Elliot Lawrence
Elliot Lawrence , actually Elliott Lawrence Broza , (born February 14, 1925 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) is an American jazz pianist and band leader as well as composer and conductor of film scores.
Career
The son of broadcasting pioneer Stan Lee Broza formed his first band while studying at the University of Pennsylvania . After graduation, he worked as the musical director for the WCAU radio station in Philadelphia; its broadcasts were eventually adopted for national broadcast by Columbia Broadcasting System . From 1946 he had an engagement with his orchestra in the New York Hotel Pennsylvania ; the great success led to appearances at Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove (New Jersey) , the Paramount Theater in New York, the Sherman Hotel in Chicago and the Palladium in Hollywood as well as on numerous college tours. In 1947 he had his only top ten hit with the title Near You , a cover version of the song by Francis Craig . First in the mid-1950s, his orchestra's popularity gradually waned until he finally disbanded it; but he played numerous records with his own formations for labels such as Columbia and Decca until 1960 . He then worked as a composer, arranger and musical director for around thirty films and numerous theater productions on Broadway . Twice (1961 and 1962) he was nominated for the Tony Award for best conductor and musical director, in 1962 he won it.
Discography
- Elliot Lawrence Band Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements (Fantasy, 1955) with Eddie Bert , Hal McKusick , Nick Travis , Don Lamond , Al Cohn , Bernie Glow
- Swinging at the Steel Pier (Fantasy, 1956)
- Jazz Goes Broadway (VIK, 1957)
literature
- Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac . Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena. 1978
- Simon, George T .: The Big Bands . With a foreword by Frank Sinatra. 3rd revised edition. New York City, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co and London: Collier Macmillan Publishers, 1974, pp. 318-320
Web links
- Elliot Lawrence in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Elliot Lawrence in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
Remarks
- ^ US catalog number: Columba 37838; 9th place in the US charts; see. Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Records 1940-1955 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 1973, p. 37
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lawrence, Elliot |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Broza, Elliott Lawrence (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 14, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, United States |