Red Norvo was born in
Beardstown, Illinois, United States. His career began in Chicago with a band called the Collegians in 1925. He played with many other bands, including an all-
marimba band on the
vaudeville circuit, and the bands of
Paul Whiteman,
Benny Goodman,
Charlie Barnet, and
Woody Herman.
Dick McDonough on guitar, and
Artie Bernstein on double bass. Kapp was outraged when he heard the recordings and tore up Norvo's contract. Nevertheless, this modern record remained in print through the 1930s. Norvo recorded eight modern swing sides for
Columbia in 1934–1935 and fifteen sides for
Decca and their short-lived Champion label series in 1936. Starting in 1936 through 1942, Norvo formed a
swing orchestra and recorded for
ARC, first on their Brunswick label, then
Vocalion and Columbia after
CBS bought ARC. The recordings featured arrangements by
Eddie Sauter, often with Mildred Bailey as vocalist. In 1938, Red Norvo and His Orchestra reached number one with their recordings of "
Please Be Kind", which was number one for two weeks, and "Says My Heart", with lead vocals by Bailey, which was number one for four weeks on the pop charts (from the week of June 18, 1938). In June 1945, while a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet, he recorded a session for
Comet Records, employing members of Goodman's group, as well as
Charlie Parker, and
Dizzy Gillespie. In 1949, while trying to find work near home on the West Coast and running into difficulties with large groups, Norvo formed a trio with the novel combination of vibraphone, guitar, and bass. When the original guitarist and bassist quit (
Mundell Lowe and
Red Kelly), Norvo brought in two previously little-known players.
Tal Farlow became one of the most significant of the new generation of guitarists, though its repertoire was unconnected to his later career. Mingus left in 1951 and was replaced by
Red Mitchell. Farlow left the group in 1953 and guitarist
Jimmy Raney took his place. The Norvo, Farlow, and Mingus trio recorded two albums for
Savoy Records. In 1959, Norvo's group played concerts in Australia with
Frank Sinatra;
Blue Note released
these recordings in 1997. Norvo and his group also made several appearances on
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Norvo recorded and toured throughout his career until a
stroke in the mid-1980s forced him into retirement (although he developed hearing problems long before his stroke). He died at a convalescent home in
Santa Monica, California, at the age of 91. ==Compositions==