 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
More About Mitch
Chronic Bliss Musicians Performances Chronic Bliss Reviews & Press Letters & Stories |
||||
 |
"I'm always excited to talk about my family's music endeavors because it's great to know they've helped sculpt smiles onto the faces of many (including me). My grandpa Van Alexander (alive, very well and kicking with his first wife Beth in Los Angeles) worked with his own orchestra on the road, wrote music and did arrangements for film and television throughout his long colorful career. But without a doubt, his claim to fame was a collaboration he wrote with Ella Fitzgerald called 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket'. "It became the nation's #1 hit in the summer of 1938 and remained #1 on the Lucky Strike Hit Parade for a consecutive 19 weeks," Gramps told me. He was doing arrangements for Chic Webb and his orchestra at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, when soon after, Ella joined the band. Tisket was brought to life not too long after that. (If you ever look up the song, you may discover that Al Feldman is credited with Ella. That's because my grandpa changed his frickin' name for show business soon after! Sorry to give it away Gramps.)
On my Dad's side of the family were Tin Pan Alley songsters, Harry, Henry & Charlie Tobias. (My Grandpa's brothers. There were 5 total.) They wrote such standards as "Sweet and Lovely", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Sail Along Silv'ry Moon", and "It's a Lonesome Old Town". These songs were made popular in the 30's, 40's and beyond by some pretty heavy duty singers and band leaders including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, The Andrew Sisters, and most recently, Sting. Mr. Sting did "It's a Lonesome Old Town" for the Leaving Las Vegas soundtrack. Van, Harry, Henry and Charlie have all been inducted into the NARAS Hall of Fame. Tough acts to follow. My uncles are deceased now but I'm sure they would like my shit - though the word "esoteric" would most likely be included in the review! "A punitive lobster pinch," - hmmmmm.. . don't know about that.
Real audio versions of Ella doing "A-Tisket A-Tasket" and Sting doing "It's A Lonesome Old Town" |
|||
