Twistin' at the Woodchopper's Ball

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"Twisting at the Woodchopper's Ball" was the first made in Canada single to top the International Charts. [1]

Ronn Metcalfe released an LP named after the title track, "Twistin' at the Woodchopper's Ball", which garnered him a gold record. The album was a good example of high calibre musicianship combined with well written arrangements. [2] Metcalfe would ride the success of this album to create a rock and roll scene in Niagara, Canada. Metcalfe, "Canada's King of Swing", [2] paid $7000 to produce the LP, [2] including the single release from the album, which was chosen "Pick of the Week" [2] in Cash Box magazine. Metcalfe said of the song, "This is the way back to the big bands. [3] "

Ronn Metcalfe was a Canadian big band leader from St. Catharines and music industry leader.

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s from musical styles such as gospel, jump blues, jazz, boogie woogie, and rhythm and blues, along with country music. While elements of what was to become rock and roll can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until 1954.

Regional Municipality of Niagara Regional municipality in Ontario, Canada

The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also known as the Niagara Region, or colloquially "Niagara Region", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the Golden Horseshoe, the largest megalopolis in Canada.

"Twisting at the Woodchopper's Ball" was a hit recording written by Ronn Metcalfe, based on Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball" (1939). It was recorded by the 19 piece Ronn Metcalfe Orchestra (of St. Catharines, Canada) on the Barry label and distributed by Quality Records Ltd., [4] of Toronto (released on February 19, 1962). [5] It rose to the top of the charts [1] in Canada (Hit Parade Charts), and made the WLS (Chicago) Top 40 in 1962.

Woody Herman American clarinetist

Woodrow Charles Herman was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his death in 1987. His bands often played music that was cutting edge and experimental for its time; they received numerous Grammy nominations and awards.

"Woodchopper's Ball", also known as "At the Woodchopper's Ball" is a 1939 jazz composition by Joe Bishop and Woody Herman. The up-tempo blues tune in D-flat major was the Woody Herman Orchestra's biggest hit, as well as the most popular composition of either composer, selling a million records.

St. Catharines City in Ontario, Canada

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, with 96.13 square kilometres of land and 133,113 residents in 2016. It lies in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Cathariners. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km2) of parks, gardens and trails.

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References

  1. 1 2 RPM Weekly Volume 11 No.13 May 26, 1969, Obituary: Ronn Metcalf
  2. 1 2 3 4 Toronto Daily Star Saturday March 17, 1962, Man About Jazz, Metcalfe Band's 'Twistin Music of High Calibre' by Dave Caplan
  3. ↑ Teen-age Canada, Twist is a Help to the Big Bands, by Jack Hutton
  4. ↑ Platter Chatter, City Band Leader Hits Big Time With Twist Disk, by George Albanese
  5. ↑ Release notice from Quality Records Limited
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