Carmen Mastren (born Carmine Nicholas Mastrandrea, October 6, 1913March 31, 1981) was an American

jazz guitarist Jazz guitarists are guitarists who play jazz using an approach to chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist ( rhythm guitar) and soloist in small and large ...

, banjoist, and violinist who was a member of the Tommy Dorsey orchestra from 1936 to 1941.

Career

Mastren became a professional musician in 1934 when he joined the Wingy Manone and Joe Marsala band. During the 1940s, he spent four years as a guitarist and arranger for Tommy Dorsey. After his time with Marsala, he was a studio musician, recorded with Sidney Bechet, then entered the U.S Army. He was a member of the

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

Air Force big band. From the early 1950s to 1970, he worked as a studio musician for NBC. He recorded one solo album, on which he played banjo instead of guitar. During the 1940s Mastren worked as musical director and conductor for Morton Downey, and from 1954 to 1970 Mastren played for '' The Today Show'', '' The Tonight Show'' and '' Say When!!'' on NBC. Mastren died at age 68 from a heart attack on March 31, 1981, at his home in Valley Stream on Long Island, New York.

Discography

As leader

* ''Banjorama'' (

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

, 1958)

As sideman

* Al Caiola, ''Italian Guitars'' (Time, 1960) * The Four Lads, ''Dixieland Doin's'' (Kapp, 1961) * Bud Freeman, ''Midnight at Eddie Condon's'' (Emarcy, 1955) * Wingy Manone, ''Trumpet On the Wing'' (Decca, 1958) * Tony Mottola, ''String Band Strum-Along'' (Command, 1961)

References

External links

Carmen Mastren recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. 1913 births 1981 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) People from Cohoes, New York 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American banjoists American jazz guitarists American jazz musicians American male guitarists American male jazz musicians {{US-jazz-musician-stub