Jay Blackton

Jay Blackton (March 25, 1909 – January 8, 1994) was an American composer and conductor. In 1956 he won an Academy Award in the category Best Scoring of a Musical Picture for the film Oklahoma! and was also nominated for Guys and Dolls. He was the music director, orchestrator or arranger for more than 25 Broadway productions and national tours.

Born Jay Schwartzdorf in New York City, he studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School. He began his career in opera, as an assistant conductor at New York Opera Comique and then as the conductor at St. Louis Municipal Opera from 1937 to 1942. In 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein hired him to orchestrate and conduct Oklahoma! on Broadway, and he followed this engagement as music director and often orchestrator or arranger of such musicals as Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Guys and Dolls, Hello, Dolly! and George M!. In addition, he toured with Bob Hope and others.

Blackton died in January 1994 of heart failure at the Granada Hills Community Hospital in Granada Hills, California, at the age of 84.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 25, 1909 (New York City), Died January 8, 1994 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1943 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 50 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 73524 4/22/1946 Oh promise me Conrad Thibault conductor  
Decca 73568 5/13/1946 Without a song John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73569 5/13/1946 Song of the open road John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73570 5/13/1946 Great day John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73916 5/19/1947 All my love Al Jolson conductor  
Decca 73917 5/19/1947 Keep smiling at trouble Al Jolson conductor  
Decca 74188 12/1/1947 Eadie was a lady, part 1-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74189 12/1/1947 Eadie was a lady, part 2-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74190 12/1/1947 Blow, Gabriel, blow-2 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74208 12/8/1947 I get a kick out of you-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74209 12/8/1947 You're the top-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 76123 4/11/1950 Accidents will happen Bing Crosby conductor  
Decca 76124 4/11/1950 Milady-1 Bing Crosby conductor  
Decca 80280 12/15/1950 Limehouse blues Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80307 12/28/1950 I've got a crush on you Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80308 12/28/1950 Someday I'll find you Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80309 12/28/1950 Someone to watch over me Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80383 1/15/1951 Overture: Love me tonight ; Song of the vagabonds ; Only a rose Cast of The vagabond king conductor  
Decca 80384 1/15/1951 Huguette waltz Gloria Lane conductor  
Decca 80385 1/15/1951 Tomorrow Mimi Benzell ; Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 80386 1/16/1951 Song of the vagabonds Cast of The vagabond king conductor  
Decca 80387 1/16/1951 Some day Mimi Benzell conductor  
Decca L 8435 5/24/1955 Take back your gold Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  
Decca L 8436 5/24/1955 That old gang of mine ; Sweet Adeline Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  
Decca L 8437 5/24/1955 A bird in a gilded cage ; Frankie and Johnny Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  
(Results 26-50 of 50 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Blackton, Jay," accessed May 21, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863.

Blackton, Jay. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863.

"Blackton, Jay." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863

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