Bob Dorough
Encyclopedia
Bob Dorough is an American bebop
and cool jazz
pianist
, composer
and vocalese
singer.
He worked with Miles Davis
and Allen Ginsberg
, and his adventurous style was an influence on Mose Allison
, among other singers. He is perhaps best known as a voice and primary composer of many of the songs used in Schoolhouse Rock!
, a series of educational animated shorts appearing on Saturday morning television in the 1970s and 1980s on ABC
affiliates in the United States
. Dorough composed, conducted and played much of the "Schoolhouse Rock!" music. He has released vocal jazz albums periodically over the last 50 years; his latest, Small Day Tomorrow, came out in 2006. He worked with Nellie McKay
on her 2007 album, Obligatory Villagers
as well as her 2009 release, Normal as Blueberry Pie - A Tribute to Doris Day
.
Dorough was born in Arkansas
and grew up in Texas
. He played in an Army band during World War II
, then went to North Texas State University
, where he majored in composition and minored in piano. He moved to New York City
around 1950 and was playing piano in a Times Square
tap dance
studio when he was introduced to the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson
, who had temporarily left boxing and was putting together a song and dance revue. Dorough was hired and later became the show's music director; the revue traveled to various U.S. cities and then to Europe
.
Dorough left Robinson in Paris
and lived there from 1954 to 1955, recording with singer Blossom Dearie
during that time. He returned to the United States
and moved to Los Angeles
, where he played various gigs, including a job between sets by comedian Lenny Bruce
. Dorough released his first album, Devil May Care, in 1956. It contained a version of "Yardbird Suite" with lyrics by Dorough over the famous Charlie Parker
song.
Trumpeter Miles Davis
liked the album, so when Columbia asked Davis to record a Christmas song in 1962, Davis turned to Dorough for lyrics and singing duties. The result was a downbeat tune called "Blue Xmas," released on Columbia's Jingle Bell Jazz compilation. During that session Dorough recorded another song for Davis, "Nothing Like You," which appeared a few years later at the end of the Sorcerer album, making Dorough one of the few musicians with a vocal performance on a Miles Davis
record.
"Comin' Home Baby", written by Dorough and bassist friend Ben Tucker, was a Top 40 hit for Mel Tormé
in 1962, and earned Tormé two Grammy nominations.
Dorough had a producing partnership for many years with Stu Scharf, and were best known for producing two albums for the folk/jug band Spanky and Our Gang
, adding jazz-influenced arrangements to their sound.
Through Tucker, Dorough was approached in the early 1970s by advertiser David McCall and asked to put multiplication tables to music. The result was "Three Is a Magic Number", the first song for what would become Schoolhouse Rock!. Dorough remained with the show from 1973-1985.
From 1985-1993 he toured several times Europe with the saxophone player Michael Hornstein
, bassist Bill Takas and drummer Fred Braceful
.
Bob Dorough was honored by East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in December 2007 with the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. In 2005 and 2008, Circumstantial Productions published two editions of the book, BLUE XMAS, the story of Dorough's song, with illustrations by Christian Farner.
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
and cool jazz
Cool jazz
Cool is a style of modern jazz music that arose following the Second World War. It is characterized by its relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the bebop style that preceded it...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and vocalese
Vocalese
Vocalese is a style or genre of jazz singing wherein lyrics are written for melodies that were originally part of an all-instrumental composition or improvisation. Whereas scat singing uses improvised nonsense syllables, such as "bap ba dee dot bwee dee" in solos, vocalese uses lyrics, either...
singer.
He worked with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
and Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, and his adventurous style was an influence on Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
, among other singers. He is perhaps best known as a voice and primary composer of many of the songs used in Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock! is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming on the U.S. television network ABC. The topics covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics...
, a series of educational animated shorts appearing on Saturday morning television in the 1970s and 1980s on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliates in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Dorough composed, conducted and played much of the "Schoolhouse Rock!" music. He has released vocal jazz albums periodically over the last 50 years; his latest, Small Day Tomorrow, came out in 2006. He worked with Nellie McKay
Nellie McKay
Nellie McKay , is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and former stand-up comedienne, noted for her critically acclaimed albums, and for her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera , for which she won a Theatre World Award...
on her 2007 album, Obligatory Villagers
Obligatory Villagers
Obligatory Villagers is the third studio album by Nellie McKay, was released on September 25, 2007. The album is brief compared to both of her past releases, which both had total times of around an hour. However, the total time of Villagers is roughly equivalent to that of the individual discs on...
as well as her 2009 release, Normal as Blueberry Pie - A Tribute to Doris Day
Normal as Blueberry Pie - A Tribute to Doris Day
Normal as Blueberry Pie – A Tribute to Doris Day is the fourth album from American singer-songwriter, Nellie McKay. Released by Verve Records, it is McKay's first cover album, composed of songs previously recorded by American singer and actress, Doris Day, minus the track "If I Ever Had a Dream",...
.
Biography
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and grew up in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He played in an Army band during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, then went to North Texas State University
University of North Texas College of Music
The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies...
, where he majored in composition and minored in piano. He moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
around 1950 and was playing piano in a Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
tap dance
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
studio when he was introduced to the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
, who had temporarily left boxing and was putting together a song and dance revue. Dorough was hired and later became the show's music director; the revue traveled to various U.S. cities and then to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Dorough left Robinson in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and lived there from 1954 to 1955, recording with singer Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her girlish voice.-Early career:...
during that time. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he played various gigs, including a job between sets by comedian Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
. Dorough released his first album, Devil May Care, in 1956. It contained a version of "Yardbird Suite" with lyrics by Dorough over the famous Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
song.
Trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
liked the album, so when Columbia asked Davis to record a Christmas song in 1962, Davis turned to Dorough for lyrics and singing duties. The result was a downbeat tune called "Blue Xmas," released on Columbia's Jingle Bell Jazz compilation. During that session Dorough recorded another song for Davis, "Nothing Like You," which appeared a few years later at the end of the Sorcerer album, making Dorough one of the few musicians with a vocal performance on a Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
record.
"Comin' Home Baby", written by Dorough and bassist friend Ben Tucker, was a Top 40 hit for Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
in 1962, and earned Tormé two Grammy nominations.
Dorough had a producing partnership for many years with Stu Scharf, and were best known for producing two albums for the folk/jug band Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s folk-rock band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's popular Our Gang comedies of the 1930s...
, adding jazz-influenced arrangements to their sound.
Through Tucker, Dorough was approached in the early 1970s by advertiser David McCall and asked to put multiplication tables to music. The result was "Three Is a Magic Number", the first song for what would become Schoolhouse Rock!. Dorough remained with the show from 1973-1985.
From 1985-1993 he toured several times Europe with the saxophone player Michael Hornstein
Michael Hornstein
Michael Hornstein is a Munich-based saxophonist, composer and music producer who is working internationally.- Biography :Michael Hornstein was born of a German father and an Italian mother in 1962. He started playing the piano at the age of 10 and later saxophone at the age of 14...
, bassist Bill Takas and drummer Fred Braceful
Fred Braceful
Fred Arthur Braceful was a jazz drummer.-Biography:Fred Braceful was born in 1938 as the oldest son of Cludie "Fred" Braceful and Ada Crutcher....
.
Bob Dorough was honored by East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in December 2007 with the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. In 2005 and 2008, Circumstantial Productions published two editions of the book, BLUE XMAS, the story of Dorough's song, with illustrations by Christian Farner.
As leader
- 1956: Devil May Care (Bethlehem)
- 1963: Excursions Through Songs from the Hit Show "Oliver!"
- 1966: Just About Everything
- 1976: Beginning to See the Light
- 1982: Devil May Care II (52e Rue Est)
- 1984: Bob Dorough/Bill Takes: Sing And Swing (Red)
- 1986: Clankin' on Tin Pan Alley
- 1987: Songs of Love
- 1987: Skabadabba
- 1987: To Communicate
- 1987: Formerly Not For Sale
- 1990: This is a Recording by Bob Dorough
- 1992: Memorial Charlie Parker
- 1997: Right on My way Home (Blue Note)
- 1998: Too Much Coffee Man (Blue Note)
- 1999: Who's On First (Blue Note)
- 2000: Too Much Coffee ManToo Much Coffee ManToo Much Coffee Man is an American satirical superhero created by cartoonist Shannon Wheeler, and which has appeared in comic strips, minicomics, webcomics, comic books, magazines, books, and operas....
- 2004: Sunday At Iridium (Arbors)
- 2005: Houston Branch ((DeesBees))
- 2005: Small Day Tomorrow (Candid)
- 2008: BLUE XMAS (Dees Bees/Circumstantial Productions)
As sideman
- Buddy BanksBuddy Banks (bassist)Alvin "Buddy" Banks was a jazz double-bassist. He was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, CanadaBanks grew up in the United States, and traveled to Europe with the U.S. military in 1948. His first appearance on record was in Vienna with Thurmond Young; this group also played live at the Colored Club...
Quartet: Jazz in Paris - Buddy Banks/Bobby Jaspar - Jazz de Chambre /(Emarcy, 1956) (Piano) - Harold DankoHarold DankoHarold Danko is an American jazz pianist.Danko attended Youngstown State University. Among his credits are work in the big bands of Chet Baker, Woody Herman, and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, as well as smaller ensembles with Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz...
: Alone But Not Forgotten (Sunnyside, 1985/86) - Miles Davis: Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967)
- Blossom Dearie: I'm Hip (Columbia)
- Michael HornsteinMichael HornsteinMichael Hornstein is a Munich-based saxophonist, composer and music producer who is working internationally.- Biography :Michael Hornstein was born of a German father and an Italian mother in 1962. He started playing the piano at the age of 10 and later saxophone at the age of 14...
: Innocent Gem (Enja, 1995) - Sam MostSam MostSam Most is a Los Angeles-based jazz flautist and tenor saxophonist. Along with Frank Wess, he is one of the first jazz flautists. He was born on December 16, 1930, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He has a brother, clarinetist, Abe Most, with whom he has performed.Early in his career he played...
: Bebop Revisited, Vol. 3 (Xanadu, 1953) (Piano) - Sam Most: Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk and Miles (Bethlehem, Fresh Sound, 1957)
- John ZornJohn ZornJohn Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
- Naked CityNaked City (band)Naked City was an avant-garde music group led by saxophonist and composer John Zorn. Active primarily in New York City from 1988 to 1993, Naked City was initiated by Zorn as a "composition workshop" to test the limits of composition in a traditional rock band lineup...
: Grand GuignolGrand Guignol (album)Grand Guignol is the second full-length studio album released by John Zorn's band Naked City in 1992 on the Japanese Avant label. The album followed Torture Garden, which was a compilation of "hardcore miniatures" from Naked City and Grand Guignol...
(Avant, 1992) - Nellie McKayNellie McKayNellie McKay , is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and former stand-up comedienne, noted for her critically acclaimed albums, and for her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera , for which she won a Theatre World Award...
: Obligatory Villagers (Vanguard, 2007)
External links
- Bob Dorough's official website
- [ Bob Dorough's Allmusic bio]
- "Bob Dorough Endures," Village Voice, May 2000
- Essential Bob Dorough Recordings by Scott Albin (Jazz.com)