James F. Burke (musician)

James Francis (Jimmy) Burke was born in Port Jefferson, New York, the son of Robert Arthur Burke (1895 - 1977) and Helen Marguerite Goebel (1899 - 1956).[3] Robert was a mason contractor who also played the trumpet. He is credited with building the high school and telephone building in Port Jefferson. Helen was a pianist, and together they had their own dance band.

At his birth, Jimmy sustained a brachial plexus injury,[4] rendering his right arm useless. He began to play the trumpet at age 5, but since he could not hold the horn, his father had a tripod stand built for him. The top of it was shaped like a horseshoe and the horn would sit in that stand with a strap going over it in front of the valves. The stand was on rollers and could also be raised and lowered like a music stand.

Promotional poster of Jimmy Burke aged 12

When he was seven years old, he started performing for the Rotary Club and for different organizations. In 1936 he played on WJZ (AM) on Sunday mornings from 9 to 10 o'clock. The program was called "Coast To Coast On A Bus" and Milton Cross was the announcer. Then from 11 to 12 o'clock, he went to ABC (which was CBS at that time) to the The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour. Paul Douglas (actor) was the announcer. Jimmy played on these 2 shows for 7 years, playing 2 different solos every morning. When he was 13, some of the participants from The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour made a movie for Warner Brothers called "Stars Of Tomorrow". In the film, 5 boys make up a hillbilly band.

Stars of Tomorrow - Jimmy Burke on far right

Jimmy's first teacher was his father from the age of 5 until the age of 13. He then studied with Del Staigers in 1936 and 1937. Lessons were conducted at Staigers' apartment in Sunnyside, Queens, New York. He regarded Staigers as the greatest player he had ever heard. It was Staigers who suggested to the King Musical Instrument Company that they build a cornet for left handed playing. Jimmy then studied with John "Ned" Mahoney, a cornetist with The Goldman Band and a graduate The Ernest Williams School of Music. From 1938 through 1943 Burke attended The Ernest Williams School of Music at 153 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, New York. During those 6 summers, he attended The Ernest Williams Band Camp at Saugerties, New York.

The Goldman Band performing in Central Park, NY

From 1943 to 1974 Jimmy was the principle cornet soloist[5] and solo chair with The Goldman Band.[6] During his 32-year career, he was contracted to play five solos each week. The band performed seven nights a week with 50 concerts in a summer season. All totaled, Jimmy performed over 1,100 solos with The Goldman Band. He had a prodigious memory for music and rarely read from sheet music during a performance.

In 1943 Jimmy moved to Baltimore and began a seven-year stint as principle trumpet with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as well as the professor of trumpet at Peabody Conservatory and Conductor of the band. During the summers, he took the train to New York City to play with The Goldman Band.

Upon his return from Baltimore in 1950, Jimmy received a call from Paul Lavalle who asked him to join his band. Jimmy stayed with the band for six years. He had a featured solo performance of "The Carnival of Venice" on the RCA Victor LP "A Sunday Band Concert".

In 1960 he co-founded The All-Star Concert Band with American tubist Harvey Phillips.[7] The band recorded 2 LPs under the Golden Crest label. The first, titled "The All-Star Concert Band" was recorded September 17–18, 1960 at the Huntington Theatre, Huntington, New York. The second LP titled "The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band" was recorded a year later.

• Port Jefferson High School Wall of Fame[3]

Plaque on the Port Jefferson HS Wall Of Fame

On June 26, 1981 Jimmy suffered a massive heart attack while conducting a rehearsal of The Guggenheim Memorial Band, the successor to The Goldman Band.[8] He was interred in the family plot at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Port Jefferson, New York.[3]

Solo Recordings

• 1954 National Music Contest Selections (1954) [Polymusic PR/EE 101]
• Horn Of Plenty (1956) [Decca 8489]
• Clinician Series (1960) [Golden Crest CRG-1004]
• The All-Star Concert Band (1960) [Golden Crest CR-4025]
• The Burke-Phillips All-Star Concert Band (1961) [Golden Crest CR-4040]

Artist Workshop Series

• The Magic Trumpet (1958) [Artist Workshop Series AWS 101]
• Tropical Trumpets (1959) [Artist Workshop Series AWS 102] (Trumpet trio with Ted Weis and Jack Holland)
• Introduction and Tarentella (1959) [Artist Workshop Series AWS 103]
• Bright Eyes (Trio) (1959) [Artist Workshop Series AWS 104] (Trumpet trio with Ted Weis and Jack Holland)

With The Goldman Band

• America Marches (1947) [Regent]
• Sousa - Goldman Marches (1949) [Columbia CL 6080]
• On The Mall (1952) [Decca 9-295]
• America Marches (1955) [RCA Camden – CAL-125]
• On Parade! (1955) [Decca DL 5546]
• I Love to Hear a Band (1957) [Decca DL 8445]
• Semper Fidelis - The Marches of John Philip Sousa (1957) [Harmony HS 11244]
• Band Masterpieces (1958) [Decca DL 8633]
• The Sound of the Goldman Band (post 1959) [Decca DL 8931]
• Golden March Favorites (1960) [Decca DL 4453]
• Sousa Marches in Hi Fi (1960) [Decca DL 8807]
• Cavalcade of the American Band (1962) [Capitol W 1688]
• Marching Along Together (1963) [Decca DL 4450]
• Here Comes the Band! (unknown) [Decca DL 8185]
• A Bicentennial Celebration (200 Years of American Music) (1975) [Columbia Masterworks M 33838 ]

With Leroy Anderson

• Leroy Anderson Conducts His Music (1951) [MCA 531] (Featured Soloist on "A Trumpeter's Lullaby")
• Leroy Anderson Conducts Leroy Anderson (1954) [MCA 555] ("Bugler's Holiday" trumpet trio with Raymond Crisara and John Ware)

With Archie Bleyer

• S'il Vous Plait (1954) [Cadence 1241]

With Robert Russell Bennett

• Victory at Sea (1955) [RCA Victor Red Seal LM 1779]

With Paul Lavalle

• America's Favorite Marches (1951) [RCA Victor LPM-6]
• A Sunday Band Concert (1953) [RCA Victor LPM-3120] (Featured Soloist "The Carnival of Venice")
• "The Carnival of Venice" (1953) [RCA Victor 47-5203] (Vinyl, 7" 45RPM)
• Lavalle at Work (1954) [RCA Victor LPM-1026]
• Great Band Music (1955) [RCA Victor LPM-1133]

With Morton Gould

• Hi Fi Band Concert (Columbia Concert Band) (1956) [Columbia CL 954]
• Brass and Percussion (1957) [RCA Victor 09026-61255-2]
• The Band Plays On (Columbia Concert Band) (circa 1959) [Columbia Masterworks AL 57]

With Robert Shaw

• Mass in B Minor (1960) [RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-6157]

With Igor Stravinsky

• The Rite of Spring (1960) [Columbia MS-6319]

With Andre Kostelanetz (see NOTES)

• Wonderland of Sound - Star Spangled Marches (1962) [Columbia CS-8518]
• The Thunderer - The Spectacular Sound of John Philip Sousa (1962) [Columbia CS-1959]

With Thomas Schippers

• (Unknown - See NOTES)

With Leopold Stokowski

• (Unknown - See NOTES)
• NOTES - According to his self published resume,[9] James F. Burke played on "many recordings conducted by Stokowski, Morton Gould, Andre Kostelanetz and Thomas Schippers". In the early days of recordings, musicians rarely (if ever) received credit in the liner notes of album jackets so it is unknown for certain on which albums Mr. Burke performed. In the case of Morton Gould, credit was given to musicians on the album jacket. In the case of Andre Kostelanetz, his overall discography suggests that the two albums listed are where Jimmy would most likely have been contracted to perform.

• My Fair Lady
• Oklahoma!
• Song Of Norway
• The Music Man
• Cabaret
• I Do! I Do!
• The Rothschilds (musical)
• George M
• South Pacific

• Wide, Wide World with Dave Garroway NBC
• Tic Tac Dough NBC
• Dough Re Mi with Gene Rayburn NBC
• Twenty-One with Jack Barry NBC
• Thy Kingdom Come NBC
• The Jackie Gleason Show CBS

• Peabody Conservatory 1943-1949
• Ithaca College 1957-1961
• University of Bridgeport 1 year
• Hofstra University 1974-1981
• Manhattan School of Music

Cornet/trumpet solos

• The Runaway Trumpet (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• Hocus Polka (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• Prom Waltz (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• Serenade In 6/8 (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• Strictly GI (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• Twilight Tune (1952) Mercury Music Corporation
• The Magic Trumpet (1955) Carl Fischer
• Begine (1956) Chas. Colin
• Caprice (1956) Chas. Colin
• Joneta (1956) Chas. Colin
• Amourette (1959) Carl Fischer
• Danza Allegre (1960) Carl Fischer
• Jolene (1963) Chas. Colin
• Jimala Beguine (1964) Carl Fischer

Method book

• New Directions In Tonguing (1956) Chas. Colin

• Eventide
• Zorita (1968)[10]

• Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Trumpet Section - View topic: Trumpet Herald forum
• Edwin Franko Goldman | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News (Edwin Franko Goldman mentions James Burke beginning at approximately 13:00.)

• James F. Burke - Cornet Soloist - YouTube