He served in the U.S. Navy, then wrote arrangements for the big bands of Claude Thornhill and Benny Goodman. During 1947, he led a band with Ray Eberle and soon after led the Manhattan Jazz Band, which played Dixieland with Bob Zurke on boogie-woogie piano.
As a former naval officer, he went on to create musical arrangements for famous big bands, including those of Claude Thornhill and Benny Goodman. In 1947, he took over a band featuring Ray Eberle before leading the Manhattan Jazz Band, which specialized in traditional jazz with Bob Zurke on piano.