[Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson

[Robert Newman]

I met Bruce Branson in May 1956.   He was playing a month-long gig at the 
Bar of Music in Sacramento with Jack Teagarden and a local piano, bass, and 
drums.  We had just moved into Sacramento and I later found out that Bruce 
was a jazz DJ on radio station KXOA, Sacramento.  Before coming here he had 
played alto  and baritone saxes in the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, proudly 
sitting beside Buddy DeFranco in the sax section in 1944 and 1945.   He had 
married Mary Clark, who sang in the Clark Sisters group with Dorsey.  The 
Clarks  had been called "The Sentimentalists."

In Sacramento he had organized a quartet with Frank Myers, bass, Chuck 
Austin, drums, and Dale Hawkins, piano -- Bruce on clarinet.   With the 
quartet he had played casual gigs and steadies at the Melody Club and 
others.   He died of a heart attack in 1957 at the age of  34.

Joe Showler, the late  Toronto-based record producer and Jack Teagarden 
memorabilia collector, produced a CD of some of a live tape from the Bar of 
Music Teagarden 1956 gig.   Creatively called "Jack Teagarden -- Live At The 
Bar Of Music, Sacramento -- 1956."   It's good quality and quite 
interesting.

May I ask what stimulated your interest in Bruce Branson?

Bob Newman




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John and Sidnee Fortier" <jsfortier at chartermi.net>
To: "Robert Newman" <bobngaye at surewest.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 8:32 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bruce Branson


> Can anyone tell me anything about a reed player, circa 1955, named Bruce 
> Branso?.  I think he was a sideman for Tommy Dorsey and occasionally Jack 
> Teagarden. Hope this is not too OT.  John Fortier
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