Clyde Reasinger Big Band
Clyde Reasinger Big BandClydeReasinger has been a professional musician all his life.  In Dec. 1946, he was discharged from the army after serving in the Philippines.  He started with the Shorty Rodgers Band taking Maynard Ferguson's place.  Soon after he joined the Stan Kenton Band for several years.  After Stan Kenton, he joined Maynard's Band and did some highly-noted recordings, the Birdland Album, and the Newport Album.  He joined the Freddie Martin Band in Boca Raton during a summer then went to Vegas playing at the New Frontier where he witnessed history being made as Elvis played his first night in Vegas opening for the band.  He toured with Perez Prado and recorded "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" where he ended up in New York.  He then joined the Billy May Band fronted by Sam Donahue where he met Doc Severinsen and other top NY lead trumpet men and started an exhaustive career of playing the Roxy for 2 big shows daily and then recording studios followed by Broadway Musicals.  He had a hit Broadway show called "No Strings" starring Dianne Carroll and Richard Kiley written by Richard Rodgers. He ended the busy day by playing with Maynard at Birdland into the wee hours of the morning.  Clyde can be seen in the famous video of the Miles Davis Sextet and Gil Evans Orchestra in 1959.  That video is hailed by the jazz world as a very important historical moment in jazz history.  It can still be viewed on You Tube and one can see Clyde playing split lead with Ernie Royal.  He took 6 months to tour Europe with Quincy Jones and do some recording in Paris.  When he returned to NY, Clyde started his own Big Band in 1962 and had charts written especially for him by Ray Starling of the Stan Kenton Orchestra called "Fern Clyde" and "Penthouse New York".  There was hardly anyone in New York or elsewhere with more power in his playing while managing to keep his beautiful tone he was noted for. He was known widely as a "screamer", or that select few that develop the strength and stamina to play notes off the scale that only the dogs can hear!  He was sought after continuously for recordings and concerts and shows.  One of his favorite memories is working with Nat Cole on the album "My Fair Lady where he was not only the lead trumpet player but also contracted all the brass.  He loved working with Nat Cole and told him that not only was he a great piano player but a great singer as well.  Frank Hunter was the arranger on that album.  He worked in NY for 11 years with the top 4 trumpet players, Doc Severinsen, Ernie Royal, Bernie Glow and Dick Smith.  Together they recorded many sessions together, so many Clyde cannot remember them all.  He is noted in Wikipedia as having a very extensive recording career.  


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