Margie (she preferred the spelling "Marjie") Hyams began her career in the early 1940s playing piano with a quintet on NBC Radio, but was introduced to the vibraphone as the group already had another pianist. In 1944 Woody Herman asked her to join her band after hearing her sing and play piano and vibes at several shows in Atlantic City. She played with Herman until 1948, during which time she also recorded with Mary Lou Williams and played and arranged for Charlie Ventura.
In 1948 she left the Herman band to perform as a solo act. That year the musicians' union issued a recording ban, which resulted in an environment more amenable to small ensembles than the big bands of the 30's and early 40's. Shortly thereafter she was appraoched by the jazz producer and journalist Leonard Feather with an offer to play vibraphone in the George Shearing quintet, which had just lost its clarinetist. Hyams jumped at the offer.
She remained with the Shearing quintet until 1951, when she married a Chicago banker and decided she wanted more stability than she could achieve with Shearing's steady tour schedule. Feather referred to this as her "retirement," which was widely repeated, but Hyams herself pointed out that she remained active as a player, teacher, and arranger in the Chicago area until 1970.
Resources:
Frequently Used Resources
© 2022 Florida State University Libraries | 116 Honors Way | Tallahassee, FL 32306 | (850) 644-2706
