b. April 2, 1921, Brockton, MA, USA. nee: Abraham Samuel Richman

Instruments: clarinets, saxophones, flute

Son of Russian immigrants.
Boomie Richman was best known for his association with Tommy Dorsey. Richman began his career playing locally in Boston. He moved to New York in 1942. He spent six years as a key soloist with Dorsey's big band (1945-51). Richman appeared on many records with Dorsey. After leaving the band he became a studio musician in New York, but still appeared often in jazz settings including with Benny Goodman (off and on during 1951-55) among many others. Richman was active into the 1970s although he did not play jazz much in his later years, retiring in the 1980s; his swing-based style remained unchanged. Despite his talents, Richman never had an opportunity to lead his own record date.
In the late 1950s Boomie worked a lot with Milt Gabler and Dick Jacobs.
On october 21 1958 Boomie Richman plays tenor saxophone on a legendary session in the Pythian Temple in NYC, produced by Dick Jacobs. Buddy Holly is there to record "Raining in my heart", "It doesn’t matter anymore", "True love ways" and "Moondreams". It’s to be his last studio session.
In many sources Boomie is said to have passed away in 1996, but he is alive and mostly well and living in Florida at the time of writing this article.

Boomie speaks:

I really wish that I could offer more information, but I never kept track of any session. They were all routine. Some of my colleagues kept diaries of their dates, but to me it was just a business.
1. Do you remember this particular session?
No I don’t.
2. Did you know Buddy’s music and what did you think of it? Did you consider it rock and roll music?
I didn’t know anything about Buddy’s music.
3. What did you think of rock and roll music?
I have three sons, musicians, who grew up listening to and playing rock and roll. It’s good music.
4. Did you play on other “rock and roll” sessions at the time?
Many.
5. Was it just a routine session for you?
Yes it was.
6. How big was Buddy’s part in producing during the session. Or was Dick Jacobs running the show?
As with most sessions produced by Dick, Buddy’s input and Dicks’s input must have been half half.
7. How did you get to play for and work with Dick Jacobs?
I was a jazz player and was mostly called for jazz sessions.
8. What was Dick Jacobs like as a person and as a producer?
He was a good person and a talented producer.
9. Could people really walk into the Pythian from the streets to watch sessions taking place?
No that was not posible.
10. What were your main activities in the fall of 1958?
I was doing recording sessions and television shows. The Perry Como show for example.
11. You are one of the 4 saxophone players that Buddy worked with:
ER Dutch McMillin
King Curtis
Sam Taylor
Off course you know Sam Taylor, but did you know the other two personally?
I worked with Sam and King Curtis, both of whom were natural rock and roll players. If Sam Taylor or King Curtis were with any other saxophonists on a recording session, they were the soloists without a doubt.

Posted by Bjorn Witlox - March 2005