ClydeReasinger 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. |