Bill Finegan

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William "Bill" Finegan (born April 3, 1917 in Newark , New Jersey , † June 4, 2008 in Bridgeport , Connecticut ) was an American arranger, band leader and pianist of the swing era and modern jazz . He directed the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra with Eddie Sauter .

life and work

Bill Finegan studied privately, at high school and at the Conservatoire de Paris (including with Darius Milhaud ). His career began in 1938 when Tommy Dorsey bought his arrangement on "Lonesome Road" and played to Glenn Miller , who then offered the young arranger a job. Finegan was arranger for Glenn Miller from 1938 to 1942 and wrote more than 300 arrangements for Miller, including many hits. He later worked for Tommy Dorsey and then lived from 1948 to 1950, mainly for study purposes, in France and Great Britain.

In 1952 he founded the Sauter Finegan Orchestra with Eddie Sauter , which was initially planned as a studio band, but played together in changing line -ups until 1958. In 1957 he separated from Sauter and did not work with him again until 1959, mainly for radio and television. Finegan then worked as a composer of commercial music and taught at the University of Bridgeport . Finegan also arranged for the Ames Brothers , Carol Sloane , Sonny Stitt , Mel Lewis and with Warren Vaché , for whose string album Don't Look Back he contributed arrangements. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, a concert with works by Finegan, but also by his students James Chirillo and Julie Cavadini, took place in New Jersey City University in 2007 . Most recently he lived in Monroe, Connecticut.

Discography

  • Eddie Sauter / Bill Finegan: The Sauter Finegan Orchestra - Directions In Music (RCA, 1952–58)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Finegan, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Finegan, William J.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American arranger, band leader and pianist
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Newark (New Jersey)
DATE OF DEATH June 4, 2008
Place of death Bridgeport (Connecticut)