Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BUSHKIN, Joe

(b 17 November '16, NYC; d 3 November 2004) Pianist, songwriter. In his joyful mainstream Swing Era style he played with many small groups from '35; recorded with Eddie Condon, Lee Wiley and others '36-9; he had his own solo date '40 and sextet date '44 on Commodore. With Tommy Dorsey '40-1 he wrote 'Oh! Look At Me Now!' with words by John De Vries, a huge hit for Dorsey with Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines and the Pied Pipers. He played trumpet in a US Army band, worked in Winged Victory Air Force show. He was one of the nicest, funniest and best-liked men in the business. According to Ernie Anderson, on tour during the Big Band Era Bushkin always stopped at a certain house in Ohio where the management provided good food; invited to booking agent Joe Glaser's swanky wedding in L.A. he recognized the bride and had to pretend not to know her. He worked for Benny Goodman '46; on Broadway with Georgie Auld playing and acting in Rat Race '49-50 he also composed and arranged the incidental music. He freelanced and played in dixieland groups in the '50s; recorded for Savoy '46, Atlantic '50, Columbia '50-51, Capitol '55-7: nice mood music album Midnight Rhapsody charted '56. He moved to Hawaii and later raised horses in Santa Barbara CA. A Town Hall quartet concert with Milt Hinton '64 was on Reprise; two other albums were combined on a DRG CD: 100 Years Of Recorded Sound was made in Norway and England '77 with Hinton, Jake Hanna on drums, guitarist Johnny Smith, Jack Parnell big band on some tracks, one vocal by Bing Crosby; Play It Again, Joe '86 was produced by Les Paul, the septet including Al Grey, Warren Vaché, Major Holley and Butch Miles plus strings.