Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Maurice “Moe” Purtill was born May 4, 1916 in Huntington, New York and^] dropped out of high school to start his career as a freelance drummer in New York Studios. At the age of 20 at the outset of  1936 he became a member of the Red Norvo band.

Later he joined Mildred Bailey, played briefly with Glenn Miller in 1937, then worked with Tommy Dorsey in 1938 for a year before picking up with Miller again from 1939 to 1942, when Miller had the bulk of his hits. After Miller’s band broke up in 1942, Moe played with Kay Kyser until 1944, then joined the U.S. Navy. After his discharge, he played briefly in 1946 with the reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Tex Beneke.

Purtill went on to record in the studio on various projects and participated in a few Miller reunions. He was good friends with Buddy Rich, Trigger Alpert and saxophonist Jack Palmer. He lived in New York City until the early 1970s, retired in 1978 and moved to Sarasota, Florida.

Drummer Moe Purtill died at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey on March 9, 1994.

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