Jazz Articles about Les Brown

The Les Brown All-Stars: Mike's Peak

by Jack Bowers
June 20, 2006

The Les Brown All-Stars are actually three groups--the Dave Pell Octet, Ronny Lang Saxtet and Don Fagerquist Nonet--comprised for the most part of members or alumni of Brown's popular and long-lived Band of Renown and encircling on this anthology from the mid-'50s three numbers by Zoot Sims' older brother, trombonist Ray, with string section. Pell's group, the precursor of the others, is heard on eight tracks, Fagerquist's on four, Lang's on three.

Pell, who joined Brown's band in 1948, formed ...

Les Brown and His Band of Renown: Session #55

by Jack Bowers
September 1, 2001

Few bandleaders enjoyed longer or more successful careers than Les Brown. After coming out of Duke University in 1936, where he led his first dance band, the Blue Devils, Brown formed what would later become the Band of Renown in 1938. Les got a big break in 1947 when comedian Bob Hope hired the band to provide the music for his weekly radio (and later, television) programs. This led not only to a life–long friendship but to sixteen Christmas tours ...