George T. Simon

George Thomas Simon (May 9, 1912 – February 13, 2001) was an American jazz writer and occasional drummer. He began as a drummer and performed in this role in early versions of Glenn Miller's orchestra. and shifted its emphasis from a publisher of technical articles to a chronicler of the swing era. Simon was probably the most influential jazz commentator during the swing era. Thanks to his inside connections with the jazz world, he was able to report information about bands and their personnel with great accuracy. After leaving Metronome, he was involved with the Jazztone Society (1956–57), was a consultant to the Timex All-Star Jazz Show broadcast from 1957 to 1959, and wrote about jazz for the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Post daily newspapers. He also composed liner notes for musicians including Thelonious Monk. In 1978, he won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.

Simon appeared as an imposter for Joe Rosenthal on the March 5, 1962 episode of the CBS television game show To Tell the Truth, receiving two of the four votes.

Simon died of pneumonia in 2001 at the age of 88, after years of suffering from Parkinson's disease. He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame the following year (2002).

Selected bibliography

The Feeling of Jazz, 1961 The Sinatra Report, 1965 The Big Bands, 1968 Simon Says: The Sights and Sounds of the Big Band Era, 1971 Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, 1974 The Big Bands Songbook, 1975 The Best of the Music Makers, 1979