The Trials, Tribulations and Triumph of Bunny Berigan
"Marie" Composed by Irving Berlin; arranged(*) by Freddie Stulce. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Victor on January 29, 1937 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, trombone, directing: Bob Cusumano, first trumpet; Jimmy Welch and Joe Bauer, trumpets; Les Jenkins and E.W. "Red" Bone, trombones; Freddie Stulce, first alto saxophone; Joe Dixon, alto saxophone;... Continue Reading →
The story: I am often amazed at the appearances today of Bunny Berigan's name and music in unexpected places. This is not a new phenomenon. In 1967, Bunny Berigan’s classic Victor recording of "I Can't Get Started" was used in a film short called The Big Shave, directed by Martin Scorsese. In the 1970s, two... Continue Reading →
"Sobbin' Blues" Composed by Art Kassel and Vic Berton; arranged by Joe Lippman. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on November 22, 1938 in New York. Bunny Berigan, trumpet, directing: Johnny Napton, first trumpet; Irving Goodman, trumpet; Ray Conniff, first trombone; Bob "Brad" Jenney, trombone; Arcuiso "Gus" Bivona, first alto saxophone and... Continue Reading →
"I Cried for You" Music and lyric by Arthur Freed, Gus Arnheim and Abe Lyman. Arranged by Joe Lippman. Recorded by Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra for Victor on November 22, 1938 in New York. Bunny Berigan, trumpet, directing: Johnny Napton and Irving Goodman, trumpets; Ray Conniff and Bob Jenney, trombones; Murray Williams, bass clarinet... Continue Reading →
"Blue Lou" Composed by Edgar Sampson; arranged by Horace and Fletcher Henderson. (*) Recorded by the Metronome All-Star Band on January 12, 1939 in New York. Metronome All-Star Band: Bunny Berigan, Harry James, Charlie Spivak, Sonny Dunham, trumpets; Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden, trombones; Hymie Shertzer, lead alto saxophone; Arthur Rollini and Eddie Miller, tenor saxophones; Benny Goodman,... Continue Reading →
The story: The interlude from early March until late August 1940, when Bunny Berigan was with Tommy Dorsey's band as its featured trumpet soloist, was a critical time for Berigan for a number of reasons. In late 1939 and into 1940, Bunny was hospitalized because the effects of cirrhosis on his liver and on his... Continue Reading →
I have received a number of inquiries asking why I haven't posted Bunny Berigan's most famous recording, "I Can't Get Started," yet here at bunnyberiganmrtrumpet.com The answer is that I have posted it already at swingandbeyond.com That of course does not mean that I can't or shouldn't post it here also. So, here it is:... Continue Reading →
ed I was recently in Manhattan. New York during the holiday season is always particularly exciting, especially along Fifth Avenue near Rockefeller Center, where the many retail retail stores go all-out to try to top each other with their holiday decorations. Year-after-year, it seems that the folks at Saks Fifth Avenue, whose flagship store is... Continue Reading →
“Tuxedo Junction” Composed by William Johnson, Julian Dash and Erskine Hawkins. Arranged by Sy Oliver. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra live from an NBC radio network broadcast from the Astor Hotel Roof Garden in New York City in early June, 1940. Tommy Dorsey, trombone, directing: Bunny Berigan, Ray Linn, Jimmy Blake, Leon Debrow,... Continue Reading →