After leaving the army in 1944, Bill settled in New York City, where he was active on the national scene until 1947.   He then returned to Cleveland, his home town, where he has studied composition, taught and played for the past 49+ years.

Thanks to producer Gunther Schuller, DeArango is presented here as a bandleader for the first time since 1954.  According to Harvey Pekar, “Bill DeArango has had a singular career and is easily one of the greatest of all jazz guitarists, an opinion that any critic or musician who hears him will share.”