Carmen Mastren

A superior rhythm guitarist, Carmen Mastren uplifted many sessions with his subtle playing but was rarely in the spotlight himself. He started out playing banjo and violin before specializing in guitar. He played in a family band and in 1931 became a professional. After moving to New York in 1935, Mastren worked with Wingy Manone and then Tommy Dorsey's big band (1936-40). He also occasionally contributed arrangements to Tommy Dorsey. In 1940 Mastren recorded with the Sidney Bechet-Muggsy Spanier Big Four, probably his most famous recordings. He worked with Joe Marsala from 19...