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: 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 80266 12/7/1950 Do do do Gertrude Lawrence leader  
Decca 80267 12/7/1950 On the sunny side of the street Gertrude Lawrence leader  
Decca 80268 12/7/1950 Exactly like you Gertrude Lawrence leader  
Decca 80269 12/7/1950 Jenny Gertrude Lawrence leader  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Blackton, Jay," accessed May 7, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/304591.

Blackton, Jay. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/304591.

"Blackton, Jay." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/304591

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