Van Alexander - From Harlem to Hollywood: My Life in Music

by Van Alexander

Van Alexander has written a fascinating story about one of the most important periods of our musical history. This collection of Big Band memorabilia with a foreword by Johnny Mandel could be used as a reference book. Van weaves his narrative about an incredible musical life, and documents his amazing collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Dean Martin, Benny Carter, and the list goes on and on.

"What a great story - a must for all music afficionados - this is legendary stuff. What a gift." - Mark Snow (prolific screen and TV composer of The X-files, The Rookies, Hart to Hart) "Van Alexander knows more about the Big Band era than any man alive - and he's written it all in his autobiography." - James Bacon, veteran Hollywood columnist "What a delight it is to have the recollections of one who was there, and was central to the development of the Swing Era, and so much of what followed..." - Garry Giddens - author, columnist, artistic director of the American jazz orchestra "Van Alexander vividly recalls and recaps all the great stories depicting his extrordinary career that began for him in Harlem at the legendary Savoy Ballroom. His anecdotes and association with many musical giants in Hollwood from Les Brown and Billy May, to Stan Getz and "Sweets" Edison. Meet them all in this wonderful book." - Richard Grudens - author of Stardust, The Bible of the Big Bands, and well known jazz musicologist. Van's life story is truly a bit of musical history, and it resurrected many fond memories for me. He was there at the beginning of the Swing Era, and recalls many great stories covering his early days at the Savoy Ballroom with Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald, up to and including his TV and picture credits and his collaboration with Michael Feinstein. I found his book 'unputdownable.'" - Quincy Jones