Freddie Slack and His Orchestra

After spells with Jimmy Dorsey and Will Bradley, pianist Freddie Slack started out on his own as a leader in 1941. His orchestra played mainly on the West Coast adopting a boogie-woogie style akin to the Bradley/McKinley band. Slack enjoyed his greatest success after signing vocalist Ella Mae Morse. The Capitol recording of "Cow Cow Boogie" -- a substantial hit -- was followed by another in "Mr. Five by Five". The band's theme song was "Strange Cargo," which Slack had composed himself. Among other numbers he contributed were "Cuban Sugar Mill, "Riffette", "Rib Joint" and "Mr. Freddie's Boogie". Vocalist Margaret Whiting, a protégé of Slack, performed "That Old Black Magic" and "Silver Wings in the Moonlight". Slack briefly disbanded his orchestra from early 1945 to mid-1946. He then reorganised, continuing on until the early 1950's. He subsequently restricted his appearances to nightclubs and cocktail lounges, performing as part of a trio or piano duo. During its heyday, the Freddie Slack Band was featured in several musicals for Monogram and Universal, including Reveille with Beverly (1943) and Seven Days Ashore (1944). Sidemen included at various times the outstanding clarinettist and tenor saxophonist Barney Bigard, as well as trumpet players Manny Klein and Clyde Hurley.