Rugolo, Pete
One of the most important American composers of the twentieth century, Rugolo was born in Sicily in 1915 on Christmas day. He came to the United States in 1920 and studied the piano, baritone horn and French horn. He obtained his M.A. in composition at Mills College, where his composition teacher was Darius Milhaud. Upon graduation, he played piano with the Johnny Richards Orchestra. It was during military service that he submitted an arrangement to Stan Kenton, and became chief arranger of the Kenton band after the war. Rugolo wrote arrangements of pop songs as well as challenging compositions, which introduced the sounds of modern concert composers such as his own teacher Milhaud, Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg and Arnold Schoenberg. Leonard Bernstein was just one of many composers who were huge fans of this music, which Kenton called 'Progressive Jazz,' and these compositions are among the earliest that are considered 'Third Stream.' By the 1950s, Rugolo was an A&R director for Capitol Records; perhaps the most important records he oversaw were those recorded by the Miles Davis Nonet (The Birth of the Cool). By the mid-1950s, he was an arranger/orchestrator for M-G-M studios, and arranged for Billy Eckstine, Nat King Cole, and Mel Torme.
While continuing to arrange for artists such as The Four Freshmen and June Christy, he recorded his own big band for Columbia Records, and even toured with it briefly. In 1956, he became an A&R director for Mercury Records, arranging for Patti Page and recording a series of now-classic albums with all-star ensembles. He was active in motion pictures and television from the late 1950s. He passed away at the age of 95 in 2011.
Recorded by Peggy Lee
Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-9298
$75.00
Recorded by Peggy Lee
Jazz Studio Orchestra Arrangement with Vocal
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-9298DL
$75.00
Recorded by the 1950 Metronome All Stars
Jazz Little Big Band Arrangement
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-7835
$55.00
Recorded by the 1950 Metronome All Stars
Jazz Little Big Band Arrangement
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-7835DL
$55.00
Recorded by Nat 'King' Cole with the Stan Kenton Orchestra
Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-6029
$75.00
Recorded by Nat 'King' Cole with the Stan Kenton Orchestra
Jazz Big Band Arrangement with Vocal
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-6029DL
$75.00
![OVERTIME [DOWNLOAD]](https://www.ejazzlines.com/wp-images/product/thumbnail/jlp7841.jpg)
Recorded by the 1949 Metronome All-Stars
Jazz Little Big Band Arrangement
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-7841DL
$75.00
![SPEAK LOW [DOWNLOAD]](https://www.ejazzlines.com/wp-images/product/thumbnail/jlp9978.jpg)
Recorded by the Four Freshmen
Jazz Vocal Quartet (TTBB) Arrangement with Trombone and Rhythm Section
Jazz Lines Publications
JLP-9978DL
$55.00
