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Gus Bivona

Gus Bivona was an American reed player—covering a range of clarinets, saxophones and flute—at the height of the big band era. Following World War II, he was a staff musician for the MGM Studio Orchestra, playing on countless soundtracks and sessions. He later became a well-known sidekick of pianist, composer, comedian, and television host Steve Allen. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Bivona began leading his own band, releasing albums under his own name for labels such as Mercury and Warner Bros.

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Gus Bivona: Music for Swingers

Gus Bivona: Music for Swingers

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Arcuiso “Gus" Bivona was never a household-name clarinetist like Artie Shaw or Buddy DeFranco, but during the big band era and throughout the 1950s, he was one of the finest and most relaxed swing studio clarinetists in the business. He also was a rock-solid alto saxophonist. Bivona came up in the late 1930s in Will Hudson's band before joining Bunny Berigan in 1938 and '39. By 1940, he was a member of the Benny Goodman Orchestra for two years, joining ...

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