David Pruyn Quartet at Sarasota Art Museum

DAVID PRUYN is thrilled to appear with his quartet, at our community’s newest cultural treasure, Sarasota Art Museum! The son of professional musicians, this New Orleans native began his career (at age11!) as a circus drummer, working for his bandleader dad- then followed the path of his hero, Harry James, as he became smitten with the trumpet a few years later. After honing his drum and trumpet chops through the demanding repertoire of the circus, David branched out into the big band, jazz, and show facets of the music business, eventually studying arranging, orchestration, and conducting. Then, in 1994, rather by a confluence of accident and necessity, he discovered the joys of singing; soon after, colleagues were struck by the similarity of his vocal timbre and phrasing to that of the great Mel Tormé, and he became a protege of the renowned Broadway vocal coach, Fred Silver. Along the way, David has played 1st trumpet, drums, and/or sung for the Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Les Brown bands....

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DAVID PRUYN is thrilled to appear with his quartet, at our community’s newest cultural treasure, Sarasota Art Museum! The son of professional musicians, this New Orleans native began his career (at age11!) as a circus drummer, working for his bandleader dad- then followed the path of his hero, Harry James, as he became smitten with the trumpet a few years later. After honing his drum and trumpet chops through the demanding repertoire of the circus, David branched out into the big band, jazz, and show facets of the music business, eventually studying arranging, orchestration, and conducting. Then, in 1994, rather by a confluence of accident and necessity, he discovered the joys of singing; soon after, colleagues were struck by the similarity of his vocal timbre and phrasing to that of the great Mel Tormé, and he became a protege of the renowned Broadway vocal coach, Fred Silver. Along the way, David has played 1st trumpet, drums, and/or sung for the Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Les Brown bands.

David considers it his great good fortune to have trained “on the job” with his parents; Bill (a big band trumpeter in the late 1940’s), and Lee (a fine solo pianist and accompanist). His adult professional life has brought associations with Byron Stripling, Doc Severinsen, Bobby Shew, Roger Ingram, Walt Johnson, Carl Saunders, Bill Watrous, Dave Steinmeyer, Buddy Morrow, Bill Allred, Ken Peplowski, Ed Calle, Pete Christlieb, Eddie Barefield, Mike Brignola, Terry Myers, Glenn Zottola, Mike Renzi, Chick Corea, Dick Hyman, and singers Mel Tormé, Jack Jones, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Steve Lawrence, Dick Haymes, Al Jarreau, Freddie Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gorme, Aretha Franklin, The Manhattan Transfer, The Four Freshmen, and an old hometown buddy by the name of Harry Connick, Jr.

David now leads “The Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra”, and his lovely wife, Michele, is the featured vocalist.

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