Frank Ryerson

Frank Layton Ryerson (3 July 1905 in New Jersey – 15 May 1995 in Clearwater, Florida) was an American trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator. As a trumpeter and arranger, Ryerson performed and recorded with several big bands, beginning in 1927, including Mal Hallett and His Orchestra (and also arranger; 1936), Glen Gray and His Casa Loma Orchestra (1939, 1940, 1941), Jack Teagarden (1939), Jimmy Dorsey, and Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra (1944)

Ryerson co-wrote the Jimmy Dorsey hit "Blue Champagne" written in 1941 and covered by The Manhattan Transfer in their 1975 album titled The Manhattan Transfer.

He also wrote the stirring "Lament in D Minor." By 1949 he was the orchestral arranger for Vaughn Monroe.

For the remainder of his career he was an educator. In the 1950s he ran the Paramus, New Jersey, school music program, becoming in 1957 the music director at the new Paramus High School where he created a student concert band, marching band and big-band style dance band, arranging many of the charts himself and introducing innovative techniques to the marching band not common at the time. The organizations were known for their high quality and enthusiasm from the beginning. He wrote the alma mater lyrics (sung to the tune "Aura Lee", popularly known at the time in the form of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender"). He also during this period led and played trumpet in a small professional dance/jazz combo and provided private trumpet lessons at his home in the adjacent town of Fairlawn, New Jersey, to students from the surrounding area.

In 1976 Ryerson retired and moved to Clearwater, Florida. Nineteen years later, on May 15, 1995, at the age of 89, he died there.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 3, 1905, Died May 15, 1995

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, songwriter, composer

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 142 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-03241 10-in. 11/17/1936 The Boston Tea Party Chicago Rhythm Kings Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor PBS-061374 10-in. 7/23/1941 Blue champagne Freddy Martin Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, songwriter  
Victor D6VB-2712 10-in. 8/30/1946 The pleasure's all mine Vaughn Monroe ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1512 10-in. 8/12/1947 Baby be good Vaughn Monroe ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1759 10-in. 10/17/1947 Give a broken heart a break Vaughn Monroe ; Moon Maids ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Decca 64961 10-in. 1/27/1939 Last night a miracle happened Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 64962 10-in. 1/27/1939 Riverboat shuffle Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 64963 10-in. 1/27/1939 Boneyard shuffle-1 Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65012 10-in. 2/13/1939 Could be Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65013 10-in. 2/13/1939 I won't believe it Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65015 10-in. 2/13/1939 This night (will be my souvenir) Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65017 10-in. 2/13/1939 Honolulu Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65035 10-in. 2/17/1939 Sunrise serenade-1 Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65036 10-in. 2/17/1939 I promise you Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65037 10-in. 2/17/1939 Heaven can wait Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65038 10-in. 2/14/1939 (Gotta get some) Shut-Eye Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65044 10-in. 2/20/1939 Ay ay ay Casa Loma Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65045 10-in. 2/20/1939 Rockin' chair-1 Louis Armstrong ; Casa Loma Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65046 10-in. 2/20/1939 Lazybones Louis Armstrong ; Casa Loma Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65063 10-in. 2/25/1939 Washboard blues Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65064 10-in. 2/25/1939 Little old lady Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65065 10-in. 2/25/1939 Lazy river Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65066 10-in. 2/25/1939 Moon country Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65180 10-in. 3/15/1939 Star dust Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Decca 65181 10-in. 3/15/1939 One morning in May Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
(Results 1-25 of 142 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Ryerson, Frank," accessed June 1, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114456.

Ryerson, Frank. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 1, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114456.

"Ryerson, Frank." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 1 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114456

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