Gray Gordon
Gray Gordon, born Jerome Rohkar (May 4, 1904, Freeport, Illinois – July 18, 1976, New York City) was an American saxophonist and big band leader active in the 1930s and 1940s. Gordon first led a band called the Pretzel Five when he was still in high school. He moved to Chicago in the mid-1920s, where he played with the Seattle Harmony Kings and Elmo Mack's Purple Derby Orchestra. He led a band which played the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. In 1936 he relocated to New York City, where he founded his first professional band, taking the stage name Gray Gordon during a touring engagement at the Hotel Chase in St. Louis. Gordon called his band the Tic Toc Rhythm, based on the distinct clock-like rhythmic figure played on temple blocks by his percussionist Frank Adams. This was often accompanied by a trombone figuration prior to the beginning of songs, which helped identify the band to listeners during radio performances. For several years from 1939, he held a six-month engagement at the Hotel Edison in New York, whose performances were broadcast nightly on radio, and toured the other half of the year. His group started as a smaller ensemble – three brass instruments, three saxophones, and three rhythm instruments – but in 1940 he expanded it to twelve musicians or more, plus vocalists. He recorded several times for Bluebird and Victor during the period 1940–41; he also recorded four sound films in 1941 playing swing jazz. One of his signature songs, "I Am an American", was a popular tune at war bond rallies during World War II. He married dancer Noel Carter in 1941; they divorced in 1949. Gordon dissolved his band in 1945 and later worked in artist and repertory in the music business, including for Les Paul, Mary Ford, and King Guion. He also worked in public relations for hotels in Miami. He was living in New York City in 1976 when he died of cancer at St. Luke's Hospital. He is buried at Oakland Cemetery in his home town of Freeport. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 4, 1904 (Freeport), Died July 18, 1976 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1941
Roles Represented in DAHR: director, songwriter, vocalist, composer, arranger
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 76-100 of 105 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-050590 | 10-in. | 5/16/1940 | Can't get Indiana off my mind | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-050591 | 10-in. | 5/16/1940 | I can't resist you | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-050592 | 10-in. | 5/16/1940 | My enchantress of the night | Gray Gordon | Jazz/dance band | director | |
Victor | BS-050593 | 10-in. | 5/16/1940 | Adios, Panama | Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | director | |
Victor | BS-051547 | 10-in. | 6/21/1940 | Never took a lesson in my life | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-051548 | 10-in. | 6/21/1940 | Gentlemen of the jury | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-051549 | 10-in. | 6/21/1940 | Looking for yesterday | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-051550 | 10-in. | 6/21/1940 | I am an American | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-054620 | 10-in. | 7/23/1940 | I could make you care | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-054621 | 10-in. | 7/23/1940 | Molly Malone | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-054622 | 10-in. | 7/23/1940 | Ferry-boat serenade | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-054623 | 10-in. | 7/23/1940 | Pretty little peasant | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-056109 | 10-in. | 9/13/1940 | Dancing on a dime | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-056110 | 10-in. | 9/13/1940 | I hear music | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-056111 | 10-in. | 9/13/1940 | Cuttin' the class | Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with shouts | composer, director | |
Victor | BS-056112 | 10-in. | 9/13/1940 | Autumn on the campus | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-056471 | 10-in. | 10/9/1940 | Dream Valley | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-057001 | 10-in. | 10/17/1940 | The lady with red hair | Chet Bruce ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-057002 | 10-in. | 10/17/1940 | Oh! They're making me all over in the army | Gordon Goons ; Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-057003 | 10-in. | 10/17/1940 | The Yankee Doodle polka | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-057004 | 10-in. | 10/17/1940 | The Kerry dance | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | arranger, director | |
Victor | BS-057005 | 10-in. | 10/17/1940 | I'll take you home again, Kathleen | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | director | |
Victor | BS-058256 | 10-in. | 12/12/1940 | Keep an eye on your heart | Chet Bruce ; Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-058257 | 10-in. | 12/12/1940 | San Antonio Rose | Gray Gordon ; Art Perry ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BS-058258 | 10-in. | 12/12/1940 | Scarf dance | Gray Gordon ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | director |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gordon, Gray," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104827.
Gordon, Gray. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104827.
"Gordon, Gray." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Gray Gordon
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gordon, Gray - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85038176
Wikidata: Gray Gordon - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1544035
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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