AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Artist:Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Song:In the Mood

Album:Mighty Instrumental Hits R&B Style

Jazz trombonist and bandleader Ernie Fields scored a top five hit with his 1959 instrumental cover of Glenn Miller's In the Mood. A couple of his other singles charted so he was not a one hit wonder. But In the Mood was his only memorable recording. He was born Aug. 28, 1904 in Nacogdoches, TX and raised in Taft, OK in Muskogee county. After graduating from Tuskegee University in 1924, Fields moved to Tulsa. He led what was called a "territory" band in the 30s called The Royal Entertainers. Lots of guys went through that band. And in 1939, Columbia Records producer John Hammond wanted Fields to record for Vocalion and tour nationally. Fields didn't want to leave Tulsa but he realized he couldn't make a living there. After WWII, Fields started performing standards like Tuxedo Junction and Begin the Beguine in a rocking R&B style. He moved to Los Angeles in the 50s and led the house band for Rendezvous Records owned by songwriter Leon Rene. He wrote The Ink Spots hit When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano. He usually worked with his brother Otis Rene. They owned Exclusive and Excelsior Records from 1944-51. They closed after 78rpm records became obsolete. Rene started Class Records and their biggest hit was the 1958 Bobby Day hit Rockin' Robin. Rene started Rendezvous and hired Fields to run the house band. They played on Rockin' Robin. Then Fields got to record with this band. And the big surprise was when Fields' cover of In the Mood reached #4 on the Billboard Singles chart. The band was all Los Angeles studio musicians. The lead sax is by Plas Johnson, best known as lead sax on Henry Mancini's theme for the film The Pink Panther. The other musicians were Ernie Freeman on piano, Rene Hall on guitar, Red Callender on bass and Earl Palmer on drums. You can get In the Mood on this 5CD box set of classic R&B instrumentals. This same band recorded as B. Bumble and the Stingers in 1961. After Rendezvous closed in 1963, Fields retired from music and moved back to Tulsa. His son Ernie Fields Jr. was a session saxophonist and music contractor for American Idol. He died in 2024. After he retired, Ernie Fields was a promoter and talent manager in Tulsa. He died on May 1, 1997 at age 92. Here's a video for In the Mood by Ernie Fields & His Orchestra.