Jay Blackton

Jay Blackton (March 25, 1909 – January 8, 1994) was an American composer and conductor. In 1956 he won an Academy Award in the category Best Scoring of a Musical Picture for the film Oklahoma! and was also nominated for Guys and Dolls. He was the music director, orchestrator or arranger for more than 25 Broadway productions and national tours.

Born Jay Schwartzdorf in New York City, he studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School. He began his career in opera, as an assistant conductor at New York Opera Comique and then as the conductor at St. Louis Municipal Opera from 1937 to 1942. In 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein hired him to orchestrate and conduct Oklahoma! on Broadway, and he followed this engagement as music director and often orchestrator or arranger of such musicals as Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Guys and Dolls, Hello, Dolly! and George M!. In addition, he toured with Bob Hope and others.

Blackton died in January 1994 of heart failure at the Granada Hills Community Hospital in Granada Hills, California, at the age of 84.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 25, 1909 (New York City), Died January 8, 1994 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1943 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D5RC-1362 12-in. 9/7/1945 Vilia Jay Blackton ; Eleanor Steber Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Victor D6RC-5028 12-in. 1/15/1946 Summertime Jay Blackton ; Eleanor Steber Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra conductor  
Decca 71454 10-in. 10/20/1943 Oklahoma overture Orchestra (unidentified; Decca Records) conductor  
Decca 71455 10-in. 10/20/1943 Oh what a beautiful morning (Act 2-Scene 2) Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 71456 10-in. 10/20/1943 Pore Jud is daid (Act 1-Scene 1) Howard Da Silva ; Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 71457 10-in. 10/20/1943 I can't say no (Act 1-Scene 2) Celeste Holm conductor  
Decca 71458 10-in. 10/20/1943 All or nothin' Lee Dixon ; Celeste Holm conductor  
Decca 71459 10-in. 10/20/1943 The surrey with the fringe on top (Act 2-Scene 1) Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 71474 10-in. 10/25/1943 Oklahoma! (Act 1-Scene 1) Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 71475 10-in. 10/25/1943 Kansas City (Act 1-Scene 3) Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 71476 10-in. 10/25/1943 Finale (Oh what a beautiful mornin' ; People will say we're in love) Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 71477 10-in. 10/25/1943 People will say we're in love Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 71478 10-in. 10/25/1943 Many a new day (Act 1-Scene 1) Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 71479 10-in. 10/25/1943 Out of my dreams (Act 1-Scene 1) Oklahoma Boys, The conductor  
Decca 72169 10-in. 5/25/1944 It's a scandal Joseph Buloff conductor  
Decca 72170 10-in. 5/25/1944 The farmer and the cowman, part 1 Betty Garde ; Ralph Riggs conductor  
Decca 72171 10-in. 5/25/1944 The farmer and the cowman, part 2 Betty Garde ; Ralph Riggs conductor  
Decca 72172 10-in. 5/25/1944 Lonely room Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 73139 10-in. 11/16/1945 When you're pretty and the world is fair Jay Blackton conductor  
Decca 73140 10-in. 11/16/1945 The streets of New York Wilbur Evans conductor  
Decca 73141 10-in. 11/16/1945 Every day's ladies' day with me Wilbur Evans conductor  
Decca 73153 10-in. 11/23/1945 Moonbeams Eileen Farrell conductor  
Decca 73154 10-in. 11/23/1945 Because you're you Eileen Farrell ; Felix Knight conductor  
Decca 73155 10-in. 11/23/1945 In the isle of our dreams Eileen Farrell ; Felix Knight conductor  
Decca 73521 4/22/1946 The Lord's prayer Conrad Thibault conductor  
Decca 73522 4/22/1946 Goin' home No.5 in E minor Conrad Thibault conductor  
Decca 73523 4/22/1946 I love you truly Conrad Thibault conductor  
Decca 73524 4/22/1946 Oh promise me Conrad Thibault conductor  
Decca 73568 5/13/1946 Without a song John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73569 5/13/1946 Song of the open road John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73570 5/13/1946 Great day John Raitt conductor  
Decca 73916 5/19/1947 All my love Al Jolson conductor  
Decca 73917 5/19/1947 Keep smiling at trouble Al Jolson conductor  
Decca 74188 12/1/1947 Eadie was a lady, part 1-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74189 12/1/1947 Eadie was a lady, part 2-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74190 12/1/1947 Blow, Gabriel, blow-2 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74208 12/8/1947 I get a kick out of you-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 74209 12/8/1947 You're the top-1 Ethel Merman conductor  
Decca 76123 4/11/1950 Accidents will happen Bing Crosby conductor  
Decca 76124 4/11/1950 Milady-1 Bing Crosby conductor  
Decca 80280 12/15/1950 Limehouse blues Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80307 12/28/1950 I've got a crush on you Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80308 12/28/1950 Someday I'll find you Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80309 12/28/1950 Someone to watch over me Gertrude Lawrence conductor  
Decca 80383 1/15/1951 Overture: Love me tonight ; Song of the vagabonds ; Only a rose Cast of The vagabond king conductor  
Decca 80384 1/15/1951 Huguette waltz Gloria Lane conductor  
Decca 80385 1/15/1951 Tomorrow Mimi Benzell ; Alfred Drake conductor  
Decca 80386 1/16/1951 Song of the vagabonds Cast of The vagabond king conductor  
Decca 80387 1/16/1951 Some day Mimi Benzell conductor  
Decca L 8435 5/24/1955 Take back your gold Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  
Decca L 8436 5/24/1955 That old gang of mine ; Sweet Adeline Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  
Decca L 8437 5/24/1955 A bird in a gilded cage ; Frankie and Johnny Ethel Merman arranger, conductor  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Blackton, Jay," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863.

Blackton, Jay. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863.

"Blackton, Jay." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105863

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