Sid Weiss(1914-1994)
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Swing-era bassist, an often understated presence on the music scene
from early childhood. Weiss began on tuba, clarinet and violin before
switching to string bass. After completing high school, he gigged for
some time in the Rochester and New York area, including stints with
Wingy Manone and
Charlie Barnet. He is best remembered for
his tenure with the Artie Shaw Orchestra in
1936, and again, between 1937 and 1939 (when the band broke up). Famous
tracks on which Weiss provided rhythmic kick include
'Begin the Beguine', 'Any Old Time', 'Deep Purple', 'Carioca' and 'Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise'. During the 1940's, Weiss worked with other top swing outfits of the period: Tommy Dorsey
(1940-41), Benny Goodman
(1941-45), Jerry Wald (1942),
Abe Lyman (1943) and
Hal McIntyre (USO overseas tour, 1945).
After the war, he worked regularly as a studio musician, recording in
New York with Eddie Condon,
Duke Ellington,
Bud Freeman and
Joe Bushkin (among others). From 1954, Weiss
was based in Los Angeles where he alternated recording and club dates
with work for a tape recorder manufacturer. In 1968, he left his career
as a performer altogether and became a business representative for the
Musician's Union, Local 47.
