Where Swing is King!
“Pussy Willow” Composed and arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for RCA Victor on March 16, 1949 in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first trombone, directing: Vern Arslan, Jack Dougherty, Chuck [..]
“Rhapsody in Blue” Composed by George Gershwin; arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded in 1958 by Bobby Byrne and His Orchestra for Grand Award in New York. Bobby Byrne, trombone, directing: R.D. “Mickey” McMickle, Steve Lipkins, [..]
“Two Beats on a Bat” Composed and arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in mid-March 1952 for Standard Transcription Service in New York. Tommy Dorsey, first trombone, directing: Charlie Shavers, [..]
“Alone Together” Composed by Arthur Schwartz; arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra for Bluebird on January 31, 1939 in New York. Artie Shaw, clarinet, directing: John Best, first trumpet; Chuck [..]
“My Isle of Golden Dreams” Composed by Walter Blaufuss; arranged by Bill Finegan and Glenn Miller. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra for Bluebird on August 18, 1939 in New York. Glenn Miller, first [..]
“Intermezzo (A Love Story)” Composed by Heinz Provost; arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded live by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on their CBS Chesterfield radio show on June 24, 1941 in Chicago.(*) Glenn Miller, first [..]
“Moonlight Sonata” Composed by Ludwig von Beethoven; arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra for RCA Bluebird on November 24,1941 in New York. Glenn Miller, first trombone; directing: R.D. McMickle, first [..]
“Goin’ Home” Composed by Antonin Dvorak; arranged by Jerry Gray. Recorded live in performance by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on a CBS Chesterfield broadcast on December 18, 1940 in New York. Glenn Miller, first [..]
“Nina Never Knew” Composed by Louis Alter (music) and Milton Drake (lyric); arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra for RCA Victor on November 3, 1952 in New York. Bill Finegan, celeste, [..]
“Cheek to Cheek” Composed by Irving Berlin; arranged by Bill Finegan. Recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra for Decca on August 14, 1953 in Hollywood, California. Tommy Dorsey, first trombone, directing: Paul Cohen, first [..]
The story: In this, the second installment of our salute to arranger Bill Finegan, we present two different Finegan arrangements on two separate melodies, done at two different times for two different bandleaders. Nevertheless, there [..]
“Star Dust” Composed by Hoagy Carmichael; arranged by Bill Finegan and Glenn Miller. Recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on January 29, 1940 for Bluebird in New York. Glenn Miller, first trombone, directing: R.D. [..]
The story: This post is not about James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Rather, it is a look back at the musical heritage that master swing era (and later) arranger Bill Finegan has left us. William James Finegan [..]