Wikipedia

Buddy DeFranco

Boniface Ferdinand Leonard"Buddy"DeFranco(February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014)[1]was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led theGlenn Miller Orchestrafor almost a decade in the 1960s and 1970s.

Buddy DeFranco
DeFranco in New York, 1947
DeFranco in New York, 1947
Background information
Birth nameBoniface Ferdinand Leonard DeFranco
Born(1923-02-17)February 17, 1923
Camden, New Jersey,U.S.
DiedDecember 24, 2014(2014-12-24)(aged 91)
Panama City, Florida,U.S.
Genres
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)
Years active1940s–2014
LabelsNorgran,Verve,Mercury,Concord Jazz,Arbors,Pablo
Formerly ofGlenn Miller Orchestra
Websitewww.buddydefranco

Biography

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Born inCamden, New Jersey,United States,[2]DeFranco was raised inSouth Philadelphia.He was playing the clarinet by the time he was nine years old and within five years had won a nationalTommy Dorsey[3]swing contest.[1]

He began his professional career just asswing musicandbig bands—many of which were led by clarinetists likeArtie Shaw,andBenny Goodman—were in decline. While most jazz clarinet players did not adapt to this change, DeFranco successfully continued to play clarinet exclusively, and was one of the fewbebopclarinetists.[4]

In 1950, DeFranco spent a year withCount Basie's septet.[2]He then led a small combo in the early 1950s which included pianistSonny Clarkand guitaristTal Farlow.In this period, DeFranco recorded forMGM,Norgran andVerve;the latter two labels were owned byNorman Granz.

During the years 1960-64, DeFranco released four innovative quartet albums, as co-leader with the accordionist Tommy Gumina.[5]

He wasbandleaderof theGlenn Miller Orchestrafrom 1966 to 1974,[2]under the name, "The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, Directed By Buddy DeFranco". He also performed withGene Krupa,Art Blakey,Tommy Dorsey,Count Basie,Charlie Barnet,Art Tatum,Oscar Peterson,Lennie Tristano,Dodo Marmarosa,Terry Gibbs,Charlie Parker,Dizzy Gillespie,Miles Davis,Eddie Daniels,Andy Firth-musician,Don Burrows,Putte Wickman,Billie Holidayand many others, and released dozens of albums as a leader.

DeFranco died inPanama City, Florida,at the age of 91.[6]

Awards and honors

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DeFranco won twenty awards fromDownBeatmagazine, nine awards fromMetronome,and sixteenPlayboyAll-Stars awards.[3]

Discography

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The Glenn Miller Orchestra Under the Direction of Buddy DeFranco

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  • Glenn Miller in Tokyo(CBS Records,1966)
  • Something New (The Tijuana Brass Hits)(Epic Records,1966)
  • In the Mod(RCA Victor,1967)
  • The Glenn Miller Orchestra Returns To Glen Island Casino(RCA Victor, 1968)
  • Makes the Goin' Great(RCA,1968)
  • Do You Wanna Dance(Command Records,ABC Records,1969)
  • Recorded Live, Royal Festival Hall, London, England(Paramount Records,1971)
  • The Best Of The Glenn Miller Orchestra Newly Recorded In Stereo(Columbia House,1972)
  • Skitch & Company(Army Reserve, 1973)
  • The Ultimate 'In Stereo' Collection(Swing Rewind Records, 2016)

As leader

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  • Cool & QuietwithLennie Tristano(Capitol, 1953)
  • The Progressive Mr. DeFranco(Norgran, 1954)
  • Pretty Moods(Norgran, 1954)
  • The Artistry of Buddy DeFranco(Norgran, 1954)
  • Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson Play George Gershwin(Norgran, 1954)
  • The Buddy DeFranco Wailers(Norgran, 1956)
  • Sweet and Lovely(Verve, 1956)
  • In a Mellow Mood(Norgran, 1956)
  • Mr. Clarinet(Norgran, 1956)
  • Jazz Tones(Norgran, 1956)
  • Buddy DeFranco Plays Benny Goodman(Verve, 1957)
  • The Art Tatum Buddy DeFranco Quartet(Verve, 1958)
  • Cross Country Suite(Dot, 1958)
  • Generalissimo(Verve, 1958)
  • Buddy DeFranco and the Oscar Peterson Quartet(Verve, 1958)
  • Live Date!(Verve, 1958)
  • Buddy DeFranco Plays Artie Shaw(Verve, 1958)
  • Cooking the Blues(Verve, 1958)
  • Bravura(Verve, 1959)
  • Pacific Standard Swingin'! TimewithTommy Gumina(Decca, 1960)
  • Presentingwith Tommy Gumina (Mercury, 1961)
  • Kaleidoscopewith Tommy Gumina (Mercury, 1962)
  • Pol.Y.Toneswith Tommy Gumina (Mercury, 1963)
  • The Girl from Ipanemawith Tommy Gumina (Mercury, 1964)
  • Blues Bag(Vee Jay, 1965)
  • CrosscurrentswithLennie Tristano(Capitol, 1972)
  • Free Sail(Choice, 1974)
  • Black Magicwith Helen Forrest (Shamrock, 1975)
  • Love Affair with a Clarinet Vol. 2(Famous Solos, 1976)
  • Sessions, Live(Callipe, 1976)
  • Borinquin(Sonet, 1976)
  • Waterbed(Choice, 1978)
  • Buddy DeFranco with Jim Gillis(Classic Jazz, 1978)
  • Closed Session(Verve, 1979)
  • Buddy DeFranco(Famous Solos, 1980)
  • Like Someone in Love(Progressive, 1980)
  • Jazz Party: First Time Togetherwith Terry Gibbs (Palo Alto, 1981)
  • Eastern Exposure(Silver Crest, 1982)
  • Buddy DeFranco Presents John Denman(Lud, 1983)
  • Now's the Timewith Terry Gibbs (Tall Tree, 1984)
  • Mr. Lucky(Pablo, 1984)
  • Harkwith Oscar Peterson (Pablo, 1985)
  • Groovin(Hep, 1985)
  • Chicago Firewith Terry Gibbs (Contemporary, 1987)
  • Holiday for Swingwith Terry Gibbs (Contemporary, 1988)
  • Garden of DreamswithMartin Taylor(ProJazz, 1988)
  • Memories of You: A Tribute to Benny Goodmanwith Terry Gibbs, Herb Ellis (Contemporary, 1991)
  • Kings of Swingwith Terry Gibbs, Herb Ellis (Contemporary, 1992)
  • Five Notes of Blues(Musidisc, 1992)
  • Modern Clarinets: Museum of Modern Jazz(Verve, 1993)
  • The Buenos Aires Concerts(Hep, 1995)
  • Free Fall(Candid, 1996)
  • You Must Believe in Swingwith Dave McKenna (Concord Jazz, 1997)
  • Do Nothing Till You Hear from Us!with Dave McKenna (Concord Jazz, 1999)
  • The Champswith Putte Wickman (Gazell, 1999)
  • Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco Play Steve Allen(Contemporary, 1999)
  • Gone with the Wind(Storyville, 1999)
  • The Three Sopranos(hr-musik.de, 2001)
  • Cookin' the Books(Arbors Records, 2003)
  • Charlie Cat 2(Arbors, 2007)
  • Cookin'with Eiji Kitamura, Kiyoshi Takeshita (Jazz Cook, 2008)
  • Down for Doublewith John Burnett Swing Orchestra (Delmark Records, 2010)

As sideman

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WithTommy Dorsey

  • Yes Indeed!(RCA Victor 1956)
  • Tribute to Dorsey, Vol. 2(RCA Victor, 1957)
  • Tommy Dorsey's Greatest Band(20th Fox, 1959)

WithLionel Hampton

  • The Lionel Hampton Quintet(Clef, 1954)
  • Album #2(Clef, 1955)
  • Lionel Hampton and His All Stars(Columbia, 1957)

With others

References

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  1. ^abHeckman, Don (26 December 2014)."Buddy DeFranco dies at 91; first clarinetist to master bebop".Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^abcColin Larkin,ed. (1992).The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.pp. 651/2.ISBN0-85112-939-0.
  3. ^ab"Buddy DeFranco To Play At LVC".Lebanon Daily News.Lebanon Daily News. July 14, 1977. p. 22.RetrievedApril 25,2015– viaNewspapers.
  4. ^Pankin, Ted (1999)."On Buddy DeFranco's 89th Birthday, a 1999 Downbeat article, plus Interview".Down Beat.ISSN0012-5768.
  5. ^Myers, Marc(24 May 2011)."Buddy DeFranco and Tommy Gumina".Jazzwax.
  6. ^Strum, Charles(26 December 2014)."Buddy DeFranco, 91, Versatile Jazz Clarinetist, Dies".The New York Times.p. B7.
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