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Milt Trenier is one of the famous Trenier brothers, whose family combo
enjoyed some success in the early '50s, particularly with their
robust live show. Milt joined the group in 1951 along with his
brother Buddy, as what had been the Trenier Twins became a quartet.
The foursome had a Top Ten hit in 1951 with "Go Go Go," but are
much better known for their spirited appearances in classic rock
films such as Don't Knock the Rock, The Girl Can't Help It, and
Calypso Heat Wave.
Milt left the Treniers in 1959 to persue a solo career and can
currently be found playing in clubs around the Chicago area. He
has put together a killer band that includes saxman Dave "Bubba" Mitchell,
who used to play for people such as Lionel Hampton.
The Treniers
Featuring twin brothers Cliff and Claude Trenier, the Treniers helped
link swing music to rock & roll with their brand of hot jump blues in
the late '40s and early '50s. To the latter-day listener, their
early-'50s singles can sound closer to swing than rock; indeed,
Cliff and Claude had once sung with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra.
The group did anticipate some crucial elements of rock & roll,
though, with their solid, thumping beats, their squealing saxophone
solos, and their song titles, such as "Rocking on Sunday Night,"
"Rockin' Is Our Business," and "It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings!"
The Treniers' brand of swing-cum-R&B was undoubtedly an influence
on Bill Haley, who saw them when both acts were playing summer
shows at Wildwood, NJ. Their best work was recorded for OKeh in
the early '50s; by the middle of the decade, their sound was more
R&B-oriented. Like many early R&B pioneers, they were unable to
find success in the rock & roll era, though they appeared in a few
of the first rock & roll films.
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