Big Band, Swing, & Jazz Legend
Art Depew

Art Depew (trumpet/vocals/arranger) : Son of a minister in West Palm Beach, Florida, Art began playing in church and at age 13, in a local band, the Florida Cavaliers. Forming a band at Auburn, Alabama, he worked summer jobs at the Virginia and Carolina beaches. Breaking up the band one fall led him to New York City where he joined Bob Chester and toured to California. There he joined Horace Heidt (NBC radio). Having been enlisted in the army he was called up and sent to a band at Walter Reed Hospital. On mustering out Art went to New York City where he attended Juilliard for 3 1/2 years. He joined Tex Beneke (then Glenn Miller Orchestra) and finally left to join Tommy Dorsey to tour west. Staying in California he joined Harry James and eventually worked for Ray Anthony, Charlie Barnet, Orrin Tucker and Lawrence Welk (ABC-TV). His love of Dixieland jazz comes from his southern roots and he has worked with the Bob Crosby Orchestra and Bob Ringwald's Great Pacific Jazz Band. In 1987 Art was called to lead the Harry James Orchestra which he still does in addition to free-lancing around California with his own band and with the Bill Tole Orchestra.