Ziggy Elman

Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), better known by the stage name Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter most associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his own group known as Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra.

Elman was born in Philadelphia, but his family settled in Atlantic City, New Jersey when he was four. His father was a violinist who had hoped Harry would play violin as well. Although he did learn to play the violin, Harry preferred the brass instruments. He began playing for Jewish weddings and nightclubs at age 15, and in 1932 made his first recording where he played trombone. At some point in the decade he adopted the name Ziggy Elman. Elman is a shortening of Finkelman while "Ziggy" is believed to be a reference to Florenz Ziegfeld.

In 1936 Elman joined the Benny Goodman orchestra as a trumpet player after playing briefly with Alex Bertha's local big band at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, where Goodman heard him and was impressed. His 1939 composition "And the Angels Sing," with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, (originally recorded in December 1938 by his own band as an instrumental, "Frailach In Swing") became the number one song in the nation. In 1956 he was asked to recreate his famous frailach solo along with the original vocalist Martha Tilton for the movie, The Benny Goodman Story, but was unable to, his technique having since withered away. Elman appeared performing it in the film, but another trumpeter, Manny Klein, played the solo on the soundtrack. This song is arguably his longest-lasting musical legacy, since it has appeared in films up to 1997 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987.

Angels Sing

Angels Sing is a 2013 Christmas family drama film. An adaptation of Turk Pipkin's 1999 novel When Angels Sing, the film is directed by Tim McCanlies, and stars Harry Connick, Jr., Connie Britton, Chandler Canterbury, Fionnula Flanagan, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.

Plot

The film stars Harry Connick, Jr. as the history professor Michael, who as a child loved Christmas, but after a tragic accident, his holiday spirit was crushed. As a grown up, he still can't find the joy of Christmas. But as his son faces a tragedy, he needs to find his holiday spirit again. He gets a push in the right direction when he meets a man named Nick (Willie Nelson), who gives him a gift that helps him find the joy of Christmas again.

Cast

Sound track

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External links

Ziggy

Ziggy may refer to:

People

Nickname

Benny Goodman

Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing".

In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America. His concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938, is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music."

Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz. During an era of segregation he also led one of the first well-known integrated jazz groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, while exploring an interest in classical music.

Early years

Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish immigrants from the lands ruled by the Russian Empire. His father, David Goodman (1873–1926), came to America in 1892 from Warsaw in the partitioned Poland, and became a tailor. His mother, Dora née Grisinsky (1873–1964), came from Kaunas, Lithuania. His parents met in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Chicago before Benny was born. They lived in the Maxwell Street neighborhood.

And the Angels Sing

And the Angels Sing (1944) is a classic example of a film musical written to capitalize on the title of a previously popular song; in this case Benny Goodman's 1939 number one hit song, "And the Angels Sing" by Ziggy Elman and Johnny Mercer, and sung by Martha Tilton although the song is not sung in the film. The standout original songs in the musical were It Could Happen To You sung by Dorothy Lamour, which quickly became a pop standard and "His Rocking Horse Ran Away," which became one of Betty Hutton's most popular numbers.

This film was directed by George Marshall and released by Paramount Pictures, and is a followup to the popularity of the song's title. The story is about a singing sister group, their exploitation by a bandleader, and their subsequent rise to fame.

Plot

The four Angel sisters are singers, although all wish to pursue other careers. At a roadhouse, bandleader Happy Marshall makes a pass at Nancy Angel, but she already has a boyfriend, cab driver Oliver.