Jerry Wald

Clarinettist and bandleader, born Jervis Wald on January 15 in Newark, New Jersey. Jerry started on soprano saxophone at the age of seven, later taking up alto sax and clarinet. His role model was "the king of the clarinet", Artie Shaw. This reflected strongly in his playing and led to comparisons being drawn, which Jerry eventually came to resent. In 1941, he formed his own orchestra in New York, enjoying lengthy residencies at the Lincoln Hotel and at the Panther Room of the Hotel Sherman in Chicago. The band's theme song was "Call of the Wild". A number of good arrangements were provided by Ray Conniff and Jerry Gray. Sidemen included several illustrious former Shaw alumni, notably saxophonist Les Robinson, guitarist Art Ryerson, bassist Sid Weiss and trumpeter Bernie Privin. A good swinging outfit, Wald's 15-piece band adopted a more progressive sound by the late 1940's. Recording contracts were with Decca, Majestic and Columbia. Moreover, Wald was featured on the Robert Q. Lewis radio show. Wald fronted a smaller combo in Hollywood at the Studio Club, and, in 1951, started up another big band in Los Angeles. He later moved back to New York and worked in both radio and television.