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 CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

Radio and Television networks and contributed to

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...

cultural diplomacy Cultural diplomacy is a type of 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 purpose of cultural diplomac ...

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 Deir ...

ist on the radio music program ''

Viva América ''Viva América'' was an American musical radio program which was broadcast live over the CBS radio network and to North and South America over the "La Cadena de las Américas" (Network of the Americas) during the 1940s (1942–1949) in support ...

'', 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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 h ...

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

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

, 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 was design ...

at Rockefeller Center (1935); the Starlight Roof at the

Waldorf Astoria Hotel Waldorf can have the following meanings: People * Stephen Waldorf (born 1957), film editor * William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848–1919), financier and statesman * Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879–1952), businessman and po ...

(1936–1937); the

Palmer House Palmer House may refer to: In the United Kingdom * Palmer House, Great Torrington, an 18th-century house in Devon In the United States Items in this section are alphabetized by state, then city. * Palmer House (Blackton, Arkansas), listed on th ...

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

Stevens Hotel Hilton Chicago (previously known as Chicago Hilton and Towers from 1985 to 1998) is a centrally-located luxury hotel in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The hotel is a Chicago landmark that overlooks Grant Park, Lake Michigan, and the Museum C ...

in Chicago (1938); the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (1938);

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

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'', May 12, 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'', March 7, 1942, Vol. 154, #10"Diseuse in Debut Here"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', March 1, 1942, p. 36''The New York Times'', May 28, 1941, p. 32 the Waldorf Astoria Hotel's Wedgewood Room (1948), The

Rajah Theatre The Santander Performing Arts Center (formerly known as the Rajah Theatre or Rajah Temple, and Sovereign Performing Arts Center) is a historic theatre in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the current home of the Reading Symphony Orchest ...

o(1953),"Current Attratcions: Theatre Timetable: Rajah Accordion Concert: featuring John Serry"
Reading Eagle, May 3, 1953 p. 38 on Books Google 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 Theat ...

(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 ''The Time of the Cuckoo'' is a play by Arthur Laurents. It focuses on the bittersweet romance between Leona Samish ( Shirley Booth), a single American executive secretary vacationing in Europe and Renato Di Rossi, a shopkeeper she meets in Venic ...

''), May 25, 1953, p. 15 and such New York

cafe society A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargile ...

nightspots as:

El Morocco El Morocco, sometimes nicknamed Elmo or Elmer, was a 20th-century nightclub in the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was frequented by the rich and famous from the 1930s until the decline of café society in the late 1950s. It was know ...

, El Chico and The Riviera in the 1930s. During the course of these performances he appeared under the musical direction of several noted conductors including:

, Mischa Borr,

Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian–American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizin ...

Shep Fields Shep Fields (born Saul Feldman, September 12, 1910 – February 23, 1981) was an American bandleader who led the Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm orchestra during the 1930s. His distinctive Rippling Rhythm sound was featured on big band remo ...

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

and

Andre Kostelanetz Andre Kostelanetz (; December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music. Biography Abram Naumovich Kostelyanetz was born ...

Serry was born John Serrapica in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York to Pasquale Serrapica and Anna Balestrieri, the fourth-born of thirteen siblings. His Italian father immigrated to America from

Gragnano Gragnano is a hill town and (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, in southern Italian region of Campania. It is located about southeast of Naples, between a mountain crest and the Amalfi Coast. Gragnano borders the following munic ...

, Italy after passing through Ellis Island in 1904 and 1914. The family owned a grocery store after initially moving to Navy Street in 1905, and subsequently taking up residence on 18th Avenue in the

Bensonhurst Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22nd ...

section. His formal musical education included studies with the accordionist Joseph Rossi from 1926 to 1929 at the

Pietro Deiro Pietro Deiro (1888 – 1954) was one of the most influential accordionists of the first half of the 20th century. Born on August 28, 1888, in Salto Canavese, Italy, the younger brother of Guido Deiro, Pietro Deiro emigrated to the United S ...

School in New York. At the age of fifeteen he performed live on the Italian radio station WCDA. By the age of nineteen, Serrapica was already enrolled as a member of the

American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) trade union, labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in N ...

in 1934. 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 for two years."Biography", ''Accordion World'', March 1946, Vol. 11, #11, p. 3 Von Hallberg served as a cofounder of the American Accordionists Association in 1938. Hallberg later appeared in the Magnante Quartet before an audience of three thousand concertgoers at Carnegie Hall in 1939
A lifelong friendship with the accordionist Louis Del Monte was established as a result of these studies. Del Monte awakened Serry's interest in Latin American music. Advanced studies in harmony and orchestration were completed under the instruction of the composer

Robert Strassburg Robert Strassburg (August 30, 1915 – October 25, 2003) was a leading American conductor, composer,musicologist and music educator of the twentieth century. Included among his compositions are numerous musical settings for the poetry of Walt Wh ...

in the 1940s.

Career

The 1930s: The big band era

The period from 1938 to 1960 has been described as a unique period of prestige for the accordion in the United States when it attained more widespread acceptance by the public as a "serious instrument" on the concert hall stage. At the age of sixteen, Serrapica had already performed as a soloist on the AM radio station WOV in New York City during several live broadcasts in 1931. With the help of Del Monte, in the 1930s Serry continued 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. He also played with the Hugo Mariani Tango Orchestra at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and once again in Chicago with Frank Pruslin and Syd Fox (1936) and with Alfred Brito, a Cuban orchestra leader in New York (1936), and Misha Borr, conductor of the

Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra was an orchestra that played primarily at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, both the Waldorf-Astoria (New York, 1893), old and Waldorf Astoria New York, new locations. In addition to providing dinner music at the famous ...

. 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

, the Rainbow Room, El Chico, and the Riviera in New York City. The "golden age of the accordion" continued to evolve in America from 1910 to 1960 and some piano accordionists suddenly enjoyed acceptance as performers within the best known dance bands, jazz ensembles and big band ensembles such as the

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

orchestra. As the decade came to a close, Serry acquired a position with the jazz ensemble Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm during a nationwide tour which included live radio broadcasts from the Palmer House 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 ...

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 successio ...

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 film, 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 sh ...

'' ("This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" and "

Thanks for the Memory "Thanks for the Memory" (1938) is a popular song composed by Ralph Rainger with lyrics by Leo Robin. It was introduced in the 1938 film ''The Big Broadcast of 1938'' by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross, and recorded by Shep Fields and His Orchestra ...

"), 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 Caselott ...

", and " Now It Can Be Told". At the young age of only 23 in 1938, Serry was already collaborating on stage with several noted accordionists of the early 20th century including: Andy Arcari, Anthony Mecca, Domenic Mecca,

and Joe Biviano. The six accordionists joined forces at the north ballroom of the legendary

in Chicago for an "Accordion Jamfest" before an audience of over 1000 concertgoers in September 1938. The concert occurred soon after Andy Arcari's noted accordion recital at Philadelphia's Academy of Music in May 1938, where critics praise him for his brilliance. In a few short months both Biviano and the Mecca brothers would appear with Charles Magnante, Gene Von Hallberg and Abe Goldman to introduce the accordion in recital for the first time to an audience of classical music concertgoers in Carnegie Hall (April, 1939).

The 1940s: The golden age of radio

Serry married Julia Trafficante in the 1940s and moved to

Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a suburban County (United States), county located on Long Island, immediately to the east of New York City, bordering the Long Island Sound on the north and the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of the 2020 United St ...

on Long Island to raise a family of four children which included

John Serry Jr. John Serry Jr. (born John Serrapica Jr.; January 19, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and composer, as well as a composer of contemporary classical music works that feature percussion, on which he also doubles.''Deomocrate and Chronicle'' July ...

The original family name of Serrapica was anglicized by John to Serry. He simultaneously undertook private studies with: Joscha Zade in piano (1945–1946); Arthur Guttow, an organist at the

(1946); and

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 influe ...

, and

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

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

During the 1930s and 1940s many accordionists emerged as performers on American radio, the new mass entertainment medium of the time. 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 the French diseuse

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 her English speaking debut of "One Woman Theatre" performing the poem ''Mr. Lincoln and His Gloves'' (by

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg w ...

), ''Never Before'' (by

Archibald MacLeish Archibald MacLeish (May 7, 1892 – April 20, 1982) was an American poet and writer, who was associated with the modernist school of poetry. MacLeish studied English at Yale University and law at Harvard University. He enlisted in and saw action ...

) and poems by

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

and

Jacques Prevert Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related t ...

at Town Hall (1942). The concert was hosted by the Free World Association and presented with the patronage of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

. This performance was praised in ''The Players Magazine – National Journal of Educational Dramatics'' as a "fresh experience and intriguing in its uniqueness." ''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'', November 5, 1983, p. 34 on the ''

'' program for the Department of State's Office of Inter-American Affairs (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, p. 49;
Pan-Americanism & CBS & "Viva America" on Books.Google.com See pp. 48-49
/ref> He also worked with Antonini, Nestor Mesta Chayres and members of the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

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, orchestrator, conductor, violinist, pianist, and mandolinist. He was a leading advocate of music for the tango in the United States who collaborated with the singer ...

(1942)''The New York Times'', January 17, 1942, p. 30

Juan Arvizu Juan Nepomuceno Arvizu Santelices (known as Juan Arvizu; May 22, 1900 – November 19, 1985), was an acclaimed lyric tenor in Mexico and a noted interpreter of the Latin American bolero and tango on the international concert stage, on the radio an ...

(1940s);

Nestor Mesta Chayres Néstor Mesta Cháyres (aka Nestor Chaires, Ciudad Lerdo, February 26, 1908 - Mexico City, June 29, 1971) was an acclaimed tenor in Mexico and a noted interpreter of Spanish songs, boleros and Mexican romantic music on the international conce ...

(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 wit ...

(1940s);

Elsa Miranda Elsa M. Miranda (14 February 1922 – 27 April 2007) was a noted Puerto Rican singer who was featured on radio and television in the United States during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1940s. As a naturalized Argentinian, she was also active as ...

(1940s),

Los Panchos Originally, Trio Los Panchos were a '' trío romántico'' formed in New York City in 1944 by Alfredo Gil, Chucho Navarro, and the Puerto Rican Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exporters of the bolero and the romantic balla ...

Trio (1946), and Manuolita Arriola (1946) Under the supervision of

Edmund Chester Edmund Albert Chester Sr. (June 22, 1897 – October 14, 1973) was an American television executive. He served as a vice president and executive at the CBS radio and television networks during the 1940s. As Director of Latin American Relations he ...

, these performances were beamed over CBS' Network of the Americas ("La Cadena de las Americas") across the Latin America continent to over twenty countries and rebroadcast by the United States Office of War Information and the United States Armed Forces Radio Service. 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 1940s he collaborated with the Mischa Borr Orchestra and the vocalist

Sidor Belarsky Sidor Belarsky, born Isidor Livshitz (December 27, 1898 – June 7, 1975), was an internationally recognized American opera singer, educator and interpreter of Judaic folk songs, Chassidic Nigunim and Judaic cantorial music Biography Sidor ...

to record several Russian and Ukrainian folk songs for Victor records including: " Dark Night" (Victor 26–5037, 1946) by

Nikita Bogoslovsky Nikita Vladimirovich Bogoslovsky (22 May 19134 April 2004) was a Soviet and Russian composer. Author of more than 300 songs, 8 symphonies (1940–1991), 17 operettas and musical comedies, 58 soundtracks, and 52 scores for theater productions. Ma ...

, "Hobo Song" (aka "Mother") (Victor 26–5036, 1946) by Valery Zhelobinsky, "By the Cradle" (Victor 26–5035, 1946), "Katusha" (Victor 26–5035, 1946) by

Hy Zaret Hy Zaret (born Hyman Harry Zaritsky; August 21, 1907 – July 2, 2007) was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer who wrote the lyrics of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most-recorded songs of the 20th century. Personal lif ...

In 1946 he also made a guest appearance as the "outstanding accordionist of the year" on

Gordon Macrae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer, and television and radio host. He appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956), and ...

's ''Skyline Roof'' broadcast under the direction of

Archie Bleyer Archibald Martin Bleyer (June 12, 1909 – March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive. Early life Bleyer was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. His father was a well-k ...

on the WABC-CBS network and as a guest on the ''Danny O'Neil Show''. By 1948, he also appeared in concert with Mischa Borr's Orchestra at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel's Wedgewood Room. Serry recorded his work "Leone Jump" as a member of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette with

Tony Mottola Anthony C. "Tony" 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 ...

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 African-American musical traditions, the song was probably composed in the late 1860s by Wallace Willis and his dau ...

", " That's a Plenty", and "The Jazz Me Blues". His composition "Fantasy in F" was completed during this decade in 1946.The Library of Congress Copyright Office, ''Fantasy In F (Fantasia, Accordion, F Major)'', Composer John Serry, 1946, Copyright #EP727
Catalog of Copyright Entries 1946 Musical Compositions Title Index New Series Vol. 41 Pt. 3, Pg. 153
/ref> The critic Henry Doktorski has described it as a "novelty piece" and likened it to

Zez Confrey Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey (3 April 1895 – 22 November 1971)
- accessed August 2011 was an American composer and perf ...

's composition "Dizzy Fingers". In 1946 he also appeared in the "Accordion World" concert at Manhattan Center with the accordionists Angello Dellairia and Joeseph Biviano. Later in 1949, the accordionist Joe Biviano collaborated with the RCA Victor Accordion Orchestra to record Serry's composition "Manhattan Hop" for RCA Victor. 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". Both Magnante and Biviano were cofounders of the American Accordionists' Association several years earlier in 1938. By the end of the 1930s an "accordion craze" had swept the nation. Numerous accordion studios soon emerged within the major ethnic population centers of the East coast, as well as within the rural South and West with an estimated enrollment of over 35,000 students in 1938. As an educator, Serry founded and operated a music studio in Jamaica, Queens in New York City 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, Michael Torello, a composer and accordionist and Robert Davine, an accordionist and educator at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver as well as his son John Serry Jr. During the 1950s one of his students, Roy Appey, emerged as the first prize winner in a performance competition hosted by the American Accordionists' Association. In addition, Serry 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 1955. In addition, 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 A free-bass system is a system of left-hand Bass (sound), bass button (control), buttons on an accordion, arranged to give the performer#Music, performer greater ability to play melodies with the left-hand and form one's own chord (music), chords ...

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.

The 1950s: Broadway and 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 Mary Margaret Wood (February 9, 1892 – March 18, 1978) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best remembered for her performance as the title character in the CBS Television show, television series ''Mama (American TV ...

. Following introductions by his young son Robert, he was also featured as a soloist on the talent show ''Live Like A Millionaire'' on the NBC radio network in 1951. 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 Julius Baker (September 23, 1915 – August 6, 2003) was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players. During the course of five decades he concertized with several of America's premier orchestral ensembles including the Chicago Symp ...

, who subsequently performed them on a demo recording. In the same year, his photograph was featured within an article about the accordion which was published by the journal ''International Musician'' – the official publication of the

International Federation of Musicians The International Federation of Musicians (, FIM) is a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing music performers. FIM counts member unions in 70 countries and three regional groups in Europe, Africa and Latin America. I ...

, along with photographs of such noted accordionists as: Louis Del Monte,

Pietro Frosini Pietro Frosini (9 August 1885 – 2 September 1951) professionally known mononymously as Frosini, was an Italian vaudeville performer, musician, and composer. Based in the United States, he was one of the first famous "stars of the accordion." B ...

, Anthony Galla-Rini, Charles Magnante, Charles Nunzio, and

Art Van Damme Art Van Damme (April 9, 1920February 15, 2010) was an American jazz accordionist. Van Damme toured Europe and was popular with jazz enthusiasts in Japan. Van Damme was married, and had three children. After he retired to Roseville, California, ...

. By 1953, he was also photographed by the Bell accordion company as one of several leading accordion artists along with

Tony Lavelli Anthony Lavelli Jr. (July 11, 1926 – January 8, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and musician. He averaged 6.9 points per game during his two-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career (1949–1951) while also provid ...

and Vince Geraci. During this time he also performed under the musical direction of

at CBS. As the first accordionist in the Serry Sextette, he recorded his own arrangements of several popular melodies and classical themes for the

RCA Thesaurus thumb RCA Thesaurus, a brand owned by RCA Victor, was a supplier of electrical transcriptions. It enjoyed a long history of producing electrical transcriptions of music for radio broadcasting which dated back to NBC's Radio Recording Division. Eff ...

electrical transcriptions Electrical transcriptions are special phonograph recordings made exclusively for radio broadcasting,Browne, Ray B. and Browne, Pat, eds. (2001). ''The Guide to United States Popular Culture''. The University of Wisconsin Press. . P. 263. which wer ...

catalog in 1954 during

Ben Selvin Benjamin Bernard Selvin (March 5, 1898 – July 15, 1980) was an American musician, bandleader, and record producer. He was known as the Dean of Recorded Music. According to ''The Guinness Book of World Records,'' Selvin recorded more musical si ...

's tenure as

A & R Artists and repertoire (or A&R for short) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for scouting, financing, and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters. It also acts as a l ...

Manager for RCA Victor. Performances on the radio also continued during this period 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. With a career spanning seven decades he received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, ...

play ''

'' with

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

and Dino Di Luca. By 1953, he had also arranged music which was edited by

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...

and utilized in a course of study for the piano accordion by the U. S. School of Music, which was described years later as the oldest home study music school chartered by the Board of Regents in New York State with a total worldwide enrollment of over one million students. The school also utilized his photograph to encourage enrollment in its course of study for the piano accordion. In the same year, he appeared as a featured soloist at an accordion concert hosted at the

in Reading, Pennsylvania. He also completed arrangements of popular songs for Seeburg's jukeboxes featuring three accordions, violins, vibes, guitar, bass, percussion and piano. Included among them were: ''

I Get a Kick Out of You "I Get a Kick Out of You" is a song by Cole Porter, which was first sung in the 1934 Broadway musical '' Anything Goes'', and then in the 1936 film version. Originally sung by Ethel Merman, it has been covered by dozens of prominent performers, ...

'', '' Mimi'', '' The One I Love'', ''

Swingin' Down the Lane "Swingin' Down the Lane" is a 1923 song composed by Isham Jones with lyrics by Gus Kahn. Jones' instrumental version was second to " March of the Wooden Soldiers" in the list of top songs for 1923. Other popular versions in 1923 were by Ben Bern ...

'', and ''

Tico-Tico Manuel José Luís Bucuane (born 16 August 1973), better known professionally as Tico-Tico, is a former Mozambican footballer who played as a striker. In his career, Tico-Tico played primarily for Desportivo de Maputo in Mozambique and Jomo ...

''. In 1956 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 its early years, Dot sp ...

(#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 t ...

and Bernie Leighton on his album '' Squeeze Play'' Review of album ''Squeeze Play'', p. 22
in ''

The Billboard The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier. History It was discovered in November 193 ...

'', 1 December 1956 during

Billy Vaughn William Vaughn, popularly known as Billy Vaughn (born Richard Smith Vaughn, April 12, 1919 – September 26, 1991) was an American musician, singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records. Biography Vaughn was bor ...

's tenure as music director at Dot Records. The production received a critical review as a new popular album in ''

'' 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'', is 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 online ...

'' magazine later that year.Review of the album "Squeeze Play" in "The Cash Box" magazine – See Album Reviews column on December 8, 1956 p. 38 on americanradiohistory.com
/ref> 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''. Dot Records also released several songs from the album in Japan as part of a compilation recording including the John Serry Orchestra and the Billy Vaughn Orchestra (''Ballroom in Dreamland'', Dot #5006). 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.Library of Congress Copyright Office, ''American Rhapsody'', Composer: John Serry Sr., Copyright: Alpha Music, New York, New York, 1957

The 1960s: Liturgical organ music

In 1960, Serry emerged as a performer in one of the first stereo recordings of an accordion orchestra on a major label for

Coral Records Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer. Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head ...

with noted instrumentalists, such as Joe Biviano, Carmen Carrozza, Angelo Di Pippo, and Eugene Ettore. The ensemble of sixteen accordionists utilized modified piano accordions to recreate the orchestral sounds of several instruments while performing classical works by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...

, and

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...

. The recording was cited in ''Billboard Magazine'' for its high level of musicality. Several years later, Serry completed his ''

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 ...

'' in 1966 and subsequently transcribed it for piano in 2002.The library of Congress Copyright Office, ''Concerto for Bassetti Accordion'', Composer: John Serry Sr., June 4, 1968, Copyright # EP 247602 As the decade of the 1960s unfolded, however, the general public's interest in the accordion began to diminish in the United States while the popularity of

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

continued to grow. The ensuing revolution in popular music induced many young people to view the accordion as a "square relic" from their parents' generation which should be replaced by the electric guitar, electric piano and electronic organ. As a result, many established accordion studios either diversified or closed down entirely. With this in mind, Serry devoted the remaining thirty-five years of his professional career to the performance of

wedding music Music is often played at wedding celebrations, including during the ceremony and at festivities before or after the event. The music can be performed live by Musician, instrumentalists or Singing, vocalists or may use pre-recorded songs, depend ...

and liturgical music of the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

and

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

faiths as a freelance organist at the Interfaith Chapel of Long Island University C W Post Campus in Brookville, N.Y. (1968-2002). As more

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

s sought to unite couples of different faiths without first requiring conversions in the 1960s and 1970s, he collaborated with several clergymen of both the Jewish and Roman Catholic religious traditions, including: Rabbi Nathaniel Schwartz and the Rev. John Heinlein. During this period, he also transcribed his composition ''Processional March'' (1951) from piano for use on the organ in 1968. In the years which followed, he composed several additional liturgical works for the choir of Notre Dame Parish on Long Island including: ''A Savior Is Born'' (1991, organ and solo voice), ''The Lord's Prayer'' (1992, organ and chorus) and ''Lamb of God'' (1994, for choir, flute and brass). Serry died after a brief illness on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, 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 ''

'', ''

'' 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 "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> In addition, his recording of classical compositions by Rimsky-Korsakov, Nicolo Paganini. Carl Maria von Weber and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as a member of Pietro Deiro's Accordion Orchestra was cited by critics in ''The Billboard'' for its high level musicality. 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) * ''Invitation to Jive'' (for three accordions, guitar and bass, 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)BMI-Songview Catalogue – songs by John Serry on repertoire.bmi.com
/ref> * ''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) * ''Cocktails in Spain'' (for marimba, percussion, guitar, bass and organ, 1957) * ''Spooky Polka'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''Reeds in a Rush'' (for accordion, publisher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''American Rhapsody'' (for accordion, publisher Rumbasher Alpha Music, 1957) * ''

'' (m.

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

, arr. violins, three accordions, vibes, guitar, bass, drums, piano, 195?) * '' Mimi'' (m.

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

, arr. violins, three accordions, vibes, guitar, bass, drums, and piano, 195?) * '' The One I Love'' (m. Isham Jones, arr. violins, three accordions, vibes, guitar, bass, drums, and piano, 195?) * ''

'' (m.

Isham Jones Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter. Career Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, United States, to a musical and mining family. His father, Richard Isham Jon ...

, arr. violins, three accordions, vibes, guitar, bass, drums, and piano, 195?) * ''

'' (m.

Zequinha de Abreu José Gomes de Abreu, better known as Zequinha de Abreu (September 19, 1880 – January 22, 1935), was a Brazilian musician and composer. Abreu was born in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, São Paulo state. He is best known for the famous chor ...

, arr. three accordions, guitar, bass and piano, 195?) * ''Processional for Organ'' (liturgical bridal march for organ, 1968) * ''Falling Leaves'' (for piano, 1976) * ''Elegy'' (for piano or organ, 1984 Rev. 1994) * ''Three Songs of Love'' (for voice and piano, poems by David Napolin, 1986) * ''A Savior Is Born'' (

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

liturgical for organ & voice, 1991) * ''Dreams Trilogy'' (for solo piano, 1991) * ''The Lord's Prayer'' (liturgical

Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...

for organ and chorus, 1992) * ''Lamb of God'' (liturgical hymn for choir, flute and bass, 1994) * ''Five Children's Pieces For Piano'' (for piano, 1996)

Advanced compositions

Serry's compositions in the

symphonic jazz Orchestral jazz or symphonic jazz is a form of jazz that developed in New York City in the 1920s. Early innovators of the genre, such as Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington, include some of the most highly regarded musicians, composers, and arr ...

and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

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, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

Sibley Music Library The Sibley Music Library is the library of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. It was founded in 1904 by Hiram Watson Sibley (1845-1932), son of industrialist Hiram Sibley (1807-1888), and is said to be th ...

's – Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections Department by contacting the archivist here. * ''

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

'' (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 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 (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

, ''

The Golden Wedding "La Cinquantaine" (French "the fiftieth anniversary") is a piece of light music 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 Herma ...

( 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 posit ...

, ''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 ...

'' – 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, Har ...

, ''

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 is credited with compo ...

'' – 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, Rita Moreno a ...

'' –

Arthur Freed Arthur Freed (September 9, 1894 – April 12, 1973) was an American lyricist and a 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 composer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the sc ...

, '' 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, Illinoi ...

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 (G ...

, ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' –

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 Breitenbach ...

, ''

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. The sheet music included ukulele tabs by Richard Konter. In the largely comic song, a man sings ...

'' –

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 R ...

& 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 ...

'' –

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 "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay" is a vaudeville and music hall song first performed by the 1880s. It was included in Henry J. Sayers' 1891 revue ''Tuxedo (vaudeville), Tuxedo'' in Boston, Massachusetts. The song became widely known in the 1892 version sung ...

'' –

Paul Stanley (composer) Paul Stanley (né Sonnenberg) (February 8, 1848 – March 14, 1909) was a German-born American composer and vaudeville comedian who some credit (but most do not) with writing the music for the ditty Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay for Henry F. Sayers' 1891 ...

, '' Old McDonald'' – children's music, ''

Beer Barrel Polka "Beer Barrel Polka", originally in Czech , 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 popularit ...

'' – Jaromir Vejvoda/

Eduard Ingris Eduard Model Accessories is a Czech manufacturer of plastic models and finescale model accessories. History Formed in 1989 in the city of Most, Eduard began in a rented cellar as a manufacturer of photoetched brass model components. Follo ...

, ''I Love Louisa'' –

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New ...

Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. According to historian Stanley Green, Dietz and Schwartz were "most cl ...

, ''

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 first was a decade earlier. The tune has been recorded hundre ...

'' – Seymour Brown/ Nat D. Ayer, ''

Chinatown, My Chinatown "Chinatown, My Chinatown" is a popular song written by William Jerome (words) and Jean Schwartz (music) in 1906 and later interpolated into the musical '' Up and Down Broadway'' (1910).Ruhlmann, ''Breaking Records''p. 31 The song has been reco ...

'' -

William Jerome William Jerome Flannery (September 30, 1865 – June 25, 1932) was an American songwriter, born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, of Irish immigrant parents: Mary Donnellan and Patrick Flannery. He collaborated with numerous well-known composer ...

Jean Schwartz Jean Schwartz (November 4, 1878 – November 30, 1956) was a Hungarian-born Jewish American composer and pianist. He is best known for his work writing the scores for more than 30 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals, and for his creation of more t ...

* ''Ballroom in Dreamland'' – Dot Records (catalogue # 5006) – a compilation album released in Japan featuring performances of Jazz, Latin and Classical music by the John Serry Orchestra and the

Orchestra. * ''Pietro Deiro Presents the Accordion Orchestra'' – Coral Records (catalogue #CRL-57323) – as a member of an orchestra of sixteen accordionists interpreting the sounds of a traditional orchestra in performances of transcriptions from classical music under the direction of Joe Biviano.*:List of musical selections: ''Danse des Bouffons'' –

, ''Beguine di Roma'' – Joe Biviano, ''Invitation to the Dance'' –

, ''La Cumparsita'' – musical arrangement by Joseph Biviano, ''La Chasse'' – Niccolo Paganini, ''Danse Chinoise'' –

, ''Three Blind Mice'' – musical arrangement by Joseph Biviano, ''Danse de Marlitens'' –

, ''Walse de Fleur'' – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ''The Flight of the Bumble Bee'' – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, ''The Rooster'' – Joe Biviano, ''Careless one cha-cha-cha'' – Joe Biviano * ''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 African-American musical traditions, the song was probably composed in the late 1860s by Wallace Willis and his d ...

''-

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 ...

, '' That's a Plenty'' –

Lew Pollack Lew Pollack (June 16, 1895 – January 18, 1946) was an American song composer and musician active during the 1920s and the 1930s. Career Pollack was born in New York City, where he went to DeWitt Clinton High School and was active as a boy sopra ...

, ''Scotch Medley'' – folk music, ''The Jazz Me Blues'' – Tom Delaney * ''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 Julio Alberto Hernández (September 27, 1900 – April 2, 1999) was a Dominican composer. He specialized in folk-music based compositions. Biography He was born in Santiago de los Caballeros and is the nephew of P.T. Camejo. In addition to st ...

, ''Chapinita'' –

Miguel Sandoval Miguel Sandoval (born November 16, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his role on the NBC/ CBS drama series '' Medium'' (2005–2011), where he played D.A. Manuel Devalos. Biography Sandoval was born in Washington, D.C. He began wo ...

, ''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 "Noche de ronda" is a waltz written by Mexican songwriter and composer Agustín Lara and published in 1935. Mexican singer Elvira Ríos sang the song in the 1937 film ''¡Esos hombres!''. It became her signature song and one of the biggest hits of h ...

'' –

Augustin Lara Augustin may refer to: * Augustin (name), male name, variant of Augustine * Augustin (typography), English or 14-point type * Augustin, Brașov, a commune in Brașov County, Romania * Dacian fortress of Augustin, ruined Dacian fortified town in ...

* ''

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

'' – Decca Records (catalogue # 23770A) – as a member of the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra with the lyric tenor

(1946) * ''Chiquita Banana'' – Alpha (catalogue # 1001A) – as a member of the Alfredo Antonini Orchestra, conductor Alfredo Antonini, vocalist

(1946) * ''Leone Jump'' – Sonora Records (catalogue # 3001 B) – as a member of the Biviano Accordion & Rhythm Sextette. (1945) * ''By the Cradle'' – Victor Records (catalogue # 26-5035) – accordionist in the Mischa Borr Orchestra, vocalist Sidor Belarsky (1946) * ''Katusha'' – Victor Records (catalogue # 26-5035) – accordionist in the Mischa Borr Orchestra, vocalist Sidor Belarsky (1946) * ''Hobo Song'' – Victor Records (catalogue # 26-5036 ) – accordionist in the Mischa Borr Orchestra, vocalist Sidor Belarsky (1946) * '' Dark Night'' – Victor Records (catalogue # 26-5037) – accordionist in the Mischa Borr Orchestra, vocalist

(1946) * ''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). *''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 Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that immigrated to the United States from Sw ...

, ''Cathedral in the Pines'' (#B-7553) –

Charles Kenny Charles Francis Kenny (June 23, 1898 – January 20, 1992) was an American composer, lyricist, author, and violinist. He was born in Astoria, New York. His hit songs include "There's a Gold Mine in the Sky", "Love Letters in the Sand", "Laughi ...

/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 Ralph Rainger ( Reichenthal; October 7, 1901 – October 23, 1942) was an American composer of popular music principally for films. Biography Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, United States, Rainger initially embarked on a legal career, ...

/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) –

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, ''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 Sheet music cover, 1910 "Any Little Girl, That's a Nice Little Girl, Is the Right Little Girl for Me" is a popular song, first published in 1910, and written by Thomas J. Gray and Fred Fisher. Although largely forgotten today (like many popula ...

'' (#B-7606) – Thomas J. Gray/

, '' In the Merry Month of May'' (#B-7606) – Ed Haley, ''Don't Let That Moon Get Away'' (#B-7697) –

Johnny Burke (lyricist) John Francis Burke (October 3, 1908 – February 25, 1964) was an American lyricist, successful and prolific between the 1920s and 1950s. His work is considered part of the Great American Songbook. His song " Swinging on a Star", from the Bing ...

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, ''An Old Curiosity Shop'' (#B-10056) –

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Abner Silver Abner Silberman (28 December 1899 in New York City, New York, United States – 24 November 1966) as pen name Abner Silver, was an American songwriter who worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era of the craft. Career Usually composing the ...

*''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 Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films produced by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', '' Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Ad ...

Larry Morey Lawrence L. Morey (March 26, 1905 – May 8, 1971) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He co-wrote some of the most successful songs in Disney films of the 1930s and 1940s, including " Heigh-Ho", " Some Day My Prince Will Come", and " ...

, ''

'' (#B-7343) –

, ''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) –

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, ''Goodnight, Angel'' (#B-7355)

, ''Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)'' (#B-7345) –

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* ''Chicago Musette-John Serry and His Accordion'' – Versailles (catalogue # 90 M 178) released in France (1958) List of musical arrangements: ''Rock and Roll Polka'' –

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/George Skinner, ''

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''-

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, ''

Secret Love Secret Love may refer to either a secret admirer or: Film, TV and theatre * ''Secret Love'' (1916 film), directed by Robert Z. Leonard * ''Secret Love'' (1994 film), directed by Edgardo "Boy" Vinarao * ''Secret Love'' (2010 film), directed by ...

'' - Paul Webster/

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, ''

'' –

Agustín Lara Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; ; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is rec ...

Filmography

* ''

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

Invention

Serry was granted a patent in 1966 by the

United States Patent Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Ale ...

for his design of a protective shield for collapsible toothpaste tubes (US Patent #US3269604). A patent for the same design was also granted to him by the Canadian Patent Office in 1966 (Serial #998,449 May 14, 1966).

Publications

* * * * * . * . * . * . * .

Archived works

* ''The John J. Serry Sr. Collection'' at the

within the Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections Department contains selected examples of Serry's original compositional scores, arrangements, LP recordings, reel to reel recording tapes of his performances, biographical articles and other biographical reference materials which have been donated for archival purposes to benefit both researchers and students. The archive includes a copy of his album '' Squeeze Play'' and an audio recording of his arrangements for ''

''. Researchers may contact the staff archivist directly for further assistance in obtaining copies of scores or reviewing LP recordings. * The

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

catalog at the University of California at Santa Barbara includes several of the master recordings of Serry's performances with the Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm Jazz Orchestra in New York City (1937-1938) which are accessible online via audio streaming.

Professional affiliations

Serry was an active member of the BMI,

SESAC SESAC is a for-profit performance-rights organization in the United States. Founded in 1930 as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, it is the second-oldest performance-rights organization in the United States.

(Local #802) (1933–2003), and The

American Guild of Organists The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is an international organization of academic, church, and concert organists in the US, headquartered in New York City with its administrative offices in the Interchurch Center. Founded as a professional educa ...

. 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

The John J. Serry Sr Collection at the Eastman School of Music – archive of scores, compositions, arrangements and recordings by John Serry at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music – Sibley Music Library- Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections

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

''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]
Discography of American Historical Recordings: University of California Santa Barbara – Audio recordings online of John Serrapica (aka John Serry) and the Charles Magnante Accordion Band 1941

''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 20th-century American accordionists 20th-century American classical composers 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American organists American classical accordionists American classical organists American jazz accordionists American male classical composers American male classical organists American male jazz composers American music arrangers American people of Italian descent Catholicism and Judaism Christian and Jewish interfaith dialogue Classical musicians from New York (state) Dot Records artists Interfaith marriage Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jazz-influenced classical composers Musicians from Brooklyn People from Brookville, New York

Biography

Career

The 1930s: The big band era

The 1940s: The golden age of radio

The 1950s: Broadway and television

The 1960s: Liturgical organ music

Performance style

Works

Compositions and arrangements

Advanced compositions

Discography

Filmography

Invention

Publications

Archived works

Professional affiliations

See also

References

External links