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Artist Portrait

Jerry Colonna

tb, voc, 1904-1986 IT, Boston
Singer / Musician / Songwriter of Jazz and Pop
A.k.a. Gerardo Luigi Colonna

Italian-American comedian, singer and songwriter. Born September 17, 1904, Boston, Massachusetts - Died November 21, 1986, Woodland Hills, California One of the most prominent US entertainers of the inter-WW2 years, Colonna became famous for his role as Bob Hope's side kick in his popular radio shows of the 1940s, and for appearing in "The Road To..." films, again with Hope and Bing Crosby. He was distinguished by his imposing frame, bug-eyes, huge moustache and nasal singing voice. His recordings are generally characterised by big band music with Colonna singing humourous songs in a deliberately grating and tuneless way for comic effect. One of his most notable releases was the 1954 Decca (2) release "Music For Screaming". Starting his career as a trombinist in dance bands around Boston. He can be heard with Joe Herlihy's orchestra on discs recorded for Edison Records in the late 1920s. During the 1930s, Colonna played with the CBS house orchestra, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. During this time he became notorious for clowning and practical jokes, which almost got him fired on more than one occasion. This brought him to the attention of veteran comedian Fred Allen (2), who gave Colonna periodic guest slots on his CBS show, and a decade later he joined the John Scott Trotter band on Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall, alongside other acts such as Victor Borge (2) and Spike Jones.

     
Instruments
  • Trombone
  • Vocals
Genres
  • Jazz
  • Pop
  • Soundtrack
  • Spoken Word
  • World
Popular Tracks   
The Mad Tea Party / The Unbirthday Song / Twinkle Twinkle / Clean Cup Move Down / Mad Watch on Alice In Wonderland by Various Artists
The Trial / The Unbirthday Song (Reprise) / Rule 42 / Off With Her Head / The Caucus Race (Reprise) / Please Wake Up Alice / Time For Tea / Finale (Alice In Wonderland) on Alice In Wonderland by Various Artists
Slippery When Wet on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
Bell-Bottom Trousers on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
Chicago Style on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
The Long Long Intro on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
I Like! You Like on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
New Orleans Cha Cha on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
Caroline in the Morning on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna
Tourists Welcome on Bailing the Jack by Jerry Colonna

Track list and 30sec audio provided by


Band Members
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
Sings & Swings The Dixieland WayJerry Colonna2012Album
Ebb TideJerry Colonna2005Compil.
A Date With Lena Horne 1944Lena Horne Featuring: Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra, Jerry Colonna, Mel Blanc & The Charioteers1981Album
Entertains At Your PartyJerry Colonna1959Album
Music For ScreamingJerry Colonna1955Album
Let Me Go, Lover / I Want To Love You Cara MiaJerry Colonna And The Three Lovers With Paul Sells Trio1955Album
It Might As Well Be Spring / Ja-DaJerry Colonna1954Single
It Might As Well Be Spring / Ja - DaJerry Colonna1954Album
It Might As Well Be SpringJerry Colonna1954Single
Music For ScreamingJerry Colonna1954Single
Ebb TideJerry Colonna1954Single
My Sweet AdelineJerry Colonna1953Single
Sleigh Bells In The Sky / Too Fat For The ChimneyJerry Colonna1953Album
I'm-A-Love You / Hey BarmaidJerry Colonna1953Album
The Brave EngineerJerry Colonna1949Single
Riding The Old Donner Trail / Honkey Little DonkeyJerry Colonna1947Album
Here Comes... Colonna's TrolleyJerry Colonna1947Album
Cowpasture Polka (Lift Your Feet, Lift Your Feet, Lift Your Feet)Jerry Colonna1947Album
Casey/Josephine Please No Lean On The BellJerry Colonna With Vocal Trio And Orchestra Conducted By Frank De Vol1946Album
Heartache, Sadness And Tears / Three Way Boogie / A Farmer's Life Is A Very Merry LifeDinah Shore / Spade Cooley And His Orchestra / Jerry Colonna1946Album
Wyoming / When Rosie Riccoola Do The Hoola Ma BoolaJerry Colonna With Wesley Tuttle And His Texas Stars1946Album
I Cried For You / Bell Bottom TrousersJerry Colonna1945Album
Memphis In June / Dodgers' Fan Dance / I Cried For You / TampicoHarry James And His Orchestra / Jerry Colonna / Stan Kenton And His Orchestra1945Album
Can't Yo' Heah Me Callin' Caroline / I Hate MusicJerry Colonna1944Album
Who's Yehoodi? / Every Day Is Lady's Day With MeJerry Colonna, Six Hits And A Miss1941Album
Where Is My Wandering Boy Soprano Voice Tonight / The Life Of A SailorJerry Colonna1940Album
Don't Send My Boy To Prison / I Came To Say Good-ByeJerry Colonna1939Album
You're My Everything / Hector (The Garbage Collector)Jerry Colonna1937Album
It Might As Well Be Spring / Ja - DaJerry ColonnaAlbum
Let's All Sing With Jerry ColonnaJerry ColonnaAlbum
Let Me Go, Lover / I Want To Love You Cara MiaJerry Colonna And The Three Lovers With Paul Sells TrioAlbum
Jerry Colonna Plays Trombone Along The Dixieland Hi-Fi-WayJerry ColonnaAlbum
Baffi (Pajon) / Chicago StyleJerry ColonnaSingle
Baffi (Pajon) / Chicago StyleJerry ColonnaSingle
Groucho Marx / Jerry ColonnaGroucho Marx / Jerry ColonnaCompil.
External Links
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
Other Search Results
Jerry Colonna And His Dixieland Band Jazz and Spoken Word
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