John Ross Smeed Gorman (November 18, 1890 – February 27, 1953) was an American

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

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baerm ...

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues o ...

, and

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where a ...

. Gorman is best remembered for his work with

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American 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 1930s, W ...

, particularly his famous clarinet glissando for ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered ...

'', on which he also played oboe, bass clarinet, and saxophone. The glissando came as the result of an experiment by Gorman, who, according to Whiteman's violinist Kurt Dieterlie, was known for his ability to "make incredibly odd sounds with his instrument."

Career

In addition to his work with Whiteman, he also had his own band, which performed under various names such as "Ross Gorman and his Orchestra," "Ross Gorman and his Fire-Eaters," and "Gorman's Novelty Syncopators." For recording purposes, this band included several Whiteman regulars such as

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Miff Mole Irving Milfred Mole, known professionally as Miff Mole (March 11, 1898 – April 29, 1961) was an American jazz trombonist and band leader. He is generally considered one of the greatest jazz trombonists and credited with creating "the first dist ...

, and

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peo ...

; they also recorded with

Eddie Lang Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro, October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American musician who is credited as the father of jazz guitar. During the 1920s, he gave the guitar a prominence it previously lacked as a solo instrument, as p ...

. He is credited as a composer on various popular songs of the 1920s, including "Some Lonesome Night" and "Rose of the Rio Grande" (later recorded by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

). His glissando was not his only innovation; the jazz writer Stuart Nicholson has argued that Gorman's experiments with the

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on his song "Rhythm of the Day" "anticipated

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black mus ...

's 'Queer Notions' by about eight years."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorman, Ross American jazz clarinetists Year of birth uncertain 1890 births 1953 deaths People from New Jersey Musicians from New Jersey Jazz musicians from New Jersey American male jazz musicians