Harry James (1916-83) was not only a virtuoso trumpeter with his own exciting style but the leader of the most popular big band of 1942-46 (after Glenn Miller broke up his civilian orchestra). In the 1940s, James was the most famous jazz trumpeter other than Louis Armstrong, and he remained a household name throughout the rest of his life. He first came to fame with Benny Goodman during 1937-38 and, after a bit of struggling leading his early big band, his 1941 hit of “You Made Me Love You” helped catapult him to the top of the swing world.
While virtually all of James’ hit recordings were in the 1940s along with many of his most memorable solos, he was one of the few swing survivors to keep a big band together that worked regularly in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and early ’80s. James never ran out of fans who wanted to see him play his hits, and he never seemed to tire of leading his big band.
By the 1950s James, (after a brief flirtation with bebop) led a swing band that utilized Ernie Wilkins arrangements and often sounded close to that of Count Basie’s. While it is a pity that he very rarely recorded with a combo during his last few decades (unlike his former boss Benny Goodman), James managed to keep his big band music fairly lively and remained a distinctive trumpeter who stretched himself when inspired.
Two CDs released by Hitchcock Media titled 32nd Anniversa
