This record was recorded April 2, 1952 on the Allied label for promotional use. James Eugene McHargue was born in Danville, Illinois on April 6, 1902. He taught himself jazz clarinet by copying the work of Larry Shields with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, and saxophone by copying early virtuoso Bennie Krueger. During a career than spanned eight decades, Rosy was known at various times as a skilled clarinetist, a gifted arranger, a singer of novelty songs, and a brilliant performer on the rarely heard C-melody saxophone. His professional career began in the early 1920s when he joined a local band called the Novelty Syncopators. During the 1920s Rosy freelanced around the Chicago area, working with the bands of Sig Meyers and Maury Sherman, father of pianist Ray Sherman. His first commercial recordings were with the Seattle Harmony Kings in 1926. He recorded with Frank Trumbauer's orchestra in 1931, and joined the Ted Weems band in 1934. When touring with Weems, his roommate was a young singer named Perry Como. Rosy was a regular guest at Squirrel Ashcraft's Chicago jam sessions, along with Bud Freeman, Jimmy McPartland and Joe Rushton. In early 1943, weary of life on the road, Rosy left the Weems band and moved to Los Angeles. There he joined Benny Goodman's orchestra on tenor sax, and was featured on the soundtrack of the film \"The Gang's All Here.\" Later the same year he joined Kay Kyser's orchestra on alto sax and clarinet, and remained until 1946.
