St. Louis Blues - Harry James 1946

[@happychildhood591]

I am in my 70s now and fondly remember my beloved Dad often blasting Harry James from our Hi-Fi phonograph! My Dad would always say "Harry is the BEST! Listen to him play that trumpet!" I agree. In my humble opinion, the technical skills and musicality of Harry James can never be beat!

[@hate-not8352]

I'm a senior citizen these days. The first trumpet I ever played (at the age of 10) was my dad's. I loved my dad dearly, but musically speaking, Harry James was always my idol. At age 18, my father complimented my trumpet-playing. That really meant the world to me. WONDERFUL memories that I felt the need to share. Thank you for indulging me.

[@sidcohn6141]

I've heard a lot of trumpet players in my 88 years on the planet. NO-ONE, I said NO-ONE compares to the great HARRY JAMES!!!

[@salvadoralmirall6330]

Sid Cohn bhh

[@edson71912]

I agrre with you Sid!!

[@anotherbahamianguitarplayer]

What about chet baker

[@berlainebobb5759]

Me too, I'm 82

[@anotherbahamianguitarplayer]

@@davidcadwallader434 what happen man

[@spikehofmann]

Harry was 30 when this was made. He always looked older than his years. He had it all. Magnificent fat sweet tone, glorious emotional way of spinning a melody, he could swing, he could improvise, superb agility and virtuosity.

[@orlandocordova8818]

I AGREE WITH YOU! 🙂

[@sunburst1889]

You are right, in my opinion he was one of the greatest of all time.

[@ChannelMaster720]

Love that "St. Louis Woman" and the added difference the violin players do by plucking those strings! The whole orchestra swings! Why can't we see these wonderful musical movies again on TV instead of criminal shows? This is just marvelous. Love the scenery, too, the water is magical!! This is the kind of music our children should be exposed to. . . SYLVIA! FL 8/5/2020

[@paulwand5391]

Another factor to consider when comparing other trumpeters is the quality of the sound, how pure, and how cleanly the notes are played. HJ was probably the best technical and sounding trumpeters, and had the endurance to play many sets a night as described in his biography called Trumpet Blues written by Peter Levinson. He is my all time favorite by far! Thank you for posting this great song.

[@geraldclifton2164]

Paul Wand is

[@josebenedictodasilva4575]

Excepcional trumpeter!!!

[@josebenedictodasilva4575]

Exceptional

[@Kinseydsp]

At 31 years of age having never played anything I learned how to Play the trumpet after hearing Harry James Play I can't begin to tell you. I saw him live the last time He ever came to the Sunny Brooke Ballroom in Pottstown pa and got his audegraph.

[@theressamurphy2996]

Great Great...what music!! My ears are happy!! So enjoying...thank you!

[@ddkoda]

Great arrangement combined with Harry's virtuoso performance is a combination you can't beat.

[@blammm100]

Harry James THE G.O.A.T. (period)

[@JoseCarlosPMCosta]

With all due respect James, none of the trumpet players you mentioned, and I love them all, could have played what Harry played. Chuck Par-Due, I agree with you ! Never will born someone better than Harry James playing trumpet ! Never !! Never !! No way !!

[@orlandocordova8818]

He owned it! 🙂

[@docalexander2853]

No other trumpet player has ever had the great sound of Harry James. There have been, and will be better players, but his sound was the greatest.

[@jamesdimasi5050]

What made James so good...he started a daily practising schedule when he was eight so by the time he was 19 he had that magical number; 10,000 hours of practise. But there is more...whilst he genuinely loved the music that he played he was smart enough to adjust his style to cater for the forever changing tastes of audiences. That is why, in his latter career, he added a string section which in turn propelled him up the charts with new fans.

[@loumcconnell503]

James Dimasi the string section was early in Harry’s career, circa late 1940’s

[@philipdraper9695]

He was the best by far, I played trumpet in the fifties and he was my idol, thank you...

[@orlandocordova8818]

GREAT! JUST GREAT! GO HARRY GO!

[@brucekuehn4031]

His father lead a circus band which Harry joined at a very young age. There was no harder gig than circus for sheer endurance. Also, his dad got him on the Arban’s book which he practiced out of continuously. This is still available at your local music store or online. No one is born to play like Harry James. It took a lot of work. Doc Severinsen also talks about the hours of practice to learn and then maintain.

[@phillipecook3227]

He actually wrote his own trumpet method. Recall borrowing it as a youngster in the 70s. On the cover he looks likr Errol Flynn.

[@lavictoire1960]

Phillipe Cook I have that Harry James trumpet method from my father.

[@AntonioMartinez-dx9mk]

Que tiempos con esos músicos maravillosos, suerte de escucharlos y verlos,

[@wyndhleodumegwu253]

So great, so inspirational, so - - - the performance defies the best of Superlative adjectives. Oh, how Harry can play that trumpet! So many of the old cats were virtuosic masters! Marvelous video! Thanks for letting me into a department of your musical world. He also displays alot of classical embellishments during his fills and improvisations. Wasn't he one of the best? Certainly!

[@andrepoiato3858]

Bravo 👏🏻

[@maryisabelaquijemartinez3555]

Harry James el grande es el único en su estilo, y su interpretación. Mi padre era uno de sus asiduos seguidores, lo llamaban el Harry James peruano. Gracias a él aprendí a disfrutar de este género incomparable EL JAZZ.

[@LARRYGILBO]

Wow Chuck, you're the greatest ! I had been searching for this for a long while. Thanks for posting!

[@ctoland3425]

That's my Grand Pa on drums!!! Ray Toland Sr.!

[@LARRYGILBO]

His work was well done. I'm glad you mentioned him ! He swung all the other musicians.

[@LARRYGILBO]

Thanks Chris!

[@offbrandbret5868]

In his biography they say that he want to audition for a band and they wanted him to sight read this. He was already familiar with the piece from playing it in the circus and he knocked it out of the park. Great book.

[@josederibamararaujoperes453]

This is a most beautiful song that I ever hear, it’s amazing with the fantastic interpretation by this incredible man Harry James! It's like we are in fifties years!

[@mariaangeleslaralujano8777]

The best!!

[@eriknorlin4287]

having seen a clip with louis armstrong playing this to the composers face was astounding all passion no flash

[@jotaemehernus7932]

excelente interpretacion..

[@georgyquoilin6189]

Quelle merveille dr l écouter

[@tommyhall5010]

This was like watching Benny at Carnegie hall all over again, but with Harry.

[@croyce1127]

I'd say it brings back memories, but it's before my time--but wonderful--

[@loumcconnell503]

Sonny went with Harry for the extra cash ; Harry paid substantially more than Basie !

[@ninaostrovski]

Класс! Браво!👏👏👏

[@JoseCarlosPMCosta]

Please Mr. Chuck Par-Due !! I would like to listen the masterpiece "Star Dust" !!! Please !!!

[@robertadinolfi4217]

Dizzy Gilespie was once asked "who was the best trumpet player he ever heard? To which he replied technically the best trumpet player was Harry James.

[@loumcconnell503]

Juan Rivas not bullshit, Dizzy said so on more than one occasions! Miles Davis credited Harry for his becoming a trumpet player ; Doc Severinson took up the trumpet after listening to Harry ,

[@gerardoortizmedrano493]

@Juan Rivas Clark Terry, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, all of them great admirers of Harry James too.

[@herbmaryanna]

Sounds more like an insult than a compliment to me! Dizzy was probably too vain to give him a real compliment.

[@alexcarter8807]

This man was a hero to Miles Davis, no joking, you can look it up.

[@ChuckParDue1953]

With all due respect James, none of the trumpet players you mentioned, and I love them all, could have played what Harry played.

[@oliver13942]

meme charlie shavers,,roy eldridge;dizzy;al hirt;;raphael mendez?

[@retroneers]

olivier oliver nope. mendez was about equal as far as technicals but he was a classical player. None of those other cats could match this.

[@oliver13942]

Retroneers al hirt doc severinsen ont joue le carnaval de Venise un régal aussi bon que mendez ecoutez cela est flagrant cordialement

[@retroneers]

The translation may have distorted what you meant, especially towards the end. Al Hirt and Doc are amazing, but this is not their style.

[@oliver13942]

Retroneers oui mais ils peuvent tout jouer car tls savent s adapter leur techique le prouve!!l inverse n est pas sure!!!

[@billfreytag7410]

Far too many cuts to be a "live filming." The Orchestra recorded the music then performed on camera at various times based on the angles in use. First cut at :17; 2nd at :30; 3rd at :36; 4th at 1:20; 5th at 1: 33, and so on.

[@carolcoley916]

If you watch the later years of "The Lawrence Welk Show," you can tell that Johnny Zell's idol was Harry James. Several years ago I asked his son on Facebook and he confirmed it. Welk also had Bob Haven's who was pretty much the reincarnation of Tommy Dorsey and Russ Klein was much like Jimmy Dorsey. But best of all Henry Cuesta had Benny Goodman down pat!

[@mariaangeleslaralujano8777]

La mejor versión de sleepy lagoon !!!!!

[@cornelispeters6626]

A pretty good recording.

[@PatrickMurtha]

What can you say? Technique for days.

[@keelandavis]

I was born

[@marcusbagshaw3081]

Can anybody tell me if this film clip comes from a feature movie or movie featurette (movie short). If so what is the title?

[@ChuckParDue1953]

This clip is from a 1946 movie called Do You Love Me.

[@alexcarter8807]

Wonderful. And while the average Joe couldn't afford to see Harry James and his orchestra in a setting like that, they could afford to see the movie. And movies were much more affordable then, I think it works out to as if movies were $2 or $2.50 now. Instead, these days, add $10 to that.

[@kerstindahlqvist9641]

From What year and film is this?

[@ChuckParDue1953]

Kerstin Dahlqvist "Do You Love Me" from 1946.

[@kerstindahlqvist9641]

Chuck Par-Due Thanks for info.

[@kerstindahlqvist9641]

Chuck Par-Due Thanks for info.

[@allwinds3786]

no matter what ax Mr James is using he still sounds like himself. in this case it looks like a Selmer

[@ChuckParDue1953]

Donald Schneider That is a gold-plated Selmer Paris Balanced 22B in fact!

[@allwinds3786]

Chuck Par-Due do you or anyone know what other axes he used and if he did any endorsement?

[@ChuckParDue1953]

Donald Schneider The only trumpets he ever endorsed were the Selmer and King. He heavily endorsed the King Super 20, however King ran Silver Flair ads showing Harry, but he never played one.

[@allwinds3786]

Chuck Par-Due I have Schilke #207 made in June of'56 it has what appears to be king liberty s braces

[@ChuckParDue1953]

Donald Schneider lots of guys played King Liberty trumpets, including Ray Anthony, Ziggy Elman, and Dizzy. There was a lot of copying major brand horns in those days. I have never been a fan of the Liberty. However, I still play a Super 20/Symphony.

[@calbeer3607]

I laugh that 5 tools actually down thumbed!!! WT????

[@TrumpetDiva1]

How lucky I was to be in his band the last year of his life. Even then he was amazing! Check out my tribute to him (even though I will never even hold a candle to his genius musicianship!): kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHrCZn6dja91ocU Harry was like no other!

[@pamtebelman2321]

How lucky indeed. What instrument did you play? Did Harry do his own arranging, too?

[@earthbeauty1]

NOW THAT'S SOME SWINGING BLUES

[@aworksinc]

He

[@edepillim]

Did you see the old woman cover her ears. Why put that in the film.

[@JerryAttric42]

because it's a movie, dummy!

[@JDubbs1965]

Except for maybe Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, probably couple more....... Nothing against Harry James, he was great, but the description is misleading.

[@tomswainston972]

Dizzy isn't anywhere near as good, not for technicality and tone.

[@Aristaeus1]

The above mentioned could not even scratch the surface of the talent of Harry James.

[@celestialskye1]

Aristaeus1 EXACTLY!!