[78-L] 78-L Johnny Amoroso & gig band errors

[JD]

> Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 20:37:09 +0000
> From: Scott <scott at mosaicrecords.com.invalid>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] 78-L Digest, Vol 84, Issue 10
> To: "78-l at klickitat.78online.com" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
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> Trumpeter Johnny Amoroso sang with Tommy Dorsey (1950-4) but I believe only played trumpet with Sammy Kaye, Harry James and Vincent Lopez.
> 
> Scott Wenzel 
> 

Amoroso is a longtime colleague of mine and still very much with us. He did, in fact play trumpet when he was with the Dorsey band and is still a very fine player and singer. 
As to the years of the big band era which seems to be an ongoing controversial subject with some who don't know what they're talking about and who seem to  get some their information often from books written by dillletantes who also are often ill-informed, I'll add my own two cents as I was a part of it until mid 1956. By then, of course, it was pretty much over compared to the glory years but there were still many bands, fans and ballrooms out there.  In the late forties through the mid fifties there was still plenty of big band work. In 1950 Ralph Flanagan was a huge draw on the ballroom circuit and IIRC so was Ray Anthony...and do I need to mention Harry James whose drawing power never waned and Woody, Duke and Basie, et al.. A sound argument can be made that the big band period lasted about 20 years, depending on what one considers the start of it through at least 1954-55. 
When Woody was asked, "Are big bands ever coming back?" he responded, "Sure, every football season."
     Jack Daney.