Paul Lavalle

Paul Lavalle (born Joseph Usifer,[1] September 6, 1908 - June 24, 1997) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and performer on clarinet and saxophone.

After winning a scholarship there,[citation needed] Lavalle studied music at the Juilliard School[2] and was a student of composition of Joseph Schillinger.

His composition Symphonic Rhumba (1939), was broadcast by the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, on December 6, 1942.

[3]: 103  On his radio shows he collaborated with Victor Borge, Mario Lanza, Robert Merrill and Dinah Shore.

Each program began with the introduction: "Forty-eight states... 48 stars... 48 men marching down the main street of everybody's hometown!

On May 18, 1961, Paul Lavalle and the Greatest Band in America joined singer Kay Armen in a 30-minute episode of the ABC-TV series "Music For a Spring Night" entitled "Concert in the Park."

He met Sarah "Sally" Grant (22 July 1904 - 18 January 1992), a native of North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, while in Cuba, and they were married in New York.