Jan Savitt

The birth date of violinist, vocalist, arranger, and bandleader Jan Savitt is in dispute; although his birthday is officially listed as September 4, 1913, Savitt could have been born as early as 1908. Savitt's father played in Tsar Nicholas II's Imperial Regiment Band, and his family came to America in 1914. Savitt played violin as a child, and was invited to join the Philadelphia Orchestra at 15. He studied both in Europe and at the Curtis Institute, and in the '30s formed a string quartet that had a nationally broadcast show. He formed his Top Hatters band in 1937 and began ...