Buddy Arnold: Biography

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Died:

Nov 9, 2003 in Los Angeles, CA

Genre:

Big Band Jazz Music

Decades Active:

1950's

Born Arnold Buddy Grishaver, this versatile reed player flipped parts of his name around and bega working professionally in the early '40s with leaders such as Joe Marsala and George Auld. From 1944 through 1946 it was Army time, and he blew only for the red, white and blue. After his discharge, Arnold went to work for bandleader Herbie Fields, then joined the combo of hot-headed super-drummer Buddy Rich. Perhaps the lattter bandleader's famed mistreatment of his sidemen prompted Arnold to look into other musical employment possibilities, as he began taking courses in music and economics at

-Columbia University beginning in the late '40s. He continued gigging with leader and composer George Williams and pianist Claude Thornhill before dropping out of music entirely for a year and a half.

In 1951, Arnold began opening his saxophone cases again, going on tour with clarinetist

Buddy DeFranco's orchestra. After this came jobs with Jerry Wald, Tex Beneke, Elliot Lawrence, Stan Kenton and /jazz-pop arranger and composer Neil Hefti. In 1956, Arnold finally got a chance to step into the limelight, putting out his first album as a leader for ABC-Paramount. Entitled Wailing, this effort was well received by /jazz fans who liked Arnold's appetizing tone, echoing players such as Zoot Sims combined with inventive flavoring right out of the Sonny Rollins ktchen. Despite this promising debut and further recordings for the same label alongside Phil Sunkel, Arnold opted out of a high profile career in /jazz. In the early '90s he showed up on an album by /swing revival band Love Jones, providing a touch of authenticity that is quite rare on these sorts of recordings. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide