This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Dale Olson, which was captured on January 10, 2014. For his biography and web-clip, please follow this link: https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dale-olson
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Jack Jones was the son of actors Allan Jones and Irene Hervey. The experience of growing up in Hollywood allowed Jack to explore a number of fields in entertainment. At a... more
Birth Date: July 28, 1923
Deceased Date: October 27, 2008
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ray Ellis had a remarkable career as a songwriter and arranger. His career spanned jazz and popular music, as well as cartoons and game shows. Ray arranged for Billie... more
Birth Date: June 24, 1922
Deceased Date: October 2, 2001
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Manny Albam was taught how to arrange jazz for a big band while working with Georgie Auld's Orchestra. Georgie's arranger at the time was Budd Johnson who took Manny under... more
Birth Date: July 17, 1936
Deceased Date: February 8, 2002
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Nick Brignola’s baritone saxophone can be heard on several important jazz recordings beginning in the 1960s. He helped define the role of the baritone saxophone in the... more
Birth Date: December 19, 1929
Deceased Date: December 15, 2011
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Bob Brookmeyer played trombone for several name big bands during the great swing era including Tex Beneke, Claude Thornhill, and Ray McKinley. Bob began focusing on Cool... more
Birth Date: March 14, 1912
Deceased Date: January 4, 2001
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Les Brown and His Band of Renown was among the most popular orchestras during the swing era. His recording of "Sentimental Journey" (with vocals by Doris Day) was often... more
Birth Date: November 7, 1916
Deceased Date: November 3, 2004
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Joe Bushkin was involved with jazz at a very critical time in music history. Born in 1916, Joe was playing in dance bands while many of the originators of jazz and swing... more
Birth Date: January 14, 1917
Deceased Date: March 18, 1988
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Billy Butterfield's smooth and melodic trumpet can be heard on Margret Whiting’s recording of "Moonlight In Vermont." His performance was often singled out as a defining... more
Birth Date: August 8, 1907
Deceased Date: July 12, 2003
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Benny Carter was among the most creative jazz composers and arrangers in a career that spanned the 1930s through the 1990s. He first recorded with Charlie Johnson's... more
Birth Date: June 13, 1905
Deceased Date: June 2, 1997
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Doc Cheatham was a blues and jazz trumpeter who played from the early years of recordings all the way into the 1990s. Doc was just a teenager when he recorded with the... more
Birth Date: March 1, 1914
Deceased Date: September 15, 1998
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Barrett Deems was the energetic drummer of the big band era who played with Red Norvo, Muggsy Spanier, and Jimmy Dorsey. While touring as a member of Louis Armstrong's All... more
Birth Date: March 20, 1922
Deceased Date: August 29, 2017
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Larry Elgart led a dance band with his brother, Les, which recorded a number of bestselling albums beginning in the 1950s. Their "Campus Hop" album was among the first of... more
Birth Date: January 2, 1915
Deceased Date: September 26, 2000
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Nick Fatool was a popular drummer during the Big Band Era who kept the beat for bandleaders such as Benny Goodman, Alvino Rey, Claude Thornhill, and Les Brown. Nick played... more
Birth Date: April 12, 1917
Deceased Date: July 11, 1999
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Helen Forrest was often called the Sweetheart of the Big Band Era and may be the only vocalist to have recorded a million seller with Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Harry... more
Birth Date: August 17, 1919
Deceased Date: December 9, 2006
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Georgia Gibbs, often billed as “Her Nibbs,” enjoyed a successful career as a singer with the big bands beginning in 1936. Over the years she performed with Tommy Dorsey,... more
Birth Date: March 13, 1914
Deceased Date: December 2, 1998
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Bob Haggart may be best known for his crazy bass playing on the Bob Crosby hit record "Big Noise From Winnetka." The song featured bass slaps and even the drummer playing... more
Birth Date: June 23, 1910
Deceased Date: December 19, 2000
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Milt Hinton was a beloved bass player whose career covered jazz, pop, and swing music. He performed with a long list of jazz giants such as Zutty Singleton and Art Tatum... more
Birth Date: June 30, 1917
Deceased Date: May 9, 2010
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Lena Horne was a popular singer and actress who was dedicated to the Civil Rights movement beginning in the 1950s. She began her career singing in the chorus line at the... more
Birth Date: October 30, 1919
Deceased Date: July 20, 2004
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Illinois Jacquet gained fame as a jazz saxophonist beginning his career with the Milton Larkin Band when Illinois was just 15. Four years later he recorded his signature... more