Tony Pastor (bandleader)

Tony Pastor ( born October 26, 1907 in Middletown, Connecticut as Antonio Pestritto; † 31 October 1969 in New London, Connecticut ) was an American singer, saxophonist and big band leader in the swing and popular music.

Life and work

Pastor came from an Italian immigrant family and began his musical career as a tenor saxophonist in the bands of John Cavallaro (1927 ), Irving Aaronson ( 1928-30 ) and Austin Wylie ( 1930). Around this time, he founded its first own band to perform at a nightclub in Hartford (Connecticut ), but was not very successful. He then played at Smith Ballew (1934 ), Joe Venuti and Paul Fredricks. In the band by Vincent Lopez, he also got the opportunity to sing; this he did Artie Shaw Orchestra in which they are members in 1936. In Shaw, he then had a great Hiterfolg with the number " Indian Love Call", the B-side of " Begin the Beguine ", Shaw's biggest hit. The huge success led him to start his own big band, which existed from 1939 to 1959. He had one of his first engagements at Lincoln Hotel in New York. Pastor band played stylistically similar to the Artie Shaw band and also recorded a number of records for Vocalion, Bluebird, Victor, Cosmo and Columbia. In June 1941, a first hit for Bluebird with the song " Maria Elena" with Dorsey Anderson Bandsägerin (# 9). For Columbia and Universal Pictures played a pastor in various short films and also in a feature film ( Two Blondes and a Redhead ) with.

In Pastor's big band played a lot later known jazz musicians such as Ed Allen, Joe Pass, Max Kaminsky, Lou McGarity, Buddy Morrow, Dave Pell and Frank Rosolino. His band singers included, inter alia, Eugenie Baird, Betty and Rosemary Clooney and May Irwin. Signature tune of the orchestra was the title of "Blossoms ".

Pastor band also survived the end of the great big bands in the late 1940s; after the last time was able to place a song in the national charts in 1949 ( " 'A' You Are Adorable ( The Alphabet Song) ", # 12), he led his orchestra until the late 1950s on, mostly with exposure to large hotels, such as the Peabody in Memphis and the Roovevelt in New Orleans. In the 1960s he joined successfully with a smaller ensemble, in which his sons Tony Jr. and Guy played on in the casinos of Las Vegas.

Disco Graphical Notes

• The Rare Tony Pastor and his Orchestra ( Collectables 1947 /50) with Clooney Sisters, Pearl Bailey
• Tony Pastor Plays and Sings Shaw ( Collectables )