Interview: "In a Broadway Bag" Arranger/Conductor Perry Botkin

by Michael Macomber
Perry Botkin	When you hear Bobby Darin swinging Count Basie-style on the "In a Broadway Bag" LP, this is largely thanks to arranger/conductor Perry Botkin. Botkin came into the project in the spring of 1966, with an intense desire to emulate the great Basie recordings he admired so much. One listen to the first five tunes on "Broadway Bag," all Botkin charts, confirms he succeeded beautifully. "The Basie band always made me smile and often shout out loud," says Botkin. "I think Bobby felt the same way."
Bobby's rousing rendition of the Jerry Herman tune "It's Today" (from the Broadway show "Mame") is a fine example of Botkin's Basie-influenced approach. It is also one of Botkin's personal favorites on the album. "It was the first song we did on the session," he explains, "and Bobby told me in the recording booth, 'Go out there and get the band swingin'. When you're satisfied with it, I'll come out and fit in.' Fit in? No singer ever told me they'd come out and 'fit in!' I ran the chart down a couple of times while Bobby listened in the booth. When everything was together, out came Bobby. Dave Hassinger said 'take 1,' I counted 8 beats, and off we went. Holy sh--! Bobby sounded like he'd been performing the song in Vegas for two months. He even duplicated what I wrote for the brass on 'Throw confetti, yeah.' Without question this was the highlight of my arranging career." Aside from his involvement with the "Broadway Bag" LP, most of Botkin's work has been in the pop/rock world, with acts such as the Righteous Brothers, Harry Nilsson, Jose Feliciano and many other notables. He sees the "Broadway Bag" sessions as an entirely unique and very special experience. "I seldom had a chance to write big band charts," he says. "I was good at the pop/rock stuff, but secretly I wished I was arranging for Frank, Dean, Sammy etc. I did work with Sammy but it was in the bag I was known for. ("The Shelter Of Your Arms" LP, 1964). Botkin's experience with pop and rock actually led to one of the liveliest arrangements on "Broadway," and a #3 Adult chart hit for Bobby: the title tune from the abovementioned "Mame".
	"If you notice, even though it's basically a Dixieland/swing arrangement, the rhythm section has a Danelectro bass clicking along with an electric guitar after beat. Dave Hassinger mixed it as though it was a pop/rock session and drummer Richie Frost slammed 2 and 4 as if his life depended on it. Bobby wanted 'bounce' and 'bounce' he got."
Considering Bobby's own rock n' roll sensibilities, it is no stretch to assume he was delighted by Botkin's technique. Botkin and Darin clearly were able to meet at the place where pop and jazz cross over. "I thought Bobby was amazing," says Botkin. "He was the only guy (with the exception of Harry Nilsson) who could make the transition from 'Splish Splash' to 'Mack the Knife' and be completely at home in both genres." Botkin was also impressed with the way Bobby handled himself in the studio. "He always treated me with a great deal of respect," he says, "and I really appreciated it." Botkin afforded Bobby the same respect in return, accepting Darin's input on his arrangement for the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse song "Feelin' Good" (from the "The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd"). "I had written the chart with a much faster tempo in mind. Bobby wanted to take it much slower. I told him I didn't think the arrangement would work at the tempo he wanted. He said 'Take my word for it, it'll work better.' Well, he was absolutely right. In fact, he really saved my ass. Bobby could listen to brass and sax figures and know instinctively what would work at what tempo. I believe the solo organ (Mike Melvoine) in the intro was his idea. I had something else, but his idea was better." The other Botkin charts on "Broadway Bag," Frank Loesser's "I Believe in You" (from "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying") and Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen's "Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong" (from "Skyscraper") are also swingin' Darin classics, infused with that wonderful Basie attitude and Botkin's own magic touch. Botkin utilizes horns on every one of these arrangements to magnificent effect. It should come as no surprise he was once a horn player himself. In fact, there is a tiny picture of Botkin as a young man with a horn, in the upper right corner of his website (perrybotkin.com). "I was a mediocre trombone player," he laughs. "Unfortunately, I didn't play well enough to be IN the band, so my only choice was to lead it. In the end, it seems to have worked out ok." No doubt Mr. Botkin is underestimating his talent. In addition to trombone, he plays piano, guitar and a number of other instruments, and it was his trombone playing that led him to a career in arranging. "I went into the Army in 1953 and ended up in the West Point Band," he explains. "I wasn't a cadet, the band was regular Army. I did play enough trombone to get into one of the 'dance' bands (3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 French horn, 5 saxes, and 3 rhythm). That's where I started arranging. There were a couple of really good arrangers in the band and they showed me the ropes. This is basically where I developed the chops to do 'Broadway Bag.'" He is also grateful for the guidance he received from his father, the great jazz guitarist Perry Botkin, Sr. "He was a hell of a guitarist and a phenomenal banjo player," says Botkin. "He was a top session player in the 20's through the 50's, Bing Crosby's guitar accompanist for 20 years, and a player on practically every major radio show from 1935 through the 1950's. He composed and played all of the underscore for the first two years of the 'Beverly Hillbillies.' I learned a lot about the music BUSINESS from him, its pitfalls and its possibilities. When I entered the pop/rock world it was a great mystery to him, but I know he was quite proud of me." More recently, Botkin found himself on an entirely new musical path, leaving behind the world of 'commercial music' for a more avant-garde approach. "I am forever grateful for my commercial career choice, but I always felt that something was missing," he says. "I had an artistic itch I couldn't seem to scratch. When synths, samplers, hard disk recording etc. came on the scene, I found tools that allowed me to be completely free as a composer. Using these tools I was able to compose in ways I was never able to do with pencil and paper. I scored a couple of mini-series and feature films ('Silent Night, Deadly Night'). The music was far more complex that anything else I had done before. In 1992 I was able to retire from the music biz entirely. I began my 'Combines' trilogy and, to this day, continue composing from a completely personal point of view."
	All three volumes in his 'Combines' trilogy have garnered positive critical notices and respect from the experimental music community. Samples from these albums can be heard at his website. Botkin feels he has achieved his most ambitious musical goal with this new work: he has succeeded in being himself. "I highly recommend it," he says.
From this vantage point, sitting on top of the world, Botkin can look back to his work with Bobby Darin and smile. "Of all the Great American Songbook singers of his era (Sinatra, Crosby, Martin, Davis, Andy Williams, etc.), I believe Bobby was the best," he says. "Incredible time (rhythm), superb musicianship, great lyrical expression, and an original sound and personality. He had it all. During the period I worked with Bobby, I worked with many other artists. I gave them all my best shot (see perrybotkin.com: discography). Being a professional musician/composer/artist was, and continues to be, a wonderfully fulfilling experience. I am one lucky guy."
Reference sources for this article include: Allmusic.com, The Sammy Davis Jr Discography website, The Internet Broadway Database, The Jazz Discography Project website, The Official Bobby Darin Website, PerryBotkin.com.