Bobby Sherwood

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Robert J. "Bobby" Sherwood (born May 30, 1914 in Indianapolis , Indiana ; † January 23, 1980 in Auburn , Massachusetts ) was an American jazz musician ( banjo , guitar , trumpet and trombone ), arranger and big band leader in the area of the swing and popular music as well as actor and radio presenter .

Live and act

Sherwood performed in his parents' vaudeville group as a child . In 1933 he came to the west coast of the USA and succeeded guitarist Eddie Lang in Bing Crosby's band, of which he was a member until 1942. As an arranger he was u. a. Active for Tommy Dorsey , Larry Clinton , Artie Shaw , Charlie Barnet and Benny Goodman .
During this time he also worked as a studio musician in the music department of MGM , leading the backing band for Eddie Cantor's radio show; he played briefly with Artie Shaw in 1940 and led the band on some of Judy Garland's early recordings on the Decca label . During this time Sherwood was married to Judy Garland's sister Dorothy.

In 1942 Sherwood founded his own band in Los Angeles , which mainly appeared in the Los Angeles area and for which he received a contract with the newly founded label Capitol Records . Sherwood's composition "Elk's Parade" was recorded during the first recording session, and it became a great sales success and the band's signature tune. The great success of the title then led to a nationwide tour, but due to the record strike, no further recordings were made for the time being. The band singer at that time was Kitty Kallen ("Moonlight Becomes You"), who soon after left the orchestra and started a solo career. In 1946 it performed in the newly opened Avadon Baalroom ; Sherwood himself usually switched between trumpet and guitar, occasionally he also played the trombone. Important musicians of this phase were Dave Pell and Flip Phillips .

In October 1946, Bobby Sherwood appeared briefly on a Broadway show, Hear That Trumpet, as an actor; In 1947 he returned to Los Angeles and had a long engagement with his band at Casion Gardens . Three more recording sessions followed, although Sherwood disbanded the actual live band as early as 1949 and was now primarily active as a theater actor and radio presenter; In 1950 two 78 recordings were made for Mercury under the band name Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra ; However, a pure studio formation consisting of Kai Winding , Hymie Schertzer and Babe Russin played . In 1954 he recorded two singles (78/45) for Coral as Bobby Sherwood - The One Man Band ; he played all instruments of the four titles. During this time there was also an LP for Jubilee Records . In 1957 he briefly returned to the music business with a show band and performed in Nevada casinos .

Between 1938 and 1957 he also appeared as an actor in several TV series and films, most recently in 1957 in Pal Joey alongside Rita Hayworth , Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak . After that he mainly worked in radio.

Discographic notes

In the 1990s and 2000s, his recordings were reissued in several albums (including Issued Recordings 1942-1947 , 1999; Sherwood's Forest , 2000; Suddenly It's Swing , 2004; Suddenly It's Swing , 2005).

swell

  • Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac . Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena. 1978

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sherwood, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sherwood, Robert J.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH May 30, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Indianapolis , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH January 23, 1980
Place of death Auburn, Massachusetts