Babe Russin

Irving "Babe" Russin (June 18, 1911 – August 4, 1984) was an American tenor saxophone player.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Russin played with some of the best known jazz bands of the 1930s and 1940s, including Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. He led his own band briefly in the early 1940s. He solos in the recording the Glenn Miller band made of Jerry Gray's composition, "A String of Pearls" for Bluebird Records in 1941. In 1950, Russin was credited as a musician with the backup band on two Frank Sinatra songs for Columbia Records, "Should I?" and "You Do Something To Me". He co-wrote the instrumental "All the Things You Ain't" with Jimmy Dorsey which was released as a V-Disc 78 single, No. 391B, in March, 1945. He appeared briefly in the Universal-International movie The Glenn Miller Story (1954).

Russin plays on the soundtrack to the Warner Bros. movie A Star Is Born (1954), playing "Cheating on Me" with a small group. He also appeared in the Universal-International movie The Benny Goodman Story (1956).

Birth and Death Data: Born June 18, 1911 (Pittsburgh), Died August 4, 1984 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1960

Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, saxophone, clarinet, composer

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

Recordings (Results 176-185 of 185 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca L 11419 3/11/1959 Wang wang blues Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 11420 3/11/1959 Japansy Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12031 4/6/1960 Green eyes Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12032 4/6/1960 March of the Bob Cats Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12033 4/6/1960 Frenesi Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12034 4/6/1960 Woodchopper's ball Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12035 4/6/1960 Alone together Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12036 4/8/1960 Me and my shadow Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12037 4/8/1960 Sometimes I'm happy Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Decca L 12038 4/8/1960 Let's dance Pete Fountain instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
(Results 176-185 of 185 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Russin, Babe," accessed April 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110107.

Russin, Babe. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110107.

"Russin, Babe." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110107

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