After experiencing Trumpet Blues… with Louise and Jeannie, I recalled memories of the great Harry James which so strongly filled my Canadian youth and inspired my pursuit into a music career. Harry James actually set fire to the 40’s "Swing Era," which lasted for Harry until 1983. There is a gap in young musician’s study and knowledge of Harry James which Louise and Jeannie will revitalize and inspire to future generations.
W. Fred Mills
Professor of Trumpet and Brass Chamber Music
University of Georgia
Formerly with The Canadian Brass
Despite all the criticism, the PBS series, Jazz, made the important point that, through their constant interaction, the innovators of this music inspired and influenced each other’s musical growth. As most of these seminal players have now left us, it’s become impossible for young players to experience firsthand the original sources of the music.
That’s why Trumpet Blues, The Life and Music of Harry James is so important: it gives young musicians an insider’s look at the music they aspire to play. There’s no substitute for contact with the real thing and that’s what this show is all about: a hands-on opportunity to experience the artistry, the music, and the considerable contribution of Harry James to the history of Jazz.
James DiPasquale
Three-time Emmy winning composer
With his rich, full tone, his amazing virtuosity and his true jazz feeling, Harry James stood at the forefront of the leaders in the Big Band era. Now the remarkable trumpeter Louise Baranger and her vocalist Jeannie Dennis have created a magical musical homage to the distinctive Harry James sounds and his unforgettable arrangements from his theme, Ciribiribin to You Made Me Love You, Sharp as a Tack and Trumpet Blues. Louise, the only woman to join the James trumpet section during Harry’s life, plays all the famous solos, and her own rich tone, virtuosity and feeling for jazz perfectly evokes a legendary past. It is an evening of thrilling nostalgia for those of us who were there the first time around, and a wondrous new delight for the generations that have come along since.
Charles Champlin
Retired arts editor
The Los Angeles Times
Louise Baranger proved to be a wonderful interview source for my books on Harry James, Trumpet Blues, and the forthcoming September in the Rain -- The Life of Nelson Riddle. She was a member of both of these great orchestras and had vivid memories of working for both leaders.
I also have witnessed her prowess as a trumpet player on several occasions, most recently in interpreting Harry James’s music at a concert at the University of Virginia. I must say that Louise and her singing cohort Jeannie Dennis offer not only the flavor of Harry James’s music but also play and sing his library of arrangements with authenticity. This entails not only their being able to provide a valid replica of Harry’s hits but also the jazz arrangements which were so much a part of his book as well.
Peter J. Levinson
Author of Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James