Description

HERBERT SORKIN (NEW YORK, JUNE 25, 1920 – BELLEROSE, QUEENS, NEW YORK, JULY 6, 2003)

 

 

 

 

Herbert Sorkin was a highly accomplished twentieth-century American opera, classical, and premier session violinist. Though often overshadowed in classical history textbooks by his contemporary namesake Leonard Sorkin, Herbert carved out a prolific, decades-long career as one of New York’s most versatile, go-to studio and orchestral musicians.

Early Life and Classical Foundations

Born in 1920 in New York, Sorkin showed exceptional talent on the violin from a young age. He trained rigorously in classical performance and quickly transitioned into professional classical concert work.

• By June 1950, he was notable enough to headline prestigious solo recitals, such as performing as a featured violinist alongside pianist Brooks Smith at the National Gallery of Art.
• He routinely worked as an opera violinist and commercial concert artist, heavily promoted in New York booking ads by the late 1940s and 1950s.

Prominent Session and Studio Career

The bulk of Sorkin’s legacy resides in his work as an elite session musician in New York City’s legendary recording studios during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. He was part of a select tier of classical violinists capable of shifting effortlessly between jazz, soul, pop, and classical arrangements.

Some of his most famous studio contributions include:

• Jazz & Soul Collaborations: Sorkin played violin on landmark albums, including jazz trumpeter Chet Baker’s acclaimed 1974 CTI release She Was Too Good To Me and Nina Simone’s iconic 1978 album Baltimore.
• Broadway & Film Scores: Sorkin lent his orchestral talent to major production recordings, notably serving in the music department string section for the 1978 musical film The Wiz (released on home video in 1983), working under legendary music figures like Quincy Jones and Jerry Wexler.
• Contemporary Classical: He frequently performed and recorded experimental or contemporary chamber work, such as recording ensembles for composers like Mel Powell.

Death and Legacy

Because Herbert Sorkin worked primarily as a freelance orchestral and commercial studio musician rather than a touring soloist with a major label contract, public genealogical databases lack a precise, publicly recorded date or location for his death. His session logging and credit footprints concluded toward the end of the 20th century. He remains highly respected among audiophiles and music historians for adding rich, classical string textures to some of the finest American jazz and popular recordings of his era.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

Mel Powell – Chamber Music

Label: Composers Recordings, Inc. – CRI 121

Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono

Country: US

Released: 1958

Genre: Classical

Style: Contemporary

Divertimento For Violin And Harp

A1a 1. Allegro

A1b 2. Adagio

A1c 3. Allegro

Divertimento For Five Winds

A2a 1. Allegro Cantabile

A2b 2. Presto

A3c 3. Largo

A3d 4. Vivo

Trio For Piano, Violin And Cello

B1a 1. Allegro Comodo

B1b 2. Marcia Grottesca

B1c 3. Theme And Variations

B1d 4. Vivace Assai

Bassoon – Elias Carmen (tracks: A2)

Cello – Ray Schweitzer (tracks: B1)

Clarinet – David Weber (7) (tracks: A2)

Composed By – Mel Powell

Ensemble – Helura Trio (tracks: B1), The Fairfield Wind Ensemble (tracks: A2)

Flute – Thomas Parshley (tracks: A2)

Harp – Margaret Ross (tracks: A1)

Oboe – Harry Shulman (tracks: A2)

Piano – Lucille Burnham (tracks: B1)

Trumpet – Murray Karpilovsky (tracks: A2)

Violin – Herbert Sorkin (tracks: A1, B1)