Phyllis and her Magic Trumpet
Remembering a less-heralded member of Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra
Performing in the mid-1970’s in bands and orchestras at New Trier East High School, in Winnetka, Illinois, I was afforded a musical education from an arts program acknowledged by many to be among the finest high school programs in the country. Its list of alumni include such luminaries as: Ann-Margret; Adam Baldwin; William Christopher; Bruce Dern; Charlton Heston; Rock Hudson; Virginia Madsen; and Rainn Wilson. I also recognized the names of several contemporaries on Wikipedia’s list of musicians who graduated from New Trier.
Leadership of the music program at that time included: Joel Streightiff (concert bands), Stanley Ackerman (orchestras), and Phyllis Clendening (jazz bands).
I believe I had heard at the time that Phyllis had performed with Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra years before, but as a surly teenager, I was no more curious than to watch an old (made in 1945) Abbott and Costello movie entitled, Here Come the Co-Eds, featuring the orchestra, in the hope of being able to identify Phyllis, wielding her trumpet. As that movie’s premiere had occurred thirty years prior to my meeting Phyllis, I don’t remember effectively tagging her. And, I’m not even sure that she appears in the photo atop this column; that might be her in the center of the picture, near the top, with the trumpet - then again, it might not be. By the way, I enjoyed watching old black-and-white movies on a Saturday afternoon, a pastime in which I would continue to engage, except that my wife does not share that interest, and my kids think that watching a black-and-white movie is just plain ridiculous.
Phil Spitalny was apparently born in the Ukraine, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1905. He played in, and directed bands in Cleveland, and Boston, and New York, and also in Pittsburgh, at the Stanley Theatre (sorry - never heard of it). He founded the All-Girl Orchestra (also known as, the “Hour of Charm Orchestra”) in 1934, and the orchestra was featured on a regular radio program. His first hire was Evelyn Kaye, a virtuoso violinist who was billed as, “Evelyn and Her Magic Violin,” whom he married a dozen years later (nepotism is embraced by many businesses). Phyllis Clendening joined the orchestra at the tender age of sixteen, while still in high school, becoming the youngest member, and was a featured trumpet soloist, performing with the orchestra for five years.
I can recall Clendening firing up her trumpet for us only once or twice, while directing New Trier’s jazz bands, and I don’t recall ever asking her about her “All-Girl Orchestra” experience. Which was probably just as well, because during the course of my exhaustive research for this piece, I stumbled across an article which suggested that Spitalny would frequently interview members for his orchestra, while dressed in his boxers, and that he would ask them to adopt a similar dress-code (i.e. ask that they interview in their underwear). That would truly have been an awkward conversation to be having with a high school band director.
So, if you found yourself initially wondering whether Spitalny was, in fact, an early advocate of feminism, and women’s rights, and equal opportunity, or if, instead, he had simply invented a new way to meet girls, I think we may have solved that long-simmering debate pretty easily here.
There is scant information available regarding Clendening’s post-Spitalny performing career, before she embarked upon a music education career. But, I have to imagine that there was some “there” there, given her apparent connections in the jazz world, which enabled her to secure big-name artists to teach and perform with the New Trier jazz bands. Performers I was able to share a stage with back then included: Louie Bellson (married for years to Pearl Bailey, and the inventor of the double bass-drum setup - he probably stopped at two, because, he only had the two feet, I guess); Bill Watrous (a bandleader and trombonist, who, as I recall, was relatively young-ish, and more easily relatable to surly teenagers - he may, or may not have spent time in our drummer’s car, getting high with several of my band-mates); and Bobby Rosengarden (a drummer who played in the Tonight Show band for years). Heady stuff indeed for a young jazz musician.
Phyllis’ spare teaching style somewhat belied her active performing past. She offered little verbal instruction, mostly allowing the band to play, and offering tidbits of advice on occasion. It’s interesting to note the evolution of Phyllis from a very young featured performer in a well-known band (not well-known to you and me, but perhaps to your grandparents) to high school band director.
Exploring Clendening’s past has caused me to consider how everyone evolves, and to some degree, reinvents themselves, as they age and (hopefully, mature). Let me encourage you to think back to your days as a gangly teenager, and reflect upon your own personal evolution - my guess is that you also have a pretty interesting journey. I’d love to hear it sometime.