Larry Elgart
Encyclopedia
Larry Elgart is an American
jazz
bandleader
, who with his brother, Les, recorded the original rendition of "Bandstand Boogie", theme to the long-running teen dance show, American Bandstand
.
, four years younger than his brother, Les
. Their mother was a concert pianist; their father played piano as well, though not professionally. Both brothers began playing in jazz ensembles in their teens, and while young Larry played with jazz musicians such as Charlie Spivak
, Woody Herman
, Red Norvo
, Freddie Slack
, and Tommy Dorsey
.
In the mid-1940s, Les and Larry started up their own ensemble, hiring Nelson Riddle
, Bill Finegan
, and Ralph Flanagan
to arrange tunes for them. Their ensemble was not successful, and after a few years they scuttled the band and sold the arrangements they had commissioned to Tommy Dorsey. Both returned to sideman positions in various orchestras.
In 1953, Larry met Charles Albertine and recorded two of his experimental compositions, "Impressions of Outer Space" and "Music for Barefoot Ballerinas". Released on 10" vinyl, these recordings became collector's items for fans of avant-garde jazz, but they were not commercially successful at the time. Larry and Albertine put together a more traditional ensemble and began recording them using precise microphone placements, producing what came to be known as the "Elgart sound". This proved to be very commercially successful, and Larry enjoyed a run of successful albums and singles in the 1950s.
In 1954, the Elgarts left their permanent mark on music history in recording Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie," for the legendary television show originally hosted by Bob Horn, and two years later, Dick Clark. Clark took the show national, to ABC-TV, in 1956 and remained host for another 32 years. Variations to the original surfaced as the show's theme in later years. Les and Larry reunited in 1963, but it would not last long; soon after, Les retired from performing altogether, while Larry continued to perform and record regularly for decades.
Larry's biggest exposure came in 1982, with the smash success of a recording called "Hooked on Swing". The instrumental was a medley of swing jazz hits - "In the Mood
", "Cherokee", "American Patrol
", "Sing, Sing, Sing
", "Don't Be That Way", "Little Brown Jug
", "Opus #1
", "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart", and "String of Pearls" - that became so popular it even cracked the US Billboard Pop Singles chart (at #31) and Adult Contemporary chart (#20). Billed as "Larry Elgart and His Manhattan Swing Orchestra", the LP from which the tune was taken hit #24 on the US charts. The follow-up, Hooked on Swing 2, debuted at #89 on the album charts, and soon after Larry was back to the jazz touring circuit. He continued to tour internationally and record into the 2000s.
Larry Elgart
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
, who with his brother, Les, recorded the original rendition of "Bandstand Boogie", theme to the long-running teen dance show, American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
.
Biography
Larry Elgart was born in 1922 in New London, ConnecticutNew London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, four years younger than his brother, Les
Les Elgart
Les Elgart was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter.Lester E. Elgart began playing trumpet as a teenager, and by age 20 had landed professional gigs. In the 1940s he played in bands led by Raymond Scott, Charlie Spivak, and Harry James, and occasionally found himself in bands alongside...
. Their mother was a concert pianist; their father played piano as well, though not professionally. Both brothers began playing in jazz ensembles in their teens, and while young Larry played with jazz musicians such as Charlie Spivak
Charlie Spivak
Charlie Spivak was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s.-Biography:...
, Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
, Red Norvo
Red Norvo
Red Norvo was one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba and later the vibraphone as viable jazz instruments...
, Freddie Slack
Freddie Slack
Frederick Charles Slack was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader.He played with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the Will Bradley Orchestra when it formed in 1939...
, and Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
.
In the mid-1940s, Les and Larry started up their own ensemble, hiring Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
, Bill Finegan
Bill Finegan
William James Finegan was an American jazz bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer. He was an arranger in the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s.-Life and Career:...
, and Ralph Flanagan
Ralph Flanagan
Ralph Flanagan , was a famed big band leader, conductor, pianist, composer, and arranger for the orchestras of Hal McIntyre, Sammy Kaye, Blue Barron, Charlie Barnet, and Alvino Rey.-Biography:He was educated at Lorain High School, where he was a member of the National Honors...
to arrange tunes for them. Their ensemble was not successful, and after a few years they scuttled the band and sold the arrangements they had commissioned to Tommy Dorsey. Both returned to sideman positions in various orchestras.
In 1953, Larry met Charles Albertine and recorded two of his experimental compositions, "Impressions of Outer Space" and "Music for Barefoot Ballerinas". Released on 10" vinyl, these recordings became collector's items for fans of avant-garde jazz, but they were not commercially successful at the time. Larry and Albertine put together a more traditional ensemble and began recording them using precise microphone placements, producing what came to be known as the "Elgart sound". This proved to be very commercially successful, and Larry enjoyed a run of successful albums and singles in the 1950s.
In 1954, the Elgarts left their permanent mark on music history in recording Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie," for the legendary television show originally hosted by Bob Horn, and two years later, Dick Clark. Clark took the show national, to ABC-TV, in 1956 and remained host for another 32 years. Variations to the original surfaced as the show's theme in later years. Les and Larry reunited in 1963, but it would not last long; soon after, Les retired from performing altogether, while Larry continued to perform and record regularly for decades.
Larry's biggest exposure came in 1982, with the smash success of a recording called "Hooked on Swing". The instrumental was a medley of swing jazz hits - "In the Mood
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a big band era #1 hit recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. Joe Garland and Andy Razaf arranged "In the Mood" in 1937-1939 using a previously existing main theme composed by Glenn Miller before the start of the 1930s...
", "Cherokee", "American Patrol
American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941,...
", "Sing, Sing, Sing
Sing, Sing, Sing
"Sing, Sing, Sing " is a 1936 song, written by Louis Prima and first recorded by him with the New Orleans Gang and released in March 1936 as a 78 as Brunswick 7628 . It is strongly identified with the big band and swing eras. It was covered by Fletcher Henderson and most famously Benny Goodman...
", "Don't Be That Way", "Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (song)
"Little Brown Jug" is a song written in 1869 by Joseph Winner, originally published credited to "Eastburn" .It was originally a drinking song. It remained well known as a folk song into the early 20th century. Like many songs which make reference to alcoholic beverages, it enjoyed new popularity...
", "Opus #1
Opus No. 1 (1943 song)
"Opus No. 1" is a popular song, composed in 1943 by Sy Oliver, with lyrics by Sid Garris. The tune is often titled Opus One, or Opus #1. It has become a standard song in the swing, jazz and big band repertoire....
", "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart", and "String of Pearls" - that became so popular it even cracked the US Billboard Pop Singles chart (at #31) and Adult Contemporary chart (#20). Billed as "Larry Elgart and His Manhattan Swing Orchestra", the LP from which the tune was taken hit #24 on the US charts. The follow-up, Hooked on Swing 2, debuted at #89 on the album charts, and soon after Larry was back to the jazz touring circuit. He continued to tour internationally and record into the 2000s.
Discography
Les & Larry Elgart- Impressions of Outer Space, Brunswick RecordsBrunswick RecordsBrunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
(1953) - Prom Date, Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(1954) - Campus Hop, Columbia(1954)
- More of Les, Columbia(1955)
- Sophisticated Swing, Columbia(1953)
- Just One More Dance, Columbia(1954)
- The Band of the Year, Columbia(1954)
- The Dancing Sound, Columbia1954)
- For Dancers Only, Columbia(1955)
- The Elgart Touch, Columbia(1955)
- The Most Happy Fella, Columbia(1956)
- For Dancers Also, Columbia(1956)
- Les & Larry Elgart & Their Orchestra, Columbia(1958)
- Sound Ideas, Columbia(1958)
- Les Elgart On Tour, Columbia(1959)
- The Great Sound of Les Elgart, Columbia(1959)
- The Band With That Sound, Columbia(1960)
- Designs For Dancing, Columbia(1960)
- Half Satin Half Latin, Columbia(1960)
- It's De-Lovely, Columbia(1961)
- The Twist Goes To College, Columbia(1962)
- Best Band On Campus, Columbia(1962)
- Big Band Hootenany, Columbia(1963)
- Command Performance, Columbia(1964)
- The New Elgart Touch, Columbia(1965)
- Elgart au Go-Go, Columbia(1965)
- Sound of the Times, Columbia(1966)
- Warm and Sensuous, Columbia(1966)
- Girl Watchers, Columbia(1967)
- Wonderful World of Today's Hits, Columbia(1967)
Larry Elgart
- Band With Strings, DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
(1954) - Larry Elgart & His Orchestra, Decca (1954)
- Barefoot Ballerina, Decca (1955)
- Lary Elgart and His Orchestra, RCA Victor (1959)
- New Sounds at The Roosevelt, RCA Victor (1959)
- Saratoga, RCA Victor (1960)
- Easy Goin' Swing, RCA (1960)
- Sophisticarted Sixties, MGM RecordsMGM RecordsMGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
(1960) - The Shape of Sounds To Come, MGM (1961)
- Visions, MGM (1961)
- The City, MGM (1961)
- Music in Motion!, MGM (1962)
- More Music in Motion, MGM (1962)
- The Larry Elgart Dance Band, Project Records (1979) (reissue of New Sounds at the Roosevelt)
- Flight of the Condor, RCA Victor (1981)
- Hooked on Swing, RCA Victor (1982)
- Hooked on Swing 2, RCA Victor (1983)
- Larry Elgart and His Swing Orchestra, RCA Victor (1983)
- Let My People Swing, K-Tel Records (1995) (also a reissue of New Sounds at the Roosevelt)
- Sensational Swing, K-Tel (1995) (compilation)
- Live at the Ambassador, Quicksilver Records (1998)
- Latin Obsession, Sony International (2000)
- Bandstand Boogie (2003)