George Paxton

George Paxton (c. 1914 – April 19, 1989) was an American big band leader, saxophonist, composer, publisher, and arranger of swing jazz music from the 1930s to the late 1940s; as well as president and producer of Coed Records, primarily a doo-wop label, from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.

He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and grew up in Kearny, New Jersey, where he learned to play the saxophone at a young age and was influenced by the music of Isham Jones, later attending the Juilliard School. In 1933, while still in high school, Paxton formed a six-man band with schoolmates Tony Mottola and Herbie Haymer. The three later moved to New York City, where Paxton was hired to write arrangements for band leader and Meadowbrook Inn owner Frank Dailey. In the late 1930s, Paxton got a job with George Hall's Orchestra as an arranger and tenor sax player. Paxton was able to convince Hall to hire his high school friend and skilled guitar player Tony Mottola for the group. In Hall's group, Paxton got to work with other talented young musicians like Johnny Guarnieri on piano and Nick Fatool on drums. At this time, Paxton was also writing arrangements for Dolly Dawn & Her Dawn Patrol. In the early 1940s, Paxton arranged music for Bunny Berigan, Bea Wain, Charlie Spivak (along with Sonny Burke and Nelson Riddle), Ina Ray Hutton, Vaughn Monroe, and Sammy Kaye.