Sam Musiker

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Sam Musiker was an American clarinettist and saxophonist who worked in both jazz and klezmer. He was born in New York in 1916 and lived there for most of his life. His field of work was broad: he played in bars, restaurants and recording studios among swing musicians, but also at weddings and in the hotels of the Jewish music world outside the city.

Music and breakthrough

In 1938 he was there at the founding of Gene Krupa's orchestra, after Krupa had left Benny Goodman. He stayed until 1944 and soloed on several recordings. He also played with Glenn Miller and recorded with Sarah Vaughan. During the war he led an Air Force band. Later he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he taught and wrote arrangements.

Influence

His best-known work is the album Tanz, recorded in 1955 and released a year later. It was an attempt to combine klezmer with big band swing. Musiker led the project, with his brother Ray Musiker and his father-in-law, the clarinettist Dave Tarras. The rhythm was lively, with bass on the beat and piano or accordion on the offbeat. The record sold poorly at first, but is now regarded as a milestone of Jewish-American music. Musiker formed a link between the klezmer of Eastern Europe and the American sound of New York. He died in 1964.

Listening