Success at Every Turn
Artie Shaw was a unique figure in jazz history. A competitor of Benny Goodman both as a clarinetist and a bandleader, Shaw led no less than seven different orchestras during 1936-49. While he disliked having to play for dancers, was not fond of dealing with the public, and seemed to constantly be running away from fame, he found success at almost every turn, at least until his premature retirement.
Debut
Born Arthur Arshawsky on May 23, 1910 in New York City, he started playing alto saxophone when he was 12 and developed quickly, soon doubling on clarinet. As a young teenager, Shaw played with the New Haven High School Band and led a local group, the Bellevue Ramblers. At 15 he was already skilled enough to go on the road. Among his early associations were groups led by Johnny Cavallaro, Joe Cantor, Merle Jacobs, and Austin Wylie. He made his recording debut in 1930 when he was 20, recording several numbers with a show and comedy dance band, Irving Aaronson’s Commanders: "All By Yourself In The Moonlight", "If I Had You", “Why Have You Forgotten Waikiki” and “Moonlight On The Colorado.”
Studio Work
During 1930-34, Shaw primarily worked as a studio musician, making very good money in the worst years of the Depression while performing commercial music that bored him. Other than a few isolated jazz sessions with Fred Rich, Adrian Rollini and Roger
