Van Alexander RIP

[Hardbopjazz]

I didn't see a thread on his passing. He died on the 17th of July at 100. He was the arranger for the Chick Webb big band in the 1930s. Probably his best know arragement was, "A Tisket A Tasket."

 

[Cyril]

Here's some more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3168421/Bandleader-composer-Van-Alexander-wrote-Ella-Fitzgerald-s-big-hit-dies-Los-Angeles-aged-100.html

[sidewinder]

What great longevity ! He was getting towards pension age when I was just starting to get into jazz (and I remember hearing some of his arrangements back then). RIP.

[medjuck]

There are really good interviews with him in the documentary about Chick Webb : http://savoyking.com/.

[Bill Nelson]

Van Alexander arranged four of Kay Starr's best LPs in 1959-60, just after she left RCA and returned to the Capitol fold. 

'Movin'', 'Loser's Weepers', 'Movin' On Broadway', and 'Jazz Singer' are fully mature, professionally-realized recordings of Starr at her pinnacle.  They're free of her earlier Capitol novelties and RCA's efforts at big-selling pop singles.

When critic Will Friedwald selected the Alexander-arranged LPs 'Movin', Movin' On Broadway', and 'Jazz Singer' with Gerald Wiggins' small jazz combo backing on 'I Cry By Night' (Capitol, 1962), he praises them "...so terrific as to give the impression that Starr knew her option wouldn't be renewed and wanted to end her stay at the top with four of the most colossal jazz vocal sets ever recorded."  (Friedwald in 'Jazz Singing', pgs. 217-18, Da Capo, 1996).      

[medjuck]

By coincidence I was cleaning out my office and found a  photo of  Van singed to me that the director of The Savoy King gave me for helping him out. To be honest I didn't know much about Van till I saw a rough cut of the film.