John Serry Sr. (born John Serrapica; January 29, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...

cultural diplomacy Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpos ...

initiatives during the

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

. He also concertized on the accordion as a member of several orchestras and jazz ensembles for nearly forty years between the 1930s and 1960s.

Biography

Serry's career spanned over seven decades. As a proponent of Latin American music and the free-bass accordion, he performed as the

piano accordion A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more that of an organ than a piano, as they are both aerophones, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro ...

ist on the radio music program '' Viva América'', which was broadcast live to South America under the United States Department of State's

Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, later known as the Office for Inter-American Affairs, was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation (Pan-Americanism) during the 1940s, especially in commercial and econ ...

initiative for

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Broadcasts of this show have been cited as helping to introduce Latin American music and the Mexican

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

to large audiences in the United States in the 1940s.Media Sound & Culture in Latin America & The Caribbean. Editors: Bronfman, Alejandra & Wood, Andrew Grant. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2012, Pg. 49
Alfredo Antonini's CBS Pan American Orchestra, "Viva America" and Latin American music in the United States on Books.Google.Cmm See P. 49
/ref> Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern

Serry performed with big bands, symphony orchestras, radio and television orchestras, and Broadway orchestras at the

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and theater at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation", it is the headquarters for ...

, the

Rainbow Room The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves cla ...

at Rockefeller Center (1935); the Starlight Roof at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (1936–1937); the

Palmer House The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevator ...

in Chicago (1938);''The Los Angeles Examiner'', 9 October 1938, p. 1 the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (1938);

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

with

Alfredo Antonini Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the e ...

conducting (1946);''The New York Times'',12 May 1946, p.42 the

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...

(1940s); The Town Hall (1941–1942);''The Nation'', 7 March 1942, Vol. 154, #10"Diseuse in Debut Here"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 1 March 1942a, p.36''The New York Times'' 28 May 1941 p.32 the

Ed Sullivan Theater The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Streets, in the Theater ...

(1959) for CBS television; the Empire Theater (New York) (1953);''New York Journal-American'' See the photograph of Serry's signature inscribed with signatures of other members of the cast on the stage door of the Empire Theatre at the closing of the play "The Time of the Cuckoo", 25 May 1953 p. 15 and such New York cafe society nightspots as: El Morocco, El Chico and The Riviera in the 1930s. Serry was born John Serrapica in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York to Pasquale Serrapica and Anna Balestrieri. He was the fourth sibling in a family consisting of thirteen children including: Vincent, Louis, Adolf, Carmela, Sylvia, Ida, Nancy, Romeo, Julio, Rose, Benito and Madleine. His formal musical education included studies with the accordionist Joseph Rossi from 1926 to 1929 at the Pietro Deiro School in New York. At the age of 14 he performed live on the Italian radio station WCDA and has been described as a child prodigy on the accordion. In addition, he undertook studies in piano and harmony with Albert Rizzi from 1929 to 1932 and in harmony and counterpoint with Gene Von Hallberg, founder of the American Accordionists Association, for two years. A lifelong friendship with the accordionist Louise Del Monte was established as a result of these studies. Del Monte awakened Serry's interest in Latin American music."Biography", ''Accordion World'', March 1946, Vol. 11, #11, p. 3 Advanced studies in harmony and orchestration were completed under the instruction of the composer Robert Strassburg in the 1940s.

Career

The 1930s: The big band era

With the help of Del Monte, in the 1930s Serry began his professional career by making appearances with the Ralph Gomez Tango Orchestra at The Rainbow Room at the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center,''Accordion News'', March, 1935 leading to an extended engagement there in 1935. During this time he also appeared as a soloist at the

in New York City. During the 1930's Serry played with the Hugo Mariani Tango Orchestra at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel,"Biography", ''Accordion World'', March 1946, Vol. 11, #11, p. 3 with Alfred Brito, a Cuban orchestra leader in New York (1936), and Misha Borr, conductor of the Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra. He appeared as a soloist for society functions at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel's Waldorf Towers and at its Starlight Roof with the Lester Lanin Orchestra. In addition, he performed regularly at clubs such as El Morocco, the Rainbow Room, El Chico, and the Riviera in New York City. Serry performed with the jazz group Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm during a nationwide tour with live radio broadcasts from the

hotel in Chicago, Illinois, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California, over the NBC network (1937–1938).These

big band remote A big band remote (a.k.a. dance band remote) was a remote broadcast, common on radio during the 1930s and 1940s, involving a coast-to-coast live transmission of a big band. Overview Broadcasts were usually transmitted by the major radio networks d ...

broadcasts used Zenith's Radiogran technology. In 1937, he also recorded the distinctive Shep Fields' theme song with the Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm Orchestra for

Eli Oberstein Elliott Everett "Eli" Oberstein (born Elias Oberstein; December 13, 1901 – June 12, 1960) was an American record producer and music business executive who established the influential Bluebird record label in the 1930s and owned a succession ...

on RCA Victor's Bluebird label (Victor, BS-017494, 1937). His performances as a member of the orchestra are also documented in the film ''

The Big Broadcast of 1938 ''The Big Broadcast of 1938'' is a Paramount Pictures musical comedy film starring W. C. Fields and featuring Bob Hope. Directed by Mitchell Leisen, the film is the last in a series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies that were variety show anthologies. ...

'' ("This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" and " Thanks for the Memory"), which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1939. While touring with Shep Fields, he also recorded several popular songs of the time for Bluebird Records, including " With a Smile and a Song", "

Whistle While You Work "Whistle While You Work" is a song with music written by Frank Churchill and lyrics written by Larry Morey for the 1937 animated Disney film ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was performed in the film by voice actress Adriana Caselotti. It ...

", and " Now It Can Be Told".

The 1940s: The golden age of radio

Serry married his wife Julia in the 1940s and moved to Nassau County, New York on Long Island to raise a family of four children which included John Serry Jr. He simultaneously undertook private studies with: Joscha Zade in piano (1945–1946), Arthur Guttow an organist at the

(1946) and Robert Strassburg in Orchestration and Advanced Harmony (1948–1950). He specialized in the works of Gershwin,

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

, and

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

.''Who Is Who In Music International 1958'', Publisher: Who Is Who In Music International, Chicago, IL. Biographical File # B11719. See International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England as current publisher. Ny-town-hall

Building upon his concert experiences of the 1930s, Serry entered the golden age of radio performing on the CBS radio network and assisted several concert artists in New York City including:

Marianne Oswald Marianne Oswald (January 9, 1901 – February 25, 1985) was the stage name of Sarah Alice Bloch, a French singer and actress born in Sarreguemines in Alsace-Lorraine. She took this stage name from a character she much admired, the unhappy Oswald ...

(aka Marianne Lorraine) in the poem ''Mr. Lincoln and His Gloves'' (by Carl Sandburg) and in ''Never Before'' (by Archibald MacLeish) at Town Hall (1942). This performance was praised in ''The Players Magazine - National Journal of Educational Dramatics''. ''The New York Times'' described it as being skillfully presented. For ten years Serry performed as an original member of

's CBS Pan American Orchestra (1940–1949)''The New York Times'', 5 November 1983, p. 34 on the '' Viva América'' program for the Department of State's

Office of Inter-American Affairs The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, later known as the Office for Inter-American Affairs, was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation ( Pan-Americanism) during the 1940s, especially in commercial and eco ...

(OCIAA) in support of its

initiatives.Media Sound & Culture in Latin America & The Caribbean. Editors: Bronfman, Alejandra & Wood, Andrew Grant. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2012, Pg. 49
Pan-Americanism & CBS & "Viva America" on Books.Google.com See P. 48-49
/ref> He also worked with Antonini, Nestor Mesta Chayres and members of the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

in the ''Night of the Americas Concert'' gala at Carnegie Hall in 1946. During this period, several international concert musicians also appeared on ''Viva America'' or recorded music with Antonini's Viva America Orchestra including:

Terig Tucci Terig Tucci (June 23, 1897 – February 28, 1973) was an Argentine composer, violinist, pianist, and mandolinist. Tucci was born in Buenos Aires, in 1897. His first composition, “Cariños de madre” was performed for a zarzuela at the ...

(1942)''The New York Times'', 17 January 1942, p. 30 Juan Arvizu (1940s); Nestor Mesta Chayres (1940s);

Eva Garza Eva Garza (May 11, 1917 – November 1, 1966) was a Mexican-American singer and film actress who acquired international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She collaborated on live radio shows and films wi ...

(1940s); Elsa Miranda (1940s),

Los Panchos Originally, Trio Los Panchos are a ''trío romántico'' formed in New York City in 1944 by Alfredo Gil, Chucho Navarro, and Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exponents of the bolero and the romantic ballad in Latin America. ...

Trio (1946). Performances by members of Antonini's CBS Pan American Orchestra on ''Viva America'' have been credited with helping to introduce Latin American music and the Mexican

to large audiences in the United States in the 1940s. In addition, Serry also recorded examples of music unrelated to the bolero. During the 1940's he collaborated with the Mischa Borr Orchestra and the vocalist Sidor Belarsky to record several russian and ukrainian folk songs for Victor records including: "Dark Night" (Victor 26-5037), "Hobo Song" (Victor 26-5036, 1946), "By the Cradle" (Victor 26-5035, 1946), "Katusha" (Victor 26-5035, 1946) Serry recorded his work "Leone Jump" as a member of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette with

Tony Mottola Anthony C. Mottola (April 18, 1918 – August 9, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey and died in Denville. Career Like many of his contemporaries, Mottola began ...

on guitar and Angelo Delleria on accordion for Sonora Records in 1945. The album includes performances of " Little Brown Jug", "Golden Wedding", "

Swing Low Sweet Chariot "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early oral and musical African-American traditions, the date it was composed is unknown. Performances by the Hampton Singe ...

", "

That's a Plenty "That's a Plenty" is a 1914 ragtime piano composition by Lew Pollack. Lyrics by Ray Gilbert (born 1912) were added decades later. Several popular vocal versions have been recorded, but it is more often performed as an instrumental. The compositi ...

", and "The Jazz Me Blues". Later in 1949, accordionist Joe Biviano collaborated with the RCA Victor Accordion Orchestra to record Serry's composition "Manhattan Hop" for RCA Victor. Earlier in the decade he also recorded several popular songs for Victor Records as a member of the noted Charles Magnante Accordion Band in 1941 including: "Clarinete Polka", '"Halli-Hallo- Halli", "Le Secret" and "Swing Me A Polka". As an educator, Serry founded and operated a music studio in Manhattan and Long Island, New York. Between 1945 and the late 1980s he provided instruction on accordion, piano, and organ. His pupils included Anthony Ettore, president of the American Accordionist's Association, and

Robert Davine Robert Davine (born Aubrey Robert Davine; April 5, 1924 – November 25, 2001) was an internationally recognized concert accordionist and Professor of Accordion and Music Theory at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. As the chairman ...

, an accordionist and educator at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver as well as his son John Serry Jr. In addition he was invited to contribute to the annual series of Master Accordion Classes and seminars sponsored by the American Accordionists Association in New York City in August 2000. He also published several method books for his elementary, intermediate, and advanced grade students between 1945 and 1983. He took note of the limitations imposed by the

Stradella bass system The Stradella Bass System (sometimes called ''standard bass'') is a buttonboard layout equipped on the bass side of many accordions, which uses columns of buttons arranged in a circle of fifths; this places the principal major chords of a key (I, ...

during performances of classical music. In an effort to circumvent these limitations, he designed and developed a working model of a free-bass system for the accordion during this decade. It incorporated dual keyboards for the soloist's left hand while incorporating two sets of reeds which were tuned in octaves. This gave the soloist access to a range of tones which exceeded three and one-half octaves. While on staff at CBS, Serry performed on several network shows including: ''The Gordon MacRae Show'' ''Star of Stars'' (from CBS' Starline Roof, conductor Archie Bleyer, 1946); ''The Danny O'Neil Show'' (guest, 1946); ''The Coca-Cola Hour'' with the Percy Faith Orchestra (conductor Percy Faith, 1948); ''The Jack Smith Show'' (1947); ''The Jean Sablon Show ''(1947); and ''Studio One'' with cellist

Bernard Greenhouse Bernard Greenhouse (January 3, 1916 – May 13, 2011) was an American cellist and one of the founding members of the Beaux Arts Trio. Life and career Greenhouse was born in Newark, New Jersey. He started his professional studies with Felix Salmo ...

The 1950s: Live network television

During the early days of network television in the 1950s, Serry performed at CBS as a staff member of the original CBS Orchestra (1949–1960) and an accompanist on several live network television programs including ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' in 1953, ''The Frank Sinatra Show'' in the 1950s,and on the prime time drama ''I Remember Mama'' in 1953 starring Peggy Wood . In 1951 he also arranged his compositions ''La Culebra'' and ''African Bolero'' for solo flute. He dedicated the scores to his close friend Julius Baker. During this time he also performed under the musical direction of

Andre Kostelanetz Andre Kostelanetz (russian: Абрам Наумович Костелянец; December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-born American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orch ...

at CBS. Performances on the radio also continued and included: appearances as a member of the Magnante Accordion Quartet, on ''The Lucky Strike Hour'', ''Waltz Time'', and ''The American Melody Hour (1940s)''. He occasionally substituted for the quartet's founder Charles Magnante. On the Broadway stage he performed under director

Harold Clurman Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre director and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one of the most influential figures in U.S. theater by PBS.

in a production of

Arthur Laurents Arthur Laurents (July 14, 1917 – May 5, 2011) was an American playwright, theatre director, film producer and screenwriter. After writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the U.S. Army during World War II ...

play '' The Time of the Cuckoo'' with

Shirley Booth Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of only 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awa ...

and Dino Di Luca. Serry composed, arranged and performed several compositions for

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...

(#DLP3024) with

Al Caiola Alexander Emil Caiola (September 7, 1920 – November 9, 2016) was an American guitarist, composer and arranger, who spanned a variety of music genres including jazz, country, rock, and pop. He recorded over fifty albums and worked with some of ...

and

Bernie Leighton Bernie Leighton (January 30, 1921 – September 16, 1994) was an American jazz pianist. Leighton was born in West Haven, Connecticut. He first played professionally at the end of the 1930s. He played with Bud Freeman, Leo Reisman, Raymond Sco ...

on his album '' Squeeze Play'' (1956).Review of album ''Squeeze Play'', p. 22
in '' The Billboard'', 1 December 1956 The production received a critical review as a new popular album in '' The Billboard'' in 1956 and was cited for establishing a beautiful soothing mood. The album was also critically reviewed in ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' magazine later that year. It features his original composition ''Garden In Monaco'' which is adapted from the theme of an ancient Italian serenade. Serry was applauded for establishing a wide variety of musical moods with grace, while simultaneously emphasizing a relaxed performance style. In 1958 several songs from the album were released once again in France by Versailles records (# 90 M 178) as ''Chicago Musette - John Serry et son Accordéon''. These activities led to Serry's nomination to the "Who Is Who In Music International" in 1958. His advanced grade composition for accordion, ''

American Rhapsody ''American Rhapsody'' was written for the accordion by John Serry Sr. in 1955 and subsequently transcribed for the free-bass accordion in 1963 and for the piano in 2002. The composer was inspired by the classical orchestral works of George Ger ...

'' was completed and published during 1955.

Death

Serry died after a brief illness on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

, New York in 2003, age 88.

Performance style

Several of John Serry's early live performances and recordings were reviewed by critics in such noted magazines as '' The Billboard'', ''

'' and ''The Players Magazine - National Journal of Educational Dramatics''. His recording with the Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette for Sonora Records in 1945 (''Accordion Capers'') was reviewed by ''Billboard'' magazine, which noted that the music on the album was strictly for listening as opposed to dancing. While accompanying a dramatic vocalist he was cited for contributing to an intriguing and nuanced performance. His recording of Latin American music with the Alfredo Antonini Viva America Orchestra was described as "as amongst the most attractive" by critics at ''The New Records'' in 1946.The New Records. ''Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America orchestra'' H. Royer Smith Co., Philadelphia, PA, Vol. 14, No. 8 October 1946, P. 6-
''Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra'' critical review of the album in ''The New Records'' P. 6-7 on archive.org
/ref> His musical arrangements were also cited for using the accordion to convey a variety of musical moods with easy-going grace intended for low-pressure listening. Above all else, he was applauded on his album ''Squeeze Play'' for utilizing the accordion to establish a beautiful, relaxed and soothing mood while avoiding a more common type of "show-off" performance.

Works

Compositions and arrangements

His compositions include: * ''Desert Rumba'' (for accordion, 1939; publisher Antobal Music, 1951) * ''Glissando'' (for accordion, publisher Biviano Music, 1942) * ''Tarantella'' (for accordion, 1942; publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Valse'' (Composer Pytor Ilych Tchaikovsky (Opus 39 No. 8), arr. for accordion, publisher Viccas Music, 1946) * ''Fantasy in F'' (for accordion, publisher Viccas Music, 1946) * ''Consolation Waltz'' (for accordion, publisher O. Pagani & Bro., 1948) * ''Uncle Charlie's Polka'' (for accordion, publisher O. Pagani Bro., 1948) * ''The Bugle Polka'' (for accordion, publisher O. Pagani Bro., 1948) * ''Leone Jump'' (for accordion, publisher Pietro Deiro, 1956) * ''La Culebra'' (for accordion, 1950; arr. accordion & flute; 1950, arr. flute solo 1991; publisher Antobal Music, 1951) * ''African Bolero'' (for accordion, 1950; arr. accordion & flute; 1950, arr. flute solo 1991; publisher Antobal Music, 1951) * ''The Syncopated Accordionist'' (for accordion, publisher/editor Charles Colin, 1952) * ''The First Ten Lessons for Accordion'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1952) * ''Accordion Method Books I, II, III, IV'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1953) * ''Rhythm-Airs for Accordion'' (editor John Serry, publisher Charles Colin & Bugs Bower, 1953) * ''La Cinquantaine'' (m. Gabriel Marie, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1954) * ''Allegro'' (m. Joseph Hayden, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1954) * ''Top Ten Accordion Solos – Easy to Play'' (editor: John Serrapica, publisher Alpha Music, 1954) * ''Junior Accordion Band Series'' (arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Tango Verde'' (m. Romero, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Holiday in Rio'' (m. Terig Tucci, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''En Tu Reja'' (m. Romero, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Tango of Love'' (for accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Manolas'' (m. Escobar, arr. accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''Petite Tango'' (for accordion quartet, publisher Alpha Music, 1955) * ''The Lost Tango'' for accordion, Words by Edward Steinfeld, 1956) * ''Garden in Monaco'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1956) * ''Rockin' the Anvil'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1956) * ''Selected Accordion Solos'' (arr. accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1956) * ''Spooky Polka'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''Reeds in a Rush'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''American Rhapsody'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''Processional for Organ'' (liturgical bridal march for organ, 1968) * ''Falling Leaves'' (for piano, 1976) * ''A Savior Is Born'' (

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

liturgical for organ & voice, 1991) * ''The Lord's Prayer'' (liturgical

Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...

for organ and chorus, 1992)

Advanced compositions

Serry's compositions in the symphonic jazz and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

genres include: Performers can locate the scores to "American Rhapsody" and "Concerto For Free Bass Accordion" which were donated to the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

's Sibley Music Library's - Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections Department by contacting the archivist here. * ''

'' (for accordion, 1955: published by Alpha Music 1957; transcribed for piano, 2002) * ''

Concerto For Free Bass Accordion ''Concerto for Free Bass Accordion'' was written for the solo Free-bass system accordion by John Serry, Sr. in 1964 and was revised in 1966. A transcription for solo piano was completed in 1995 and revised in 2002. Written in the classical music c ...

'' (for accordion, 1966; transcribed for piano, 1995–2002, unpublished, a.k.a. ''Concerto in C Major for Bassetti Accordion'')

Discography

* '' Squeeze Play'' – Dot Records (catalogue #DLP-3024) (1956) * ''RCA Thesaurus'' - RCA Victor Transcriptions series of over thirty works. John Serry Sr. as a contributing arranger and soloist with The Bel-Cordions accordion Sextette ensemble and Ben Selvin – Music Director (1954). List of musical arrangements -''Allegro'' -

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have le ...

, ''

The Golden Wedding "''La Cinquantaine''" (French "the fiftieth anniversary") is a piece of music which was composed by Jean Gabriel-Marie in 1887. A swing arrangement of the work by James "Jiggs" Noble, recorded in New York City in late 1940 or early 1941 by Woody ...

( La Cinquantaine)'' -

Jean Gabriel-Marie Jean Gabriel Prosper Marie (8 January 1852 – 29 August 1928) was a French romantic composer and conductor. Biography Gabriel-Marie was born in Paris, France on 8 January 1852. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and held a prominent pos ...

, ''Tango of Love'' - John Serry Sr., ''

Shine On, Harvest Moon "Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Z ...

'' - Jack Noworth &

Nora Bayes Nora Bayes (born Rachel Eleonora "Dora" Goldberg; October 3, 1880March 19, 1928) was an American singer and vaudeville performer who was popular internationally between the 1900s and 1920s. She is credited with co-writing the song " Shine On, Ha ...

, ''

My Melancholy Baby "My Melancholy Baby" is a popular song published in 1912 and first sung publicly by William Frawley. The music was written by Ernie Burnett (1884–1959), the lyrics by George A. Norton. Background Ernie Burnett, who composed the music, was ...

'' - Ernie Burnett & George A. Norton, ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...

'' -

Arthur Freed Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and Hollywood film producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture twice, in 1951 for '' An American in Paris'' and in 1958 for '' Gigi''. Both films were musicals. ...

Nacio Herb Brown Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American writer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the scor ...

, '' Nobody's Sweetheart'' -

Elmer Schoebel Elmer Schoebel (September 8, 1896 – December 14, 1970) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, United States. Career Schoebel played along to silent films in Champaign, Illin ...

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

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Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

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Fred Fisher Fred Fisher (born Alfred Breitenbach, September 30, 1875 – January 14, 1942) was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher. Biography Fisher was born in Cologne, Germany. His parents were Max and Theodora Breitenb ...

, ''

If You Knew Susie "If You Knew Susie" is the title of a popular song written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer. It was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. in 1925. In the largely comic song, a man sings that he knows a certain woman named Susie to be much wilde ...

'' -

Buddy DeSylva George Gard "Buddy" DeSylva (January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950) was an American songwriter, film producer and record executive. He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs and, along with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, he co-founded Capitol Recor ...

& Joseph Meyer, ''

Somebody Stole My Gal "Somebody Stole My Gal" is a popular song from 1918, written by Leo Wood. In 1924, Ted Weems & his Orchestra had a five-week run at number one with his million-selling version. Its Pee Wee Hunt and his orchestra version is also known in Japan, par ...

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Leo Wood Leo Wood ''(aka'' Jack Wood; ''né'' Leopold Wood Lantheaume; 2 September 1882 – 2 August 1929) was an American songwriter and lyricist. Career Leo Wood was born in San Francisco to Louis Ferdinand Lantheaume and Hannah Marcuse Wood ''(maiden) ...

, '' Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay'' - Paul Stanley (composer), ''

Old McDonald "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" (sometimes shortened to Old MacDonald) is a traditional children's song and nursery rhyme about a farmer and the various animals he keeps. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective nois ...

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Beer Barrel Polka "Beer Barrel Polka", also known as "The Barrel Polka", "Roll Out the Barrel", or "Rosamunde", is a 1927 polka composed by Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda. Lyrics were added in 1934, subsequently gaining worldwide popularity during World War II ...

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Jaromir Vejvoda Jaromír, Jaromir, Jaroměr is a Slavic male given name. Origin and meaning Jaromír is a West Slavic given name composed of two stems ''jaro'' and ''mír''. The meaning is not definite: *Polish ''jary'' (archaic) = „spry, young, strong“; ''m ...

Eduard Ingris Eduard Ingriš () (February 11, 1905 – January 11, 1991) was a Czech-American composer, photographer, conductor and adventurer. Born in Zlonice in Bohemia (then-Austro-Hungary, now Czech Republic), Ingriš left Czechoslovakia in 1947 for ...

, ''I Love Louisa'' -

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/ Howard Dietz, ''

Oh You Beautiful Doll "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" is a ragtime love song published in 1911 with words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer. The song was one of the first with a twelve-bar opening. The tune has been recorded hundreds of times by many artists from ...

'' - Seymour Brown/

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'' - William Jerome/

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* ''Accordion Capers'' - Sonora Records (catalogue # MS 476) - as a member of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette. (1947)List of musical selections: '' Little Brown Jug''- Joseph Eastburn Winner, ''

(La Cinquantaine)'' -

, ''Leone Jump'' - John Serry, ''

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early oral and musical African-American traditions, the date it was composed is unknown. Performances by the Hampton Singer ...

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Wallace Willis Wallace Willis was a Choctaw freedman living in the Indian Territory, in what is now Choctaw County, near the city of Hugo, Oklahoma, US. His dates are unclear: perhaps 1820 to 1880. He is credited with composing (probably before 1860) several ...

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'' - Lew Pollack, ''Scotch Medley'' - folk music, ''The Jazz Me Blues'' -

Tom Delaney Tom Delaney may refer to: * Tom Delaney (racing driver) (1911-2006), British sportsman and industrialist * Tom Delaney (songwriter), American blues and jazz songwriter, pianist and singer See also * Thomas Delaney Thomas Joseph Delaney (born 3 ...

* ''Latin American Music'' - Alpha Records (catalogue # 12205A, 12205B, 12206A, 12206B) - as a member of the Viva America Orchestra - Conductor Alfredo Antonini (1946)List of recordings: ''Caminito de tu Casa'' - Julio Alberto Hernández, ''Chapinita'' - Miguel Sandoval (composer), Miguel Sandoval, ''Adios Mariquita Linda'' - Marcos A. Jimenez, ''Mi Nuevo Amor'', ''La Zandunga'' - Andres Gutierrez/Maximo Ramo Ortiz, ''La Mulata Tomasa'' - Lazaro Quintero, ''Tres Palabras'' - Osvaldo Farres, ''Noche de ronda'' - Augustin Lara * ''Granada (song), Granada'' - Decca Records (catalogue # 23770A) - as a member of the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra with the lyric tenor Nestor Mesta Chayres (1946) * ''Chiquita Banana'' - Alpha (catalogue # 1001A) - as a member of the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra, conductor Alfredo Antonini, vocalist Elsa Miranda (1946) * ''Leone Jump'' – Sonora Records (catalogue # 3001 B) - as a member of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette. (1945) * ''Clarinet Polka'' - Bluebird (catalogue # B-11294-A) - John Serry (aka John Serrapica) as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Band (1941). * ''Swing Me a Polka'' - Victor (matrix # BS-067555) - John Serry (aka John Serrapica) as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Band (1941.John Serrapica as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Band on the University of California Santa Barbara Library's Discography of American Historical Recordings at adp.library.ucsb.edu
/ref> *''Le Secret'' - Victor (matrix # BS-067556) - John Serry (aka John Serrapica) as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Band (1941. * ''Halli-Hallo-Halli'' - Victor (matrix # BS-067556) - John Serry (aka John Serrapica) as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Band (1941. * ''Tres Palabras'' and ''Esta Noche Ha Pasado'' - Columbia Records (catalogue # 6201-X) - as a member of the CBS Pan American Orchestra - Conductor Alfredo Antionini, Vocalist Luis G. Roldan (194?)List of songs: ''Tres Palabras'' - Osvaldo Farres, ''Esta Noche Ha Pasado'' - M. Sabre Marroquin * '' Asi'' and ''Somos Diferentes'' - Columbia Records (catalogue # 6202-X) - as a member of the CBS Pan American Orchestra - Conductor Alfredo Antonini, Vocalist Luis G. Roldan (194?)List of songs: ''Asi'' - María Grever, ''Somos Diferentes'' - Pablo Beltran Ruiz * ''La Palma'' and ''Rosa Negra'' - Pilotone Records (catalogue # 5067 & # 5069) - as a member of Alfredo Antonini's Viva America Orchestra, Vocalists Los Panchos Trio (194?)List of songs: ''La Palma'' (Chilian cueca dance), ''Rosa Negra'' (Conga) * ''El Bigote de Tomas'' and ''De Donde'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 36666) - as a member of the CBS Tipica Orchestra conducted by Alfredo Antonini with tenor Juan Arvizu (194?) List of musical selections: ''El Bigote de Tomas'' - Valie, ''De Donde'' - María Grever * ''Mi Sarape'' and ''Que Paso?'' - Columbia Records (catalogue # 36665) - as a member of the CBS Tipica Orchestra conducted by Alfredo Antonini with tenor Juan Arvizu (194?)List of musical selections: ''Mi Sarape'' - María Grever, ''Que Paso?'' - Cortazar * ''Viva Sevilla!'' and ''Noche de Amor'' - Columbia records (catalogue # 36664) - as a member of the CBS Tipica Orchestra conducted by Alfredo Antonini with tenor Juan Arvizu (194?) Musical selections: ''Viva Sevilla!'' - Lavidad/Delmoral, ''Noche de Amor'' - Tchaikovsky arr.Arvizu/Antonini * ''Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra'' - Bluebird Records - as the accordionist (1938)List of recordings 1938: ''A Stranger in Paree'' (#B-7566), ''I Wanna Go Back to Bali'' (B#7566) - Harry Warren/Al Dubin, ''Cathedral in the Pines'' (#B-7553) - Charles Kenny/Nick Kenney, ''Somewhere with Somebody Else'' (#B-7555), ''That Feeling Is Gone'' (#B-7555), ''Good Evenin', Good Lookin'' (#B-7553), ''My Walking Stick'' (#B-7592), ''Havin' Myself a Time'' (#B-7581) - Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin, ''Fare Thee Well, Annie Laurie'' (#B-7581), ''This Time It's Real'' (#B-7579), ''If It Rains - Who Cares?'' (#B-7579), '' Now It Can Be Told'' (#B-7592) - Irving Berlin, ''I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams'' (#B-7581), ''In Any Language'' (#B-7604), ''Where in the World'' (#B-7604), ''Any Little Girl, That's a Nice Little Girl, Is the Right Little Girl for Me'' (#B-7606) - Thomas J. Gray/

, ''The Fountain in the Park, In the Merry Month of May'' (#B-7606) - Ed Haley, ''Don't Let That Moon Get Away'' (#B-7697) - Johnny Burke (lyricist)/James V. Monaco *''Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra'' - Bluebird Records - as the accordionist (1937)List of recordings 1937: '' With a Smile and a Song'' (#B-7343) - Frank Churchill/Larry Morey, ''

'' (#B-7343) - Frank Churchill/Larry Morey, ''It's Wonderful'' (#B-7333), ''I'm the One Who Loves You'' (#B-7333), ''There's a New Moon Over the Old Mill'' (#B-7355) - Allie Wrubel/Herb Magidson, ''Goodnight, Angel'' (#B-7355) Allie Wrubel/Herb Magidson, ''Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)'' (#B-7345) - Bernard Hanighen/Johnny Mercer * ''Chicago Musette-John Serry and His Accordion'' - Versailles (catalogue # 90 M 178) released in France (1958) List of musical arrangements: ''Rock and Roll Polka'' - Mort Lindsey/George Skinner, ''My Heart Cries for You''- Percy Faith/Carl Sigman, ''Secret Love (Doris Day song), Secret Love'' -Paul Francis Webster, Paul Webster/Sammy Fain, ''Granada (song), Granada'' - Agustín Lara

Filmography

* ''

'' (1938) – as himself, performing with the Shep Fields Orchestra.

Invention

Serry was granted a patent in 1966 by the United States Patent Office for his design of a protective shield for collapsible toothpaste tubes (US Patent #US3269604).

Bibliography

* . * . * . * .

Archived works

* Selected examples of Serry's original compositional scores, arrangements, LP recordings, reel to reel recording tapes, biographical articles and other biographical reference materials have been donated for archival purposes to the

's Sibley Music Library within the Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections Department to benefit both researchers and students. Researchers may contact the staff archivist directly for further assistance in obtaining copies of scores or reviewing LP recordings compiled in the "John Serry Sr. Collection".

Professional affiliations

Serry was an active member of the Broadcast Music Incorporated, BMI, SESAC, American Federation of Musicians (Local #802) (1933–2003), and The American Guild of Organists. For a brief period he served as a charter member of the American Accordionists Association (1938). He pursued professional musical studies with: Joseph Rossi (accordion, 1926–1929); Albert Rizzi (piano and harmony, 1929–1932); Gene Von Hallberg (counterpoint and harmony, 1933–1934) (a founder of the American Accordionists Association); Jascha Zade (piano, 1945–1946); Arthur Guttow (organ, 1946), and Robert Strassburg (piano, advanced harmony, and orchestration, 1948–1950).

References

External links

''Chicago Musette - John Serry et son Accordeon'' - sound recording of Serry performing "Granada" by Agustin Lara on BnF Gallica.bnf.fr

''Tres Palabras'' - sound recording of Serry performing "Tres Palabras" by Osvaldo Farres - CBS Pan American Orchestra, Vocalist Luis G. Roldan on Archive.org

''Esta Noche Ha Pasado'' - sound recording of Serry performing "Esta Noche Ha Pasado" by M. Sabre Marroquin with the CBS Pan American Orchestra, Vocalist Luis G. Roldan on Archive.org

''La Palma''; ''Rosa Negra'' - sound recording of Serry performing "La Palma" & "Rosa Negra"- Viva America orchestra, Vocalists - Los Panchos Trio on Archive.org

''Granada'' - sound recording of John Serry Sr. performing "Granada" by Agustín Lara with the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra, Vocalist Nestor Chayres on Archive.org

''Leone Jump'', ''Swing Low, Sweet Chariot'', ''Jazz Me Blues'' - sound recordings of John Serry Sr. with the Joe Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette on Archive.org

''Viva Sevilla!''; ''Noche de Amor''; ''Mi Sarape''; ''Que Paso?''; ''El Bigote de Tomas''; ''De Donde'' - sound recording of John Serry Sr. performing as accordionist in the CBS Tipica Orchestra conducted by Alfredo Antonini with tenor Juan Arvizu on Archive.org

''Asi'', ''Esta Noche Ha Pasado'', ''Somos Differentes'', and ''Tres Palabras'' - Sound recordings of John Serry Sr. performing as accordionist in the Orquesta Pan Americana with Alfredo Antonini conducting with vocalist Luis G. Roldan at the University of California Los Angeles on fronter.library.ucla.edu

''It's a Grand Night for Singing'' - CBS radio program excerpt from Program of the Three Americas -Viva America Orchestra sound recording at the New York City Public Library Online Catalog at catalog.nypl.org

''Latin American Music'' - Viva America Orchestra 78 RPM sound recordings at The Library of Congress Online Catalog at catalog.loc.gov

* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/343174/Serry_John Discography of American Historical Recordings: University of California Santa Barbara - Audio recordings online of John Serry and the Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm Orchestra 1937 - 1938]
''The Syncopated Accordionist'', ''Rhythm-Airs'', ''The Bugle Polka'', ''Consolation Waltz'' - Musical scores by John Serry on WorldCat.org

''Fantasy In F'' - Musical score by John Serry on WorldCat.org

''Glissando'' - Musical score by John Serry on worldCat.org''Tarantella'' - Musical score by John Serry on WorldCat.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serry, John Sr. 1915 births 2003 deaths Musicians from Brooklyn People from Brookville, New York Classical musicians from New York (state) Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century accordionists 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical composers 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century organists American classical accordionists American classical composers American classical organists American jazz accordionists American jazz composers American male classical composers American music arrangers American people of Italian descent Dot Records artists Jazz-influenced classical composers American male jazz composers American male organists Male classical organists