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Artie Shaw

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004), better known as Artie Shaw, was an accomplished jazz clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and writer.

He was born in New York City, United States, and began learning the saxophone when he was 15 and, by age 16, had begun to tour with a band. He returned to New York and became a session musician. During the Swing Era, his big band was very popular with hits like "Begin the Beguine", "Lady Be Good", and "Frenesi".

Shaw was know for being an innovator in the big band idiom, at the time using unusual instrumentation. His piece "Interlude in B-flat" was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed third stream. He hired Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. His band became enormously successful and his playing, dismissed at first, eventually rivaled that of Benny Goodman: Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard--himself a talented musician--cited Shaw as his favorite clarinet player.

At the height of his popularity, Shaw reportedly earned US$30,000 per week, a very large amount during the Great Depression.

During WWII he enlisted in the U.S. Navy (along with his entire band) and served with them in the Pacific theater (similar to Glenn Miller's wartime band in Europe). He spent approximately 18 months playing for navy personnel, sometimes as many as four shows a day. He received a medical discharge.

Throughout his musical career, Shaw would take sabbaticals where he would quit the business. He credited his time in the navy as a period of renewed introspection. He began psychoanalysis and began to pursue a writing career. In 1954, Shaw stopped playing the clarinet, citing his own perfectionism, which, he later said, would have killed him. He focused on writing, concentrating on semi-biographical fiction. He wrote The Trouble With Cinderella and was working on The Education of Albie Snow when he died.

For the Marx Brothers' movie, The Big Store Shaw co-wrote the song, "If It's You." He also had a significant role in the Fred Astaire film Second Chorus.

A self-proclaimed "very difficult man", Shaw was married eight times; it became a national joke to have been "married as many times as Artie Shaw." Among his wives were Jane Cairns, Margaret Allen, Betty Kern (daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern), author Kathleen Winsor, and actresses Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Doris Dowling and Evelyn Keyes. He had two children.

In 1953, Shaw was brought up before the House Un-American Activites Committee for his liberal activities. The committee was investigating a peace activist organization, the World Peace Congress, which it considered a Communist front.

In his later years, Shaw lived and wrote in the Newbury Park section of Thousand Oaks, California. In 1981, he organised a new Artie Shaw Band, with clarinetist Dick Johnson as band leader and soloist. Shaw himself would guest conduct from time to time, ending his self-imposed retirement.

In 2004, he was presented with a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. He died from natural causes aged 94.

Samples

  • Download sample of "Begin the Beguine" by Artie Shaw, a surprise hit that turned the clarinetist into a swing star

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He died from natural causes aged 94. Spyro Gyra has received the following Grammy nominations:. In 2004, he was presented with a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. He recalls:. Shaw himself would guest conduct from time to time, ending his self-imposed retirement. The name "Spyro Gyra" is a misspelling of spirogyra, a kind of algae which Beckenstein had written a college biology paper on years earlier. In 1981, he organised a new Artie Shaw Band, with clarinetist Dick Johnson as band leader and soloist. It all came together, this oddball mix, until we found a middle ground, our own groove".

In his later years, Shaw lived and wrote in the Newbury Park section of Thousand Oaks, California. We did simple music and esoteric stuff. The committee was investigating a peace activist organization, the World Peace Congress, which it considered a Communist front. Wall has commented that their sound was a "gutbucket of rhythmic tradition. In 1953, Shaw was brought up before the House Un-American Activites Committee for his liberal activities. Over a year, Beckenstein's and Wall's work evolved into Spyro Gyra. He had two children. In Beckenstein's description of the Buffalo club scene of the time;.

A self-proclaimed "very difficult man", Shaw was married eight times; it became a national joke to have been "married as many times as Artie Shaw." Among his wives were Jane Cairns, Margaret Allen, Betty Kern (daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern), author Kathleen Winsor, and actresses Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Doris Dowling and Evelyn Keyes. Wall teamed up with Beckenstein, and the two started playing instrumental music — mostly covers of R&B songs — together. For the Marx Brothers' movie, The Big Store Shaw co-wrote the song, "If It's You." He also had a significant role in the Fred Astaire film Second Chorus. Beckenstein had been working in clubs in Buffalo since his junior year of college, backing various vocalists. He wrote The Trouble With Cinderella and was working on The Education of Albie Snow when he died. Although they headed in different directions during college — Beckenstein to the State University of New York in Buffalo and Wall to Cal Arts, they spent summers together playing outdoor concerts, and Wall moved to Buffalo soon after graduating. He focused on writing, concentrating on semi-biographical fiction. Spyro Gyra emerged around Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall, who had met and formed a band during their high school years.

In 1954, Shaw stopped playing the clarinet, citing his own perfectionism, which, he later said, would have killed him. With the exception of alto saxophonist, songwriter and founding bandleader Jay Beckenstein, the member configuration has changed somewhat over the span of time as well as between the studio and the live stage. He began psychoanalysis and began to pursue a writing career. They have nevertheless been praised as skilled instrumentalists and for their live performances. He credited his time in the navy as a period of renewed introspection. Although generally considered to be more "jazz" than "smooth", Spyro Gyra's music has been criticized for being light-weight and for emphasizing melody over improvisation. Throughout his musical career, Shaw would take sabbaticals where he would quit the business. Their music, which has been influential in the development of smooth jazz, combines jazz with elements of R&B, funk and pop music.

He received a medical discharge. Among their most successful hit singles are "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance". He spent approximately 18 months playing for navy personnel, sometimes as many as four shows a day. With over 20 albums released and 10 million copies sold, they are among the most prolific as well as commercially successful groups of the scene. Navy (along with his entire band) and served with them in the Pacific theater (similar to Glenn Miller's wartime band in Europe). Spyro Gyra is a still-active American jazz fusion band that was formed in the early 1970s. During WWII he enlisted in the U.S. 1985 - Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Alternating Currents".

At the height of his popularity, Shaw reportedly earned US$30,000 per week, a very large amount during the Great Depression. 1985 - Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Shakedown". His band became enormously successful and his playing, dismissed at first, eventually rivaled that of Benny Goodman: Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard--himself a talented musician--cited Shaw as his favorite clarinet player. 1984 - Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Access All Areas". He hired Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. 1983 - Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "City Kids". His piece "Interlude in B-flat" was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed third stream. 1982 - Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Incognito".

Shaw was know for being an innovator in the big band idiom, at the time using unusual instrumentation. 1982 - Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance for "Stripes". During the Swing Era, his big band was very popular with hits like "Begin the Beguine", "Lady Be Good", and "Frenesi". 1980 - Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Catching the Sun". He returned to New York and became a session musician. The Deep End (2004). He was born in New York City, United States, and began learning the saxophone when he was 15 and, by age 16, had begun to tour with a band. Original Cinema (2003).

Arthur Jacob Arshawsky (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004), better known as Artie Shaw, was an accomplished jazz clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and writer. In Modern Times (2001). Download sample of "Begin the Beguine" by Artie Shaw, a surprise hit that turned the clarinetist into a swing star. Got The Magic (1999). Road Scholars (live) (1998). 20/20 (1997).

Heart Of The Night (1996). Love And Other Obsessions (1994). Dreams Beyond Control (1993). Three Wishes (1992).

Fast Forward (1990). Point Of View (1989). Rites Of Summer (1988). Stories Without Words (1987).

Breakout (1986). Alternating Currents (1985). Access All Areas (live) (1984). City Kids (1983).

Incognito (1982). Freetime (1981). Carnival (1980). Catching The Sun (1980).

Morning Dance (1979). Spyro Gyra (1978).