Joe Marsala
Encyclopedia
Joe Marsala was an Italian-American jazz
clarinetist and songwriter, born and based in Chicago. He was active during the big band
era. Marsala is notable as one of the early employers of drummer Buddy Rich
. Among his other musicians included pianist Joe Bushkin
and guitarist Jack Lemaire, Carmen Mastren
. Leonard Feather
, among others, gives him a good deal of credit for breaking down race segregation in jazz.
Marsala's own playing was rich and graceful, owing a lot to Jimmie Noone
. Although usually thought of as a "dixielander" along with Eddie Condon, Marsala was more adventurous: in the 1940s he used Dizzy Gillespie on a recording session, for instance.
That said, he did have some difficulties adjusting to the bebop
era and other clarinetists also found their skills less in demand. By 1949 he partly switched to writing songs in the genre now called classic pop. He did this primarily for Frank Sinatra
and Patti Page
. Among these songs was the hit Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)
, which led friends to the unfounded fear his marriage to Adele Girard
was over. He also wrote And So to Sleep Again
for Patti Page.
According to his wife, Adele, Joe Marsala also suffered from chronic colitis
and was unable to drink alcohol
. He died in Santa Barbara, California
.
Joe Marsala ws the brother of jazz musician Marty Marsala
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
clarinetist and songwriter, born and based in Chicago. He was active during the big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
era. Marsala is notable as one of the early employers of drummer Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
. Among his other musicians included pianist Joe Bushkin
Joe Bushkin
Joe Bushkin was an American jazz pianist.He began his career by playing trumpet and piano with New York City dance bands. He joined Bunny Berigan's band in 1935, then left to join Muggsy Spanier's Ragtime Band in 1939. From the late 1930s through to the late 1940s he also worked with Eddie Condon...
and guitarist Jack Lemaire, Carmen Mastren
Carmen Mastren
Carmen Mastren was an American jazz guitarist, banjoist and violinist born in Cohoes, New York. Mastren is best remembered for his work from 1936-1941 with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra as a guitarist....
. Leonard Feather
Leonard Feather
Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.-Biography:...
, among others, gives him a good deal of credit for breaking down race segregation in jazz.
Marsala's own playing was rich and graceful, owing a lot to Jimmie Noone
Jimmie Noone
Jimmie Noone was an American jazz clarinetist.- Background :...
. Although usually thought of as a "dixielander" along with Eddie Condon, Marsala was more adventurous: in the 1940s he used Dizzy Gillespie on a recording session, for instance.
That said, he did have some difficulties adjusting to the bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
era and other clarinetists also found their skills less in demand. By 1949 he partly switched to writing songs in the genre now called classic pop. He did this primarily for Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
. Among these songs was the hit Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)
Don't Cry, Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)
"Don't Cry, Joe " is a popular song written by Joe Marsala and recorded by Johnny Desmond on May 21, 1949.The recording was released by MGM and reached #22 on the Billboard chart. Frank Sinatra recorded an effective version that reached #6 the same year...
, which led friends to the unfounded fear his marriage to Adele Girard
Adele Girard
Adele Girard Marsala was a jazz harpist associated with the Dixieland and swing s. She is one of the first jazz harpists, with only Casper Reardon predating her...
was over. He also wrote And So to Sleep Again
And So to Sleep Again
"And So to Sleep Again" is a popular song, written in 1951 by Joe Marsala and Sunny Skylar.It was popularized by Patti Page in 1951.The Page recording was issued by Mercury Records as catalog number 5706, and first reached the Billboard chart on September 22, 1951, lasting 16 weeks and peaking at #4...
for Patti Page.
According to his wife, Adele, Joe Marsala also suffered from chronic colitis
Colitis
In medicine, colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon and is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine .Colitides may be acute and self-limited or chronic, i.e...
and was unable to drink alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. He died in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Joe Marsala ws the brother of jazz musician Marty Marsala
Marty Marsala
Marty Marsala was an American jazz trumpeter born in Chicago, perhaps best known for working from 1926-1946 with his brother Joe Marsala in a big band in New York City and Chicago. He had also toured with various artists, such as Chico Marx and Miff Mole, to name a few...
.