| In 1937 Ben Pollack moved to Los Angeles where he led a new band 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.
In 1947 Pollack was back playing drums, leading a Dixieland combo with the revived name of the Pick-A-Rib Boys. Pollack ran the Pick-A-Rib restaurant in Hollywood during the 1950s and early ’60s, leading a Dixieland group to perform at his establishment. His sidemen included clarinetist Barney Bigard and, for three months in 1956, his old friend Jack Teagarden. Excerpts from Ben Pollack: Profiles in Jazz, by Scott Yanow |
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| Alice Blue Gown (Joseph McCarthy / Harry Tierney) |
9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1546 B |
| Boogie Woogie | 9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1517 |
| California, Here I Come (Buddy Desylva / Al Jolson / Joseph Meyer) |
9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1517 |
| Can’t You Hear Me Calling, Caroline? | 9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1458 A |
| Cuddle Up A Little Closer | 9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1546 A |
| If It’s The Last Thing I Do Vocal Chorus by Peggy Mann (Sammy Cain / Saul Chaplin) |
9-21-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1465 A |
| I’m In My Glory From Universal Production “Merry Go Round of 1938”) Vocal Chorus by Peggy Mann (Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh) |
9-21-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1488 B |
| Morocco | 4-9-1938 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1851 A |
| My Wild Irish Rose (Chauncey Olcott) |
9-11-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1458 B |
| Nobody’s Gonna Take You From Me | 4-9-1938 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1851 B |
| The Snake-Charmer (Leonard Whiteup / Teddy Powell) |
9-21-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1488 A |
| You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want To Do It) Vocal Chorus by Peggy Mann (James V. Monaco / Joseph McCarthy) |
9-21-1937 | Los Angeles, California | Decca 1465 B |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Paula Gayle | Vocals |
| King Guion | Tenor Saxophone |
| Bob Hemphill | Guitar |
| Clyde Hurley | Trumpet |
| Ben Kanter | Clarinet |
| Bob Laine | Piano |
| Charles LaVere | Piano |
| Happy Lawson | Tenor Saxophone |
| Peggy Mann | Vocals |
| Garry McAdams | Guitar |
| Francis Palmer | String Bass |
| Ben Pollack | Drums |
| Muggsy Spanier | Trumpet |
| Slim Taft | String Bass |
| Ted Vesley | Trombone |
| Joe Yukl | Trombone |
