Joe Mooney

Joe Mooney gained recognition as one of the few prominent jazz accordionists, though his long career unfolded in a series of distinct phases. He lost his sight during the early 1920s yet by 1926 was performing radio duets alongside his brother Dan. Between 1929 and 1931 the pair cut sides as the Sunshine Boys, also known as the Melotone Boys, with Joe at the piano, both brothers supplying vocals, and several leading jazz musicians joining the sessions. The siblings remained a team until 1936, when they broadcast regularly over WLW Radio in Cincinnati. After Dan stepped away from music, Joe served in 1937 as pianist and arranger for Frank Dailey. The following year he joined Buddy Rogers and soon began supplying arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez, Larry Clinton, and Les Brown, in addition to creating vocal charts for the Modernaires.

In 1943 Mooney assembled a quartet featuring himself on accordion and vocals along with clarinet, guitar, and bass. The swing-styled group enjoyed strong popularity from 1946 through 1949. Once the ensemble disbanded, Mooney sang with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, recorded with Johnny Smith in 1953, relocated to Florida in 1954, and eventually concentrated on organ. His quartet recorded for Decca during 1946–47 and he also made sessions for Carousel (two titles in 1951), Atlantic (1956), and Columbia (1963–65). Although he occasionally traveled to New York for television appearances or recording dates, most of his work took place in Florida, including regular performances at his own club, The Grate Joy. Mooney suffered a fatal stroke in 1975 at age 64.