Jack Fina

Jack Fina (August 13, 1913 – May 14, 1970) was a bandleader, songwriter, and pianist.

Fina was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and educated at the New York College of Music and was a student of August Fraemcke and Elsa Nicilini. He started out playing piano in Clyde McCoy's band sometime in the 1930s, but it wasn't until he joined Freddy Martin’s band in 1936 that he gained real fame, when he was featured on Martin’s famous recording of "Tonight We Love".

In 1946, Jack Fina formed his own 16-piece band, with Freddy Martin's blessing and financial backing. His first appearance was at the Claremont Hotel. The vocals were handled by Harry Prime and Gil Lewis. With good air time and good recordings, Fina became a national figure. Following up on the success of "Tonight We Love," Fina again turned to the classics and composed a boogie-woogie variation on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee." Fina's version, "Bumble Boogie", became a huge hit; Fina performed it as a solo piano specialty in the 1946 Columbia Pictures musical It's Great to Be Young.

Fina appeared at some of the top venues in the country, including the Waldorf-Astoria, the Aragon Ballroom, and the famous illegal gambling casino/night club in Galveston, the Balinese Room. He also appeared in several films, including Melody Time (Bumble Boogie sequence, 1948) and Disc Jockey (1951). A noted songwriter, his credits included Dream Sonata (his theme song), Chango and Piano Portraits.

In the 1950s, he reduced the size of his band and settled in San Francisco. He also operated a talent agency called the Concerto Music & Entertainment Agency with his manager Al King. In the early 1960s he appeared as a single on Dick Sinclair’s television show. In 1962 Fina joined the staff of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Sherman Oaks, California, where he led a small band for eight successful years. The engagement was curtailed by his death at age 56, from a heart attack. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Hollywood Hills.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 13, 1913 (Passaic), Died May 14, 1970 (California)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, electric organ, songwriter, composer, arranger

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

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 112 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor PBS-055265 10-in. 1/27/1941 Boa noite Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055266 10-in. 1/27/1941 Too beautiful to last Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055267 10-in. 1/27/1941 They met in Rio (A midnight serenade) Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055489 10-in. 3/26/1941 Beneath the lights of home (in a little old sleepy town) Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055490 10-in. 3/26/1941 Intermezzo Jack Fina ; Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and piano solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055491 10-in. 3/26/1941 Sing a song of spring Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055492 10-in. 3/26/1941 You mean so much to me Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055493 10-in. 3/26/1941 Do you believe in fairy tales? Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-055494 10-in. 3/26/1941 Nice dreamin' baby Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061193 10-in. 4/24/1941 Til reveille Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061194 10-in. 4/24/1941 The Swiss bellringer Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061195 10-in. 4/24/1941 The Karlstad Ball Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061196 10-in. 4/24/1941 Where in the world Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061197 10-in. 4/24/1941 Flamingo Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061198 10-in. 4/24/1941 The hut-sut song (A Swedish serenade) Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061300 10-in. 6/16/1941 Why don't we do this more often Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061301 10-in. 6/16/1941 Piano concerto in B flat Jack Fina ; Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano, arranger  
Victor PBS-061302 10-in. 6/16/1941 Rancho pillow Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal quartet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061303 10-in. 6/16/1941 You'll never remember Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Jack Owens Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061374 10-in. 7/23/1941 Blue champagne Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061375 10-in. 7/23/1941 Let's put two and two together Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061376 10-in. 7/23/1941 I'll wait for you Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061377 10-in. 7/23/1941 Have you Changed? Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061378 10-in. 7/23/1941 Is it taboo? (To fall in love with you) Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo instrumentalist, piano  
Victor PBS-061379 10-in. 7/23/1941 Be honest with me Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Clyde Rogers ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and vocal ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 51-75 of 112 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Fina, Jack," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110096.

Fina, Jack. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110096.

"Fina, Jack." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110096

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