Battle of the Fort Lee Bands, from Swing to Metal

The Riviera Nightclub atop the Palisades--both the original in the old Villa Richard Restaurant in the Coytesville section of the Palisades from 1931 to 1936 when it burned down, and the one built and opened in 1937 by Ben Marden closer to the George Washington Bridge atop the cliffs--was one of the major hotspots in the U.S. during the Swing and Big Band era. 

From 1931 through the beginning of World War II Ben Marden owned and operated the club with a little help from his friends, if you know what I mean. The nightclub closed early into the war and reopened in 1946 under the ownership of Bill Miller. Both Marden and Miller brought some of the greatest Big Bands in America to Fort Lee. 

Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, who fronted their own bands, started out and ended together in the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, one of the top bands of the Big Band era. They opened at Fort Lee’s Riviera in September of 1934, and among those in the audience were the great American crooner Bing Crosby and the wonderful Boswell Sisters, a trio of singers that scored hit after hit in the 1930s.

One of the top bands of the Jazz era, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, performed at the Riviera in August of 1936, and again Bing Crosby crossed the Hudson to see his old bandmates. Bing brought along Bob Hope, and this time Bing joined his old boss Paul Whiteman on the bandstand as he crooned several tunes right here in Fort Lee.

These are just a few examples of the Riviera’s reputation as America’s showplace among the great bands. We cannot forget one band in this piece and the leader of that band, Cuban born Pupi Campo, who died this past December at the age of 91. Pupi’s Latin band was the house band of the Riviera during the Bill Miller era right through the end of 1953, when the Riviera closed due to the construction of the Palisades Interstate Parkway.

Pupi capitalized on the mambo craze that was sweeping the nation at the time.  According to Fort Lee native Tom Austin’s wonderful book, Bill Miller’s Riviera, Pupi’s band consisted of about 10 musicians, including conga, bongos and timbale drums. He would tear the house down with his version of “Mambo Jambo.” Campo would go on to fame as part of Jack Parr’s CBS Morning Show in the early 1950s.  Pupi also appears with Frank Sinatra in the 1959 Frank Capra film A Hole in the Head.

The tradition of the Riviera and music live on in the person of Riviera owner Bill Miller’s granddaughter Deena Miller  - (http://www.deenamiller.com/DEENA_MILLER/Bill_Miller.html). Deena is a New York City-based vocalist. We hope to bring Deena to Fort Lee to perform  in the near future. 

Also scheduled to perform in Fort Lee as part of the Fort Lee Film Commission’s annual "Music & Movies Under the Stars" at the outdoor stage/green of the is Tommy Austin himself. Tom, in addition to being the author of the aforementioned new Riviera book, was also one of the Royal Teens, a forerunner of the Four Seasons, and Tommy co-wrote the hit song "Short Shorts." Tommy and the Royal Teens will perform in Fort Lee on August 11.

The Fort Lee Film Commission tries to connect to this history each year with our annual Battle of the High School Bands. This year’s Battle of the Bands will take place on June 8 at 7 p.m. inside the auditorium of the community center.

Admission is free, and we urge you to come and enjoy the musical talents of this generation’s bands. Though the songs may change, here in Fort Lee atop the Palisades, from the Riviera to the community center, the melody lingers on.