Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader. His practice of rearranging the works of famous composers like Debussy and Tchaikovsky and adding lyrics was known as “swinging the classics”. His version of Debussy’s “Reverie”, with vocalist Bea Wain, was particularly popular. Clinton also provided conventional arrangements for performers like the Dorsey brothers, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan.
I recently went on a Larry Clinton buying binge after hearing the song “Chew Your Bubble Gum.” Clinton’s sound reminds me a lot of Benny Goodman, but I like that his rhythm section has a little bit more of a driving drum beat. Here are some fun tracks you can find on emusic.com:
- Chew Your Bubble Gum
- That’s Good Enough For Me
- Zig Zag
- Missouri Gambler
or on Amazon.com:
Enjoy!