The Ladies Who Sing With the Band [Hardcover]

Betty Bennett (Author), Barney Kessell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2000 | Series: Studies in Jazz (Book 36)

Betty Bennett evokes a bygone era when "territory" and "name" bands--each with its own "girl singer"--criscrossed the country in Ladies Who Sing With the Band.

The author's career intersected with many of the icons of jazz and popular music, among them Nat King Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Georgie Auld, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Ventura, Benny Goodman, and Charlie Barnet. Bennett's anecdotes about these personalities enlighten and entertain, as does her entirely unselfconscious discussion of her marriage to Andre Previn and her relationship with her husband, guitar great Mundell Lowe.

The book deals with several issues that transcend music. The entertainment industry--particularly the jazz world--was an early era of black/white professional and personal interaction. Moreover, the traveling big band represented a unique instance of women in an all-male workplace. Bennett confronts these issues of race and gender in a refreshingly forthright manner.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Chronologically (though very loosely) organized, Bennett's loquacious autobiography is entertaining rather than thought-provoking and offers little real insight into the world of jazz singing and life on the road. Almost every paragraph is either unrelated or very tenuously related to paragraphs before or after; it's as if BennettDwho was married to composer Andr Previn and worked with such luminaries as Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy GillespieDwere sitting around a table with friends reminiscing. The conversation rambles, and folksy sayings, cute asides, and hip jargon abound. So while the book would benefit from judicious editing, part of its charm resides in its scattershot style. Her constant references to "girl" and "boy" singers, however, seem ironic considering her age (born 1921) and the negative connotations these terms have regarding true jazz vocalists. Bennett's advice to aspiring jazz vocalists also seems rather shallow: "I have no explanation for why some singers can swing and others cannot, unless perhaps listening, playing, and singing jazz all your life make it second nature." Recommended with hesitation for music, academic, and public libraries.DWilliam G. Kenz, Moorhead State Univ., MN
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The book provides a glimpse of what attracted so many to the era when swing was king... Bennett was a survivor, and her book testifies to her perseverance and her admiration for a genre, that was once a key part of popular culture. (All-Music Guide To Jazz )

If you've ever wondered about the off-bandstand life of the big-band-era female vocalist, there is a recently published book that tells it all... This book will be especially enjoyed by anyone who followed the big-bands and the major jazz notables. It brings back a lot of memories, and even answers some questions you wouldn't think of asking. (Song Talk )

...the book is a pleasurable read. (Jazztime )

Nobody had to change anything to make it juicier, more saleable, or whatever. The book reveals that she possesses a wonderful sense of humor...I was fascinated with this book from the first moment I picked it up, and I suspect that most of you would find it equally interesting. (Iajrc Journal )

...insightful, often moving account. The Ladies Who Sing with the Band offers a personal glimpse into a unique time in popular music. Unlike many similar memoirs, this book is the genuine article, clearly not ghostwritten....The Ladies Who Sing with the Band contains abundant entertaining and insightful moments that should interest big-band enthusiasts. (The Mississippi Rag )

Betty Bennett's book has style. She writes as she sings, which is to say with easy grace and warmth and exquisite phrasing and a highly individual musical feeling. You sense a candlelight mood to the tone of her writing as it communicates, with unassuming strength, the intimate jazz flavor expressed in her voice. (The San Diego Union-Tribune )

Bennett's recollections...enlighten and entertain. (Jazzwise )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (March 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810837145
• ISBN-13: 978-0810837140
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,401,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intertaining, Informative, and Lots of Laughs, January 14, 2001

By 

Paul J. Heckman, Jr. (Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ladies Who Sing With the Band (Hardcover)

I know the author, and I love music. I find that she writes very much the way she talks; in a down to earth manner with a punch line at the end of every paragraph. She has a way of looking at events of the past with a philosophical attitude and with reflective humor. I caught myself reading a majority of her book with a grin on my face. Even the most tragic circumstances that she describes are examined with that humorous, philosophical approach. Events are just described, are "enlightened" -- so to speak.

She describes well the hard life of playing the role of a lady singer in a jazz band, the fun of being with some of the best names in the business, and how this whole experience shaped her life. Her feeling of being lucky do what has been a fulfillment of a life's dream while associating with some of the greatest names in Jazz and the music industry of this period permeates the book. This is true even when she describes the details of suffering through the some of the hardships of a musical career. Her philosophical summary in the last chapter of the book was touching and wonderful to read.

Betty has included some excellent source material in her book including names, dates, and photographs of many famous jazz musicians of the 20th century.

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting voices, December 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ladies Who Sing With the Band (Hardcover)

Although not a comprehensive listing of the ladies who sing with the band, this is certainly a good enough effort to receive three stars in my estimation. I did enjoy reading the text and I'm sure that I will keep referring to it from time to time. Well done.

5.0 out of 5 stars Betty is the Best, September 7, 2000

By 

hamburg, iowa (Hamburg, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ladies Who Sing With the Band (Hardcover)

Betty Bennett does Hamburg, Iowa proud with her folksy biography. We are proud that Betty has done so well and we applaud her many life experiences as she sang with the band.