Buddy Morrow
Encyclopedia
Buddy Morrow was an American trombonist
and bandleader
. He is known for his mastery of the upper range which is evident on records
such as "The Golden Trombone," as well as his ballad
playing.
. His early 1950s records such as "Rose, Rose, I Love You" and "Night Train" appeared in the US
Billboard
charts
. "Night Train" reached #23 in the UK Singles Chart
in March 1953. In 1959 and 1960 Morrow's Orchestra released two album
s of American television theme songs; Impact and Double Impact respectively.
In 2009, Morrow was awarded the International Trombone Association
's Lifetime Achievement Award, an award that is given to a person who has significantly changed trombone playing around the world.
He was most recently the leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, through September 24, 2010. Morrow died in the morning on September 27, 2010.
's Sharks Of Rhythm, an Eddie Condon
group, recording compositions:
He then moved on to big bands, first Eddie Duchin, then Vincent Lopez
. He eventually graduated to swing bands, first with Artie Shaw
. He first became Muni Morrow, then Buddy Morrow, when he joined the Tommy Dorsey
trombone section in 1938. In 1939, he performed with Paul Whiteman
's Concert Orchestra for their Decca
/Brunswick
recording of Gershwin's Concerto in F.
In 1940, Morrow joined his former Shaw band-mate Tony Pastor
and his band for a little while, but this was only a short detour on his way to replacing Ray Conniff
in the Bob Crosby
band. Shortly after, he joined the US Navy, during which, we recorded with Billy Butterfield
leading a 10-piece band with three trombones — all accompanying Red McKenzie singing four arrangements, including "Sweet Lorraine" and "It's the talk of the Town."
After demobilization
, Morrow joined Jimmy Dorsey
's band, then went into radio freelancing as a studio musician. He began conducting odd sessions, which introduced him to bandleadlng. RCA Victor sponsored him as director of his own band in 1951. The band's first hit — "Night Train" by Jimmy Forrest
— was a cross-over into rhythm and blues.
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. He is known for his mastery of the upper range which is evident on records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
such as "The Golden Trombone," as well as his ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
playing.
His life
Morrow was once a member of The Tonight Show BandThe Tonight Show Band
The Tonight Show Band is the band which plays on the American television variety show, The Tonight Show. From 1962 to the 1990s, during the years the show was known as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the band was a 17-piece Big Band, and was an important outlet for jazz on American...
. His early 1950s records such as "Rose, Rose, I Love You" and "Night Train" appeared in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "Night Train" reached #23 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in March 1953. In 1959 and 1960 Morrow's Orchestra released two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s of American television theme songs; Impact and Double Impact respectively.
In 2009, Morrow was awarded the International Trombone Association
International Trombone Association
The International Trombone Association is a non-profit organisation of trombonists that is dedicated to supporting trombone-related activities. Founded in 1972, it has a membership of 4,500 members from 50 countries....
's Lifetime Achievement Award, an award that is given to a person who has significantly changed trombone playing around the world.
He was most recently the leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, through September 24, 2010. Morrow died in the morning on September 27, 2010.
Early days
On a scholarship, at age 16, Morrow studied trombone with Ernest Horatio Clarke (1865–1947) at Juilliard (known then as the Institute of Musical Art) from October to December 1936. At age 17, he began playing trombone with Sharkey BonanoSharkey Bonano
Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
's Sharks Of Rhythm, an Eddie Condon
Eddie Condon
Albert Edwin Condon , better known as Eddie Condon, was a jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in the so-called "Chicago school" of early Dixieland, he also played piano and sang on occasion....
group, recording compositions:
- Mudhole Blues by Sharkey BonanoSharkey BonanoJoseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
and Irving FazolaIrving FazolaIrving Fazola was an American jazz clarinetist.-Biography:Fazola or Faz was born in New Orleans, Louisiana as Irving Henry Prestopnik. He got the nickname Fazola from his childhood skill at Solfege . He decided to use the nickname as his family name, and many fellow musicians were unaware that...
, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3353 (Oct 7, 1936) - Swing In Swing Out, by David Winstein, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3353 (Oct 7, 1936) - I'm Satisfied Withi My Gal, by Sharkey BonanoSharkey BonanoJoseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3380 (Oct 7, 1936) - High Society, by A.J. PironArmand J. PironArmand John "A.J." Piron was an American jazz violinist, band leader, and composer.In 1915, Piron and Williams together started the Piron and Williams Publishing Company, and in their first year of business published Piron's composition, “I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, which...
, Clarence Williams, Porter Steele, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3380 (Oct 7, 1936) - When You're SmilingWhen You're Smiling"When You're Smiling" is a song by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher, and Joe Goodwin , and made famous by Louis Armstrong, who recorded it at least three times, in 1929, 1932, and 1956...
, by FisherMark Fisher (songwriter)Mark Fisher was an American songwriter.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He died in Long Lake or Ingleside, Illinois. Many of his compositions were joint ventures with Joe Goodwin and Larry Shay . Another collaborator was Joe Burke.-External references:*...
, Joe Goodwin, & Larry ShayLarry ShayLarry Shay was an American songwriter.Shay was born in Chicago, Illinois. While still young, he studied the piano at the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He eventually moved to New York City to become a songwriter. His first composition was "Do You, Don't You, Will You, Won't You," published...
, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3400 (Dec 4, 1936) - Mr. Brown Goes to Town, by David Winstein, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3400 (Dec 4, 1936) - Was It Clean?, by Sharkey BonanoSharkey BonanoJoseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3410 (Dec 4, 1936) - Blowing Off Steam, by David Winstein, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3410 (Dec 4, 1936) - Big Boy Blue, by Peter Tincturin, Jack LawrenceJack LawrenceJack Lawrence was an American songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.- Biography :...
, Dan Howell, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3450 (Jan 29, 1937) - Old Fashioned Swing, by Winston Tharp & Joe BishopJoe BishopJoe Bishop was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer.Bishop learned piano, trumpet, and tuba when young, and also played flugelhorn and mellophone. He attended Hendrix College, and played professionally with the Louisiana Ramblers in 1927, including in Mexico...
, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3450 (Jan 29, 1937) - Swing Like a Rusty Gate, by David Winstein, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3470 (Jan 29, 1937) - Swingin' On The Swanee Shore, by Dave CavanaughDave CavanaughDavid Cavanaugh, also known as Dave Cavanaugh or occasionally Big Dave Cavanaugh, , was an American composer, arranger, musician and producer.-Early career:...
, Don RedmanDon RedmanDonald Matthew Redman was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader and composer.Redman was announced as a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on May 6, 2009....
, David, Vocalion RecordsVocalion RecordsVocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, 3470 (Jan 29, 1937)
He then moved on to big bands, first Eddie Duchin, then Vincent Lopez
Vincent Lopez
Vincent Lopez was an American bandleader and pianist.Vincent Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York and was leading his own dance band in New York City by 1917...
. He eventually graduated to swing bands, first with Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
. He first became Muni Morrow, then Buddy Morrow, when he joined the Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
trombone section in 1938. In 1939, he performed with Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
's Concert Orchestra for their Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
/Brunswick
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
recording of Gershwin's Concerto in F.
In 1940, Morrow joined his former Shaw band-mate Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor was an American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century...
and his band for a little while, but this was only a short detour on his way to replacing Ray Conniff
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
in the Bob Crosby
Bob Crosby
George Robert "Bob" Crosby was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group the Bob-Cats.-Family:...
band. Shortly after, he joined the US Navy, during which, we recorded with Billy Butterfield
Billy Butterfield
Billy Butterfield was a band leader, jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and cornetist.He studied cornet with Frank Simons, but later switched to studying medicine. He did not give up on music and quit medicine after finding success as a trumpeter. Early in his career he played in the band of Austin Wylie...
leading a 10-piece band with three trombones — all accompanying Red McKenzie singing four arrangements, including "Sweet Lorraine" and "It's the talk of the Town."
After demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
, Morrow joined Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
's band, then went into radio freelancing as a studio musician. He began conducting odd sessions, which introduced him to bandleadlng. RCA Victor sponsored him as director of his own band in 1951. The band's first hit — "Night Train" by Jimmy Forrest
Jimmy Forrest
Jimmy Forrest was an African American jazz musician, who played tenor saxophone throughout his career....
— was a cross-over into rhythm and blues.
Selected compositions
- Big Beat, music by Buddy Morrow, (©1953)
- Boogie Woogie March, words & music by Buddy Morrow & Herbert Hendler (1918–2007) (©1951)
- Corrine Corina, w Herbert Hendler (1918–2007), music by Buddy Morrow (©1953)
- Dear Mary, words by Herbert Hendler (1918–2007), music by Buddy Morrow (©1951)
- Diggin, words by Herbert Hendler (1918–2007), music by Buddy Morrow (©1953)
- Memphis Drag, music by Buddy Morrow (©1953)
- Midnight March, music by Bill Allen & Buddy Morrow (©1957)
- Old Potato Farm, words & music by Herbert Hendler (1918–2007), Tommie McLeston Hendler & Buddy Morrow (©1951)
- Scrub-a-dub-dub, music by Howard Biggs & Buddy Morrow (©1955)
- Solo; A Fox-Trot Bolero Based on Chopin's Waltz in C-sharp minor, words by Herbert Hendler (1918–2007), music by Buddy Morrow (©1951)
- Teen Polka, arranged by Buddy Morrow & Walter Stuart (©1956)
External links
- Profile of Buddy Morrow at Spaceagepop.com
- Profile on the road with Buddy Morrow. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MucyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mwcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4392,1703880&dq=leslie-dreyfous+buddy-morrow+tommy-dorsey&hl=en
Obituaries
- Steve Voce, Buddy Morrow: Trombonist and bandleader who shot to fame with the Fifties hit "Night Train", The Independent, Sept. 30, 2010
- Daniel E. Slotnik, Buddy Morrow, Trombonist and Bandleader, Dies at 91, The New York Times, Oct 2, 2010
- Eloísa Ruano González, Buddy Morrow, Big-Band Leader, Dies at 91, Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 2, 2010