William James Finegan (April 3, 1917 – June 4, 2008) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer. He was an arranger in the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Life and career

Born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. Finegan grew up in a household full of piano players. While growing up in

Rumson, New Jersey Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough’s population was 7,343, reflecting a 3.1% increase from the 7,122 enumera ...

, he attended

Rumson-Fair Haven High School The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (often abbreviated RFH) is a regional, four-year comprehensive public high school and school district in the eastern United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from the suburba ...

and taught orchestration to schoolmate Nelson Riddle,Van Anda, Roberta H
''Legendary Locals of Rumson''
p. 109.

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...

, 2015. . Accessed October 4, 2019. "Big Band music arranger (class of 1935) learned to read and write music simultaneously from Elizabeth Connelly, and European-trained Austrian Rudolf Winthrop provided him with lessons in harmony each week." and he studied piano with Elizabeth Connelly, piano and musicianship with flautist/alto saxophonist Rudolph John Winthrop (1883–1959), himself a student of Engelbert Humperdinck. He spent time studying at the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, and had his first professional experience leading his own piano trio. Finegan was offered a job as a staff arranger for Glenn Miller after

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

bought a copy of his " Lonesome Road" and recommended him; he remained with Miller until 1942, and arranged such hits as " Little Brown Jug", "

Sunrise Serenade "Sunrise Serenade" is a jazz song written by Frankie Carle with lyrics by Jack Lawrence. It was first recorded in 1939 by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra with Carle on piano as Decca 2321. It soon became Carle's signature piece. Glenn Mill ...

", "

Song of the Volga Boatmen The "Song of the Volga Boatmen" (known in Russian as Эй, ухнем! y, ukhnem!, "Yo, heave-ho!" after the refrain) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev and published in his book of folk songs in 1866. It was ...

", Stardust, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square and "

Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...

", arranged in collaboration with Glenn Miller. Finegan also arranged music for films in which the band appeared, such as ''Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941) and ''Orchestra Wives'' (1942). He then worked off and on for

from 1942 to 1952, including on the 1947 film ''The Fabulous Dorseys''. After the demise of Miller's orchestra in 1942, Finegan joined

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

, writing "some pieces for the band that immediately sent its musical stock skyward."Simon, George T. (1974). ''The Big Bands''. Collier Books. P. 241. In 1947-48 Finegan studied with Stefan Wolpe in New York City, and lived in Europe from 1948-1950 where he studied with

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

and Valérie Soudères, a pianist and composer who premiered Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto in Paris. After returning to the United States, in 1952, Finegan and

Eddie Sauter Edward Ernest Sauter (December 2, 1914 – April 21, 1981) was a composer and arranger during the swing era. Biography Sauter studied music at Columbia University and the Juilliard School. He began as a drummer and then played trumpet profession ...

(whom Finegan had met in 1939) formed an ensemble, the

Sauter-Finegan Orchestra The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra was an American swing jazz band popular in the 1950s. The orchestra was led by Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan, who were both experienced big band arrangers. Sauter played mellophone, trumpet, and drums, and had atten ...

, which remained active until 1957. His arrangement of " Doodletown Fifers" was one of the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra's best-known originals. Following this collaboration, Finegan found work in

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

, writing music for commercials. In the 1970s, he arranged for the Glenn Miller Orchestra and

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

's orchestra. He taught jazz at the

University of Bridgeport The University of Bridgeport (UB) is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin University; it retain its own ...

in the 1980s. He wrote arrangements for cornetist Warren Vaché (with the Scottish String Ensemble) in 2004, and the vocal group Chanticleer until his death in 2008.

Compositions

He composed and/or arranged "Down For The Count", "Conversation Piece", "Are Ya Jumpin' Jack?", recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, "Doodletown Fifers", "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum", "Doodletown Races", "Yankee Doodletown", "Pussy Willow", "Bingo, Bango, Boffo", "Hollywood Hat", "Piccalilli Dilly", "Church Mouse", "Alright Already", "Texas Tex", recorded by

Tex Beneke Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( ; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. H ...

and the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1946, "Child's Play", and "Tail End Charlie" which was released by Glenn Miller and his AAFTC Orchestra as a

V-Disc V-Disc ( "V" for Victory) was a record label that was formed in 1943 to provide records for U.S. military personnel. Captain Robert Vincent supervised the label from the Special Services division. Many popular singers, big bands, and orches ...

, no. 144A, in March, 1944.

Other professional activities

Finegan taught a class in arranging at

Housatonic Community College Housatonic Community College (HCC) is a public community college in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It part of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system. HCC grants associate degrees and also has certificate programs. Campus Lafayette Hall ...

in 1974.

Personal life

Finegan's first wife was Kay Finegan. They divorced in the early 1960s. Finegan later married to Rosemary O Reilly Finegan. They had a son James Finegan and a daughter Helen (Finegan) Dzujna.

Death

Bill Finegan died on Wednesday, June 4, 2008, in Bridgeport, Connecticut at the age 91. The cause of death was pneumonia.

Sauter-Finegan Orchestra discography

* Moonlight On The Ganges/ April In Paris (7") RCA Victor 1952 * Rain/Stop! Sit Down! Relax! Think! (7") RCA Victor 1952 * Doodletown Fifers/ Azure-Té (Paris Blues) (7") RCA Victor 1952 * Now That I'm In Love/Yankee Doodletown (7", Promo) RCA Victor 1953 * Where's Ace/ Hit The Road To Dreamland (7") RCA Victor 1954 *

Of Thee I Sing ''Of Thee I Sing'' is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President o ...

Pale Moon Pale Moon is an open-source web browser with an emphasis on customization; its motto is "Your browser, Your way". There are official releases for Microsoft Windows and Linux, as well as contributed builds for various platforms. Pale Moon origi ...

(7") RCA Victor 1954 * Concert Jazz (12") RCA Victor 1955 * Directions In Music (CD Compilation) BMG Music 1989 * Doodletown Fifers/Moonlight On The Ganges (7")

References

Bibliography

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

and Ira Gitler. ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford, 1999, p. 225.

External links

"Remembering Bill Finegan"
by Jeff Sultanof,
Jazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finegan, Bill 1917 births 2008 deaths University of Bridgeport faculty American jazz bandleaders American jazz pianists American male pianists American music arrangers Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Deaths from pneumonia in Connecticut 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Glenn Miller Orchestra members People from Rumson, New Jersey Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School alumni