Johnny Glasel

Johnny Glasel also known as John Glasel (born Joseph Samuel Glasel, 1930, Manhattan, New York), was an American jazz trumpeter.

Glasel attended the Yale School of Music early in the 1950s and then played in the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and chamber music ensembles alongside gigs with jazz musicians. He had previously played in the 1940s with Bob Wilbur.

Living in New York City later in the 1950s, Glasel played in Ray McKinley's Glenn Miller tribute and in the orchestras of Broadway shows, as well as at Radio City Music Hall. He played with a group called The Six and in the orchestra of Bill Russo. He released albums of his own in the 1950s and 1960s.

Glasel's recorded output is vast but difficult to trace. In addition to his work with Gil Evans (most notably on Into the Hot), he recorded extensively as a pop session musician, and often did so uncredited. He is known to have played with John Denver and Astrud Gilberto among many others.

Glasel became president of Local 802 of the New York City Musicians' Union early in the 1980s, maintaining the position until 1992. Another album was released in 2004.

He was secretary of Health Care for All/NJ and was appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine to serve on the New Jersey Health Care Access Study Commission. He writes about health care reform and other social issues. He lived in New Jersey.

John died in the early morning hours of December 8th, 2011.

Discography

As leader

• Jazz Session (Paramount, 1956)
• The John Glasel Brasstet (1959)
• Free Fall (Columbia Records, 1963)
• Westchester Workshop (Fresh Sounds, 2004)

As sideman

With Walter Wanderley

• When It Was Done (A&M/CTI, 1968)

References

• Johnny Glasel at Allmusic