Jan Savitt was born in a part of the old Russian Empire which is now a part of Ukraine. He moved to the United States with his family very early in life and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At an early age, it was quite apparent that Jan was a very good violinist. This caught the attention of Leopold Stokowski who led the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra at the time. When Savitt finally joined on with the symphony he remained with them for a good part of seven years. Hence his nickname "The Stokowski of Swing".
But don't be fooled by Savitt's classical training. Jan Savitt really knew how to swing. In the late 1930's, he formed his own band and became one of the biggest swing acts in the Philadelphia area. He also received a lot of air time on the radio; for years his band, Jan Savitt and The Top Hatters, was the staff band on KYW radio in Philly.
Throughout the war years of the 1940's, Savitt's band released many recordings and made quite a name for themselves. Even after the war, the band continued to tour and enjoyed a good deal of popularity. While touring the west coast of the U.S. in October of 1948, Jan suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage before a show and was rushed to a local hospital. Savitt passed away two days later at the young age of 41. Such a shame.
Listen to "Green Goon Jive" by Jan Savitt from my 78's Collection.
You can hear many of Jan Savitt's songs right here on Swing City Radio.
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