John Danser

John Danser was born June 5, 1934 in London, England, to Fay and Daniel Danser, where he began his musical training and was heralded as a child prodigy on the clarinet at a very early age. He emigrated to the United States at age 14 and continued to perform, landing TV spots on popular variety shows such as the Ted Mack Hour. John went on to earn a Bachelor's in Music from Brooklyn College and a Master's in Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied both classical and jazz music. Already an accomplished jazz, Big Band, and classical musician, arranger, and composer, John enlisted in the US Army after graduating college and served from 1957-1959 as a lead member of the 19th and 173rd Army Band. He was appointed bandleader and arranger for the Jazz and Dance bands, and led the world tour of the Army variety show "Rolling Along." After his military service, John performed, composed, and arranged in the Catskills during the famous Borscht Belt era, serving as bandleader at the Concord Hotel, where he played in bands for renowned artists such as Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., Milton Burle, and Bob Hope. He played in Xavier Cugart's band in Atlantic City, conducted Gene Kruper's band, and wrote an overture for a 30-piece orchestra for the Sophie Tucker show. During this period he established an extensive and much sought-after library of Big Band and Standard arrangements for 8-12 piece bands in the style of jazz greats such as Benny Goodman and Stan Getz, and formed the Dance to Danser Band, which played regularly at the Mercer Street Arts Theater in New York, as well as at Hugh Heffner's Playboy Club in New Jersey. The band also played at a multitude of high society events at all of the major hotels and clubs in the New York, area, headlining many celebrity weddings and other exclusive events. Additionally, John composed several classical works, such as his String Quartet (1960), and his Concertina for Violin and Band (1975), which was commissioned by renowned violinist Max Pokolef and funded by a grant from the American Music Society. John enjoyed success throughout his career as a freelance club date musician, bandleader, and arranger, playing at a multitude of events over the span of three decades at numerous prestigious venues, and for dignitaries such as George Bush, Sr. and Margaret Thatcher, and celebrities such as Ann Margaret, to name a few. Even more innumerable were the private weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other personal celebrations during which guests danced the night away to the energetic sounds of John's arrangements and his virtuosic solos on clarinet, sax, flute, and piccolo. John formed an avant-garde jazz ensemble, the John Danser Octet, in the late '60s, which was featured on the classic album The Danser Revolution. He soon went on to form the jazz-rock fusion band Danser's Inferno and the hit album Creation One. This second album truly meshed John's diverse styles and had a totally unique sound which was both innovative and timely, combining a funky, hip rock sound with intricately orchestrated instrumentation and poetic, socially conscious lyrics. These two albums have stood the test of time. The original LPs are much sought after in the record collecting industry, both for their rarity and for their completely distinctive style, unmatched by any other artist in the last 40 years. The music saw a resurgence in Japan in 2009, and both albums were re-released as limited editions by Discmasters. John's music has a strong internet presence and is enjoyed across generations for its unique and timeless merits. The albums are available in the US for digital download only on cdbaby.com, or through private purchase from his daughter. John lived most of his adult life in Brooklyn, New York, and later retired to the Catkills, and ultimately to Sarasota, Florida, where he passed away on July 22, 2013, at the age of 79. He was a cooking enthusiast, a cat lover, and a vibrant, eccentric, and hilarious person who brought joy and entertainment to everyone he met. He is succeeded by his daughter, Jessica Danser-Schwarz, his sister, Celia Barron, and his son-in-law, Karl Schwarz. John's legacy lives on forever through his music! Graveside service will be 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 25, 2013 at Sarasota National Cemetery, Sarasota, Florida. David C. Gross Funeral Homes, Central Avenue Chapel in St. Petersburg is serving the family. Service Information