Jimmy Grier

James W. "Jimmy" Grier or James W. "Jimmie" Grier (born March 17, 1902 in Pittsburgh , † June 4, 1959 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz musician (clarinet, composition) and band leader .

Live and act

From the late 1920s, Grier worked in the bands of Gus Arnheim (who made the first recordings for Okeh Records in 1928 ), Abe Lyman , George Stoll and Connee Boswell . From 1931 to 1933 he was a band leader and in the following years (including with Bing Crosby and Russ Colombo as guest vocalists) he recorded a number of titles for Brunswick , Columbia and Decca Records , such as Rock and Roll / If I Had a Million Dollars (with The Boswell Sisters , Columbia, 1934), Live and Love To Night /Cocktails for Two (Brunswick, 1934, with Carl Brisson ), Hollywood at Vine / In a Little Street Cafe (Brunswick, 1935) and Fight On / All Hail / Strike Up the Band for UCLA (Decca). With The Object of My Affection (vocals Pinky Tomlin ) Grier had a number one hit in the USA in 1934. As a songwriter he also worked with Tomlin on numerous other pop songs such as Music in the Moonlight, Bon Voyage, Remember Cherie, Hollywood at Vine, Silver River, Anitra's Boogie, What's the Reason? and Ivy-Covered Harbor together.

Grier worked with his orchestra at the Biltmore Hotel until 1937, before leading a touring orchestra. During World War II he served in the US Coast Guard and was deputy to Rudy Vallee , whom he succeeded as head of the Coast Guard Band with the rank of lieutenant. After the end of the war he reactivated his old band at the Biltmore Bowl, and then, when the success of the big bands waned, worked in Hollywood with a smaller ensemble and as a disc jockey. Eventually he gave up the music business entirely and started working as a real estate agent.

Web links

• Jimmy Grier at Discogs (English)
• Jimmie Grier at Allmusic (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Tom Lord: Jazz Discography (online)