As the era of the Big Band was drawing to a close there were very few working bands that could boast making a living playing one-night stands and criss-crossing the country almost constantly.

Ralph Marterie, or "the man born for the horn" was one of those exceptions. A commercial success, with several records on the charts in the early 1950's, he was much in demand on the college and high school circuit before the dawn of rock n' roll changed all that. In 1953 it was still very mainstream and now somewhat cringe-worthy in retrospect. Vocals are strange, but the one interesting point in all this is the presence of Tommy Tedesco, who would soon become one of the mainstays and legends in the studio world of Rock n' Roll as well as a well-respected Jazz Guitarist as solo performer. Here he is in a Big Band setting - one that Marterie developed into a distinctive sound early on. Integrating the guitar, which was always considered something of a background instrument in the Big Band setting, into a more key position within the arrangements. It worked out very well and established Tedesco as a soloist of note.

Here is Ralph Marterie and his Downbeat Orchestra performing live at The Hollywood Palladium, September 28, 1953. There is an audience in there, but they are very quiet for the first 15-20 minutes.

Examples of the Traditional Big Band, heading into the sunset.