Tony Pastor (born Anthony Pestritto) (October 26,
1907-October 31, 1969) was an Italian American novelty singer and tenor
saxophonist and band leader.
Tenor saxophonist and vocalist Tony Pastor began playing
professionally while still a teenager. He worked with the Wesleyan Serenaders
in the mid-1920s, John Cavallaro in 1927, Irving Aaronson from 1928 to 1930,
and Austin Wylie around 1930. He formed his own orchestra based out of
Hartford, Connecticut, in 1931. The group struggled, and in 1934 he disbanded
it. He toured with Smith Ballew in 1935 and played briefly with Joe Venuti and
Vincent Lopez before joining Artie Shaw in 1936, where he remained when Shaw
regrouped the following year.
Featured by Shaw as both a musician and singer, Pastor
became popular for his expressive singing and impish personality. When 
Shaw
decided to quit the band business in late 1939 and run off to Mexico Pastor was
asked to head the orchestra, which was to become a cooperative affair. He
turned down the offer and formed his own band instead. His second group proved
a success. Pastor was both honest and friendly and well loved by his musicians
and fans. His sax playing and his vocals were the highlights of each
performance.
Shaw
decided to quit the band business in late 1939 and run off to Mexico Pastor was
asked to head the orchestra, which was to become a cooperative affair. He
turned down the offer and formed his own band instead. His second group proved
a success. Pastor was both honest and friendly and well loved by his musicians
and fans. His sax playing and his vocals were the highlights of each
performance.
Soon after going out on his own, Pastor and his orchestra
played at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City for seven months. That engagement
included five broadcasts per week on NBC. Pastor won the 1940 Metronome
magazine poll as top tenor saxophonist.
Pastor went all out when it came to buying charts for his
book. His orchestra featured some of the most modern jazz arrangements of its
time. It outlived just about all other swing bands, finally breaking up in the
late 1950s. It was estimated that
between 1940
and 1950 Pastor's band travelled a million miles around the U.S.
The group's most prominent vocalists, aside from Pastor himself, were sisters
Rosemary and Betty Clooney. Other singers included Johnny McAfee, Dorsey
Anderson, Kay Little, Eugenie Baird, Virginia Maxey, and Dolores Martel.
Pastor and his orchestra appeared on television a number of
times during the 1950s, including the "Cavalcade of Bands" program
and the Robert Q. Lewis show. In 1960,
Pastor was guest of honour on a "This Is Your Life" TV episode. But eventually he reduced the size of his
band, cutting it down to a small combo in order to work nightclubs around Las
Vegas with his sons Guy and Tony Jr.
Pastor's final recordings were for Roulette (1958), Everest
(1959), and Capitol (1960). He appeared with a small group, billed as
"Tony Pastor and His All-Stars," on the "Bring Back the
Bands" transcribed radio show in 1967.
Early in 1968, Pastor suffered a heart attack and became
very ill and quit the music business. He lived in virtual seclusion for the
rest of his life. (Info mainly Solid @ Parabrisas.com)
