Charlie Barnet was one of the more underrated bandleaders of the swing era. Reaching the height of his popularity between 1939 and 1941, riding on the success of his first major hit, "Cherokee," Barnet's bands performed with an aggressive and powerful style and sound. Barnet eschewed sweet, syrupy arrangements of the period, even lampooning them in a collaboration with Billy May entitled "The Wrong Idea." One of the first bandleaders to integrate his band, Barnet's band included trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Frankie Newton and bassist John Kirby. Lena Horne was one of Barnet's vocalists, and Barnet's appearance during this period at the Apollo Theater in Harlem established an attendance record.


Barnet's theme song, "Skyliner," exemplifies the driving style of the band. The selection is rarely performed today, and is less well known than other common bandleader themes of the period due largely to the challenging nature of the selection, which makes it difficult to prepare on a limited rehearsal schedule. It is an attention getting chart, and we opened our performance at Pen Mar on August 22 with "Skyliner."

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