Artie Shaw
See also: Shaw
Artie Shaw , of its true name Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , is a Clarinettiste and Leader of American Jazz , born the May 23rd 1910 with New York and dead the December 30th 2004 with Los Angeles.
Biography
Born in New York, Arthur Arshawsky runs out its youth with New Haven (Connecticut). There, he learns the Clarinette and the Saxophone. He begins his career in dance bands. In 1926, it takes the pseudonym of Artie Shaw.In 1929, one finds it with New York where it undertakes an intense activity of musician of studio. One can hear it a time in the orchestra of Paul Whiteman. From 1934 to 1935, he forsakes the music and withdraws himself in the countryside to devote itself to the Littérature.
In 1936, it forms its own dance and jazz band which occurs at the beginning without much success. The situation improves as from April 1937. With an orchestra altered Artie Shaw starts to know glory. In 1938, it records its first “hit”: “Begin the beguine” of Cole Porter. From March in November 1938, Billie Holiday performe as singer of the orchestra, which, at one time when the tension generated by the racial segregation becomes important, does not go without creating incidents (see the autobiography of the singer: “Lady sings the blues). Populariré of the orchestra reaches then its apogee and it became the principal rival of that of the “king of the swing” Benny Goodman. However Artie Shaw, second once withdraws world of the music to settle with Mexico City.
In 1940, year when he marries the actress Lana Turner, he reconstitutes an orchestra which also connects the hits to him (“Frenesi”, 1940, n°1 in the United States during 13 weeks). In parallel, it occurs with an atypical small formation, “Grammercy Five” (with sometimes Johnny Guarnieri with the Clavecin). In 1942, during the Second world war, it engages in the Navy. It directs an orchestra intended to maintain the “moral one the troops” of the Pacific.
Of return to the civil life in 1944, it sets up an orchestra, for once exclusively “of jazz”, where occur there Roy Eldridge, Herbie Stewart, Dodo Marmarosa and Barney Kessel. During years 50-60, it directs various orchestras of size and variables quality, of which a “modernized” version of “Grammercy Five” (1953-1954).
At the end of the Sixties, it gives up once again the music to become film producer and of plays. It is withdrawn with Lakeville (Connecticut). It occurs still from time to time as musician (for example with the head of a great formation in 1985, or in London in 1992 to direct its “Concerto for clarinet”. In 2004, it was honoured by a lifetime achievement Grammy Award . He dies on December 30th of the same year.
Artie Shaw also continued a small career of writer; in addition to its biography (“The disturbs with Cinderella: year outline off identity”, 1952) it wrote a collection of news (“I coils you, I hastens you, drop dead! ”, 1965).
Shaw, shining clarinettist, moreover more “stupid of scene” that large jazzman, is also the author of a method of clarinet (“Clarinet method: school off modern Clarinet technic has”). Less anecdotiquement, Artie Shaw also appeared as a man of convictions who always militated against the racial segregation.
In addition to for its artistic career, Artie Shaw is known to have defrayed “close people” by its female conquests: Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Evelyn Keyes, Kathleen Winsor, Elisabeth Kern,…