About Dave Tough
Lived 1907 – 1948 (aged 41). Dave Tough was an American jazz musician, non-fiction writer, percussionist and musician.
David Jarvis Tough (April 26, 1907 – December 9, 1948) was an American jazz drummer associated with Dixieland and swing jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. He has been described as "the most important of the drummers of the Chicago circle".
Biography Born in Oak Park, Illinois, United States,
He left music for three years until 1935, then joined the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Red Norvo, Bunny Berigan, and Benny Goodman.
He was played by Shelly Manne in the 1959 Paramount Pictures biopic The Five Pennies, a biography of Red Nichols starring Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Louis Armstrong.
In 2000, he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
Discography
With Tommy Dorsey Tribute to Dorsey Vol. 1 (RCA 1956) Tribute to Dorsey Vol. 2 (RCA Victor, 1957) Yes Indeed! (RCA Victor, 1956)
With Benny Goodman Trio Quartet Quintet (RCA Victor, 1956) This Is Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (RCA Victor, 1956) Charlie Christian (Philips, 1959) Performance 1937-1938 Volume 2 (MGM, 1959) Swing, Swing, Swing (RCA Camden, 1960) Portrait in Swing (Verve, 1964) This Is Benny Goodman (RCA Victor, 1971) Goodman On the Air (Nostalgia, 1979) The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings (RCA Victor, 1997)
With Charlie Ventura Jumping with Ventura (EmArcy, 1955) Carnegie Hall Concert (Columbia, 1956) East of Suez (Regent, 1958) Live at the Three Deuces! with Bill Harris (Phoenix Jazz, 1975) Aces at the Deuces with Bill Harris (Phoenix Jazz, 1976) Euphoria (Savoy, 1980) Live at the Three Deuces Vol. 2 with Bill Harris (HighNote, 2000)
With others Mildred Bailey, Her Greatest Performances 1929–1946 (Columbia, 1962) Bunny Berigan, Bunny Berigan Volume 2 (Shoestring, 1975) George Brunies & Wild Bill Davison, Tin Roof Blues (Commodore, 1980) Charlie Christian, Solo Flight (Columbia, 1972) Eddie Condon, A Legend (Mainstream, 1965) Bud Freeman, Midnight at Eddie Condon's (Emarcy, 1955) Woody Herman, The Thundering Herds (Columbia, 1961) Woody Herman, The Turning Point 1943–1944 (Coral, 1969) Joe Marsala, Joe Marsala and His Orchestra featuring Adele Girard (Aircheck, 1976) Joe Marsala, Lower Register (IAJRC, 1981) Flip Phillips, A Melody from the Sky (Bob Thiele Music, 1975) Alvino Rey, Uncollected 1946 (Hindsight, 1978) Artie Shaw, Born to Swing (Durium, 1976) Artie Shaw, Evensong (Hep, 2000) Rex Stewart, Rex Stewart and the Ellingtonians (Riverside, 1960) Jack Teagarden, Jack Teagarden (RCA Victor, 1966) Jack Teagarden, King of the Blues Trombone (Epic/Columbia, 1963) Claude Thornhill, Buster's Last Stand (Hep, 2001) Ben Webster, Ben and the Boys (Jazz Archives, 1976)
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Important facts
People in Dave Tough's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Dave Tough's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Dave Tough?
American drummer (1907–1948)
When was Dave Tough born?
Dave Tough was born on 26 April 1907 in Oak Park.
When did Dave Tough die?
Dave Tough died on 9 December 1948 in Newark.
What was Dave Tough's occupation?
Dave Tough was a jazz musician, non-fiction writer, percussionist and musician.
What nationality was Dave Tough?
Dave Tough was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dave Tough. https://biography.guide/dave-tough/
MLA: "Dave Tough." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dave-tough/.
Chicago: "Dave Tough." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dave-tough/.
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