Stan Kenton: The Early Years, 1941-1947 by Edward F. Gabel - Part 2

 © Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Ed Gabel’s Stan Kenton: The Early Years, 1941-1947 is filled with a tone of wide-eyed innocence and naivete.

From the vantage point of life in the United States today, it’s difficult to imagine an American culture that produced such wholesome, natural and unrefined sentiments. 

After reading the story of how Stan reached out to Ed’s mom to allow the young man to travel with his orchestra as the “band boy.” one could almost imagine an Andy Hardy movie coming to life with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland shouting: “Hey kids, let’s put on a show” and the next thing you know, through the magic of Hollywood, an old farm house is converted to a concert hall replete with theatrical sets being pulled up and a 100 piece orchestra rehearsing in the pit.

There’s a certain amount of hero-worship involved in Ed Gabel’s view of Stan Kenton; a status that some may find difficult to ascribe to a mere bandleader.

But why not? Sometimes circumstances chose our heroes for us and judging from the environment Ed was placed in as a young man, learning the virtues of hard work, being a supportive member of a team and developing new Life skills while a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra during its nascent years probably helped him mature into a responsible adult, willing to take on obligations and to do one’s fare share. Sometimes, I wish there were more of these “grown ups” around.

Here’s Ed’s Chapter One - Artistry in Rhythm to his fascinating book of remembrances. 

"This is the Mutual Broadcasting System. Please stand by... We now switch to the west coast and the music of Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, coming to you live from the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California, located on the shores of the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean. We start the program with Stan's theme Artistry In Rhythm, followed by Eager Beaver and Red Dorris singing Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear From Me."

Stan Kenton's name was new to me and the sound coming from the speaker in my Atwater Kent radio made my whole body shake with excitement. It was a late afternoon in July, 1941 when I first heard his orchestra. The sound of the three different sections — the throbbing beat of the rhythm, the melodic rapture of the reeds and the crescendo of the brass led me to believe I had discovered a rising new star in the music business.

Stan Kenton's orchestra and "Artistry In Rhythm” would soon enter my life, but I had no idea at the time of what was to follow.

First Trip East

In September, 1941, the Stan Kenton Orchestra completed their four month engagement at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California. The band was an overwhelming popular success with their new musical sound. Music fans from Southern California turned out in droves to hear the exciting new style of music.

Kenton's booking manager, Carlos Gastel, suggested to Stan that it was time to take the band on the road to other parts of the country. The band swung eastward for a series of one-nighters, working their way to the east coast. The tour was successful until they arrived in New York City.  Promotional advertising for a Kenton appearance at the Summit Ballroom in Baltimore had proclaimed "Glenn Miller, move over - Kenton is gaining on you!" But, in New York, all bets were off!

Gastel had signed a contract for a three week engagement at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. Carlos thought this would establish name recognition with the east coast audience. To be successful in the music business you had to be where the action was and that was New York City.

However, the Roseland date did not work out as planned. The conservative dancers could not dance to the staccato, throbbing beat of the Kenton music. The Roseland was a ten-cents-a-dance hall, where you paid to dance and choose your partner and thus it was hardly a place to showcase Stan's style of music.

Carlos had made a mistake with this booking but he achieved his objective; he got the band to New York, where record companies, song writers and booking agents were centered in a place off Broadway known as Tin-Pan-Alley. Kenton later "made it" in New York at such places as the Café Rouge of the Hotel Pennsylvania and the Paramount Theater

Kenton in Chicago

On the first Sunday in December, 1941 Bill Murphy, a friend and classmate of mine, and I decided to go downtown to the Hotel Sherman to hear Jack Teagarden and his all star Dixieland band in an afternoon concert. After the concert we left the hotel at 5:00 p.m. and were greeted by the news that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. People gathered around their radios, waiting for the latest news bulletins. The radio networks stayed on the air past their usual sign off times, filling the time between news reports with big band remotes. The Stan Kenton Orchestra was appearing at the Hollywood Palladium when the war broke out and, with the three hour time differential between the coasts, they were the last to sign off for the night. It was a cold, dark and scary ride home on the Illinois Central train that evening. I wondered what would happen to me with the country now at war.

In January 1942, the Kenton orchestra was booked into the Panther Room of the Hotel Sherman in downtown Chicago. Their three week appearance created a huge demand for reservations in the supper club. Listening to the weekend radio broadcasts on NBC encouraged me to go downtown and see the band in person. The long, narrow room had standing room so underage people could watch and listen to the band. The emotional lift of the music left me spellbound. I wanted to meet Mr. Kenton but was too nervous to introduce myself so I just stood by as he greeted other fans.

I read a story in the Chicago Tribune that the three-week stand at the hotel was a long sought break for the band after playing one-nighters for a month. The story mentioned that it was a chance for the band to wash their clothes and sleep in the same bed for a change. It also told about their opportunity to gain valuable coast to coast air time which would help the band become better known and stimulate sales of newly issued recordings. Hotels paid musicians union wages and big name bands like Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnett, Gene Krupa and Glenn Miller used the radio broadcasts from the hotel to stimulate record sales. The earnings from record sales helped to meet their payroll and traveling expenses.

After the hotel date, the band played one night dance and theater dates in the Chicago area. Unbeknownst to me, they had been booked into the State Theater, which was close to where I lived.

The State Theater featured name bands every Sunday, along with the regular motion pictures. I saw the Claude Thornhill Orchestra there on the last Sunday in January. At the conclusion of their stage show, they announced that the Stan Kenton Orchestra would be the following week's attraction. I was thrilled to learn they'd be coming the following week. There was no way I was going to miss hearing this exciting new band again!

Hello Mr. Kenton

It was two blocks from my house to 11th street where the street cars went east to Michigan Avenue, the location of the State Theater. Snow drifts blocked the road that cold, snowy February morning. Street cars were unable to operate but I didn't care. I decided to walk the mile to the theater. I figured that way I could save the seven cents I would have spent on the street car fare and spend it on a cup of hot chocolate at the White Castle on my way home.

I arrived early, planning to see the first stage show and the movie "It Started With Eve," a comedy with Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton.

Although I wore a heavy coat, galoshes, scarf and hat, I was freezing while I waited by the stage door, hoping to get a glimpse of the band. After a few minutes a bus pulled into the parking lot and Stan, along with the band members, unloaded the equipment and transferred everything into the theater.

A short time later I ducked into the café next to the theater to get warm and noticed Stan and some of the band members seated in a booth, eating breakfast. He was wearing a long black overcoat. I approached him and said “Hello, Mr. Kenton," hoping my voice didn't betray my nervousness, "my name is Ed Gabel."

"Please call me Stan. What did you say your name was? Mind if I call you, Gabe?" he said, moving over in the booth and motioning me to take a seat.

"Meet Bob Gioga, my road manager, and this is his wife, Dorothy. Dorothy's our band secretary. She keeps track of my appointments and handles the band's payroll. How about something to eat?"

I wasn't really hungry but I ordered a hot chocolate and some wheat toast, then sat back and listened while Stan told me about their recent trip to the east coast. I mentioned that I'd gone downtown to the Hotel Sherman to hear the band a month before and had listened to their radio broadcasts on the NBC and CBS networks.

"Well," he said, "what do you think of the band? Do you like our music?”

I assured him that I did and went on to tell him that the first time I'd heard the band was when they broadcast from the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California, on the Mutual Network.

I said, "Wow! What a sound, what a great band! I remember hoping you'd play in Chicago someday, and here you are!"

Invitation

After breakfast Stan invited me backstage to watch the band warm up and rehearse the tunes they would play for the stage show. It was my first opportunity to be backstage and I thoroughly enjoyed being so close to the music. It was fascinating watching the stage hands controlling the lighting and working the spotlights.

During the breaks while the movie was showing, I talked with Red Dorris and Bob Gioga, who played saxophones in the band. Bob introduced me to trombone players Harry Forbes and Bart Varsalona. They told me about their home towns and why they joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. I told them about Chicago, my school, my interest in music and my trip to the Orange Bowl in Miami. During the next stage break, someone brought dinner in for everyone. As we ate, I realized it was getting late and thought about the long walk home through the snow and cold. It had gotten dark and it was time for me to thank the band members for the time they had spent with me.

I was saying good-bye when Stan approached me and asked, "Gabe, have you ever thought about going on the road with a band?"

I gave him the “who me" look and said, "No, I never have. What would I do? And where are you going?"

"Well," Stan said. “I need someone to help with the equipment and setting up the bandstand as we travel across the country. You could assist me and Bob Gioga in making travel plans, I hadn't thought about hiring anyone until today."

"You really like the band, and with so many men going into the service it would be a great opportunity for you. I'll pay you $30.00 a week, plus a dollar from each band member, so your total pay would be $48.00 a week. You'd have to pay your hotel and meals out of that, but you'll have extra money for other things you want to do."

I started to mull over his offer when he said. "Look, we have another week of one-nighters, then two weeks at the Tune Town Ballroom in St. Louis before we come back to Chicago where we'll be at the Oriental Theater for a week. Why don't you think about the job and see me there? Ask the stage door man to phone me and you can come up to my dressing room."

"Mr. Kenton," I replied. I'm only seventeen, and in my last year of high school. I need to graduate. My mother would have a fit if I don't graduate."

"Gabe, check with your mom, I'd like to meet her. Bring her down to the theater when we get back." Stan said.

I was thrilled over this chance to see the U.S. and have some direction in my life. My mind flashed back to the trip to Miami I'd taken not long before. My dream of traveling was about to come true.

"OK, Mr. Kenton, I'll give you my answer when you come back to the Oriental Theater."

After the last stage show, I watched as the band packed up and left on tour. Now I was left with a dilemma. Should I accept the job offer or tell Mr. Kenton, "No way, my mother needs me at home."

Mom was living in our big old southside house with my sister Marilyn and me. Marilyn, who was three years younger than I, was in her first year of high school so I assumed the responsibility of man of the house.

My two older brothers, Harry and Norman, were grown up and away from home, out on their own. How could I tell my mother? What would she say?

Her response was just what I expected. "Edward, you are so close to graduating. You must finish high school," she said.

"Mom, I promise you, if I go with the band, someday I will graduate."

She gave her approval reluctantly, on my promise to eventually finish school, and also made the condition that she first talk with Mr. Kenton personally. I later kept my promise to finish school after I took up permanent residence in southern California.

My mother had no idea what a big band looked or sounded like so I took her downtown to the Oriental Theater the week before the Stan Kenton appearance to acquaint her with the world of big bands. The Count Basie Orchestra was the stage attraction. After hearing the band she was impressed enough to again insist on meeting Mr. Kenton before she would grant me permission to travel with the orchestra.

The following week the Kenton band appeared at the Oriental so I took the train downtown to the theater. The stage doorman phoned Stan in his dressing room. "Would it be OK to send Gabe up to your dressing room?"

"Sure, send him on up, I'm expecting him." Stan replied.

“Gabe, how are you? Have a chair. Did you talk to your mother?"

"She gave her approval for me to join the band, but only after she talks to you," I said. "I'm her only son at home and she needs to feel that going with the band is the right thing for me to do."

"Gabe, I want to meet you mother. In fact, I insist on meeting her. I want to get her approval for you to join us and travel on the road with the band. Bring her down to the theater before you accept the job."

We went downtown the next day. Mr. Kenton cordially welcomed my mom in his dressing room. He asked about how she liked living in Chicago. He asked her about my brothers and sister and mentioned that I had told him about my family and my oldest brother Harry, who was away studying at Northwestern University and planned on becoming a teacher, and about Norman, my middle brother, who was also in college studying to be a teacher. He assured her there was no reason to worry about me and promised to look after me. He grinned and said, "I've got eighteen musicians who would do the same."

Mom felt he was really interested in my welfare and appreciated the fact that he took the time to explain who he was and how he grew up in California. He told her how his mother raised him and his sisters and that his father was a vagabond and was rarely around to offer any family support. He smiled when he remarked that he must have his father's genes because he had formed a traveling orchestra. He went on to explain his plans for the orchestra and how it was necessary to travel in order to spread his ideas about music to the public across the country.

My mother thought he was a real gentleman, which he was. In my five years with the orchestra he regularly asked how she was doing.

My mother, a serene, tranquil lady with a retiring quietness about her, surprised me when she started telling Stan about her life. She told him that she had been an office secretary when she met my father, who was an assistant state's attorney in Chicago. After they married and were raising their children, my father decided to run for Cook County State's Attorney on the Republican ticket in 1932. After that, her life was never the same.

After all the political parades and picnics, the marching bands and speeches, he lost the election along with others on the Republican ticket. President Hoover and the entire Republican ticket were swept out of office in the landslide election of Franklin Roosevelt.

I accepted the job offer and Stan and I shook hands.

"Welcome aboard," he said.

"Where are we going?” I asked.

"Dorothy, show Gabe our itinerary." She handed me a copy. I could hardly wait to get started on our journey around the country.

I was convinced that I had made the right decision. I was now a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra! Stan told me about their future plans to play dance and theater dates in Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Michigan and about returning to Chicago before leaving for Hollywood.

My dream had come true.”

Itinerary

York, Pa.                         Bridgeport, Conn.                     Boston, Mass.

Pottstown, Pa.                Hartford, Conn.                        Providence, R.I.

Newark, NJ.                   Washington, D.C.                      New Orleans, La.

Miami, Fl.                       Atlanta, Ga.                              New York City,N.Y.