From Wikipeida…
Don Murray
(June 7, 1904 - June 2, 1929) was an early jazz clarinet and saxophone player.
Don Murray was
born in Joliet, Illinois, and attended high school in Chicago. In his teens he made a name for
himself as one of the best young jazz clarinetists and saxophonists in the
city. In 1923 he recorded with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings; according to
Rhythm Kings leader Paul Mares, Murray was not a regular member of the band,
but was a friend who sometimes sat in with them. Murray also made early recordings with Muggsy
Spanier. He then joined the Detroit,
Michigan based band of Jean Goldkette, with whom
he remained until 1927. It was here that he mentored the young Jimmy Dorsey.
After a brief
stint with Adrian Rollini's band Murray was hired by Ted Lewis. Ted Lewis said
that Murray was the greatest clarinetist he ever
had in his band—high praise indeed since Jimmy Dorsey and Benny Goodman had
also been in Lewis's band. Murray can be heard in the Ted Lewis film Is
Everybody Happy? (1929), which is considered a "lost film," although
Vitaphone disks are available.
Don Murray
died in 1929 at a Los
Angeles
hospital after injuries sustained in a freak automobile accident. Apparently,
he was standing on the running board of a moving roadster and fell; he struck
the back of his head on the pavement and was then hospitalized with serious
head injury.
Donald L. Murray
is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, IL. He was 25 at the time of his death.
Walter Kahn, Dave Klein c / George Brunies, Harry Raderman tb / Ted Lewis cl, as, ldr, v / Don Murray cl, as, ts, bar / Sol Klein vn / Frank Ross p / Tony Gerhardi bj, g / Harry Barth bb / Jack Lucas d.
Recorded in New York on December 12th & 13th, 1928.
