Gus Bivona

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Gus Bivona
Background information
Birth name	Gus Peter Bivona
Born	(1915-11-25)November 25, 1915 New London, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	January 5, 1996(1996-01-05) (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Big band, swing
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Clarinet
Years active	circa 1935–1995
Labels	Mercury, Capitol, Warner Bros.

Gus Bivona (November 25, 1915 – January 5, 1996) was an American reed player — covering a range of clarinets, saxophones and flute — at the height of the big band era. Following World War II, he was a staff musician for the MGM Studio Orchestra, playing on countless soundtracks and sessions. He later became a well-known sidekick of pianist, composer, comedian, and television host Steve Allen. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Bivona began leading his own band, releasing albums under his own name for labels such as Mercury and Warner Bros.