Zarchy, Zeke (12th June 1915-12th April 2009)

He was a band leader and trumpeter born Rubin Zarchy in New York, New York, to a family where his father was a mandolin player and encouraged his interest in music.

While young he learned to play the violin but the trumpet took his interest and by the time he was a teenager that’s what he was concentrating on. His decision to continue playing the instrument was cemented when he was in the Boy Scouts and played the bugle with them.

In 1934, when he was 20 years old, he became a member of the Joe Haymes orchestra, two years later he was playing the trumpet for Benny Goodman and another year later he was working with Artie Shaw.

In 1937 he was beginning to become a sought after recording musician alongside his concert appearances. This saw him working with countless bands and artists over the next five years with some of them including Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Glenn Miller, Red Norvo and Frank Sinatra.

After the arrival of WWII he was called upon by Glenn Miller in early 1943 who chose him to be the first member of his Army Air Force Band with whom he was the Master Sergeant. He performed with the band throughout the war and was said to be the last person to talk to Glenn Miller before he got on the plane for what would be his final flight. The Glenn Miller Band continued after the war and over the years he went on to join them for many national and international tours.

After he left his military service he settled in Los Angeles at the beginning of the 1950s after an invitation by Frank Sinatra. This led him to becoming an extremely sought after studio musician and performing with literally hundreds of headlining acts for the rest of his professional career.

He was also a trumpeter with many of the bands that performed on the popular CBS TV shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s and the NBC Staff Orchestras that were resident in Los Angeles and New York. He could regularly be heard playing on shows such as The Danny Kaye Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour among others.

He retired in 1980, but it was not a complete retirement as he became a member of the Great Pacific Jazz Band and regularly toured the world with them, including 32 concert tours to Japan.

The recordings that he appeared on during the course of his career are far too numerous to mention, but a selection of them include “Bugle Call Rag” by Benny Goodman and “Moonlight Cocktail” by Glenn Miller.

His album count is also very sizeable with titles such as Club Anthony by Ray Anthony, From the Big Band to the All Stars (1946-56) by Louis Armstrong, 1931-1939 by Mildred Bailey, Always in My Heart by Ray Conniff, Havin’ Fun by Bing Crosby, South Rampart Street Parade by Bob Crosby, It’s Magic by Doris Day, Together by Tommy Dorsey, All My Life by Ella Fitzgerald, 1945-1946: Vol. 6 by Dizzy Gillespie, Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman, Farewell Performances by Jerry Gray, Joe Haymes and His Orchestra: 1932-1936 by Joe Haymes, Bandstand Memories: 1938 to 1948 by Harry James, High Noon by Frankie Laine, Miss Wonderful by Peggy Lee, Young Dino by Dean Martin, Studio Recordings 1951-1953 by Billie May, Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller, Rock It For Me by Red Norvo, Who’s Excited by Artie Shaw, Vol. 3: 1939-1940 by Frank Sinatra, Yes Indeed by Jo Stafford, Songs by Mel Torme, Black Coffee by Sarah Vaughan, Queen of Big Band Swing by Helen Ward and many movie soundtracks that include Dr.Zhivago, The Glenn Miller Story and West Side Story.

In the field of musical education he was a much respected tutor for several trumpeters that went on to gain their own recognition.

He passed away in Irvine, California, after suffering complications from pneumonia when he as 93 years old.

Sources:

Zarchy, Zeke (12th June 1915-12th April 2009)

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