Bob Florence
Encyclopedia
Bob Florence was an American jazz arranger and pianist. He began taking piano lessons at five and initially intended to be a concert pianist. However, on taking classes with Bob McDonald he changed direction toward jazz.
At the beginning of his career Florence worked as a pianist and arranger with Dave Pell
. He founded his first band in the late 1950s, working with, amongst others, Herb Geller
, Bud Shank
, Frank Capp
and Bob Enevoldsen
. Since that time, Florence worked in various big band
projects across the Los Angeles area, working mainly with session musicians and as an accompanist to various singers. Throughout his career Florence worked as an arranger for Harry James
, Louie Bellson
, Stan Kenton
, Buddy Rich
, Count Basie
and Doc Severinsen
.
In 2000, Florence won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance
At the beginning of his career Florence worked as a pianist and arranger with Dave Pell
Dave Pell
Dave Pell is an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader born in New York City.Pell first played in his teens with the big bands of Tony Pastor, Bob Astor, and Bobby Sherwood, and then moved to California in the middle of the 1940s. There he played on Bob Crosby's radio show in 1946, and was a...
. He founded his first band in the late 1950s, working with, amongst others, Herb Geller
Herb Geller
Herb Geller , is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger.His musical abilities could have been inherited from his mother, Francis. She worked at the Hollywood neighbourhood cinemas playing piano, accompanying silent movies...
, Bud Shank
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
, Frank Capp
Frank Capp
Frank Capp is an American jazz drummer.Capp was born August 20, 1931 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He began playing with Stan Kenton starting in 1951 and remained with Kenton for some time. Later he joined Neal Hefti's group. He often accompanied Peggy Lee on some of her road dates and...
and Bob Enevoldsen
Bob Enevoldsen
Bob Enevoldsen was a West Coast jazz tenor saxophonist and valve trombonist born in Billings, Montana, probably best known for his work with Marty Paich. He also did sessions with Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers, and later extensively played with Shelley Manne...
. Since that time, Florence worked in various big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
projects across the Los Angeles area, working mainly with session musicians and as an accompanist to various singers. Throughout his career Florence worked as an arranger for Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
, Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
, Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
, Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
and Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...
.
In 2000, Florence won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance
Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances...
Selected Discography
- Meet The Bob Florence Trio (Era, 1956)
- Name Band- 1959 (Fresh Sound, 1958) with Herb Geller and Bob Enevoldsen
- Here and Now (Liberty RecordsLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
/Fresh Sound, 1964) with Bud Shank and Frank Capp - Live at Concerts By The Sea (Trend, 1980)
- Westlake (Discovery, 1981)
- Soaring (Sea Breeze, 1982)
- Magic Time (Trend, 1983)
- Trashcan City (Discovery, 1986)
- The Norwegian Radio Big Band meets Bob Florence (Odin, 1986)
- State of the Art (USA Music Group, 1988)
- Funupsmanship (MAMA, 1992)
- Earth (MAMA, 1996)
- Serendipity (MAMA, 1998)
- Another Side (MAMA, 2002)
- Whatever Bubbles Up (Summit RecordsSummit RecordsSummit Records, Inc. is an internationally distributed record label that evolved out of the dynamic large brass ensemble, Summit Brass in the late 1980s...
, 2003) - Friends, Treasures, Heroes (Summit RecordsSummit RecordsSummit Records, Inc. is an internationally distributed record label that evolved out of the dynamic large brass ensemble, Summit Brass in the late 1980s...
, 2005) - You Will Be My Music (MAMA, 2007)
- Legendary (MAMA, 2009)