Jim Dahl

Jim Dahl (born May 2, 1930) is an American jazz trombonist and studio musician.

He was involved in over 100 recording sessions between 1956 and 1969 and played with several famed jazz and pop musicians of the time, including Nat Pierce, Clyde McCoy, Hal McKusick, Sam Most, Marlene VerPlanck](/i/marlene-verplanck), and Neil Sedaka.

Jim Dahl was born James Russell Dahl in Minnesota on May 2, 1930, into a musical family. His family had a band in which his father played bassist, his mother played organ, his brother played trumpet, and his sister played piano.

While in school, Dahl played tuba, which became his secondary instrument in his career.

After completing military service, he began his professional music career in trumpeter/bandleader Clyde McCoy's band. After that, in 1956/57, he played trombone in the big band of Erroll Garner and recorded Other Voices, accompanied by Nat Pierce (arrangements); Bernie Glow, Phil Sunkel, Ray Copeland, Burt Collins, Doug Mettome (trumpet); Frank Rehak, Eddie Bert, Urbie Green (trombone); Gene Allen, Anthony Ortega, Dick Meldonian, Sam Marowitz, Hal McKusick, Herbie Mann(reeds); Harry Glickman, Arnold Eidus, Gene Orloff, Sylvan Shulman, Milt Lomask, Sy Miroff, Max Hollander (violin); Isadore Zir, Harold Coletta (viola); Daniel Guilet (cello); Al Hall, Milt Hinton (bass); and Specs Powell, Osie Johnson (drums).

In 1957, Dahl was heard on clarinetist Sam Most's album Plays Bird, Bud, Monk And Miles with Dave Schildkraut (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Tommy Potter (bass); Paul Motian (drums); Bob Dorough (piano); Dick Meldonian, Eddie Wasserman, and Marty Flax (tenor saxophone); Frank Rehak (trombone); Al Stewart, Don Stratton, and Doug Mettome (trumpet);

In the following years, he worked mainly as a freelance musician and worked with numerous jazz musicians, including Specs Powell, Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band, Johnny Richards, Boyd Raeburn, Claude Thornhill, Ernie Wilkins, Manny Albam, Gene Krupa, Woody Herman, Elliot Lawrence, Gene quill, Jackie Gleason, Chubby Jackson, Tony Pastor, George Dale Williams, and Tito Puente.

Dahl also worked with pop musicians Johnnie Ray and Neil Sedaka.

In 1969, he played trombone on several tracks of Marlene VerPlanck's LP This Happy Feeling on Mounted Records. Musicians who played with him on this record:

• Bass: George Duvivier, Jack Six
• Bass trombone: Alan Raph, Tony Studd
• Drums: Bill LaVorgna
• Guitar: Al Caiola, Bucky Pizzarelli
• Percussion: Phil Kraus
• Piano: Derek Smith, Hank Jones
• Reeds: Boomie Richman, Andy Fitzgerald, Joe Soldo, Lenny Hambro, Phil Bodner
• Trombone: Sonny Russo, Urbie Green, Warren Covington
• Trumpet: Bob McCoy, Daryl Campbell, Mel Davis

Musicals

In 1962, Dahl played trombone on No Strings, a Broadway musical drama by playwright Samuel A. Taylor and music by Richard Rodgers. Other people involved in the musical: Diahann Carroll, Don Chastain, Richard Kiley (vocals); Ronnie Bedford (drums); Ralph Burns (orchestration); Joe Layton (direction); Peter Matz (musical direction); Aaron Sachs (clarinet); and James Sedlar (trumpet).