixie player.harry did it all

[@speedyneutrino1729]

you're leaving out Maurice Andre, the best trumpet technician who ever lived. Listen to his breath control and the pure, uncluttered attack he had, not to mention his great virtuosity in playing "Carnival of Venice" for example.

[@raybrown723]

@@speedyneutrino1729 There are many technicians on the instrument (Alan Vizutti, Bud Herseth, Mendez,, Wynton, and Arturo,) but overall Harry did it all.

[@alnumann2584]

Did any of these other technicians lead a band like this?

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

Cheery Berry Bim not Ciribirin.

[@ChuckParDue1953]

It is Ciribiribin

[@notesl5576]

It's Ciribiribin

[@larschmitt]

Lyrics When the moon hangs low in Napoli, there's a handsome gondolier, Every night he sings so happily, so his lady love can hear. In a manner oh gravissimo, he repeats his serenade, And his heart beats so fortissimo, when she raises her Venetian shade. Ciribiribin, chiribiribin, ciribiribin. Ciribiribin, he waits for her each night beneath her balcony. Ciribiribin, he begs to hold her tight, but no, she won't agree. Ciribiribin, she throws a rose and blows a kiss from up above, Ciribiribin, ciribiribin, ciribiribin, they're so in love. (Musical interlude) Ciribiribin, ciribiribin, ciribiribin, they're so in love.