Don Sebesky
Don Sebesky | |
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Birth name | Donald John Sebesky |
Born | Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S. | December 10, 1937
Genres | Jazz, big band |
Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger |
Instruments | Trombone, keyboards |
Years active | 1956–present |
Associated acts | Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Kai Winding, Claude Thornhill |
Don Sebesky (born December 10, 1937) is an American jazz trombonist, keyboardist and arranger.
Biography[]
Sebesky trained in trombone at the Manhattan School of Music; in his early career, he played with Kai Winding, Claude Thornhill, Tommy Dorsey, Warren Covington, Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton.[1] In 1960 he began devoting himself primarily to arranging and conducting; one of his best-known arrangements was for Wes Montgomery's 1965 album Bumpin'. Other credits include George Benson's The Shape of Things to Come, Paul Desmond's From the Hot Afternoon and Freddie Hubbard's First Light. His song "Memphis Two-Step" was the title track of the Herbie Mann 1971 album of the same name. His 1973 release, Giant Box, hit #16 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[2]
He has worked with such orchestras as the London Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Pops, The New York Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic of London, and the Toronto Symphony.
He has been nominated for thirty-one Grammy Awards and won three Grammy Awards in the 1990s: Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Waltz for Debby" (1998) and "Chelsea Bridge" (1999), and Best Instrumental Composition for "Joyful Noise Suite" (1999).[3] He won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations for Parade (1999) and Kiss Me, Kate (2000). He won a Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for the revival of Kiss Me, Kate (2000). Sebesky has also written a book, The Contemporary Arranger (1975).
His Broadway theater credits include Porgy and Bess (London production by Trevor Nunn), Sinatra at the Palladium, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me, Kate, Bells Are Ringing, Flower Drum Song, Parade, The Life, Cyrano, The Goodbye Girl, The Will Rogers Follies, Sinatra at Radio City, Pal Joey, Come Fly Away, and Baby It's You!.
Sebesky's work for television has garnered three Emmy nominations for Allegra's Window on Nickelodeon, The Edge of Night on ABC, and Guiding Light on CBS. He has also composed film scores, including The People Next Door (1970), F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles' (1974) and The Rosary Murders (1987).
He has arranged for hundreds of artists including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, John Pizzarelli, Michael Buble, Liza Minnelli, Seal, Prince, and more.
Don Sebesky has been married since 1986 to Janina Serden and has two daughters with her, Olivia and Elizabeth. He has two sons from a previous marriage, Ken and Kevin and two daughters, Ali and Cymbaline.
Discography[]
As leader[]
- Don Sebesky and the Jazz-Rock Syndrome (1968)
- Distant Galaxy (1968)
- Giant Box (CTI, 1973)
- The Rape of El Morro (CTI, 1975)
- Three Works for Jazz Soloists and Symphony Orchestra (1979, 2LP, Gryphon Records)
- Sebesky Fantasy (1980)
- Moving Lines (1984)
- Full Cycle (1984)
- Symphonic Sondheim (1991)
- Our Love Is Here to Stay (Telarc, 1997), John Pizzarelli w/Don Sebesky combo
- I Remember Bill: The Tribute to Bill Evans (1998)
- Joyful Noise: A Tribute to Duke Ellington (1999)
- Kiroron I-Kiroro Melodies (2000)
As sideman[]
With Stan Kenton
- Viva Kenton! (Capitol, 1959)
- Road Show (Capitol, 1959) with June Christy and The Four Freshmen
As arranger[]
With Chet Baker
- She Was Too Good to Me (CTI, 1974)
- You Can't Go Home Again (Horizon, 1977)
- The Best Thing for You (A&M, 1977 [1989])
- Studio Trieste (CTI, 1982) with Jim Hall and Hubert Laws
With Joe Beck
- Beck (Kudu, 1975)
With George Benson
- Shape of Things to Come (A&M, 1969)
- White Rabbit (CTI, 1972)
- Bad Benson (CTI, 1974)
- The other side of Abbey Road A&M records
With Willie Bobo
- A New Dimension (Verve, 1968)
With Kenny Burrell
- Blues – The Common Ground (Verve, 1968)
- Night Song (Verve, 1969)
- God Bless the Child (CTI, 1971)
With Ron Carter
- Pastels (Milestone, 1976)
With Hank Crawford
- Help Me Make it Through the Night (Kudu, 1972)
- We Got a Good Thing Going (Kudu, 1972)
With Paul Desmond
- Summertime (A&M/CTI, 1968)
- From the Hot Afternoon (A&M/CTI, 1969)
- Bridge Over Troubled Water (A&M/CTI, 1970)
- Skylark (CTI, 1973)
- Pure Desmond (CTI, 1975)
With Maynard Ferguson
- A Message from Newport (Roulette, 1958) – also composer and performer
- Swingin' My Way Through College (Roulette, 1959) – also performer
- Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing (Roulette, 1959) – also performer
- Let's Face the Music and Dance (Roulette, 1960)
- Double Exposure (Atlantic, 1961) with Chris Connor
- "Straightaway" Jazz Themes (Roulette, 1961)
- Maynard '62 (Roulette, 1962)
- Maynard '64 (Roulette 1959-62 [1963]) – also performer [1 track]
- The New Sounds of Maynard Ferguson (Cameo, 1963)
- Come Blow Your Horn (Cameo, 1963)
- The Blues Roar (Mainstream, 1965)
With Astrud Gilberto
- The Shadow of Your Smile (Verve, 1965)
- Beach Samba (Verve, 1967)
- Windy (Verve, 1968)
With Dizzy Gillespie
- Cornucopia (Solid State, 1969)
With Jim Hall
- Commitment (A&M/Horizon, 1976)
With Freddie Hubbard
- First Light (CTI, 1971)
- Sky Dive (CTI, 1972)
With Jackie and Roy
- Time & Love (CTI, 1972)
- A Wilder Alias (CTI, 1973)
With Milt Jackson
- Sunflower (CTI, 1972)
With J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding
- Israel (A&M/CTI, 1968)
With Hubert Laws
- Afro-Classic (CTI, 1970)
- The Rite of Spring (CTI, 1971)
- Morning Star (CTI, 1972)
- Carnegie Hall (CTI, 1973)
With Wes Montgomery
- Bumpin' (Verve/Polygram, 1965)
- California Dreaming (Verve, 1966)
- A Day in the Life (A&M, 1967)
- Down Here on the Ground (A&M, 1968)
- Road Song (A&M, 1968)
With Airto Moreira
- Free (CTI, 1972)
With Cal Tjader
- The Prophet (Verve, 1968)
With Stanley Turrentine
- If I Could (MusicMasters, 1993)
With Walter Wanderley
- When It Was Done (A&M/CTI, 1968)
With Randy Weston
- Blue Moses (CTI, 1972)
With Stanley Turrentine
- If I Could (MusicMasters Jazz, 1993)
With Kai Winding
- The In Instrumentals (Verve, 1965)
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
Archives at | ||||
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How to use archival material |
- Don Sebesky at the Internet Broadway Database
- Don Sebesky at IMDb
- Don Sebesky at the Internet Off Broadway Database
- Don Sebesky Music
- Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
- 1937 births
- Living people
- People from Perth Amboy, New Jersey
- Musicians from New Jersey
- American trombonists
- Male trombonists
- American music arrangers
- American male composers
- 21st-century American composers
- Tony Award winners
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Manhattan School of Music alumni
- 21st-century trombonists
- 21st-century American male musicians
- CTI Records artists