Biography
Though now largely forgotten, Clyde Hurley delivered a trumpet solo familiar to countless Americans—the recurring chorus on Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood.” He developed his skills by playing along with Louis Armstrong records. His first professional work came with territory bands until Ben Pollack heard him during a 1937 swing through Texas. After spending a year in Pollack’s employ, Hurley relocated to Los Angeles and took up studio work. Glenn Miller recruited him in 1939; during the twelve months that followed, the trumpeter served as a featured soloist on both the bandleader’s Carnegie Hall concert and his commercial recordings. He went on to perform with Tommy Dorsey from 1940 to 1941 and with Artie Shaw in 1941 before returning to freelance studio duties, notably at MGM between 1944 and 1949 and at NBC from 1950 to 1955. In the 1950s he also appeared with Dixieland ensembles, among them Matty Matlock’s Rampart Street Paraders, and participated in a fiery, preserved live date at the Club Hangover in 1954 alongside Ralph Sutton and Edmond Hall. A strong player whose full tone and forceful approach stood out, Hurley led two sessions of his own, cutting four titles for Keynote in 1946 and five for Crown in 1950.