Jazz band's Bill Marx relishes his other role, as Harpo's son

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Growing up in the footsteps of entertainment legend Arthur "Harpo" Marx can do mysterious things. For Marx's son, Bill, it opened worlds of opportunity, magnetically pulled in interesting, talented people and provided a loving home."He was a force of nature. He was elemental," Bill Marx said about his dad.Bill, who lives in Rancho Mirage, Calif., has made quite a name for himself in his 50-plus years as a composer and pianist, but the name he'll always be connected with is his dad's."It's a privilege," Marx said in an interview between sets at a performance at Vicky's of Santa Fe in Indian Wells, Calif."I love that I don't have to tell everyone how great I am. I can get up there and talk about an icon. People come to see me first because of my relationship with my dad, and then they get to know me," he said.Bill Marx was adopted by Harpo and his wife, Susan Fleming, in 1938 from the Children's Home Society in Los Angeles. Within a few short years, he would be joined by adopted siblings Alexander, James and Minnie.And then there were all those Marx Brothers uncles: Chico, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo.Bill grew up watching Harpo's amazing talent as a self-taught harpist. There were also the years of piano lessons, study at Julliard and the hard-knocks school of experience.His parents discovered he had musical talent when, as a 2-year-old, he sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" perfectly. Bill, when 7, attended the Waring Ranch School for Boys, and his parents sent him a care package consisting of a record player and more than 100 records by such performers as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Herb Jeffries, Harry James, Les Brown and Spike Jones.After years of gritting his teeth through music fundamentals, he found true inspiration in a piano teacher who spoke his musical language."Charlie Crenshaw was one of the big influences in my life," Marx said.Another person who would truly influence his personal and professional career was his dad's good friend, comedian George Burns, whom he always called "Uncle George.""He would always give me wonderful advice ... things like, 'Never walk into a room without an opening line.' "One of young Bill's early show-business responsibilities was taking care of Harpo's prop chest. At 12, he was given the job of "permanent prop man," caring for items such as a sheriff badge that spun, bubble liquid, several rubber hands, giant scissors and a host of other things."I carried this awesome responsibility with me for 12 wonderful years, and his props remain to this day exactly as I had packed them away after his final performance as Harpo Marx," he said.During his first summer home from Julliard, Bill, then 18, was surprised by a business proposal from his dad."He had gotten a recording contract, and wanted me to arrange all the harp music and some of the band charts for the album. For the first time in my life as a composer/arranger, I would get paid actual money!" Marx remembered.This business arrangement would be the first of many.Bill had just turned 30 when he began his regular gig at Dino's Lodge on the Sunset Strip. The L.A. club circuit would become his home for many, many years.After Dino's, Marx went on to write scores for several horror movies, including "Count Yorga, Vampire!" and "Scream, Blacula!," and then such motion pictures as "Who's That Girl?" and "Murphy's Romance."He composed and conducted recordings for many artists, including Doris Day, and wrote scores for "Love Boat," "Fantasy Island," "The Tonight Show" and other television shows.Marx's musical home now is with the Desert Cities Jazz Band.The band's second season of playing every Sunday at Vicky's has wrapped up, and from now until mid-August, it will move on to weekend performances at La Palapa in Rancho Mirage.Bill's autobiography, "Son of Harpo Speaks!," was published by Bear Manor Media in 2007. In addition to performing with the Desert Cities Jazz Band, he plans to do an audio version of the book, adding music and more stories.After the audio book is completed, Marx quipped, "then I'm going to pursue a life of crime."(Reach Jennifer Dean at jdean(at)PE.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)