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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBRADLEY, Will(b Wilbur Schwichtenberg, 12 July '12, Newton NJ) Trombone, leader, composer. To NYC '28; met Ray McKinley in Milt Shaw's Detroiters (Roseland Ballroom house band); with Red Nichols; CBS staff '31--4; with Ray Noble '35--6, then more radio work. Approached by booking agent Willard Alexander, formed own band actually co-led by McKinley '39--42; changed name because 'Schwichtenberg' wouldn't fit on marquee. It was an unusually polished white jazz-oriented dance band, with Peanuts Hucko, Freddie Slack; records incl. theme 'Strange Cargo' and 'Celery Stalks At Midnight', but the band got bogged down in the boogie-woogie fad: fluke hit 'Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar' no. 2 hit '40, followed by 'Down The Road A Piece' (trio only; piano, bass and drums), then the more tendentious 'Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat', 'Bounce Me, Brother, With A Solid Four', 'Fry Me, Cookie, With A Can Of Lard' etc. Bradley was annoyed and the partnership broke up; ironically it was McKinley, teamed by Alexander with arranger Eddie Sauter, who led the better band in the late '40s (see his entry). Bradley made wartime records with pickup personnel; he then returned to radio and TV work and played on Benny Goodman set B.G. In HI- FI '55. |