Jack Sperling (August 17, 1922 – February 26, 2004) was an American jazz drummer who performed as a sideman in big bands and as a studio musician for pop and jazz acts, movies, and television.

Career

In 1941 he played with trumpeter

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

. After World War II, he and

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

joined the Glenn Miller band when it was led by

Tex Beneke Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( ; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. H ...

. Sperling drew attention with his performance on the song ''

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

'' (1948). He then joined Les Brown and His Band of Renown, which played regularly for the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

radio program. Sperling and other members of Brown's band joined

Dave Pell David Pell (February 26, 1925 – May 7, 2017) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and record producer. He was best known for leading a cool jazz octet in the 1950s. Biography Pell played in his teens with the big bands of Tony Pastor, B ...

's octet in 1953. He recorded with octet on ''Plays Irving Berlin'' (1953) and on ''The Original Reunion of the Glenn Miller Orchestra'' (1954). From 1954–57, he was a member of

Bob Crosby George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the young ...

's Bobcats. During the rest of his career, he worked in bands led by

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

Page Cavanaugh Walter Page Cavanaugh (January 26, 1922 in Cherokee, Kansas – December 19, 2008 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz and pop pianist, vocalist, and arranger. Career He began on piano at age nine and played with Ernie Williamson's band in 1938 ...

Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist. Early life and education LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style f ...

, and Benny Goodman. Sperling was among the studio musicians who accompanied Henry Mancini on the television show ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

''. He recorded with Mancini on the film soundtracks ''

Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and A ...

'' (1963) and '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962). Sperling was the featured solo drummer on the theme song for the TV show '' Hogan's Heroes''. From 1959–1972, he was under contract with the NBC Orchestra. This meant working for

The Tonight Show Band The Tonight Show Band is the house band that plays on the American television variety show '' The Tonight Show''. From 1962 until 1992, when the show was known as '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', the band was a 17-piece big band, and ...

, ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

'', and TV variety shows hosted by Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Andy Williams. In the music world, he recorded with Rosemary Clooney,

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

, Doris Day,

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal quartet that blends open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, and The Mel-Tones, founded in the barbershop tradition. The singers accom ...

, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, Frank Sinatra, and Mel Tormé.

Discography

With

* ''Bunny Berigan Orchestra 1938–1942'' (RCA) * ''Sophisticated Swing'' (1947) With

and the Glenn Miller Orchestra * ''St. Louise Blues March'' (RCA, 1948) * ''Cherokee Canyon'' (RCA Victor, 1948) * ''Palladium Patrol'' (1970) * ''Dancers Delight'' (1996) * ''Live at the Edgewater'' (2000) * ''Tex Beneke & His Orchestra 1946–1949'' * ''In Glenn Millers' Footsteps: Blues Serenades & Marches'' (2001) * ''Five Minutes More: A Tribute'' (2001) * ''It's Magic 1947–48'' (2002) * ''Memories'' (2005) * ''Gary Steven's Sings'' (2005) * ''Midnight Serenade'' (2006) * ''Beyond the Sea'' (2007) With Les Brown * ''Connee Boswell and Les Brown'' (1950) Short Film (15 min.) *

Connee Boswell Constance Foore "Connie" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American vocalist born in Kansas City but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s as the trio ...

''I Don't Know'' (1950) * Connie Boswell ''Martha'' (1950) * ''Over the Rainbow'' (1951) * ''My Heart Belongs to Daddy'' (Coral, 1952) * ''Back in Your Own Backyard'' (Coral, 1952) * ''Palladium Concert (1953)'' * ''Live at the Hollywood Palladium'' (1954) * ''Les Brown & His Orchestra, Vol. 2'' (1949) * ''Blue Moon, Vol. 1'' Blue Moon * ''Blue Skies, Vol. 2'' Blue Moon * ''Perdido, Vol. 3'' Blue Moon * ''Radio Days Live''(2001) * ''Les Brown & His Band Renown'' (Coral, 1957) * ''Swinging Song Book'' (Coral, 1957) * ''Live at Elitch Gardens 1959'' (1959) * ''Bandland/ Revolution In Sound'' (1960) * ''Digital Swing'' (1986) * ''Anything Goes'' (1994) * ''America Swings'' (1995) * ''Sentimental Thing'' (with Bing Crosby & Billy Eckstine) (2003) * ''No Name Bop'' * ''A Good Man Is Hard to Find'' * ''Thank You for Your Fine Attention'' * ''The Les Brown All-Stars'' (2006) With Doris Day * ''From This Moment On'' (Columbia, 1950) * ''It's Magic'' (2002) With

The Modernaires The Modernaires was an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s alongside Glenn Miller. Career The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New Yo ...

* ''St. Louise Blues March'' (1948) RCA Victor * ''Like Swung'' (1959) Mercury With

* ''Plays Irving Berlin'' (1953) Capitol * ''Burke and Van Heusen'' (1953) Capitol * ''I Had the Craziest Dream'' (1955) Capitol * ''Say It with Music'' (2004) * ''Jazz for Dancing and Listening'' With Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra * ''The Warm Cafe'' (1955) (1991) * ''Duke's Domain'' (1955) (1993) With

Scatman Crothers Benjamin Sherman Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986), known professionally as Scatman Crothers, was an American actor and musician. He is known for playing Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show '' Chico and the Man'', and Dick Hal ...

* ''Oh, Yeah!'' (Tops, 1956) * ''Rock and Roll with Scat Man'' (1956) With John Towner * ''Jazz Beginnings-Fresh Sound'' (1956) With Rosemary Clooney * ''Jazz Singer'' (1952) * ''Many a Wonderful Moment'' (RCA, 1958) With

* '' Get Happy!'' (1957) * ''The Secret of Christmas'' (1959) * ''The Christmas Song'' (1959) With

* ''Pete Fountain's New Orleans'' (Coral, 1959) * ''Pete Fountain Day'' (Coral, 1960) * ''Pete Fountain Salutes The Great Clarinetists'' (Coral, 1960) * ''Pete Fountain's French Quarter'' (Coral, 1961) * ''Live in Santa Monica'' (1961) * ''Jack Sperling and his Fascinatin' Rhythm'' (Coral, 1961) * ''Plenty of Pete'' (Coral, 1963) * ''Mr. New Orleans'' (MCA, 1963) With

* ''Fallout/Music from Peter Gunn'' (RCA, 1959) * ''

The Blues and the Beat ''The Blues and the Beat'' is an album by Henry Mancini that won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 1961. Track listing Personnel * Dick Nash, Jimmy Priddy, John Halliburton, Karl De Karske – trombone * Conrad Gozzo ...

'' (RCA, 1960) * ''Cheers'' (RCA, 1962) * ''Uniquely Mancini'' (RCA, 1963) * ''Mancini '67 (The Big Band Sound of Henry Mancini)'' (RCA, 1967) * ''Mancini Salutes Sousa'' (RCA, 1972) * ''Martinis with Mancini'' (RCA, 1998) With Frank Sinatra * ''Guys and Dolls'' (Reprise, 1963) * ''We Open in Venice'' (1963) With Dean Martin * ''Bianca'' (Reprise, 1963) * ''If This Isn't Love'' (Reprise, 1963) * ''Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime'' (Capitol, 1964) With

* ''From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie'' (Capitol, 1964) * ''Broadway Bag'' (Atlantic, 1965) * ''Magic of Bobby Darin'' (Atlantic, 1965) * ''The Shadow of Your Smile'' (Atlantic, 1965) * "Breaking Point"/"Silver Dollar" (Atlantic, 1966) (singles) * ''Swingin' the Standards'' (Atlantic, 1999) With Bud Freedman * ''Tender Loving World'' (1973) * ''When It's Time to Tell'' (1973) * ''That's Love'' (1973) * ''How Could I Go On'' (1973) * ''Sleepy Baby'' (1973) With Abe Most * ''Abe Most Live!'' (1994) * ''I Love Yo Much Too Much'' (2007) With Paul Cacia * ''Paul & His New Age Jazz Orchestra'' (2003) * ''Cacia: Portrait'' (2003) With others *

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

'' 1968 *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

''The Definitive Dianah Washington 1943–1962'' *

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

''Music, Music, Music'' (1950) * Billy May ''Glenn Miller Orchestra Reunion'' (1954) * Walter Gross ''Walter Gross Plays His Own Great Songs'' (1956) *

George Van Eps George Abel Van Eps (August 7, 1913 – November 29, 1998) was an American swing and mainstream jazz guitarist. Biography George Van Eps was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, into a family of musicians. His three brothers – Fred ...

''Mellow Guitar'' (1956) *

Freddie Slack Frederick Charles Slack (August 7, 1910 – August 10, 1965) was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader. Life and career Slack was born in Westby, Wisconsin, United States. He learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took up ...

''Boogie-Woogie on the 88'' (1956) *

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

Paul Weston Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the ...

''The Original Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards, Vocals by Darlene Edwards'' (1957) * The Kirby Stone Four ''Man I Flipped'' (1957) *

''The Four Freshmen and 5 Guitars'' (Capitol, 1957) *

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

''Harry Belafonte Sings the Blues'' (RCA, 1958) * Sheb Wooley ''The Purple People Eater'' (RCA, 1958) *

The Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

''Here We Go Again'' (Capitol, 1959) *

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

''Chet Atkins in Hollywood'' (RCA, 1959) *

Ralph Marterie Ralph Marterie (24 December 1914 – 10 October 1978) was an Italian big-band leader born in Acerra (near Naples), Italy. Life and career Marterie first played professionally at age 14 in Chicago. In the 1940s, he played trumpet for various b ...

and the All Star Men ''Big Band Man'' (Mercury, 1959) * Paul Smith ''Saratoga'' (1959) * Benny Goodman ''King of Swing 1958–1967'' (1960, 1995) * Page Cavanaugh Quartet (1960) * Page Cavanaugh Septet (1961) * Sue Raney ''Breathless'' * Wynona Carr ''Wild Wonderful Wynona'' (1962) * James Brown ''Mr. James Brown Getting Down to It'' (1966) * Bonanza ''A Ponderosa Party'' (1962–1966) * Godfrey Hirsch ''Happiness is Godfrey Hirsch and His Vibes''(1966) *

''Mardi Gras Parade'' (1966) *

''Charlie Barnet Big Band: 1967'' (1966) *

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

''Portrait of Carmen'' (1967) *

Bob Florence Bob Florence (May 20, 1932 – May 15, 2008) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Career A child prodigy, Florence began piano lessons before he was five years old and at seven gave his first recital. Although hi ...

''Pet Project'' (1967) * John Sheridan ''Stairway to Paradise'' (1975) *

Peanuts Hucko Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet, but he sometimes played saxophone. Early life and education He was born in Syracuse, New York, United St ...

''Peanuts Hucko with His Pied Piper Quintet'' (1979) *

Don Fagerquist Donald Alton Fagerquist (February 6, 1927 – January 23, 1974) was a small group, big band, and studio jazz trumpet player from the West Coast of the United States. Career Fagerquist was a featured soloist with several major bands, including M ...

''Portrait of a Great Jazz Artist''

Soundtracks

* ''The Five Pennies'' (Paramount, 1959) * ''Peter Gunn'' (MGM, 1959) * ''Mr. Lucky'' (CBS, 1959) * ''Rawhide'' (Paramount, 1959) * ''Days of Wine and Roses'' (Warner Bros., 1962) * ''Hatari'' (Paramount, 1962) * ''Bonanza'' (Paramount, 1962) * ''Charade'' (Universal, 1963) * ''Bewitched''(Screen Gems, 1964) * ''Hogan's Heroes'' (Paramount, 1965) * ''

'' (1968)

Early musical short films

* ''Les Brown'' (1948) * ''Les Brown and His Band of Renown'' (1949) * ''Art Lund-Tex Beneke-Les Brown'' (1948) * ''Connee Boswell and Les Brown's Orchestra'' (1950) * ''Crazy Frolic'' (1953) * ''Dance Demons'' (1957) * ''Rockabilly Baby'' (1957) * ''Snarder Telescriptions: The Big Bands Vol. 2'' (1958)

Television

* ''Bob Hope Show''(1949–1954) NBC Radio * ''Colgate Comedy Hour'' (1952) NBC * ''The Bob Crosby Show'' (1954–57) CBS * ''Peter Gunn'' (1958–1961) MGM * ''Mr. Lucky'' (1959–1960) CBS * ''Rawhide'' (1959) Paramount * ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' * ''Bob Hope Show'' (1959–1962) NBC * ''The Steve Allen Show'' (1959) NBC * ''Bobby Darin and Friends'' (1961) NBC * ''Andy Williams Show'' (1962–1967) NBC * ''Bonanza'' (1962–1966) Paramount * ''Star Time: The Swingin' Singin' Years'' (1960) NBC * ''Bewitched'' (1964) Screen Gems * ''Bob Hope Thanksgiving Show'' (1964) NBC * ''Hogan's Heroes'' (1965) Paramount * ''Dean Martin Show'' (1965–1972) NBC * ''Dean Martin Summer Show'' (1966) NBC * ''Movin' With Nancy'' (1967) NBC * ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''(1968–1972) NBC * ''Rowan & Martin at the Movies'' (1968) NBC * ''Dean Martin and The Golddigger's'' (1968) NBC * ''Elvis (NBC-TV Special)'' (1968) NBC

References

External links

Glenn Miller Memorials

Jack Sperling recordings
at the Discography of American Historical Recordings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sperling, Jack 1922 births 2004 deaths American session musicians American jazz drummers Big band drummers Swing drummers Dixieland drummers Jazz musicians from New Orleans 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Tonight Show Band members