Sam Musiker

Sam Musiker enjoyed a dual career in music from the 1930s through the 1950s. As a jazz clarinetist (and sometime tenor and alto sax player) with a fine, rich tone, he was most familiar to the public as a member of Gene Krupa's band from its inception in 1938 through its greatest years of popularity in the early '40s, until its breakup in 1944. But he was also a member of what has been called a "royal family" in the field of klezmer music, and as such was something of a star in that field. He's on virtually all of Krupa's recordings across the latter's first six years after leaving Benny Goodman and, by extension, figures in the careers of Roy Eldridge and Anita O'Day from this same period -- check out his solos on Krupa's "Blue Rhythm Fantasy" and "Full Dress Hop," as well as "Let Me Off Uptown." In the field of klezmer music, Musiker played with his brother Ray Musiker in a series of renowned recordings for RCA Victor in the 1950s, and worked -- as part of the Musiker Brothers -- with his father-in-law, legendary clarinetist Dave Tarras, on the Tanz! album in 1955. He also played with Joel Rubin and the Epstein Brothers Orchestra. In addition to Krupa, his jazz credits include work with Sarah Vaughan in the mid-'40s. Musiker passed away in 1965. ~ Bruce Eder