Jazz Singer. Born Clara Bertocci in Boston, Massachsuetts, she moved to New York City as a teenager. She began her career during the 1940s appearing with her brother saxophonist Nick Jerret, before going onto work with Woody Herman's band Herman's Herd, and eventually Charlie Barnet's big band with whom she recorded a version of the song "That Old Black Magic" in 1942. During this time she met and married arranger/trumpeter Neal Hefti whom wrote songs for Woody Herman. Shortly after the Herman band's breakup in 1946 the Hefti's moved to California where they continued to perform. In California they started a new big band and appeared at several nightclubs. She continued to perform with Hefti into the 1950s, and also fronted bop-based groups which included musical talents such as John La Pota, Richie Kamuca, Al Cohn, Jerome Richardson, Hank Jones, and bassist Milt Hinton. During the rest of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s she worked mainly as a solo artist, but would would still often appear with her husband until her death in 1978. Neal Hefti survived his wife, passing away in 2008.
Jazz Singer. Born Clara Bertocci in Boston, Massachsuetts, she moved to New York City as a teenager. She began her career during the 1940s appearing with her brother saxophonist Nick Jerret, before going onto work with Woody Herman's band Herman's Herd, and eventually Charlie Barnet's big band with whom she recorded a version of the song "That Old Black Magic" in 1942. During this time she met and married arranger/trumpeter Neal Hefti whom wrote songs for Woody Herman. Shortly after the Herman band's breakup in 1946 the Hefti's moved to California where they continued to perform. In California they started a new big band and appeared at several nightclubs. She continued to perform with Hefti into the 1950s, and also fronted bop-based groups which included musical talents such as John La Pota, Richie Kamuca, Al Cohn, Jerome Richardson, Hank Jones, and bassist Milt Hinton. During the rest of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s she worked mainly as a solo artist, but would would still often appear with her husband until her death in 1978. Neal Hefti survived his wife, passing away in 2008.
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