ENIGMATIC PERFECTIONIST
Artie Shaw (Avraham Ben-Yitzhak Arshawsky) (1910-2004), the jazz and popular music legend, was a clarinet virtuoso and one of the leading bandleaders of the 20th century. Firstly, he organized several of the most critically acclaimed and successful orchestras of the big band era. Moreover, he became the #1 bandleader in the USA in a meteoric rise to national prominence with his 1938-1939 band. They skyrocketed to fame with their best-selling record of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine.” But the unabashed and self-critical intellectual walked off the bandstand at the Cafe Rouge of New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania in November 1939. Here are documents that detail the history of the legendary 1938-1939 band:
Elegance and Style
The enigmatic perfectionist fled to exile in Mexico, only to return in the spring of 1940 to lead another successful group. Moreover, this time he included a large string section. Shaw’s best-selling hits including “Frenesi”, “Moonglow”, Temptation” and “Star Dust.” However, in 1942 Shaw volunteered for service in the United States Navy, where he led his legendary service orchestra to Hawaii and the South Pacific. Following military service Shaw returned with another prominent and successful band. In conclusion, as enigmatic personally as he was professionally, the turbulent Shaw led several additional groups before leaving music in the 1950s to focus on other pursuits, including his efforts as an author. Likewise, among his famous marriages were unions with actresses Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, and Evelyn Keyes.
The Artie Shaw Project
Shaw historian and collector Reinhard Scheer-Hennings of Dusseldorf, Germany, a Glenn Miller Collections donor, and Dennis M. Spragg of the Glenn Miller Collections are working together to produce a comprehensive history of Artie’s compelling musical legacy. Consequently, their work will contain multiple volumes arranged around the distinct Shaw bands. Therefore, each volume will contain a comprehensive discography, chronology, and catalog of Shaw materials. In conclusion, the project includes an extensive and detailed Index of recordings, broadcasts, the music library, and public releases. The authors thank the University of Arizona for its assistance with Mr. Shaw’s music library.