Henry Jerome
| Henry Jerome | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Henry Jerome Pasnik |
| Also known as | Al Mortimer Van Grayson |
| Born |
November 12, 1917 New York City |
| Died | March 23, 2011 (aged 93) |
| Genres | Sweet dance music, big band |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader, Musician, Arranger, Composer |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1932–1986 |
| Labels |
Decca Coral Circle United Artist |
| Associated acts | Henry Jerome and His Orchestra Brazen Brass |
Henry Jerome (né Henry Jerome Pasnik; November 12, 1917 in New York City – March 23, 2011 in Plantation, Florida) was an American big band leader, trumpeter, arranger, composer, and record company executive. Jerome formed his first dance band in 1932 in Norwich, Connecticut. His bands flourished throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. Jerome went on to become A&R director at Decca Records in 1959 and A&R director for Coral Records, a Decca subsidiary, in the late 1960s.
Jerome attended primary and secondary schools in Norwich, public for the former and Norwich Free Academy for the latter. He also attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying trumpet with Max Schlossberg (1873–1936) and composition and orchestration with William Vacchiano.
Jerome formed his first professional orchestra while in the eighth grade — in 1931, when he was 14.
While in high school Jerome received an offer from the American Export Lines for his orchestra to perform on a ship sailing from New York to Europe. Without quitting school, Jerome secured permission from the Norwich Free Academy to accept the job.
In addition to performing aboard passenger ships, Henry Jerome and His Orchestra performed at clubs, hotels, ballrooms, and theaters throughout the United States, and began performing on radio and TV in 1940.
On February 28, 1948, Henry Jerome and His Orchestra were booked at the Green Room of the Hotel Edison, in New York, to fill a 9-day gap between Claudia Carroll's closing and Alvy West–Buddy Greco's opening on March 26. From then on, Henry Jerome and His Orchestra performed regularly there. In 1952, ABC Radio Network began broadcasting the show, weekly, calling it, Dinner At The Green Room. Songs such as "Homing Pigeon", "I Love My Mama", "Nice People", "Night Is Gone", "Until Six", and "Oh, How I Need You, Joe" became staples of East Coast airwaves. According to a review in the December 11, 1948, issue of Billboard, Jerome had perfected the style of Hal Kemp, a more mellow, soft, and sweet style that suited many hotels. The Billboard reporter, Hal Webman (1923–2004), went on to become an A&R executive with Jerome's future employer, Decca.
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