Sammy Kaye

Born on 13 March 1910 in Lakewood, Ohio, Sammy Kaye (no relation to Danny Kaye) was a bandleader and vocalist who also played clarinet and saxophone though never performed solo. Known for "sweet" dance music that had originated and become popular in America's hotels, though Kaye indulged in a touch of swing (calling his band Swing and Sway) he is treated as an exclusively popular musician by Tom Lord who doesn't list him in his jazzography at all. That's because Kaye is an early representative of the "easy listening" subgenre of popular music. Kaye recorded often and, despite that people tend to avoid so-called "elevator" music, you can scroll him at YouTube to gain a notion of infinity.

Sammy's parents were immigrants from Czechoslovakia. Graduating from high school in 1928 [Discogs], he attended Ohio State University where he started his own band called the Ohioans as well as a trio called Sammie's Red Hot Peppers in which he played banjo. Indeed, he even opened his own venue at which to perform called the College Inn. Graduating in 1932 with a degree in civil engineering, Kaye then began his professional career at Bill Green’s Casino in Pittsburgh. Come 1935 his band was performing at the Statler Hotel in Cleveland. DAHR traces Kaye's earliest recordings to 14 April 1937 toward such as 'It Looks Like Rain In Cherry Blossom Lane' and 'Why Do You Pass Me By' for issue on Vocalion. The following year in 1938 Kaye booked his orchestra at the Commodore Hotel where Tommy Dorsey had been playing.

'Blueberry Hill'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing Tommy Ryan

31 May 1940 in NYC   Matrix 051050   Vocalion 4017

Composition: Al Lewis / Vincent Rose / Larry Stock

'Daddy'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing the Kaye Choir

31 March 1941 in NYC   Matrix 063320   Victor 27391

Trumpet: Frank Blake / Jerry Carr / Dale Cornell / Lloyd Gillion

Trombone: Oscar Reach

Sax: Maury Cross / George Brandon / Don Wallmark / Charles Wilson

Guitar: Tommy Ryan   Bass: Howard Workman   Drums: Ernest Rudisell

Composition: Bobby Troup Jr.

'The Old Lamplighter'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing Billy Williams

1946   Victor 20-1963

Music: Nat Simon   Lyrics: Charles Tobias

'Serenade of the Bells'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing Don Cornell w the Kaydets

11 July 1947 in NYC   D7VB-1259   Victor 20-2372

Composition: Kay Twomey / Al Goodhart / Al Urbano

'It Isn't Fair'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing Don Cornell

9 Nov 1949 in NYC   Matrix D9VB-2490   Victor 20-3609

Composition: Sylvester Sprigato / Frank Warshauer / Richard Himber

Kaye hosted the 'Sammy Kaye Show' on television from 1950 to 1959. That was known for some years as 'So You Want to Lead a Band' during which he gave away batons to audience members who answered his challenge to step on stage and conduct his band as well as can. Though that added to an evening's fun, Kaye's organization was rhythmically conservative and there was no extemporaneous fooling around. Though he ran a tight ship of competent musicians he drew sharp criticism from critics and other musicians for being everyday and unoriginal. Per above, Kaye examples the "easy listening" subgenre of popular music by which one could set a metronome. It's nigh as returning to the old largely Irish beat of the first couple decades of popular recording before the development of jazz.

'I Love You Because'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing the Kaydets

1951   Columbia 39270

Composition: Leon Payne

'Melody of Love'

Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye backing the Kaydets   Recitation: Kaye

1954   Columbia 40417

Composition: Tom Glazer / Hans Engelmann

'Sammy Kaye Plays Strauss Waltzes For Dancing'   Sammy Kaye

1959   Album on Columbia CL 1236

'Sexy Strings and Subtle Saxes'   Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra

1962   Album on Decca DL 74215

'Come Dance to the Hits with Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra'

Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra

1964   Album on Decca DL 74502

'The Hucklebuck'  Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra   Television

28 Nov 1965   'The Ed Sullivan Show'

Music: Andy Gibson 1949   Lyrics: Roy Alfred

'The Glory of Love'   Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra

1967   Album on Decca DL 4970

Sammy died in Manhattan on 2 June 1987 [obit] to be posthumously inducted into the Big Band Hall of Fame in 1992.