Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw in Second Chorus (1940)
Background information
Birth name	Artie Shaw
Born	May 23, 1910(1910-05-23)
Origin	New York, New York
Died	December 30, 2004 (aged 94)
Genre(s)	Swing Big band music
Occupation(s)	bandleader, composer
Instrument(s)	clarinet

Artie Shaw (May 23, 1910, New York, New York – December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California) is considered to be one of the best jazz musicians of his time. Jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader, he is also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 617 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (986 × 958 pixel, file size: 296 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Second Chorus is a 1940 Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. ... A big band, also known as a jazz orchestra, is a large musical ensemble that plays jazz music, especially Swing. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left, with capped mouthpiece) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location in Ventura County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Ventura Settled 1875 Incorporated September 29, 1964 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Andrew P. Fox  - City manager Scott Mitnick Area [1]  - City  55. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A clarinetist (also spelled clarinettist) is a musician who plays the clarinet. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ...

Early life

Born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky in New York City, Shaw grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, where his natural introversion was deepened by local antisemitism according to Shaw's autobiography. Shaw began learning the saxophone when he was 13 years old, and by the age of 16, he switched to the clarinet and left home to tour with a band. Returning to New York, he became a session musician through the early 1930s. From 1925 until 1936, Shaw performed with a variety of bands and orchestras, including those of Johnny Caverello and Austin Wylie. In 1929 and 1930 he played with Irving Aaronson's Commanders, where he was exposed to symphonic music which he would later incorporate into his arrangements. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... “New Haven” redirects here. ... The terms Introvert and Extrovert (spelled Extravert by Carl Jung), were originally employed by Sigmund Freud and given significant amplification later by Jung. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Irving Aaronson (February 7, 1895 – May 10, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and big band leader. ...

Shaw first gained critical acclaim with his "Interlude in B-flat" at a swing concert at the Imperial Theater in New York in 1935. During the Swing Era, Shaw's big band was popular with hits like "Begin the Beguine" (1938), "Stardust" (with a legendary trumpet solo by Billy Butterfield), "Back Bay Shuffle", "Moonglow", "Rosalie", "Frenesi" and "Summit Ridge Drive". He was an innovator in the big band idiom, using unusual instrumentation; "Interlude in B-flat", where he was backed with only a rhythm section and a string quartet, was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed third stream. The Imperial Theater can also refer to the Imperial Garden Theater in Tokyo, Japan The Imperial Theater was the Schubert brothers fiftieth theater in New York City. ... The Swing Era was the period of time (1935-1946) when big band swing music was the most popular music in America. ... Begin the Beguine is a song written by Cole Porter and introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee (1934). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Billy Butterfield (born January 14, 1917 in Middleton, Ohio; died March 18, 1988) was a jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. ... Frenesi is a song recorded by Artie Shaw. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. ... Rhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often via repeated riffs or ostinati. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... Third Stream music is a term coined in 1957 by Gunther Schuller to describe a musical genre which is a synthesis of classical music and jazz. ...

In addition to hiring Buddy Rich, he signed Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist in 1938, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. However, after recording "Any Old Time" she left the band due to hostility from audiences in the South, as well as from music company executives who wanted a more mainstream singer. His band became enormously successful, and his playing was eventually recognized as equal to that of Benny Goodman: Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard cited Shaw as his favorite clarinet player. In response to Goodman's nickname, the "King of Swing", Shaw's fans dubbed him the "King of the Clarinet". Shaw, however, felt the titles were reversed. "Benny Goodman played clarinet. I played music," he said. Bernard Buddy Rich (September 30, 1917 Brooklyn, New York – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. ... Billie Holiday (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), born Eleanora Fagan and later nicknamed Lady Day (see Jazz royalty regarding similar nicknames), was an American jazz singer, a seminal influence on jazz and pop singers, and generally regarded as one of the greatest female jazz vocalists. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the American Jazz composer and performer. ... Albany Leon Barney Bigard (March 3, 1906 _ June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist. ...

Artie shaw and his band playing "Everything's Jumping" from Second Chorus (1940)

Shaw did in fact prize innovation and exploration in music more highly than popular success and formulaic dance music, despite a string of hits which sold more than 100 million records. He fused jazz with classical music by adding strings to his arrangements, experimented with bebop, and formed "chamber jazz" groups which utilized such novel sounds as harpsichords or Afro-Cuban music. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 799 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (971 × 729 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 799 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (971 × 729 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Second Chorus is a 1940 Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. ... This article is about Western art music from 1000 AD to the 2000s . ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... Bebop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Harpsichord in the Flemish style A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. ...

The long series of musical groups Shaw formed included such talents as Helen Forrest, Mel Tormé, Ray Conniff, Buddy Rich, Dave Tough, Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow. He chose the bluesy "Nightmare" for his personal theme, rather than more approachable songs. He openly insulted the fans who continually demanded he play his old standards as "morons" and executives in the music business as "thieves." Helen Forrests hit single I Had the Craziest Dream. ... Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed The Velvet Fog, is best known as one of the great male jazz singers. ... Ray Conniff Ray Conniff (born Joseph Raymond Conniff on November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA, and died October 12, 2002, Escondido, California, USA) was an American musician. ... Bernard Buddy Rich (September 30, 1917 Brooklyn, New York – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Davie Tough. ... Cover of a Barney Kessel album. ... Tal Farlow was a talented jazz guitarist. ...

Pacific overtures

During World War II, Shaw enlisted in the U.S. Navy and later formed a band, which served in the Pacific theater (similar to Glenn Miller's wartime band in Europe). After 18 months playing for Navy personnel (sometimes as many as four concerts a day in battle zones, including Guadalcanal), Shaw returned to the U.S. in a state of physical exhaustion, receiving a medical discharge. In the late 1940s, Shaw performed classical music at Carnegie Hall and with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) is the term used in the United States for all military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, in World War II. Pacific War is a more common name, around the world, for the broader conflict between the Allies and Japan... This article is about the jazz musician. ... Guadalcanal, position (inset) and main towns Guadalcanal is a 2,510 square mile (6 500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. ... Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842. ... Leonard Bernstein in 1971 Leonard Bernstein (IPA pronunciation: )[1] (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, and pianist. ...

Like Benny Goodman and other leaders of big bands, Shaw fashioned a small group from within the band. He named it the Gramercy Five after his home telephone exchange. The quintet's sound was set apart by band pianist Johnny Guarneri playing a harpsichord on the quintet recordings and Al Hendrickson playing an electric guitar. In time, the quintet would prove another of Shaw's breaking of racial boundaries, when trumpeter Roy Eldridge became part of the group, succeeding Billy Butterfield. The Gramercy Five's biggest hit was "Summit Ridge Drive" (Shaw's California address at the time). A CD of The Complete Gramercy Five sessions was released in 1990. Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 6, 1989) was a jazz trumpet player in the Swing era. ... Billy Butterfield (born January 14, 1917 in Middleton, Ohio; died March 18, 1988) was a jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. ...

In 1954, Shaw stopped playing the clarinet, citing his own perfectionism, which, he later said, would have killed him. He explained to a reporter, "In the world we live in, compulsive perfectionists finish last. You have to be Lawrence Welk, or, on another level, Irving Berlin, and write the same kind of music over and over again. I'm not able to do that." He spent the rest of the 1950s living in Europe. Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was a musician, accordion player, bandleader, and television impresario, hosting The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ...

In 1981, he organized a new Artie Shaw Band with clarinetist Dick Johnson as bandleader and soloist. Shaw himself would guest conduct from time to time, ending his self-imposed retirement. Dick Johnson is best known as a big band clarinetist in the The Artie Shaw Orchestra. ...

After Canadian filmmaker Brigitte Berman interviewed Shaw, Hoagy Carmichael, Doc Cheatham and others for her documentary film Bix: Ain't None of Them Play LIke Him Yet (1981) about Bix Beiderbecke, she went on to create an Academy Award-winning documentary, Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got (1985), featuring her interviews with Shaw, Buddy Rich, Mel Tormé, Helen Forrest and others. Later in 2003, along with members of his original bands and other music professionals, Shaw was extensively interviewed by Russell Davies for the BBC Television documentary, Artie Shaw — Quest for Perfection, which became his last major interview. Hoagland Howard Hoagy Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. ... Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, much better known as Doc Cheatham (13 June 1905 - 2 June 1997) was a jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. ... Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was a notable jazz cornet player. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... This article refers to the Radio 2 presenter and journalist. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

In 1991, Artie Shaw's band library and manuscript collection was donated to the University of Arizona. In 2004, he was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ... The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording [1]. This award is distinct from the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, which honors specific recordings rather than individuals, and...

Personal life

A self-proclaimed "very difficult man," Shaw was married eight times: Jane Cairns (1932); Margaret Allen (1934-37); Lana Turner (1940); Betty Kern (1941-43), daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern; Ava Gardner (1945-46); Forever Amber author Kathleen Winsor (1946-48); Doris Dowling (1952-56) and Evelyn Keyes (1957-85). He had two sons by Kern and Dowling. He often disparaged his wives publicly; when asked why he never saw his children, he replied, "I didn't get along with the mothers, so why should I get along with the kids?" It became a national joke to have been "married as many times as Artie Shaw." Lana Turner (February 8, 1921 – June 29, 1995) was an Academy award-nominated American film actress. ... Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of popular music. ... Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an Academy Award-nominated American film and television actress. ... Forever Amber is a romance novel by Kathleen Winsor that was made into a film in 1947 by 20th Century Fox. ... Kathleen Winsor (October 16, 1919 - May 26, 2003) was an American author, best known for the romance novel Forever Amber. ... After serving her time as a chorus-girl on Broadway, Doris followed her elder sister Constance Dowling to Hollywood. ... Evelyn Keyes (b. ...

In 1946, Shaw was present at a meeting of the Independent Citizens' Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions. Olivia de Havilland and Ronald Reagan, part of a core group of actors and artists who were trying to sway the organization away from communism, presented an anti-communist declaration which, if signed, was to run in newspapers. There was bedlam as many rose to champion the communist cause, and Artie Shaw began praising the democratic standards of the Soviet constitution. [1] In 1953, Shaw was brought up before the House Un-American Activities Committee for his leftist activities. The committee was investigating a peace activist organization, the World Peace Congress, which it considered a communist front. Olivia Mary de Havilland (born July 1, 1916) is a two-time Academy Award winning actress in American motion pictures and is the last surviving principal cast member from Gone with the Wind. ... Reagan redirects here. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... HUAC hearings House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC or HCUA) (1938–1975) was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The World Peace Council (or World Council of Peace) was formed in 1949 in order to promote peaceful coexistence and nuclear disarmament. ...

He was a precision marksman, ranking fourth in the United States in 1962, as well as an expert fly fisherman. In his later years, Shaw lived and wrote in the Newbury Park section of Thousand Oaks, California. Shaw had long suffered from adult onset diabetes and finally died of complications of the disease at age 94. In 2005, Shaw's eighth wife, Evelyn Keyes, sued Shaw's estate, claiming that she was entitled to one-half of Shaw's estate pursuant to a contract to make a will between them. In July 2006, a Ventura, California jury unanimously held that Keyes was entitled to almost one-half of Shaw's estate, or $1,420,000. ([2]) This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fly fishing is an ancient and distinct angling method, developed primarily for trout and now extended to other surface-oriented species such as grayling as well as a wide range of marine species. ... The community of Newbury Park, California lies on a western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks and an unincorporated portion of southern Ventura County. ... Location in Ventura County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Ventura Settled 1875 Incorporated September 29, 1964 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Andrew P. Fox  - City manager Scott Mitnick Area [1]  - City  55. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ...

Radio rhythms

Artie Shaw performing his "Concerto for Clarinet" in 1940

Shaw did many band remotes, and he was often heard from the Blue Room of New York's Hotel Lincoln. It was the location of his only regular radio series as headliner. Sponsored by Old Gold cigarettes, Shaw broadcast on CBS from November 20, 1938 until November 14, 1939. Image File history File linksMetadata Artie_Shaw_Playing. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Artie_Shaw_Playing. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

At the height of his popularity, Shaw reportedly earned US $60,000 per week. For a comparison, George Burns and Gracie Allen, were each making US $5,000 per week during the year (1940-41) the Artie Shaw Orchestra provided the music for their radio show. He also acted on the show as a love interest for Gracie Allen and the sarcastic bandleader who had trouble with South American guitarist Señor Lee, who could not fully grasp English. George Burns[1], born Nathan Birnbaum (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), was an American comedian and actor. ... Gracie Allen (July 26, 1895[1] – August 27, 1964) was an American comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns. ...

Films and fiction

Shaw made several musical shorts in 1939, and he portrayed himself in the Fred Astaire film Second Chorus (1940), which featured Shaw and his orchestra playing "Concerto For Clarinet." The film brought him two Oscar nominations, for Best Score and Best Song ("Love of My Life"). He collaborated on the song "If It's You" for the Marx Brothers' film, The Big Store (1941). Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Second Chorus is a 1940 Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. ... This article is about the comedian siblings. ... The Big Store is a 1941 MGM Marx Brothers comedy film in which Groucho, Chico and Harpo work to save the Phelps department store. ...

Throughout his musical career, Shaw would take sabbaticals where he would quit the business. He credited his time in the Navy as a period of renewed introspection. He entered psychoanalysis and began to pursue a writing career. His autobiography, The Trouble With Cinderella: An Outline of Identity was published in 1952 (with later reprint editions in 1992 and 2001). Revealing downbeat elements of the music business, Shaw explained that "the trouble with Cinderella" is "nobody ever lives happily ever after." He turned to semi-autobiographical fiction with the three short novels in I Love You, I Hate You, Drop Dead! (1965, reprinted in 1997), which prompted Terry Southern's comment: "Here is a deeply probing examination of the American marital scene. I flipped over it!" Shaw's short stories, including "Snow White in Harlem," were collected in The Best of Intentions and Other Stories (1989). He worked for years on his autobiographical novel The Education of Albie Snow, but it remains unpublished. Currently, through Curtis International Associates, the Artie Shaw Orchestra is still active. Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was a highly influential American short story writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter and university lecturer. ...

Listen to

• Radio Lovers: Artie Shaw Orchestra at New York's Hotel Lincoln (December 6, 1938)
• Artie Shaw's "Dancing in the Dark"

References

• Swing Bandleader, Clarinetist Artie Shaw Dies, Washington Post, December 31, 2004

... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• University of Arizona: Artie Shaw Collection
• Artie Shaw's gravesite
• Artie Shaw official site
• IMDb: Artie Shaw
• Biography at swingmusic.net