(Excerpt from Ben Pollack: Profile in Jazz, by Scott Yanow)

Unfortunately Ben Pollack was still thinking of himself as a singer (he had a weak voice) and often ended recordings with the corny phrase “May it please you, Ben Pollack.” Worse was that Pollack had become more interested in promoting his girlfriend Doris Robbins as a singer (she was an average vocalist) and an actress than he was in leading his band. One can see that in a film short from 1934 where the jazz is de-emphasized and Robbins and Pollack sing together on “Love Me Tonight.”

Of the 13 recordings made by the Ben Pollack Orchestra in 1934, Doris Robbins sings on four songs, Joe Harris (trying to emulate Teagarden) is on seven, there is one vocal by Pollack, and the only instrumental is a forgettable rhumba number. Virtually no jazz of interest was recorded.

In Sept. 1934 during an engagement in Los Angeles, the band had a mutiny and all of the musicians left Pollack. They would soon reform as the Bob Crosby Orchestra. Pollack, who was still just 31, hurriedly put together a new big band to fulfill engagements and in 1935 married Doris Robbins, a union that lasted until their 1940 divorce. She never recorded again nor made any films.

The Ben Pollack Orchestra next appeared on records in 1936 and Pollack’s band was once again filled with impressive players. The sidemen included trumpeters Harry James, Shorty Sherock, and Charlie Spivak, Glenn Miller (who was temporarily back on trombone), clarinetist Irving Fazola, and pianist Freddie Slack, with tenor-saxophonist Dave Matthews contributing many of the arrangements. Pollack, who was back on drums, was still singing a little but was wise enough to feature Harry James (who was then 20) quite a bit including on “Spreadin’ Knowledge Around,” “Zoom Zoom Zoom,” “Jimtown Blues,” and “Peckin’.”

However Pollack was now considered in the minor leagues and his lineup was ripe for other more prosperous bandleaders to raid. By January 1937 James was part of Pollack’s former sideman Benny Goodman’s big band and his other top players were soon lured away.

Pollack moved to Los Angeles where he led a new band in 1937 filled with fine local players plus the great cornetist Muggsy Spanier. In addition to a series of big band titles, he led a small-group from the orchestra, called Ben Pollack’s Pick-A-Rib Boys (featuring Spanier), and accompanied Connee Boswell on some of her recordings. Spanier stayed with Pollack until a serious illness knocked him out of action. The hot trumpet chair was taken by Clyde Hurley in 1938 (who later joined Glenn Miller) and finally by Andy Secrest who is on the last Pollack big band recordings. It is ironic that while many of his former sidemen (Goodman, Teagarden, James, Slack, and much of the Bob Crosby Orchestra) were major names, Pollack (who was still only 36 in 1939) was becoming increasingly forgotten by the end of the 1930s.

Thanks to Wim van der Brugghen and Owen Miller for their help with this page.