Joe Mooney (musician)
Joe Mooney ( born March 14, 1911 in Paterson, New Jersey, † May 12, 1975 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) was an American pianist, arranger, accordion player and singer of the swing. He worked with Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan.
Life and work
Joe Mooney went blind at the age of ten years. He joined in 1926 with his brother Dan as a singer in Radio Shows on; they took 1929-1931 as the Sunshine Boys and the Boys Melotone plates, where musicians such as Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Dick McDonough and Carl Kress participated. By 1936, the brothers appeared together, then left Dan Mooney the music business. In 1937, Joe Mooney began to work as a pianist and arranger for Frank Dailey. In the early 1940s he arranged for Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez, Larry Clinton, Les Brown and The Modernaires.
Joe Mooney founded 1946 Swing Quartet, in which he sang and played the accordion, accompanied by bass, guitar and clarinet. During this time he also worked with Buddy Rich. Attention was his participation in the Sauter - Finegan Orchestra in 1952; where he sang the title " Nina Never Knew " and " Love Is a Simple Thing". In the 1950s, Mooney also played with Bucky Pizzarelli (1952) and Harry Smith ( 1953). In 1954, he moved to Florida, trying to still as Hammondorgelspieler, but could not succeed with it. In 1956 and the mid-1960s further recordings yet emerged.
Joe Mooney was the successor of Charles Melrose and Buster Moten, ( the accordionist in the Bennie Moten Orchestra ) with Mat Mathews and Art Van Damme of the few accordion players in jazz before 1980, before the instrument by the influence of Astor Piazzolla's Dino Saluzzi in Modern Jazz prevailed.
Disco Graphical Notes
- The Sunshine Boys ( retrieval, 1929-1931 )
- You Go to My Head ( Decca Records, 1946-47 )
- Joe Mooney 's Song ( Atlantic Records, 1956)
- The Greatness of Joe Mooney ( Columbia Records, 1963)
- The Happiness of Joe Mooney ( Columbia Records, 1965)