Ed Zandy

Eddie Zandy (right) with the Claude Thornhill Band in the Columbia Pictures studio, the making of Beautiful Doll, New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb.

Edward Eugene "Eddie" Zandy was a professional trumpet player from 1938 until his death in 2003. He was best known as a member of the second Glenn Miller Orchestra, led by Tex Beneke, Ray McKinley and Buddy DeFranco. In addition to the Glenn Miller Orchestra, he also played with the Ina Ray Hutton, Claude Thornhill, Skitch Henderson and Gene Krupa bands. Zandy moved permanently to the Bahamas in 1968, living initially in Nassau and then Freeport, where he played in casino and hotel bands. One of his last performances was with the Apple Elliot Ensemble in the Bahamas.

In a band review of Tex Beneke, Downbeat magazine editors wrote, “…the brass section plays cleanly, too, boasting one superior soloist in the boppish trumpet of Eddie Zandy.” ^[1]

Metronome magazine praised the “...Hackett-like (Bobby Hackett) but more modern trumpeting of Eddie Zandy”.^[2]

Zandy was born on March 27, 1920 in Gaffney, Pennsylvania and later moved to and raised in Endicott, New York. He was a graduate of Union-Endicott High School and a US Army veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater. He was a lifetime member of Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM. Zandy died on August 23, 2003 in Freeport, Bahamas.^{[3] [4]}

Chronology

• Born Ettore Zandegiacomo Mazzon on March 27, 1920 in Gaffney, PA. Moved to Endicott, NY where he was raised, graduating from Union-Endicott High School in 1938.
• 1936-1939 - Red Henderson Band (Endicott, NY), Len Fennell Orchestra, the house band at George F. Johnson Pavilion (Johnson City, NY)
• 1940-1942 - Traveled to New York City with Tamer Aswad (later known as Stuart Foster) to join the AFM local 802 and the Ina Ray Hutton Orchestra
• 1942-1945 - US Army, Pacific - While stationed in Tokyo in August 1945, formed and led a combo and big band, the 1st American group to entertain on Radio Tokyo.
• 1946 - Played in Ina Ray Hutton and Bobby Byrne bands. Did 3 days with Benny Goodman and filled in for six weeks with Gene Krupa.
• 1947-1948 - Played in Claude Thornhill band
• 1948 - 1950 - Played with Skitch Henderson Orchestra
• 1950 - Played with George Paxton Orchestra
• 1950 - Played with the Glen Gray & Casa Loma Orchestra
• 1951-1956 - Played with Tex Beneke and the 2nd Glenn Miller Orchestra
• 1956 - Played with Claude Thornhill, Larry Sonn, and Leroy Holmes bands
• 1956-1967 - Played with Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra (Band led by Bobby Hackett in 1965)
• 1967-1968 - Played with Buddy DeFranco and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
• 1968-2003 - Retired to Nassau, Bahamas. Played with the Don Ragan Orchestra at El Casino on Paradise Island
• 2003 - Died on August 23, 2003, in Freeport, Bahamas, at 83 years of age

References

1. Feather, Leonard (April 4, 1952). "Band Review - Tex Beneke's Orchestra Is No Run-Of-The-Miller".
2. "in person TEX". April 1952.
3. "Ed Zandy". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2015-01-02.
4. Associated Musicians of Greater New York - Requiem

External links

• Stardust - Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra - 13 Week Summer Series, CBS Television, 1961
• In The Mood - Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra - 13 Week Summer Series, CBS Television, 1961
• American Patrol - Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra - 13 Week Summer Series, CBS Television, 1961