Biography
In the 1990s Jerry Jerome began surfacing on Arbors releases after spending decades away from the public eye, already well into his mid-eighties. Though recognized by fellow players as an outstanding swing tenor saxophonist, he remained a lifelong sideman rather than achieving widespread recognition. While briefly pursuing medical studies he realized his true calling lay in music, performing with dance orchestras—including a notable stint alongside Harry Reser in 1935—during college breaks before leaving school entirely. His first recordings were made with Reser in 1936, after which he joined Glenn Miller’s initial, unsuccessful orchestra from 1936 to 1937, worked briefly with Red Norvo in 1938, and settled into studio work. He spent part of 1938 with Artie Shaw, then gained wider notice during his tenure with Benny Goodman from November 1938 through July 1940, appearing on numerous Goodman sextet dates that featured Charlie Christian and also recording with Lionel Hampton. Jerome rejoined Artie Shaw until March 1941, at which point he committed fully to studio life, serving as NBC’s musical director from 1942 to 1946, heading A&R for Apollo and Keystone for a couple of years, and acting as musical director for New York’s WPIX-TV. From the mid-1950s onward he enjoyed a thriving career composing advertising jingles; upon retiring from that field he relocated to Florida in the 1980s and resumed playing jazz. His improvisational approach and technical command remained undiminished, leaving him in peak musical form even past eighty. He continued performing until his death on November 17, 2001, with engagements scheduled near his Sarasota residence into December. Beyond his sideman work, Jerome led sessions across varied formats: a 1939 jam date with Charlie Christian, an extensive mid-1940s trio recording with Teddy Wilson, a 1944 Dixieland date for Stinson, numerous Apollo sides in 1947, a late-1950s album for ABC-Paramount, and a complete 1996 Arbors CD that paired new material with highlights from his earlier career.