William Russo Music and Personal Papers

Strayhorn, Billy, 1915-1967

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William "Billy" Strayhorn was born in Dayton, Ohio on November 29, 1915. He spent part of his childhood in Hillsborough, North Carolina. His family eventually moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he studied classical music at the Pittsburgh Musical Institution. At the age of 23, he submitted a musical composition titled "Something to Live For" to Duke Ellington, who subsequently recorded it with Strayhorn as the pianist. Strayhorn worked as the pianist in Mercer Ellington's orchestra for ...

Russo, William.

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Mulligan, Gerry

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Biographical Note 1927, Apr. 6 Born, Gerald Joseph Mulligan, Queens, New York 1934 Began studying piano and clarinet 1941 Mulligan family moved to Reading, Pennsylvania Studied saxophone and clarinet with Sammy Cor...

Leonard, Herman, 1923-2010

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Kenton, Stan, 1911-1979

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Stanley Newcomb Kenton was born on December 15, 1911 in Wichita, Kansas. His family lived in California and Colorado before permanently settling in Bell, California, in the Los Angeles area. Kenton's musical career began in his teens, and made his first recordings with Gus Arnheim in 1937, joining Vido Musso's band in 1938, and organizing a rehearsal band which evolved into his own orchestra. From the 1940s onward, the Kenton band was the site of intersection between jazz, popular music, and ex...

Claxton, William.

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Claxton, William. American Photographer. Born: William James Claxton, Oct. 12, 1927, Pasadena. Career: Photographer of the famous who used his charm to lure jazz musicians from their dark, smoky natural habitat to pose on sunny beaches and carousels, then made stunningly intimate images of legendary loners like Steve McQueen and Frank Sinatra. Family: Married Peggy Moffitt in 1960 and had one son, Christopher M. Claxton, born in 1973. Died: Saturday Oct. 11, 2008, Los Angeles, age 80. ...