Gene Patrick "Corky" Corcoran (July 28, 1924 – October 3, 1979) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Corky Corcoran
Birth nameGene Patrick Corcoran
BornJuly 28, 1924
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
DiedOctober 3, 1979 (aged 55)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
GenresJazz
InstrumentsTenor saxophone

Early life

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Corcoran was born in Tacoma, Washington. Considered a child prodigy, he began performing in bands at the age of 16.[1]

Career

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Corcoran first played professionally in 1940 with Sonny Dunham, then joined Harry James's ensemble for from 1941 to 1947.[2][3] He left James for a short time, playing with his own ensemble and working briefly in Tommy Dorsey's band before rejoining James in 1949. He continued to work with James until 1957, and also played concurrently with his own ensembles. In 1962, he once again began working with James, an association that would continue almost to Corcoran's death.

Personal life

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Corcoran died in Tacoma.[4]

References

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Footnotes
  1. ^ Blecha, Peter (2007). Music in Washington: Seattle and Beyond. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4818-0.
  2. ^ "Seattle's Fun And Noise -- From W.C. Handy To Jimi Hendrix To Robert Cray, The Emerald City Has A Rich History Of Black Music | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  3. ^ Levinson, Peter J. (1999-11-18). Trumpet Blues: The Life of Harry James. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-028317-9.
  4. ^ "Corky Corcoran, 55, Saxophonist With James and Dorsey Bands". The New York Times. 1979-10-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
General references