Tony Pastor

A novelty singer who (like Louis Prima) often emphasized his Italian heritage, Tony Pastor earlier in his career played swing tenor. Pastor started playing C melody saxophone while in high school. He worked with John Cavallaro (1927), Irving Aaronson's Commanders (1928-30) where he met Artie Shaw, and Austin Wylie (1930). Pastor led his own group in Hartford, Connecticut during 1931-34 and then was with Smith Ballew, Joe Venuti and Vincent Lopez. Pastor was an important part of Artie Shaw's first two big bands, the short-lived string combo and the clarinetist's very successful...