Buddy Morrow, longtime trombonist and bandleader, died a few days ago at the age of 91. According to the New York Times, his final performance as leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, only days earlier, was greeted with "tumultuous applause." This was no surprise to me; I saw Buddy and the band a few years ago. As I noted then, the Dorsey Orchestra played with the mastery of experience and the energy of youth.
It also does not surprise me to learn that Buddy was a former Navy musician. The Times article mentions that he served with a Navy band on Staten Island, New York, from 1941 to 1945.
My grandfather was the Executive Officer of the Naval Frontier Base, Staten Island, during those war years. I have some 8x10 glossy photos of the band participating in a military ceremony. I'll have to dig them up; maybe I can come up with a photo identifiable as MU3 Morrow.
Frank Mullen's very unofficial source of poop, skinny and bitching for present and former U.S. Navy Musicians.
