Bob Chester

Robert Thomas " Bob" Chester ( born March 20, 1908 in Detroit, † November 5, 1975 there ), was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader in the range of swing and popular music.

Life and work

Originally from a wealthy family Chester began his musical career at Irving Aaronson, Ben Bernie and Ben Pollack. In 1939 he founded in his hometown of Detroit own formation, which was heavily influenced by Glenn Miller's orchestra sound. However, his first band had little success and was soon dissolved; Chester then put together a new orchestra, with whom he celebrated success on the east coast and took up some plates for Bluebird Records.

Chesters band that was The New Sensation of the Nation called, had in 1939 a radio show on CBS whose music was transferred from the hotel van Cleve in Dayton (Ohio ). In Chester's orchestra played later known jazz musicians like Manny Albam, Nick Travis, Herbie Steward, Peanuts Hucko, Bill Harris, John LaPorta, Frank Rosolino, Mary Osborne, Frank Tiberi and Louis Mucci. Chester also composed the theme song of the band, " Sunburst " and the title "The Octave Jump". In 1944 he accompanied with his band the singer Ida James in the musical comedy Trocadero. Mid-1940s had the orchestra Chester dissolve, as the demand for big bands waned. He ran even in the early 1950s, in short, a smaller band, but soon withdrew from the music scene back and returned to Detroit, where he worked in the auto manufacturing.