Rusty Dedrick

Rusty Dedrick ( born July 12, 1918 in Delevan, New York as Lyle F. Dedrick, † December 25, 2009 in Summitville, New York) was an American jazz trumpeter, arranger and composer.

Rusty Dedrick had classes with Stefan Wolpe and Paul Creston; 1938/39, he began his career with Bill Borden and Dick Stabile. 1939-41 he worked with Red Norvo, Ray McKinley and 1941/42, with Claude Thornhill. After serving in the U.S. Army in 1946, he played with Ray McKinley and 1946/47, again at Thornhill. The late 1940s to the 1960s he worked primarily as a studio musician in New York City; next he arranged and composed for Don Elliott, Maxine Sullivan and Lee Wiley. In 1957, he recorded a tribute album for Bunny Berigan with John LaPorta, Wendell Marshall and Clem de Rosa. In 1967 he played at Urbie Green; then he was musical director of the pop band The Free Design.

In the early 1970s he played with Lionel Hampton and worked as a music teacher at the Manhattan School of Music. Among his compositions is one of The Modern Art Suite and the Suite for Alto Sax and Trumpet.

Disco Graphical Notes

• A Salute to Bunny Berigan ( Counterpoint, 1957)
• Rhythm and Winds ( Esoteric, 1957)
• The Big Band Sound ( Four Corners, 1964)