Charlie BARNET & His Orchestra “Cherokee“ !!!

RARE OLDIES SOUNDIES WITH MR CHARLIE BARNET & HIS ORCHESTRA ! Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were “Skyliner“, “Cherokee“, “The Wrong Idea“, “Scotch and Soda“, and “Southland Shuffle“. Charlie Barnet was born in New York City. His parents divorced when he was two, and he was raised by his mother and her grandparents. His grandfather was Charles Frederick Daly, a vice-president for the New York Central Railroad, banker, and businessman. Barnet attended various boarding schools, both in the New York and Chicago areas. He learned to play piano and saxophone as a child. He often left school to listen to music and to try to gain work as a musician. Although he began his recording career in October, 1933, Charlie Barnet was at the height of his popularity between 1939 and 1941, a period that began with his hit version of “Cherokee“, written by Ray Noble and arranged by Billy May. In 1944, Barnet had another big hit with “Skyliner“. In 1947, he started to switch from swing music to bebop. During his swing period his band included Buddy DeFranco, Roy Eldridge, Neal Hefti, Lena Horne, Barney Kessel, Dodo Marmorosa, Oscar Pettiford, and Art House, while later versions of the band included Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, and Clark Terry. Trumpeter Billy May was an arranger in the Charlie Barnet Orchestra before he joined Glenn Miller in 1940. He was one of the first bandleaders to integrate his band; the year is variously given as 1935 or 1937. He was an outspoken admirer of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. In 1939, Basie once lent Barnet his charts after Barnet’s had been destroyed in a fire at the Palomar Hotel in Los Angeles. Throughout his career he was an opponent of syrupy arrangements. In the song “The Wrong Idea“, he lampooned the “sweet“ Big Band sound of the era. In 1949 he retired, apparently because he had lost interest in music. He was able to retire when he chose because he was one of the few heirs in a very wealthy family. He occasionally returned from retirement for brief tours but never returned to music full time. You can watch all my rare oldies soundies on : ! Many thanks , NICKY .