Musicians Jan - 01 - Nashville Musicians Association

More documents

Recommendations

Info

26 The Nashville Musician January-March 2009 It’s Miller time, Sonny that is Remembering a lifetime of music, and ones who made it possible By WALT TROTT Drummer-vibraphonist Sonny Miller has enjoyed a long and multi-faceted music career, having been sideman, bandleader, talent coordinator, booking agent and a dominant force in big band circles. Veteran Nashvillians may remember him best leading local orchestras, before moving on to broaden his horizons in New York, Florida and California. “I was born in Lebanon, Tenn., and back then it was an all-day trip to get into Nashville,” says Miller, christened Allia T. Miller, Jr. “Of course that was my father’s name, but I never heard of anyone else named Allia - and nobody knows it today, because I’m always called Sonny.” We chatted nearly an hour on the phone with Miller, who was at home in Burbank, Calif. So why were drums the instrument of choice? “I started playing drums after listening to radio. I always enjoyed keeping time to the music, so when I was 12 years old, I got a set of drums (the Slingerland brand). By the time I was 14, I was playing a lot of places around Nashville.” He recalls that his first paying gig was at age 14, playing the Elks Club in Nashville. What was a particularly memorable gig? “I played for the Cheeks on their houseboat (of course, the Cheek family - Leon and Joel - founded Maxwell House Coffee),” replies Miller, adding, “You know, I was awfully young to be playing that type of party.” After moving to Nashville, the Millers lived on Hollings Street: “I attended East High School. Originally, I took piano lessons and learned chords (from George Jackson). I was taught chords and the chords took me through everything. I picked up on the vibraphone, but didn’t have lessons on those. I did take steel guitar lessons at one time, and Bobby Martin was my teacher. But I didn’t pursue guitar at all. “I couldn’t tell my mother, but I played every joint in town including the Black Diamond, all the little places and made $2 a night.” Sonny also performed with a group headed up by Bob Curry on WLAC-Nashville. Another gig that springs to mind was playing Shacklett’s Cafeteria, along with George Jackson playing organ: “Then I just started playing all the various events around town.” This prompted Sonny, now a Lifetime Member, to join the Nashville Association of Musicians’ AFM Local 257 on Sept. 17, 1936, shortly after his 17th birthday (Sept. 12). He has retained his Nashville membership ever since: “George Cooper was president, and Robert Payne was secretary at the time.” While in New York, Miller would join AFM Local 802, and later Los Angeles’ Local 47. “I still pay my dues there. (President) Hal Espinosa and I are friends. He used to be in Les Brown’s band back when I put them on cruise ships. I actually had my band on 11 different cruise ships. Life on the ships was unbelievable. I booked entertainment for Princess Cruises 17 years (including The Love Boat).” Did Sonny ever learn to read music? “I was not a fast reader. When I played vibraphones, I learned chords primarily, and was kind of following Lionel Hampton’s style. And you know, I came to know him well.” Sonny Miller on drums, though he doesn’t play now. Sonny Miller’s Orchestra played The Palms, Nashville, 1939. That’s the bossman on drums. Once he got enough experience, Sonny began fronting his own bands, playing mostly jazz: “We played house parties and all that stuff. Back then, Nashville had a good number of dance bands - and liquor by the drink was illegal.” Owen Bradley was an inspiration to Sonny: “I would go to every show he ever played back then. Did you know Beasley Smith? He had that great (WSM) show Sunday Down South, and wrote some wonderful songs (‘That Lucky Old Sun’), and I think he was Owen’s mentor.” Among fellow drummers Sonny knew were Farris Coursey, Otto Bash, Walter Lenk and Buddy Harman. In drummer Paul Broome’s book “The Other Music City” (co-written with trumpet player Clay Tucker), Miller’s misidentified as “Johnny” Miller in a photo and accompanying text regarding his combo in New York City. “I was disappointed because otherwise it’s a pretty good account of the band days in Nashville,” says Miller. “Otto Bash called and apologized for the mistaken identity in their book.” During World War II, relates Miller, “I joined the Navy and they sent me into the Maritime Service, on a small island between Brooklyn and Staten Island called Hoffman Island. The band we had there was led by (violinist) Emery Deutsch, who wrote ‘Play, Fiddle, Play.’ In this band was Buddy Morrow who played trombone and did the famous instrumental recording of ‘Night Train.’ “Whenever I wasn’t doing my naval duty - teaching people how to abandon ship - I played in the band. When they needed a marching band, I was in it. Now these were all very good musicians . . . I was there four years (and playing weekend gigs off duty).” In New York City, Miller’s band indeed played such sought-after venues as The Stork Club, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and The Pied Piper Club, a jazz spot where Dizzy Gillespie and other greats would drop in. Miller’s Pied Piper combo included former Nashville musicians Tommy Knowles on tenor sax, and vocalist Bobby Johnston, who was Gene Howard’s brother (who sang with Stan Kenton - think ‘How Many Hearts Have You Broken’). While in New York, Johnston sang with the legendary Paul Whiteman’s unit. Another memorable musician Sonny worked with was Barney Kessel, one of the finest guitarists he ever encountered, and a fivetimes winner of Downbeat’s jazz guitar polls. “Almost every night columnist Walter Winchell came into the Stork Club and sat over to the side, as well as Hollywood celebrities, and even J. Edgar Hoover (FBI chief).” Could it be Hoover heard Sonny’d once played Greenwich Village and was checking up on what he figured was a Bohemian musician? “No,” Sonny chuckles. “I was a pretty good kid and never got into booze or drugs.” Other New York bookings included the fabled upstate Catskill Mountain resorts, where Miller’s crew found themselves backing household-names like Red Buttons and Milton Berle. Another favored booking Miller played was the Traymore Hotel in Atlantic City. “I had trios, I had four-men, five-men and 15-men bands, whatever the occasion called for. I got into booking the band and also played in the smaller groups. In the 1947 Downbeat Poll on trios, I placed 12th with my trio while playing the Syracuse Hotel in Syracuse, N.Y. We were there three months and would broadcast every night. That was the year the Nat (King) Cole Trio was #1, and actually I was ahead of Les Paul’s. No big deal. The point is, I worked all the time.” In New York’s off-season, his contingent played Palm Beach, Fla., during their winter months’ high tourist time, appearing with such notables as Sophie Tucker and Morton Downey at the Riviera Club. “I played the San Carlos Hotel in Pensacola twice,” continues Miller. “We also played the Tampa Terrace Hotel in Tampa. That was nice, but remember there was no air-conditioning back then. So it wasn’t as comfortable as now. “I have been very fortunate myself to be among the best musicians and I get along well with so many of them, but I never felt I was in their class,” confides Miller. “Yet, I always had a band and was able to get work when a lot of them couldn’t.” Shortly after migrating to California, the Miller band played the mezzanine of the popular Roosevelt Hotel, a Hollywood landmark frequented by show business elite, and site of the first Academy Awards’ ceremony in 1929. Sonny also played singer Harry Babbitt’s CBS radio program, featuring Bill Schaeffer, another Nashville native who’d played trombone with Francis Craig’s Orchestra (“Near You”). “Harry had the #1 hits ‘Three Little Fishies’ and ‘Who Wouldn’t Love You’ (in Kay Kyser’s Orchestra). He was a really nice guy. It was a morning show and he made a point of mentioning my name several times. I was very lucky.” Then Miller became an agent and subsequently began his Hollywood film phase, appearing in numerous movies during the 1950s and ’60s, often playing a sideline musician,. “I was on screen but you never knew if you were going to be recorded or not. I did several Frank Sinatra movies, including ‘The Joker is Wild’ (the story of comedian Joe E. Lewis), and I was in Mike Todd’s ‘Around the World in 80 Days.’ I played vibes with Sophia Loren in a scene from ‘Houseboat’ (with Cary Grant). Let’s see, I was also in two with Danny Kaye, ‘The Five Pennies’ (about jazz great Red Nichols) - ‘There were six different bands on screen in ‘Five Pennies’ and I was in each of them’ - and ‘White Christmas’ (with Bing Crosby, Kaye and Rosemary Clooney). “I also played Rosemary Clooney’s (TV) show twice. She was a wonderful singer and I have some pictures of her from that time . . . ” Yet another singer he worked with was torchy Julie London (“Cry Me a River”): “I did a thing with her at NBC. It was a commercial. I think she was married to piano player Bobby Troup at the time (who also appeared in ‘The Five Pennies’).” Miller’s own favorite pianist was Dave Harris: “I had him with me 15 years, and he was the greatest. He had been with the Raymond Scott Quintette (which had the 1937 Top 10 novelty number ‘Dinner Music For a Pack of Hungry Cannibals’). They were one of the great groups. Dave did all the Bing Crosby shows and the Colgate Comedy Hour.” Among dance bands Miller booked were Les Brown & His Band of Renown, Freddie Martin’s Orchestra, Nelson Riddle’s and Harry James’ band. “I booked Les Brown until he died (Jan. 4, 2001). His original drummer Don (Kramer) is my best friend. He played for Les at Duke University, where the band started. Well, he’s now 95 and in good health. You know, on the road he used to travel with Doris Day, the band’s singer . . . Of course, Les backed Bob Hope, whom I also knew. He loved big band music and especially Les Brown.” Miller has a son Patrick: “You know he’s got a drum tattoo on his arm, but he never made a penny playing professionally.” Sonny and Hedda Miller have been wed 20 years. “She’s a great wife,” adds Miller, who says they travel a lot, having visited such foreign ports as Australia, New Zealand and England. Meanwhile, Miller feels fine except for eye troubles: “I’ve got Macular Degeneration, so my vision’s really terrible.” That hasn’t stopped his involvement in the Big Band Academy activities, chief of which is saluting musical greats of yesteryear during the organization’s annual reunion. “I’ve been on their board of directors 20 years. Last June, we honored Stan Freberg, even though he did novelty numbers (a la ‘John and Marsha’), but you know he’s a pretty good singer. We also saluted The Modernaires, now carrying on with Paula Kelly, Jr. (a 1940s’ vocal group known for hits ranging from ‘To Each His Own’ to ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ and once sang with Glenn Miller’s band). We also honored Peter Marshall, the former band vocalist (Bob Chester Orchestra), who hosted ‘Hollywood Squares’ (and brother to late screen star Joanne Dru). This is a good organization and we hold that reunion every year at the Sportsman’s Lodge, though we’ll be changing the venue next year. Mainly, we’ve honored big bands such as Louis Bellson, Tex Beneke, Billy May and, of course, Les Brown.” Sonny (on vibes) in New York, had fellow Nashvillians Tommy Knowles and Bob Johnston in his combo.
January-March 2009 The Nashville Musician 27 Community outreach . . . and more Volunteer musicians needed Donicè Kaufman, Director of Youth and Wellness at The League for The Deaf and Hard of Hearing, is reaching out for volunteers. There will be a special camp weekend coming up this May, and it would be wonderful for the kids to have some first-hand musical experiences. Through some research, Donicè and I have learned that percussion/drums, bass, guitar and harp are instruments that are conducive to being comprehended by people who are deaf and hard of hearing, since their vibrations can be felt more readily. I volunteered, last summer, to give percussion/drum and some basic music lessons to the children attending camp and I must say that it was an incredibly rewarding experience. I can still see their smiles as they played various percussion instruments and drums. Some of the kids actually astounded me with how quick they picked it up and how good they played. This is a wonderful way to spread the joy of music to a segment of our community that usually gets ignored when it comes to music. Please consider this opportunity that promises to be fun, educational and challenging for both you and the students. Lir Corbitt learns to drum with aid of instructor Craig Krampf and interpreter Beth Moss. Jazz station WMOT on endangered list - here’s how YOU can help? Dear Local 257 members: WMOT-FM, Nashville’s flagship jazz station, is in serious danger of losing its funding due to impending budget cuts at Middle Tennessee State University. One of our members with long-time MTSU involvement has suggested that an e-mail and letter-writing campaign to the President of MTSU, Dr. Sidney McPhee, could help turn the tide. The following is a suggestion for any of you to use if you like, but PLEASE feel free to write your own. WMOT has been a huge part of our music scene for many years, and has always promoted Nashville jazz artists alongside national names. Our community would lose a very important voice if WMOT is silenced. This is a unique opportunity for us to make a difference in our community. I will be sending an e-mail and a snail mail letter, and urge you do the same. PLEASE take a moment to let MTSU know how you feel. Thanks, Dave Pomeroy Dr. McPhee’s E-mail address is: smcphee@mtsu.edu - For letters, his address is: Dr. Sidney McPhee, President, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 As you have heard, state budget cuts are forcing Middle Tennessee State University to end many campus activities, including their awardwinning jazz public radio station, WMOT-FM Jazz89. The final decision will be made soon, so we are asking you to join a city-wide effort to save this important outlet for classic American jazz. “A great nation deserves great art." Too many of our current generation are totally unaware of their own cultural heritage. The history of American music begins with the jazz and blues of the Mississippi Delta. Without WMOT, there will be no daily access to classic mainstream jazz, almost no access to jazz-related programming from NPR, and significantly Letter/E-mail Example . . . To: Dr. Sidney McPhee, MTSU, President, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 From: Re: WMOT-FM funding Dear Dr. McPhee: As a member of the Nashville Association of Musicians, AFM Local 257, and the greater Nashville community, I am very concerned about the news that MTSU is considering cutting future funding of WMOT, one of the finest radio stations to be heard anywhere. WMOT’s jazz and community programming is an indispensable part of our music scene here and is an important source of information, art, and culture for an audience that ranges far beyond the student body of MTSU and the confines of Murfreesboro. I urge you to carefully consider all of the negative consequences of taking WMOT-FM off the air, before making any decision of this magnitude. Respectfully, (Your name and address) Jazz pioneer Austin Bealmear calls on Local 257 members to join in the campaign to save renowned jazz station A Night of Burnin' Love, a tribute to Local 257 member and legendary songwriter Dennis Linde at the Musicians’ Hall of Fame & Museum on Feb. 9, lived up to its promise of a high octane event. Hosted by actor James Marsden and Dennis' daughter Lisa, the show was a benefit for the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF), the disease that claimed Dennis’ life (see www.coalitionforpf.org). Obviously, attendees were wowed by both the music and the message. PF is an insidious disease that has been under the radar too long, and Vanderbilt’s in the midst of research that it’s hoped will lead to a breakthrough soon. The music proved outstanding, thanks to a Please call or e-mail me: Craig Krampf, telephone (615) 244-9514, Extension 224, or e-mail me at: craig@afm257.org Feel the vibes! These players enjoy their unique musical experience at the League for The Deaf and Hard of Hearing (front row): Latesha Shannon, Mohamed Mogow, Tyreasha Cowan, Lir Corbitt, Ayman Abdul Shaheed, Erika Nobrega, Tre Dobbins, and (standing) Justin Southerland,volunteer, with Craig Krampf, instructor, and Donice Kaufman, program director. Lawmaker’s ‘privilege tax’ proposal strikes sour note Memphis-based Tennessee Legislative Rep. G. E. Hardaway has proposed that professional athletes and those entertainers whose incomes totals $50,000 annually “should pay to play.” The state lawmaker says funds raised by such a “privilege tax” could benefit Juvenile Court programs immensely. Former Titans’ wide receiver Chris Sanders says such a tax would not sit well with some grid-iron players: “There is going to be some griping a little bit; guys get upset when they pay a lot of taxes, because they get taxed in so many areas.” AFM Local 257’s new President Dave Dennis Linde tribute concert proves to be a grand night for a great cause crack band of Local 257 members led by Bergen White and a variety of guest vocalists, including Joe Nichols, Mark Chesnutt and the surprisingly soulful Marsden, running through a variety of Linde hits, including “Goodbye Earl,” “Bubba Shot the Jukebox,” sung by Chesnutt; Ben Lee's soulful rendition of “Walkin' A Broken Heart,” originally recorded by Don Williams; and the finale “Burnin' Love,” featuring hit songwriter Jim Collins filling for Elvis. It was the proverbial great night for a great cause in a great atmosphere at Joe Chambers’ Musicians’ Hall of Fame & Museum. If you haven't checked out the MHFM, do so soon, as it may get eaten up by the proposed convention center! Pomeroy feels that such an additional tax would be a further burden on musicians, some of whom are already struggling just to pay their membership dues. Bassist Pomeroy stated, “Mr. Hardaway's bill suggesting a ‘privilege tax' for professional entertainers and athletes is laughable in its premise, but also insulting to our community less support for live jazz events and recordings by local jazz artists. Without WMOT's website and streaming audio, local jazz artists will no longer be heard daily around the world. And you won't be able to hear JAZZ On The Side, the only syndicated jazz documentary show produced in the South. Yes you can help by joining a letter-writing campaign to convince MTSU to keep WMOT on the air, by attending events to rally support and raise money for WMOT, and by watching for other efforts to save this cultural treasure. Please send your e-mail or letters to either MTSU President Dr. Sidney McPhee, Room 0110, Bld.g CAB, MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN in a time when intellectual property is under attack and professional musicians struggle to make a living in the digital age, when music is perceived to be ‘free.’ Music isn't free - we work for a living. While we all share his concern about funding the juvenile court system, I respectfully suggest that Mr. Hardaway look elsewhere for a more equitable solution.” Sound Health Care program now in place AFM Local 257 is proud to announce that as of Feb. 10, 2009, the Sound Health Care plan, originally developed by the CMA and Vanderbilt, is now available for the first time to our members free of any additional membership charges. Your current 2009 membership in Local 257 is all you need to qualify to apply for this plan. In the past, you had to be a dues-paying member of CMA, RMA Nashville, IBMA, GMA or NSAI to be eligible. Just go to www.afm257.org and click on the Sound Health Care logo. When this plan was first shown to Local 257 more than a year ago, I was very impressed not only with the plan but also by the passion and dedication of its administrator, R.J. Stillwell. He has been a songwriter and musician before entering the Health Care business and has a unique understanding of the special challenges that musicians face in getting and keeping, affordable health insurance. The Local did not join the group plan at that time, but we were able to offer it to RMA Nashville members last August. For those with major medical issues, R.J. Stillwell points out, “I do think we need to clarify one element in order to manage expectations, as this isn't a true group guarantee issue plan. All Local 257 members who apply will need to go through the underwriting process for approval, and so Sound Health Care offers several plans with different underwriting criteria. As such, our issue rate and premium savings far exceeds industry norms, and as a music industry advocacy organization, we will help you navigate the process. And should someone be uninsurable, we will provide counsel in exploring possible solutions." Many Local 257 members have already switched to this plan in its previous incarnations and are saving money and getting better coverage. As the Sound Health Care family grows, it will help keep rates affordable. As part of our on-going effort to provide meaningful services to our members, we are proud to finally offer this “Nashville Musicians Association Sound Health Care” group plan to ALL Local 257 members. For more information - contact R. J. Stillwell, 555 Church St., Suite 2403, Nashville, TN 37219. T: 615.256.8667, F: 615.256.2098 e-mail: musicrow@aol.com - Dave Pomeroy 37132, or Dr. Roy L. Moore, Dean of the College of Mass Communication, to let them know how strongly we support WMOT. Also let them know that you will support WMOT financially, if the station survives, as it will need a serious increase in individual contributions. Remember us on-line Members, the entire issue of The Nashville Musician is also on our website for your convenience, or you can receive it via e-mail. Check it out via www.AFM257.org Rally to the cause! Help keep WMOT-FM on the air . . . Write letters or send e-mails!
Page 1 and 2: AFM Local 257 election ’08 result
Page 3 and 4: January-March 2009 The Nashville Mu
Page 25: January-March 2009 The Nashville Mu

Musicians Jan - 01 - Nashville Musicians Association

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?