Schlinger, Sol (6 September 1926-12th November 2017)

Baritone saxophonist who was a fixture in the big bands of the Swing Era and played for most of the biggies, including the Dorsey brothers and Benny Goodman.

George Thompson helped extend his stay with Tommy Dorsey by encouraging him to come to rehearsals early; Tommy was a bit of a taskmaster; and look studiously at the book on the bandstand when the maestro made his entrance. It saved his job for about a year.

In the 1950s, he was part of a touring outfit led by Hal McKusick that included fellow sax men Al Cohn and Dave Schildkraut and pianists Eddie Costa and Bill Evans. Johnny Carisi wrote much of their material. In 1959, he was one of many of the saxophonists on Saxes, Inc., a big-band album sans brass.

Sol has recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz and pop, including Mann Albam, LaVern Baker, Harry Belafonte, Tex Beneke, Tony Bennett, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Byers, Teddy Charles, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Chris Connor, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Frishberg, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Giuffre, Benny Golson, Urbie Green, Nancy Harrow, Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, Teddi King, Al Kooper, John La Porta, Mundell Lowe, Johnny Lytle, Herbie Mann, Gary McFarland, Carmen McRae, Joe Morello, Oliver Nelson, Anita O’Day, Freda Payne, Armando Peraza, Bill Potts, Perez Prado, Elvis Presley, Tito Puente, Gene Quill, Lucy Reed, Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Rushing, George Russell, Bobby Short, Zoot Sims, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Smith, Carol Stevens, Grady Tate, Billy Ver Planck, Chuck Wayne and Phil Woods. He even did a short stint on Broadway as a member of the pit orchestra for a production of Over Here! that ran from 6^th March 1974 to 4^th January 1975.

In 1987, he joined Walt Levinsky and his Great American Swing Band at Michael’s Pub in New York for a tribute to Benny Goodman. He also appeared in 2007 podcast entitled Svengali: A Tribute to Gil Evans.

Frank Sinatra recordings
That’s What God Looks Like To Me (Stan Irvin/Lan O’Kun)
Reprise RPS 49233 (XNY2101S) (US 45)

Theme from “New York, New York” (Fred Ebb/John Kander)
Reprise RPS49233 (XNY 2103 S) (US 45)

Sources:

Schlinger, Sol (6 September 1926-12th November 2017)

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