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LENNIE HAYTON  & HIS ORCHESTRA

Band Formed: 1937.   Hayton had previously led bands in 1928, and on the Bing Crosby and Burns & Allen radio shows.

Sidemen With Band Included:  Bill Graham, Walter Mercurio, Wendell De Lory, George Jaffe, John Dillard, John Saola, Willard Brady, Slats Long, Mike Doty, Dave Barbour, Bernie Friedland, Bunny Shawker and others.

Vocalists With Band Included:  Paul Barry, Linda Keene.

Theme Song: "Times Square Scuttle"

Recording Affiliations: Decca, Vocalion, Varsity.

Notes:  Between 1937 and 1940, the Hayton band, booked by Mills Artists Incorporated, toured coast-to-coast, playing one-nighters and extended stay locations with a lineup that ranged from 12 to as many as 20 musicians.

LENNIE HAYTON  1908-1971

Composer and arranger Lennie Hayton began taking piano lessons at six years of age. One of his first professional jobs was working with Spencer Clark in the Little Ramblers in 1926. He spent 1927 with the Cass Hagen Orchestra and then was with Paul Whiteman during Sept. 1928 until May 1930. During this period of time, Hayton appeared on a variety of major jazz records with such players as Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Red Nichols and Miff Mole. In the 1930's he moved away from jazz, leading his own orchestra and working as musical director for Bing Crosby for a period. He worked on radio shows with Crosby, and the famous Lucky Strike Hit Parade.

Hayton recorded two numbers as a leader in 1928 and then led a big band that recorded from 1937-40. When the band broke up in 1941, Hayton settled in Hollywood, where he worked for MGM as an arranger, conductor and musical director on movie musicals such as Ziegfeld Follies, The Harvey Girls, Till The Clouds Roll By, The Pirate, On The Town, The Barkleys Of Broadway, and Singin' In The Rain.  He continued at MGM until 1953.  He also continued arranging and composing throughout the 1960s.

After marrying Lena Horne in 1947, Hayton thereafter served as her pianist, arranger and musical director. In 1968 he was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the Gertrude Lawrence biopic Star!, and two years later was co-musical director, with Lionel Newman, on the lavish Hello, Dolly!  Hayton died on April 24, 1971.

Lennie Hayton's career can be easily divided into two. Early on he was a jazz-oriented pianist and arranger involved in classic jazz dates of the late 1920's. After a stint leading his own big band,  by the mid-1940's he was primarily an arranger for orchestras and quite busy as a studio musician.  Hayton excelled during both parts of his musical life.

 

Lennie Hayton & His Orchestra 1937-1940

Complete Commercial Recordings: Decca, Varsity & Vocalion

 

  1. Carelessly (Chas. & Nick Kenny ‑ Norman Ellis).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1248‑A (62144‑A). NY, 4/22/1937.  E. Sid Stoneburn, clarinet solo. 3:10

  1. It Looks Like Rain In Cherry Blossom Lane (Edgar Leslie‑Joe Burke).   Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1248‑B (62145‑A). NY, 4/22/1937.  E. 3:13

  1. The Lady Who Couldn't Be Kissed (from the Warner Bros. production "The Singing Marine") (Harry Warren‑Al Dubin).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1268‑B (62146‑A).  NY, 4/22/1937.(Seems as if Hayton recorded practically the entire score of "The Singing Marine", a musical that starred Kenny Baker.  I've seen it on TCM). E+ 3:05

  1. Night Over Shanghai (from the Warner Bros. production "The Singing Marine") (Harry Warren‑Johnny Mercer).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1268‑A (62147‑A).  NY, 4/22/1937. E+. 3:19

  1. I Know Now (from the Warner Bros. production "The Singing Marine") (Harry Warren‑Al Dubin).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1267‑A (62148‑A).   NY, 4/22/1937.  E+. 3:12

  1. You Can't Run Away From Love Tonight (from the Warner Bros. Production "The Singing Marine") (Harry Warren‑Al Dubin). Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1267‑B (62149‑A).  NY, 4/22/1937. E. 3:03

  1. Gone With the Wind (Allie Wrubel‑Herb Magidson).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1341‑A (62320‑A).  NY, 7/1/1937. E. 3:05

  1. What A Beautiful Beginning (from the 20th Century‑Fox production "Sing And Be Happy") (Harry Akst‑Sidney Clare).  Vocal by Paul Barry. Decca 1341‑B (62321‑A).  NY, 7/1/1937.  Looks rough, plays E (especially after restoration). 2:38

  1. Can I Forget You (from the Paramount picture "High, Wide And Handsome") (Jerome Kern- Oscar Hammerstein II).  Vocal by Paul Barry. Decca 1348‑A (62324‑A). NY, 7/1/1937.  N‑. 3:13

  1. The Folks Who Live On the Hill (from the Paramount picture "High, Wide And Handsome") (Jerome Kern‑Oscar Hammerstein II).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1348‑B (62325‑B).  NY, 7/1/1937.  E+ to N‑. 3:05

  1. That Old Feeling (from the Walter Wanger production "Vogues of 1938") (Lew Brown‑Sammy Fain).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1354‑A (62326‑A). NY, 7/1/1937.  Superb side;  solos from Sid Stoneburn‑clarinet, and either Ralph Muzzilo or Red Hymie‑trumpet.  E to E+. 2:54

  1. Lovely One (from the Walter Wanger production "Vogues of 1938") (Manning Sherwin‑Frank Loesser).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1354‑B (62327‑A).  NY, 7/1/1937. E+ 3:06

  1. Once In A While (Michael Edwards‑Bud Green).  Vocal by Paul Barry.   (American) Decca 1443‑A (62582‑A).  NY, 9/8/1937.  E.  3:00

  1. Once In A While (Edwards‑Green).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  (Canadian) Decca 1443‑A (62582‑B).  NY, 9/8/1937.  This record looks E‑ to E, but has rim chip 2 grooves in (ends before music starts) and 1 1/2" hairline crack. It has excellent quality shellac, so all defects are unnoticeable after restoration. E . 3:02 

    15.   The Morning After (Dorsey‑Jaffe‑Boland).  Vocal by Paul Barry. (American) Decca 1443‑B (62583‑B;  an

            "X" has  been stamped through take "A", with the "B" take stamped next to it !!).     NY, 9/8/1937.  E.  3:01

  1. So Many Memories (Harry Woods).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1437‑B (62584‑A).  NY, 9/8/1937.  E+.   Sid Stoneburn‑clarinet;  ? Ralph Muzzilo‑trumpet. 3:07

  1. Make A Wish (from the Principal Production "Make A Wish") (Straus‑Alter‑Webster).  Vocal by Paul Barry.  Decca 1437‑A (62585‑A). NY, 9/8/1937.  E+.  2:45

  1. At the Balalaika (from "Balalaika").  Vocal by Linda Keene. Varsity 8125 (US‑1130‑1)  NY, c. 12/7/1939.  E.  3:15

  1. The Starlit Hour (Parish‑DeRose).  Vocal by Linda Keene.  Varsity 8125 (US‑1131‑1;  as above).  NY, c. 12/7/1939.  E (slight scuff removed by restoration).  2:53

  1. Peg O' My Heart (Bryan‑Fisher).  Varsity 8134 (US‑1132‑2).  NY, c. 12/7/1939.  Slats Long ‑ clarinet. N-.  3:00

  1. As Long As I Live (Koehler‑Arlen).  Varsity 8134 (US‑1133‑2).  NY, c. 12/7/1939. N‑. 3:20

  1. AC‑DC Current (Christian‑Hampton‑Goodman).  Vocalion 5471 (W‑26540‑A).  NY, 2/20/1940.    Magnificent side, probably Hayton's best!  Solos throughout. N-.  2:52

  1. I Love You Much Too Much (Olshey‑Raye‑Towber).  Vocal by Linda Keene.  Vocalion 5421 (W‑26541‑A).  NY, 2/20/1940.  E.  3:00

  1. Times Square Scuttle (Hayton).  Vocalion 5471 (W‑26542‑A).  NY, 2/20/1940.   That trumpet sounds like Yank Lawson to me, but wasn't he still with Crosby at this time??? or not??? N‑.  2:32

  1. One Cigarette For Two (Metzger‑Dougherty‑Ryan).  Vocal by Linda Keene.  Vocalion 5421 (W‑26543‑A).   NY, 2/20/1940.  E.  2:56

 

Total Time - 75:56

 

Liner notes by John Leifert.

 

All records and transfers by John Leifert, except Tracks 3, 4, 10, 20, 22, 24 by Ed Noble, and Track 25 by John Gray.

 

Audio restoration by Ed Noble.