Charlie Spivak

Charlie Spivak (Kiev, 17 February 1905 or 1907 - Greenville, South Carolina, 1 March 1982) was an American jazztrumpeter and big band leader from the swing era.

Spivak came with his parents to America as a child and grew up in New Haven. When he was eleven years he learned to play trumpet. He played in local bands and in the Group of John Cavallaro. From 1924 to 1930, he played in the big band of Paul Specht 's Orchestra and then Ben Pollack. Then he worked briefly at the Dorsey brothers and Ray Noble. In 1936 and 1937 he was active as a studio musician with Gus Arnheim , Glenn Millerand the Raymond Scott's radio Orchestra. In the late 1930s, he worked with Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden. ==Big Band[ Edit] == With the (also financial) assistance of Glenn Miller, he formed his first big band in Washington at the end of 1939, which was only short-lived. Shortly after he took over the Orchestra of Bill Downer about and had more luck. The band received a fixed play swim in Glen Island Casino and became in the course of the time one of the most successful dance orchestras of the 1940s.

Spivaks band's repertoire consisted mainly of ballads and popular songs. The packages were written to his sweet trumpet tone and the sound of the Orchestra was therefore especially pleasant choice and a nice to listen to and dance. Although he was in his early years 'hot jazz' had played, he chose later for a soft sound. He improvised and not according to jazz experts as Leonard Feather, he was no real jazz musician. After musicians like Harry James, however, he was one of the better trumpeters of his time.

Partly responsible for the success of the band in its heyday after the war was bringing in trumpeter Paul Fredricks, who formerly played with Alvino Rey . Different musicians in Spivaks band would later be known, such as Les Elgart, Urbie Green, Willie Smith, Peanuts Hucko and Rolf Ericson. The packages came under more of trombonist Nelson Riddle (later famous as Orchestra leader), Sonny Burke and Manny Albam.Vocalists included June Hutton, Tommy Mercer and Irene Daye (with whom Spivak married in 1950).

In his success years Spivak and his Orchestra also on for different record companies: Okeh, Victor, Columbia and London.

Charlie Spivak was married to singer Irene Daye, which used to be performed with Gene Krupa's Orchestra. Established In the 1950s, Spivak and his wife in Florida. Spivak kept his early 1960s Orchestra to standing, after which he had a small group. In the 1960s he led several bands in Florida. In 1967 he had a small band in which his wife sang and with which he played in his hometown of Greenville. Later, he led another Orchestra with seventeen musicians. In the early 1960s he had a seven-headed dance combo formed with which he regularly performed in Las Vegas. His last assignment was in Greenville, South Carolina.Charlie Spivak died in Greenville at the age of 75 from cancer. ==Discography (selection)[ Edit] ==
 * Poinciana, Design, 1958
 * Dance Date (recordings from the 1950s), collector's Choice Music, 2002
 * Charlie Spivak and His Orchestra, Ranwood Records, 2002