This story is one of the many that make "Route 66" some of the best TV ever made... especially if you are, or ever were, a musician. Unlike what seems to be most of the stories in this series, written by Stirling Silliphant, this one was written by Will Lorin and Leonard Freeman. It's Freeman's story, but the script was impeccably crafted by both gentlemen I just mentioned.
I won't go into much of the story here, since you can read about in the other reviews. But if you have a musical past (or present), this one will really grab you. Vocalist Jenny (played by the great Ethel Waters) manages to get the six men of "The Memphis Naturals" back together for one last performance of their First-Class Dixieland Jazz, through the kindness of Tod and Buz. Every one of these six men were amazing actors in this show, who made the viewer BELIEVE they really were the members of the defunct Dixie band depicted here. I don't know which of them were ever musicians (with the possible exception of the percussionist - it's obvious that he played), but they certainly LOOKED like a real band in the music segments.
Juano Hernandez did an expert job as "King" Loomis, a man who hadn't touched his trombone in years. However, he DID show up at the last minute with his instrument... and that's a story in itself. But sadly, he wouldn't even take it out of its case. Jenny passed away of her heart ailment before he finally did, but by then it was too late for her to hear all six players together. That sounds like a heartbreaking ending, but the sheer joy of the Dixieland music goes a long way toward soothing the hurt of Jenny's death as she sang with the band for the first (and last) time in the 20+ years since this band had played together.
The cast here, with the exception of the late Martin Milner, and George Maharis, as well as a pair of minor characters, and as you may have read in the other reviews, was ALL African-American. That is an astonishing thing for a series show made to first air in 1961! I wonder how many CBS Affiliates in the South refused to run this one the very first time the Network aired it?
As a professional musician (you can see my page on IMDB - search for Ed Ryba), I highly recommend this installment of one of the most gutsy series made in its day, 1960 - 1964.
I won't go into much of the story here, since you can read about in the other reviews. But if you have a musical past (or present), this one will really grab you. Vocalist Jenny (played by the great Ethel Waters) manages to get the six men of "The Memphis Naturals" back together for one last performance of their First-Class Dixieland Jazz, through the kindness of Tod and Buz. Every one of these six men were amazing actors in this show, who made the viewer BELIEVE they really were the members of the defunct Dixie band depicted here. I don't know which of them were ever musicians (with the possible exception of the percussionist - it's obvious that he played), but they certainly LOOKED like a real band in the music segments.
Juano Hernandez did an expert job as "King" Loomis, a man who hadn't touched his trombone in years. However, he DID show up at the last minute with his instrument... and that's a story in itself. But sadly, he wouldn't even take it out of its case. Jenny passed away of her heart ailment before he finally did, but by then it was too late for her to hear all six players together. That sounds like a heartbreaking ending, but the sheer joy of the Dixieland music goes a long way toward soothing the hurt of Jenny's death as she sang with the band for the first (and last) time in the 20+ years since this band had played together.
The cast here, with the exception of the late Martin Milner, and George Maharis, as well as a pair of minor characters, and as you may have read in the other reviews, was ALL African-American. That is an astonishing thing for a series show made to first air in 1961! I wonder how many CBS Affiliates in the South refused to run this one the very first time the Network aired it?
As a professional musician (you can see my page on IMDB - search for Ed Ryba), I highly recommend this installment of one of the most gutsy series made in its day, 1960 - 1964.