By David "Chet" Williamson Sneade
For more
than a decade – roughly 1938-1948 – it was the
big band showcase of Central New England .
Today, it is virtually forgotten. For those who danced until dawn at the ballroom, however, recollections of the venue still burn brightly in their book of stardust memories.
Today, it is virtually forgotten. For those who danced until dawn at the ballroom, however, recollections of the venue still burn brightly in their book of stardust memories.
Located
at the intersection of routes 9 and 20, heading east to Boston Sun Valley .
From its
stages, the best and brightest names of the era were read on the marquee. On many a
starry night such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Woody Herman
lit up local skies.
The name
Bel-a-l’Air signifies what it was, something beautiful out-of-doors. Given
that, it was a seasonal operation. Back before the invention of
air-conditioning, outdoor ballrooms grew out of necessity.
In the
summer months, the highly energetic propulsion of swing dancing just did not
work in the sweaty confines of city buildings. So from Memorial Day to Labor
Day, dances were held outdoors with only the sky as their canopy.
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| This card is postmarked 1908. Its caption reads: Open Air Theater, Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, MA. |
In
addition to presenting top bands of the day, the facility was also, as one ad
stated: “Available for outing or dances to organizations,” so banquets,
weddings and other social functions were also held there.
Like most
outdoor ballrooms and dance pavilions of the period, Bel-a-l’Air, had a covering
for rain showers, but not much else. In the event of stormy weather, shows were
obviously cancelled or postponed. That’s fine for local bands on the bill, but
for national acts, it was death for promoters.
“If the
weather was good you played. If not, you didn’t,” says local drummer Ed
Shamgochian. “It’s as simple as that. New England was it in the summer. You’d suffocate in the New York Chicago
Although
no known photos have yet surfaced, Bel-a-l’Air could be seen from Route 9. It had large dance floor that could hold hundreds of steppers, ringed by a grassy-tiered area for additional viewing and seating. According to Linda Davis of the
Shrewsbury Historical Society, it was inadvertently dug up during the
construction of the Christmas Tree Shops. It had a raised stage and early advertisements indicate that
the establishment served food with a “beer garden.”
The
earliest shows at Bel-a-l’Air date from the late 1930s. They featured such
talent as the Dol Brissette and the Bob Pooley orchestras, two local bands who
also had radio shows on WTAG. Note that the advertised Pooley show was a “midnight dance” with “dancing ‘til dawn.”
The
earliest known national acts included Duke Ellington, Bob Crosby’s Bobcats,
Chick Webb with Ella Fitzgerald, and the Coquettes.
Other headliners include, Bob Richman (And His Sophisticated Swing), Jan
Campbell (That Genial Gentleman from the South, featuring Mary Lou Winters),
and Tasker Crossen (And His Twelve Southern Statesmen).
By the
1940s, Bal-a-l’Air came under the ownership of Charlie Shribman and renamed, Sun Valley . Shribman put the pavilion on the
national map. He was well-heeled, connected, and had a long history of
promoting popular music, especially if delivered by the big bands.
In his
book The Boston Jazz Chronicles,
author Richard Vacca reports that Shribman’s sphere of influence reached as far
back as the 1920s. “It was a
period of feverish activity in Boston New England , and at the center of it was
Charlie Shribman, who controlled bookings for a ballroom network that stretched
across the Northeast,” Vacca wrote. “Shribman was a kingmaker in the band
business, and together with his brother Cy, made Mal Hallett a star, and
played a significant role in the early career of Duke Ellington.
“They
owned ballrooms, financed bands and used radio and publicity as well as anyone
in the business. It was Ellington who said, “There wouldn’t be a band if it
wasn’t for Charlie Shribman. He’s kept the whole racket going and a lot of
guys would be starving if he hadn’t helped them.”
Vacca
went on to say that Shribman was “abetted by the geography of New England . Physical distance was the enemy
of the road band. Bands mostly rode buses, and across most of the country, the
distance between one-night engagements could be 300 miles or more, a distance
that had to be covered overnight. It was a dreadful way to live.
“But in
the northeast, no such distance separated the population centers. The jumps
were a much more manageable 50 to 75 miles, and Shribman arranged a booking in
all of them. Musicians follow the work, and Schribman had the work. His circuit
made the dance-crazy northeast the big band capital of the country in the 1920s
and 1930s.”
Now in
his late eighties, drummer Shamgochian, better known as “Eddy Sham,” played at Sun Valley with the Bob Pooley Band. It was
a popular local ensemble that featured such Worcester
“We had a
good nucleus of players,” Sham said. “We could all read and swing. In 1943-’44,
Mal Hallett took over the band. We were all pros, and because of that, we were
often asked to fill in at Sun Valley . If Woody Herman’s band broke down somewhere, Shribman
would call us to play.”
Here are
some of the other headliners to fill the bill at Sun Valley : Harry James, Horace Heidt, Sammy
Kaye, Claude Thornhill, Vaughn Monroe, Charlie Spivak, Georgie Auld, Jess Stacy
with Lee Wiley, Lee Castle, and Tony Pastor. It should be noted that the Worcester promoter and club owner Frank Duffy presented many shows for Shribman at Sun Valley.
 |
| Harry James serenading a rapt audience |
Other than advertisements, not much press was given to shows at
In one of
his columns “Backstage by James Lee,” titled “Turnpike is Becoming Vast
Amusement Midway,” the well-liked scribe did at least acknowledge its presence.
“The Worcester Shrewsbury Worcester White City Park Sun Valley , outdoor ballroom.
On the ‘pike in Westboro are the Red Barn Theater, the new midget track, the 1880 Club and airport, located conveniently to one side of Framingham’s chief contribution, the Meadows night club.”
On the ‘pike in Westboro are the Red Barn Theater, the new midget track, the 1880 Club and airport, located conveniently to one side of Framingham’s chief contribution, the Meadows night club.”
Collectively speaking, it is easy to imagine that in addition to the headlining names that played at
By the
late forties it was all over. Big Bands were out of favor and Shribman sold Sun Valley . In 1948, Duke Ellington played
at the grand reopening. Billboard
magazine covered it. Dateline: May 15, 1948 -- “Sun Valley Ballroom, Shrewsbury , MA
In spite
of the one last hurrah by its new owners, the midnight sun had set on the
valley. A 1949 Worcester Evening Gazette
headline reads: “Norwood Man Leases Sun Valley And Will Install Ballet
Company.” The piece ran with no byline and stated: “James Collins of Norwood Boston
Note:
This is a work in progress. Comments, suggestions, and corrections are welcome at: walnutharmonicas@gmail.com. Check out my features on Worcester Songwriters at: www.worcestersongs.blogspot.com.
Thank you.
Resources
See Jame
Lee columns in the Worcester Evening
Gazette and the Worcester Sunday
Telegram, 1937-1948 (microfilm at Worcester Public Library).
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