Lenny Hambro
Lenny Hambro | |
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Bronx, New York, U.S. | |
Died | September 26, 1995 Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 71)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | |
Years active | 1942–1995 |
Leonard William Hambro, known as Lenny Hambro (October 16, 1923 – September 26, 1995), was a journeyman
Of Dutch Jewish heritage and the son of a diamond setter, Hambro was born in
Early life
Lenny Hambro was born on October 16, 1923 to Harry and Rose (née Levine) Hambro in the
Musical training
As a teenager, Hambro pestered his father for a trumpet, but it was his brother-in-law, Harold Segal (older sister Adelaide's husband), who introduced 15-year-old Hambro to woodwinds, giving him a soprano saxophone and introductory music lessons. (Harold Segal played both the tenor saxophone and clarinet semi-professionally with an Irish band for a time.) By all accounts, Hambro quickly eclipsed his brother-in-law, taking every music class in which he could enroll.
Career – the early years
1942–1954
During the
The Lenny Hambro Quintet
In 1953, Lenny formed a quintet, recording four tunes in September with Machito's rhythm section; and four more tunes in April 1954 – that together formed the foundation of his first albums, both released by Savoy. Over the next two years, the members of the quintet alternately included Wade Legge, Rene Hernandez, Eddie Costa, or Hank Jones on piano; Dick Garcia, Sal Salvador, or Barry Galbraith on guitar; Louis Barretto, Clyde Lombardi or Arnold Fishkind on bass; Eddie Bert on trombone; Mel Zelnick, Harold Granowsky, Gus Johnson Jr., or Sid Bulkin on drums; Jose Mangual, Ubaldo Nieto, and Ray "Mongo" Santamaria on Bongos/Congas; and Babs Gonzales' vocals. As a quartet, quintet, or sextet, a Lenny Hambro-led and named ensemble would continue as a group through 1964. Hambro's first two albums, both released in 1954, were largely ignored by both the public and the music industry. His later albums (released in 1955 and 1956 by Epic) received mediocre reviews. Gramophone criticized Hambro as "a thoroughly competent dance-band musician who obviously believes he is playing jazz,"[13] and for "blantant copying" of Charlie Parker's phrasing.[14] These uncredited reviews directly contrasted with a George T. Simon Metronome review of a Gene Krupa Band engagement at New York City's Bop City in March 1950, where the typically stingy Simon credited the band with "a good sax quintet, thanks in part to Lenny Hambro's lead".[15] In any case, Hambro would release no further recordings as a bandleader or headliner.
1955–1964
In 1955, Hambro again played in and managed the Ray McKinley Band. In 1956, capitalizing on the popularity of
Marriage
After a brief 1957 engagement to GMO vocalist Lorry Peters, Hambro met vocalist and beauty queen Lynn Michels in 1958, when he was 34 and she was 18. Michels, born Charlotte Joyce Wexler, was from
Career – the later years
Booking agent
Beginning in 1964, Hambro worked as a booking agent for Willard Alexander, at the Willard Alexander Inc. agency located at 425 Park Avenue. Willard Alexander, a jazz booking agent who helped usher in the 'Big Band Era', specialized in booking famous big bands. His clients included Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich and Artie Shaw; the Count Basie Band, and the Duke Ellington, Guy Lombardo, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey and Russ Morgan Orchestras.[22] During this period, Hambro continued both teaching and studio work, playing on recordings of The Spinners, Cissy Houston (Whitney Houston's mother), Marlene Ver Planck, Bobby Hutcherson and his old friend Chico O'Farrill. In 1967, Hambro signed on with Don Elliott and Don Elliott Productions, producing music for commercials, cartoons, documentaries, and film.[23] That year, Hambro and Michels, with their sons, moved from New York City to Old Bridge, New Jersey, where they bought their first house and would live for the next 15 years.[17]
Advertising and movies
In the late summer of 1967, after a break with Elliott, Hambro and virtuoso violist Emanuel Vardi set up shop as "Hambro and Vardi" at 119 West 59th Street in NYC, producing advertising spots or entire campaigns for companies such as Putnam Coffee, Chun King, Wearing Blender, Lux Liquid, and Diet Imperial Margarine. In addition, the firm did new logos for RKO General, Westinghouse, and Benson & Hedges. They also produced sales films for American Airlines and U.S. Plywood.[24] Further, they did original music for radio and television advertisements, such as the "Coke Is It" campaign and Life Savers' "A Part of Living". The pair shared in three CLIOs for Best Television/Cinema advertisement (Buitoni Sauce – 1969; Frigidaire Range – 1974; Life Savers -1977).[25] Hambro also wrote, produced, recorded the music for, and acted in an early TV advertisement for Girl Scout Cookies: "The Cookies Are Here". In addition to writing ad "jingles", in 1970, the team broke into film, composing original music for the feature film Dirtymouth (about Lenny Bruce).[26] Additionally, Vardi composed the music for the film This Is America, with a sextet led by Hambro performing a number of jazz selections.[27] The duo also did industrial films including shorts for TWA and Eastman-Kodak.[28] In 1972, Vardi and Hambro worked with actor and sound engineer William "Bill" Daly to orchestrate the sound for the film Toys Are Not For Children. Vardi and Hambro continued their collaboration until the summer of 1976, when Vardi left so that he could spend more time performing. Hambro continued on his own with Lenny Hambro Productions, Inc., located at 1650 Broadway in NYC. The company drew on the talents of fellow writers Jeff Hest, Anne Bryant, and Manny Album. Meanwhile, Hambro reworked the music for the Bachman Pretzels campaign, wrote music for a 60-second spot for PartsPost, and wrote several spots for the Commonwealth Bank of Detroit.[29] In 1980, Hambro signed on to do the music arrangements / production for the short-lived puppet television series "Miss Peach of the Kelly School" based on the comic strip "Miss Peach" by Mell Lazarus. Although an episode won a Daytime Emmy Award, it was canceled in 1982.[30] Hambro was still in the advertising and music production business as late as 1984 with Lenny Hambro Productions operating from an office on Oak Avenue in Lynwood, New Jersey.[31] He also offered his services as an arranger and composer, with pianist and composer Lou Forestieri providing scoring services. His clients included ad agencies and film houses.[32] However, by this time, much of the music, television, and film business had moved to California, and, thus, business was not good.
Working musician
Hambro continued working the clubs of New York City, Philadelphia, and Miami, and played the famed Rainbow Grill in midtown Manhattan during 1968–69 with a small combo led by old friend, Ray McKinley. In addition, when in Miami, he played with Tyree Glenn's group.
Music director
After suffering a minor stroke, in 1980, at the age of 57, Hambro went to Atlantic City as Entertainment Director for Del Webb's Claridge and Hi Ho Casino (later the Claridge Hotel and Casino). With this transition, the family moved to Egg Harbor, New Jersey.[17] Along with Marty Portnoy, Hambro helped reinvigorate ballroom dancing and big bands in Atlantic City. Beginning in September 1981, Hambro booked the big bands of Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Count Basie and The Royal Canadians.[41] Subsequently, in 1982, Hambro became the Music Director at Bally's Park Place Casino Hotel[8] where he fronted the "Lenny Hambro Orchestra" as the "Big Band on the Sand".[42] He was simultaneously with the house band at Trump's Castle for a brief period after its opening in 1985.[12] During this time, he remained active as a working musician, playing Philadelphia jazz clubs with myriad groups, and taking various gigs, including touring Europe with pianist Peter Duchin. His younger son, Lee, an accomplished drummer and professional musician by the age of 15, often "sat in".[43] In his later years, Hambro donated his time and talent to charities such as the March of Dimes Telethon, and the Association for Retarded Citizens' "Starshine" (organized by performer Nelson Sardelli) in Atlantic City, NJ, a tradition that would continue each summer for nine years.[44] He was also an avid racquetball player, playing as often as he could.[45]
Final tracks
In 1991, with his boys grown and his wife spending six months of each year in Israel, Hambro moved to Florida to be close to his sister and other relatives, renting a Las Vistas apartment near the Inverrary Country Club in Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderhill). He taught private lessons, played in a variety of bands, both big and small, in Miami-Fort Lauderdale area jazz clubs, and continued to work as a booking agent. He also continued to readily donate his talents to charity fund raisers, most notably working with Jack Simpson to benefit the Brevard County Food Bank. However, suffering from severe chest pains, and told that he would need bypass surgery and a heart valve replacement, Hambro returned to New Jersey in early 1995 to be close to his sons, his wife, and the doctors with whom he was comfortable; and to work on Chico O'Farrill's comeback album.[12][45]
Hambro recorded his final tracks at the Clinton Recording Studio at 653 10th Avenue in New York City in February 1995 for Chico O'Farrill's album, Pure Emotion (1995;
Jazz lifestyle
A look at the booking dates of The New Glenn Miller Orchestra in the two months following Hambro's November 5 wedding is representative of the lifestyle of a big-band musician. On the day of his marriage, Hambro and the 17-member The New Glenn Miller Orchestra were playing one of the ballrooms of Philadelphia's
Despite the "different-hotel-every-night" lifestyle of a jazz musician, Hambro managed not to be seduced by the drugs and alcohol that were rampant during the jazz era of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, that ended the careers and/or lives of many jazz musicians. Hambro credited Roy Eldridge, a mentor from his initial years with Gene Krupa's band, for his being able to shun narcotics. When Hambro was just 19, Roy forced him to watch a band member inject heroin, and stay to watch its effects, with a stern warning not to get involved with drugs.[17]
Jazz legacy
Lenny Hambro was active as a performing and recording jazz musician for over 50 years. Although of Dutch Jewish extraction, Hambro was as comfortable with an Afro-Cuban jazz orchestra as he was with a Swing era dance band, or a Dixieland Jazz band. He was steadily in demand as a stage and session musician during the 1950s New York-based Mambo dance craze. A review of the musicians on Machito's 1958 album for Tico, Mi Amigo, Machito, reveals a host of Latinos – José Mangual Sr., Uba Nieto, Johnny "La Vaca" Rodríguez Sr., Mario Bauzá, José "Pin" Madera, Ray Santos – and Lenny Hambro.[51] A Metronome article from 1955 referred to Hambro as the "Latin from Manhattan",[52] and Hambro traveled to Cuba several times during this period to perfect his art.[53] Yet, he spent eight subsequent years playing the disciplined, sophisticated swing of The New Glenn Miller Orchestra. Further, he was routinely drafted to fill missing chairs for both Duke Ellington's and Count Basie's orchestras, often the only caucasian face on stage.[4]
Hambro was a member of the American Federation of Musicians of Atlantic City, Local No. 708; Musicians Local No. 802 in New York City; the Screen Actors Guild; the American Federation of Recording Artists; and the National Academy of Recording Artists. He worked on more than 80 recording sessions[54] and appears as either a leader or sideman on nearly 100 LPs/CDs released in the U.S. Due to a resurgence of interest in period Swing, Bebop, and Latin jazz, recordings of Hambro's efforts as a sideman continue to be promulgated, with nearly 40 retrospective albums featuring his efforts released since his death. Additionally, both Lenny Hambro Quintet albums were re-released as compact discs in 2002 (Collectables).
Hambro's favorite recording was Duke Ellington's "Warm Valley", largely due to Johnny Hodges' saxophone.[55] As a composer, Hambro is best known for "The Lonely One", written with Roberta Heller (then a 21-year-old lyricist for music publisher Ivan Mogull,[56]) which Nat King Cole recorded for Capitol in 1956. It has been covered over the years by a variety of artists, including Gene Tierney, Marianne Solivan, Sil Austin, Kitty Kallen, Kelly Friesen, Lisa Ekdahl, Mark Doyle, the Robin Nolan Trio, the Music Rama Band, and by several Finnish bands, where it was a minor hit as "Tuo Onneton" (with Finnish Lyrics by Kari Tuomisaari). On the Latin side, Hambro wrote "Mamboscope" for Machito, an instrumental that has been widely licensed for Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz compilation albums.
One of Hambro's greatest accolades came from famed clarinetist and band leader Benny Goodman, who, when introduced to him by pianist Leonid Hambro (no relation), said of Hambro: "No need, I know who he is; he's the only man that makes me feel self-conscious when I play."[4]
Musical preferences
Hambro was widely known as a versatile, accomplished musician, and an instinctual, lyrical player with a keen musical sense.[38] He played his alto with a light, sweeping style that moved along gracefully and, on ballads, had a sweet, singing tone that was, in essence, a trimmed-down version of Johnny Hodges' technique.[57] There is little doubt that Hambro was influenced by Charlie Parker, and he was once described as mixing the styles of Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges.[58] (Lenny was Duke Ellington's first choice to sit in with his band as saxophone lead, whenever Johnny Hodges was absent.) As a jazz aficionado and "insider", Hambro was fond of the musical stylings of Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, and Benny Goodman. His favorite arrangers included Neal Hefti (for Woody Herman, Count Basie, Alvino Rey, Georgie Auld, and Neal Hefti), Johnny Mandel (for Alvino Rey), and Chico O'Farrill (for Machito and Chico O'Farrill).[12]
Although Hambro played a Selmer Alto saxophone on occasion, his favorite instrument was a Martin "Magna" alto sax. He used an Arnold Brilhart "Ebolin" Streamline Model 4* mouthpiece with a Vic Olivieri #4 reed. Hambro liked the "Magna" model alto sax for its brilliant sound, and believed the "Magna"-hard reed combination was less likely to play out of tune. During the 1950s, Hambro was often photographed with a Brilhart "Tonalin" ivory-colored Lucite mouthpiece. On clarinet, he also played a harder reed – a Vandoren #4. Lenny played a Martin "The Martin" tenor saxophone.[59] After 1967, Hambro experimented with the Selmer Varitone electronic pickup and effects unit, which can be heard on Chico O'Farrill's 1968 album, "Married Well", and 1995's "More Than Mambo: Introduction To Afro-Cuban Jazz", both from Verve.
Discography
Lenny Hambro Discography – 1948 to 2015 | ||||||
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Discography as leader (LPs & 45s.)
Album Discography as sideman (LPs & CDs only; On Alto Saxophone unless otherwise noted.)
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References
- ^ 1930 US Federal Census
- ^ a b c d e Segal (Hambro), Adelaide. Interview, November 29, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 0-7382-0524-9
- ^ a b c d e f Michels-Hambro, Lynn. E-mail to Charles Hart, November 9, 2008.
- ^ ISBN 0-595-14726-7
- ^ Igoe (Hambro), Barbara. Responses to: Abandoned Hotels of the Catskills Borscht Belt. September 27, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2012
- ISBN 0-19-515762-1
- ^ a b c Arkin, Herb. Arkin/Hambro Genealogy Home Page. April 20, 2005.
- ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
- ISBN 0-934793-28-X
- ^ Craig's Big Bands & Big Names.Com Interview with Hal Turner. 2002 Accessed August 21, 1998.
- ^ ISBN 0-19-507418-1
- ^ No byline. "Review: Message from Hambro; Lenny Hambro Quintet". Gramophone, September 1957. Accessed September 5, 2009.
- ^ "Review: The Nature of Things; Lenny Hambro Quintet", Gramophone, Mar. 1958. Accessed September 5, 2009.
- ^ Simon, George T. "Review: Gene Krupa at Bop City". Metronome, March 1950.
- ^ McKinley, Gretchen and Neville, Jawn McKinley. Ray McKinley Music and Ephemera Collection, 1945–1994, Biographical Note. The Smithsonian Institution Archives. February 2, 1998
- ^ a b c d e Michels-Hambro, Lynn. Interview, March 23, 2008.
- ^ Feather, Leonard. Liner notes. The Nature of Things (1956; Epic Records) Lenny Hambro Quintet.
- ^ "Chestergrams", Chester Times, September 19, 1950.
- ^ a b Bill Kagler. "Up Top for Today", Delaware County Daily Times, July 26, 1960.
- ^ "County Weddings", Delaware County Daily Times, November 14, 1960.
- ^ "Willard Alexander Obituary", Associated Press, August 31, 1984.
- ^ Pirtle, Scooter. "Don Elliot: He Was a Gentleman, too", The Middle Horn Leader. 1994. Accessed August 18, 2008.
- ^ "Vardi & Hambro Mark Frantic 1st Year", Back Stage, August 16, 1968.
- ^ CLIO Awards. CLIO Awards Archive Archived August 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Accessed March 10, 2008
- ^ Steely, Kathryn. "Breaking Boundaries: An Interview with Emanuel Vardi", Journal of the American Viola Society 19.1. Spring 2003.
- ^ Meeker, David. Jazz on the Screen: A Jazz and Blues Filmography, The Library of Congress. Accessed November 12, 2008.
- ^ Kenzik, Debbie. "Selling Sounds", Billboard Magazine, March 14, 1970.
- ^ "Hambro, Vardi End Company", Back Stage, October 29, 1976.
- ^ Miss Peach of the Kelly School, IMDb.Accessed May 23, 2023
- ISBN 0-8352-1040-5
- ISBN 978-1-58297-502-3
- ^ Earl Wilson. The Miami News. December 25, 1973.
- ^ a b Schenectady Gazette, June 26, 1978.
- ^ Ida Peters. The Afro-American, June 22, 1976.
- ^ Golda's Balcony at the Internet Broadway Database
- ISBN 0-8101-2218-9
- ^ a b Forestieri, Louis. Phone interview, December 1, 2008.
- ^ "Fun & Nightlife", New York Magazine, September 29, 1975.
- ^ Ruth Gilbert. "In and Around Town", New York Magazine, October 27, 1975.
- ^ Orodenker, Maurie. "Ballrooms Bloom in Philly", Billboard Magazine, August 28, 1981.
- ^ Gail Shister. "Weekend", Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2, 1982.
- ^ Mattessich, Carole. "Music Man", Atlantic City Weekly, January 29, 2009. Accessed October 26, 2009.
- ^ David Spatz. Sardelli and Other Stars to Shine for a Cause. Press of Atlantic City. July 16, 1992.
- ^ a b Igoe, Barbara (Hambro). E-mail to Charles Hart. January 4, 2010.
- ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. Lenny Hambro – Biography. Allmusic. November 24, 2007
- ISBN 0-19-507675-3
- ^ Mt. Judah Cemetery records, Ridgewood, New York.
- ^ Popa, Christopher. Big Band News, Big Band Library.Com, February 2008.
- ^ Dana, Robert W. "Tips on Tables – 'Glenn Miller' Band Playing at Statler", World Telegram and Sun, January 7, 1957.
- ^ Mario Grillo in conversation with John Child. "The Machito Orchestra – Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow", Descarga Journal. May 8, 2007
- ^ Coss, Bill. "Lenny Hambro: Latin from Manhattan", Metronome, February 1955.
- ^ Acosta, Leonardo. "Havana in the 1950s". CubaNow.Net July 10, 2007.
- ^ Lord, Tom. The JAZZ Discography. Accessed March 4, 2008.
- ^ Pujol, Jordi. Liner notes for Complete Sessions 1953–1957. Accessed May 23, 2023.
- ^ "Young Cleffer Batting 1000", Billboard Magazine, August 11, 1956.
- ^ Wilson, John (1959). The Collector's Jazz: Modern. Philadelphia & New York: J. B. Lippincott Company. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 59-13948.
- ^ "Jazz: Bobby Rosengarden Leads his All-Stars at Rainbow Room", The New York Times, March 16, 1981.
- ^ Hambro, Lenny. Letter to Colin Moore. March 17, 1964.
External links
- Lenny Hambro with The New Glenn Miller Orchestra (1961; Glenn Miller Time, CBS Television) video:
- "Struttin' With Some Barbecue". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. (The dixieland combo features Ray McKinley on drums, Lenny Hambro on clarinet, Bobby Nichols on trumpet, Harry DeVito on trombone, John Worster on bass and Jim Hacker on piano.)
- "American Patrol". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016.
- "Bugle Call Rag". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016.
- "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016.
- Ray McKinley at "Glenn Miller Orchestra"
- Martin Magna Alto Saxophones at The Martin Story
- Vintage Brilhart Mouthpieces at TheoWayne Classic Mouthpieces Mouthpiece Museum
- Lenny Hambro at IMDb