I’ve read that Sinatra had a great debt of gratitude for Shorty. Not only for the score of “Man with the Golden Arm”, but also coaching him on the ways in which a jazz musician would act.
I had the pleasure of booking Shorty a couple of times in the early 90s. For a titan of arranging he was remarkably shy and self-effacing, but friendly and articulate. While I never thought much of his abilities as a soloist, his mastery of orchestration was second to none.
In Mancini’s autobiography (written with Gene Lees), there’s a fascinating story about how
Shorty turned down Mancini’s request for Shorty to arrange the first LP of "Peter Gunn" music—insisting that Mancini do it himself. As a result of Shorty’s unselfishness, this best-selling album made Mancini a star.
The mention of Lionel Newman is a great thread to pull on — I’m sure you know but worth mentioning he was Randy Newman's uncle, and Alfred Newman, one of Hollywood's most celebrated film composers of the era, was another. Randy grew up surrounded by this world, which goes a long way toward explaining how he moved so naturally between pop songwriting and film scoring later in his career. That dual identity — the sardonic hitmaker and the serious Hollywood composer — makes a lot more sense when you know the family tree.
We covered Randy Newman's career in depth on American Song last year, and Danny Elfman — another composer who carries that same pop-to-film DNA — is the subject of an episode we're publishing later this week. The line from Shorty Rogers through the Newman family and onward is a longer and richer story than it first appears.
What about the soundtrack album for “Tarzan The Apeman”. His soundtrack for the actual film is very modern for Tarzan. The cover tells it all- look it up
I’ve read that Sinatra had a great debt of gratitude for Shorty. Not only for the score of “Man with the Golden Arm”, but also coaching him on the ways in which a jazz musician would act.
Just heard all the tracks and saw the clip from the Aurex Jazz Festival. As always, great selection. 👍
I hope it's okay if I point out a book that really inspired me:
"Music for Prime Time - A History of American Television Themes and Scoring" by Jon Burlingame
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/music-for-prime-time-9780190618308
I had the pleasure of booking Shorty a couple of times in the early 90s. For a titan of arranging he was remarkably shy and self-effacing, but friendly and articulate. While I never thought much of his abilities as a soloist, his mastery of orchestration was second to none.
damn, that wild one cover sure is hep!
This is awesome, thank you Marc
'Score Doctor': Love it!
Thanks, Marc!
In Mancini’s autobiography (written with Gene Lees), there’s a fascinating story about how
Shorty turned down Mancini’s request for Shorty to arrange the first LP of "Peter Gunn" music—insisting that Mancini do it himself. As a result of Shorty’s unselfishness, this best-selling album made Mancini a star.
Great comment, Bill. Thanks!
Marc,
Great piece!
The mention of Lionel Newman is a great thread to pull on — I’m sure you know but worth mentioning he was Randy Newman's uncle, and Alfred Newman, one of Hollywood's most celebrated film composers of the era, was another. Randy grew up surrounded by this world, which goes a long way toward explaining how he moved so naturally between pop songwriting and film scoring later in his career. That dual identity — the sardonic hitmaker and the serious Hollywood composer — makes a lot more sense when you know the family tree.
We covered Randy Newman's career in depth on American Song last year, and Danny Elfman — another composer who carries that same pop-to-film DNA — is the subject of an episode we're publishing later this week. The line from Shorty Rogers through the Newman family and onward is a longer and richer story than it first appears.
🎼🎶🎵
Glad you enjoyed! Good idea. Have added to list.
What about the soundtrack album for “Tarzan The Apeman”. His soundtrack for the actual film is very modern for Tarzan. The cover tells it all- look it up
The Ape Man. (1959 )can’t copy photo