Ken Lauber
Encyclopedia
Ken Lauber is an American composer, arranger producer, musician, singer and playwright.
and Cozy Cole
when he was thirteen. He continued his studies when he entered The Juilliard School
of Music in the extension division when he was still in Junior and Senior High School studying percussion with Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman
. In 1960 to 1962 he attending two semesters at Ithaca College to further his percussion studies with Warren Benson
and then returned to The Juilliard School of Music to study music composition with the composer Vincent Persichetti
, piano with Rosina Levine and conducting with Jean Morel. In addition he studied orchestration privately with Marion Evans.
In 1964, Lauber worked for United Artists Corporation and scored a seven minute Piano Concerto for the film The World of Henry Orient
, starring Peter Sellers. He also composed the score to The Drifter’ a film by Alex Matter, that received international success at the Venice Film Festival. Single recordings under his name from the motion picture starring Sidney Poitier "Lilies of the Field" and the Tony Richardson / Albert Finney film "Tom Jones (film)
" were among some of Ken's early recordings.
In 1969, Lauber had a singer/songwriter contract with Polydor Records
. The album, Contemplation View, recorded in Nashville was part of the labels American debut. Lauber and the musicians backing him were part of another album recorded at the same time, Area Code 615 (band). The song ‘Why Ask Why', from a Burt Reynolds movie originally entitled Fade-In, was part of the groups repertoire and later was also recorded by Leo Koktie.
The album, Contemplation View, was considered to be a new genre, which labeled Lauber in reviews as one of the innovators of "countrypolitan" music. A combination of country blues and jazz. Two years later, Lauber moved to Los Angeles to continue his film composing activities as well as recording another solo singer/songwriter album, Ken Lauber for MCA, produced by Val Garay
.
, Mimi Farina
, Waylon Jennings
, Johnny Cash
, Doc Watson
, Bob Macdill, and Sammy Smith. He also worked with Rick Danko
and Kinky Friedman
on their solo albums as an arranger and pianist. Lauber's compositions and songs have been recorded by some of the greatest jazz, folk and rock artists in American musical history, including Hank Jones
, Richie Havens
, Joe Cocker
, Tim Hardin
, Milt Jackson
, Ray Brown
, Paul Smith
, Red Callender
, Toots Theilman and Stanley Clark.
Between 1973 and 1983, in Los Angeles, Lauber settled into composing for film and television. He scored both original music and adapted period music to the film Hearts of the West, starring Jeff Bridges and original music for the feature films Chilly Scenes of Winter (film), Peter Fonda’s Wanda Nevada
starring Brook Shields and Fonda, and additional music to Goin' South
with Jack Nicholson and Fonda, Emmy Award winning ‘Studs Lonigan
’ and ‘Kent State’ and contributed dramatic music for multiple episodes of the successful TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
’ and ‘Tales from the Darkside
’.
Another film score includes the original soundtrack score for the documentary film In Search of Kundun with Martin Scorsese.
. ‘Monk’ was also performed at the National Black Theater Festival and brought an AUDELCO
, solo performance of the year award, to Rome Neal.
Early career
Born in New York City in 1941 and raised on Long Island, his first music lessons of note were drum lessons with the legendary drummers Gene KrupaGene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
and Cozy Cole
Cozy Cole
Cozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK...
when he was thirteen. He continued his studies when he entered The Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
of Music in the extension division when he was still in Junior and Senior High School studying percussion with Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman was a timpanist in the New York Philharmonic orchestra from 1926 to 1972. Saul learned under the instruction of Alfred Friese, whom he succeeded as principal timpanist in the New York Philharmonic...
. In 1960 to 1962 he attending two semesters at Ithaca College to further his percussion studies with Warren Benson
Warren Benson
Warren Benson was an American composer. His compositions consist mostly of music for wind instruments and percussion...
and then returned to The Juilliard School of Music to study music composition with the composer Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, Persichetti was a native of Philadelphia...
, piano with Rosina Levine and conducting with Jean Morel. In addition he studied orchestration privately with Marion Evans.
In 1964, Lauber worked for United Artists Corporation and scored a seven minute Piano Concerto for the film The World of Henry Orient
The World of Henry Orient
The World of Henry Orient is a 1964 American comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Nora Johnson. It was directed by George Roy Hill and stars Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss, Angela Lansbury, Tippy Walker, Merrie Spaeth, Phyllis Thaxter, Bibi Osterwald, and Tom Bosley.Filming started in...
, starring Peter Sellers. He also composed the score to The Drifter’ a film by Alex Matter, that received international success at the Venice Film Festival. Single recordings under his name from the motion picture starring Sidney Poitier "Lilies of the Field" and the Tony Richardson / Albert Finney film "Tom Jones (film)
Tom Jones (film)
Tom Jones is a 1963 British adventure comedy film, an adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards...
" were among some of Ken's early recordings.
In 1969, Lauber had a singer/songwriter contract with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. The album, Contemplation View, recorded in Nashville was part of the labels American debut. Lauber and the musicians backing him were part of another album recorded at the same time, Area Code 615 (band). The song ‘Why Ask Why', from a Burt Reynolds movie originally entitled Fade-In, was part of the groups repertoire and later was also recorded by Leo Koktie.
The album, Contemplation View, was considered to be a new genre, which labeled Lauber in reviews as one of the innovators of "countrypolitan" music. A combination of country blues and jazz. Two years later, Lauber moved to Los Angeles to continue his film composing activities as well as recording another solo singer/songwriter album, Ken Lauber for MCA, produced by Val Garay
Val Garay
Val Garay is a record producer and engineer who has worked with Kim Carnes, The Motels, Marty Balin, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Armatrading, Dolly Parton, Pablo Cruise, James Taylor, Queensrÿche, Cock Robin, Dramarama, EZO, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah Brightman, Nicolette Larson, and Reel Big Fish,...
.
Work for other artists
In New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, Lauber played keyboards, arranged and produced for Richie HavensRichie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, Mimi Farina
Mimi Fariña
Mimi Baez Fariña was a singer-songwriter and activist, the youngest of three daughters to a Scottish mother and Mexican-American physicist Albert Baez .- Early years:Fariña's father, a physicist affiliated with Stanford University and MIT, moved his family...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
, Bob Macdill, and Sammy Smith. He also worked with Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
and Kinky Friedman
Kinky Friedman
Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
on their solo albums as an arranger and pianist. Lauber's compositions and songs have been recorded by some of the greatest jazz, folk and rock artists in American musical history, including Hank Jones
Hank Jones
Henry "Hank" Jones was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored him with the NEA Jazz Masters Award...
, Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, Tim Hardin
Tim Hardin
James Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...
, Milt Jackson
Milt Jackson
Milton "Bags" Jackson was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms...
, Ray Brown
Ray Brown (musician)
Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
, Paul Smith
Paul Smith (pianist)
Paul Smith , is a jazz pianist. He has performed in various genres of jazz, most typically bebop. However, he has also performed in cool jazz, swing music, and traditional pop.He was born in San Diego, California...
, Red Callender
Red Callender
Red Callender, , was a jazz bass and tuba player, famous for turning down a chance to work with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars....
, Toots Theilman and Stanley Clark.
Music in Film and Television
"Music can be a cinematic or theatrical drama's emotional unconscious, a sensory element that supports the audience's suspension of disbelief. The music must create and join with the audience's emotions by blending a drama's characters with the central storyline." Ken Lauber
Between 1973 and 1983, in Los Angeles, Lauber settled into composing for film and television. He scored both original music and adapted period music to the film Hearts of the West, starring Jeff Bridges and original music for the feature films Chilly Scenes of Winter (film), Peter Fonda’s Wanda Nevada
Wanda Nevada
Wanda Nevada is a 1979 film starring Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields. It was also directed by Peter Fonda. Henry Fonda makes a cameo appearance, barely recognizable as a grizzled, half-insane goggle-wearing old miner, making this the only film to feature the father and son together.-Main cast:*...
starring Brook Shields and Fonda, and additional music to Goin' South
Goin' South
Goin' South is an American western-comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. The 1978 film also starred Mary Steenburgen in her movie debut and included Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi , Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley, Jr.At the beginning, the...
with Jack Nicholson and Fonda, Emmy Award winning ‘Studs Lonigan
Studs Lonigan
Studs Lonigan is the title of a novel trilogy by American author James T. Farrell: Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked the Studs Lonigan trilogy at 29th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.The...
’ and ‘Kent State’ and contributed dramatic music for multiple episodes of the successful TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
’ and ‘Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside
Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
’.
Another film score includes the original soundtrack score for the documentary film In Search of Kundun with Martin Scorsese.
Theater Music and Musicals
Recently, in 2008, Lauber has composed music and written lyrics and book for the stage musical Le Hot Blu in collaboration with Anita Gonzalez. He also has composed book, music and lyrics for the stage musical ‘Sugar Ray’ with Laurence Holder and ‘Steps’ with Neil Dearling. Lauber has provided an original music score for Laurence Holder’s bio drama, ‘Monk’, which completed its first off-Broadway run at the Nuyorican Poets CaféNuyorican Poets Café
The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...
. ‘Monk’ was also performed at the National Black Theater Festival and brought an AUDELCO
AUDELCO
AUDELCO, the Audience Development Committee, Inc., was established in 1973 by the late Vivian Robinson to honor excellence in New York African American Theatre through presentation of Vivan Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Awards...
, solo performance of the year award, to Rome Neal.
Other CD’S
Lauber completed a CD in 2007 entitled "O SOUL SONG" for release in Europe by Douglas Records and can be found in Limited Editions on his web site, kenlauber.net. "O Soul Song" features the esteemed classical Indian bansuri flutist Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia.Filmography
- In Search of Kundun with Martin Scorsese
- Chilly Scenes of Winter (film)
- Hearts of the West
- Wanda NevadaWanda NevadaWanda Nevada is a 1979 film starring Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields. It was also directed by Peter Fonda. Henry Fonda makes a cameo appearance, barely recognizable as a grizzled, half-insane goggle-wearing old miner, making this the only film to feature the father and son together.-Main cast:*...
- Goin' SouthGoin' SouthGoin' South is an American western-comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson. The 1978 film also starred Mary Steenburgen in her movie debut and included Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi , Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley, Jr.At the beginning, the...
- The World of Henry OrientThe World of Henry OrientThe World of Henry Orient is a 1964 American comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Nora Johnson. It was directed by George Roy Hill and stars Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss, Angela Lansbury, Tippy Walker, Merrie Spaeth, Phyllis Thaxter, Bibi Osterwald, and Tom Bosley.Filming started in...
- Fade-In
- The Drifter
- The Chicken ChroniclesThe Chicken ChroniclesThe Chicken Chronicles is a 1977 film starring Steve Guttenburg in this raunchy teen comedy set in 1969.-Synopsis:David Kessler is a high school student who will go to any lengths to impress a pretty cheerleader and lose his virginity, while juggling his job at a chicken joint and trying not to get...
- I'll Take Sweden
- The Little DragonsThe Little DragonsThe Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
- The Ransom of Red Chief
- Prime Time
- Scratch Harry
- The Mannequin
- Brand X
TV Movies / Series / Specials
- Studs LoniganStuds LoniganStuds Lonigan is the title of a novel trilogy by American author James T. Farrell: Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked the Studs Lonigan trilogy at 29th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.The...
- Kent State
- Tales from the DarksideTales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
- Hatfields and the McCoys
- Things in Their Season
- Cry Panic
- Love Story (1970 film)Love Story (1970 film)Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and based on his novel Love Story. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
- Where's Poppa?Where's Poppa?Where's Poppa? is a 1970 black comedy film based on the novel by Robert Klane starring George Segal, Ron Leibman and Ruth Gordon. The plot revolves around the troubled relationship between a lawyer son played by Segal and his senile mother played by Gordon...
- Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)
- Journey from Darkness
- Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...