Introduction
Tommy Felline was an American banjo player, guitarist, and Dixieland jazz musician.
Active from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s, he was involved in 340 jazz recording sessions between 1924 and 1936.
Life and career
Tommy Felline was born Thomas Fellini around 1900. He began his professional music career in the 1920s. On April 24, 1923, he played banjo on Paul Victorin Orchestra's recording of "By The Shalimar", accompanied by saxophonist Charles Jacobson and drummer William De Planque at the Edison Studios in New York.
In 1924, Felline was a studio musician for various New York City studio bands of Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Adrian Rollini, and Irving Brodsky, among others. In December 1924, he played banjo on "Doo Wacka Doo" and "Happy (Watchin' All The Clouds Roll By)" for Cameo Records with Adrian Rollini (bass saxophone); Stan King (drums); Irving Brodsky (piano); Arnold Brilhart and Jimmy Dorsey (reeds); Freddy Cusick (tenor saxophone); Lloyd "Ole" Olsen (trombone); and Bill Moore (trumpet), led by Ed Kirkeby.
In April 1925, as part of the jazz ensemble University Sextette, Felline played banjo on "Lady Of The Nile" alongside Adrian Rollini (bass saxophone); Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet, alto saxophone); Arnold Brilhart, Bobby Davis (clarinet, alto + soprano saxophone); Red Nichols (cornet); Stan King (drums); Irving Brodsky (piano); Freddy Cusick (tenor saxophone); Tommy Dorsey (trombone); and Frank Cush and Herman Farberman (trumpet). The same month, as part of Varsity Eight (pseudonym for the California Ramblers), he recorded "Ah-Ha!" (written by James V. Monaco and Sidney Clare) with the same crew.
In those years, Felline also played and recorded with "Palace Garden Orchestra," a pseudonym for California Ramblers on the Pathé Actuelle and Perfect labels. In 1927, his banjo was heard on Palace Garden's recording of "After You've Gone" (written by Henry Creamer and music by Turner Layton) featuring Max Farley (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Herb Weil (drums); Jack Russin (piano); Chelsea Quealey (trumpet); and Ed Kirkeby (whistle).
Over the years, Felline also worked with Sam Lanin, Fred Rich, Ted Wallace (Ed Kirkeby), Jay C. Flippen, Al Bernard, Chick Bullock, Annette Hanshaw, Irving Kaufman, Bill Murray, and Viola McCoy.
In the early 1930s, Felline played with Bert Lown and His Biltmore Hotel Orchestra ("Were You Sincere?" / "I've Found What I Wanted in You", Victor Records 22653), Red Nichols, and Ben Selvin. With Miff Mole's Molers, he played guitar on "Moanin' Low" alongside Phil Napoleon (trumpet).
Felline's music work slowed down after that, and he disappeared from the music scene.
Sources
- The Jazz Discography by Tom Lord