Ross Gorman

Born

November 18, 1890

Died

January 1, 1953 (aged 62)

Known as

clarinetist

John Ross Smeed Gorman was an American jazz clarinetist, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist. Gorman is best remembered for his work with Paul Whiteman, particularly his famous clarinet glissando for Rhapsody in Blue, on which he also played oboe, bass clarinet, and saxophone. The glissando came as the result of an experiment by Gorman, who, according to Whiteman's violinist Kurt Dieterlie, was known for his ability to "make incredibly odd sounds with his instrument."

Biography from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.