Don Elliott
Don Elliott | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Don Helfman[1] |
Born | Somerville,New Jersey, U.S. | October 21, 1926
Died | July 5, 1984 Weston,Connecticut | (aged 57)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation | Musician |
Instruments | Trumpet, vibraphone, mellophone |
Don ElliottHelfman(October 21, 1926 – July 5, 1984), known asDon Elliott,was an Americanjazztrumpeter,vibraphonist,vocalist, andmellophoneplayer.[2]Elliott recorded over 60 albums and 5,000 advertising jingles throughout his career.
Career
[edit]Elliott played mellophone in his high school band and played trumpet for an army band. After studying at theUniversity of Miamihe added vibraphone to his instruments. He recorded withTerry GibbsandBuddy Richbefore forming his own band. From 1953 to 1960, he won theDownBeatReaders' Poll several times for "miscellaneous instrument-mellophone."[3][4]
Known as the "Human Instrument", Elliott performed jazz as a vocalist, trombonist,flugelhornist,and percussionist. He pioneered the art ofmultitrack recording,composed prize-winning advertising jingles, prepared film scores, and built a thrivingproduction company.He scored severalBroadwayproductions, includingJames Thurber'sThe Beast in MeandA Thurber Carnival,as well asFrank D. Gilroy'sThe Only Game in Town.[5]He also provided one of the voices for the novelty jazz duo theNutty Squirrels.
Elliott was a longtime associate ofQuincy Jones,contributing vocals to Jones's scores for the filmsThe Pawnbroker(1962),Walk, Don't Run(1966),In the Heat of the Night(1967),$(1971),The Hot Rock(1972) andThe Getaway(1972).[6]Elliot also composed the score toThe Happy HookerstarringLynn Redgrave.
Elliott owned and operated one of the first multitrackrecording studiosin New York City and in Weston, Connecticut, where he died of cancer in 1984.
Discography
[edit]As leader or co-leader
[edit]- Doubles in Brass(Vanguard,1954)
- The Don Elliott Quintet(RCA Victor,1954)
- Mellophone(Bethlehem,1955)
- Don Elliott Sings(Bethlehem, 1955)
- Counterpoint for Six Valves(Riverside,1955) – withRusty Dedrick(also released asDouble Trumpet Doings)
- Vibrations(Savoy,1956) – withCal Tjader
- The Voice of Marty Bell - The Quartet of Don Elliott(Riverside, 1956)
- The Bob Corwin Quartet featuring the Trumpet of Don Elliott(Riverside, 1956)
- A Musical Offering(ABC,1956)
- Don Elliott at the Modern Jazz Room(ABC, 1956)
- Eddie Costa, Mat Mathews & Don Elliott at Newport(Verve,1957)
- The Voices of Don Elliott(ABC, 1957)
- Music for the Sensational Sixties(Design, 1957)
- Jamaica Jazz(ABC-Paramount,1958)
- The Mello Sound(Decca,1958)
- The Nutty Squirrels(Hanover, 1959) with Alexander "Sascha" Burland
- Mr. Versatile
- Love is a Necessary Evil(Columbia,1962)
- Rejuvenation(Columbia, 1975)
As sideman
[edit]- 1954Skin Deep,Louie Bellson
- 1954Joe Puma Quintet,Joe Puma
- 1955Songs by Sylvia Syms,Sylvia Syms
- 1956The Swingin' Miss "D",Dinah Washington
- 1956Sylvia Syms Sings,Sylvia Syms
- 1956Desmond: Here I AM,Paul Desmond
- 1956Featuring Don Elliott,Paul Desmond
- 1956Special Delivery,Janet Brace
- 1956Braff!,Ruby Braff
- 1957Swingin' with Terry Gibbs Orchestra & Quartet,Terry Gibbs
- 1957My Fair Lady Loves JazzBilly Taylor
- 1957Hi-Fi Suite,Leonard Feather
- 1958Sing Me a Swing Song,Bobby Short
- 1958Connee Boswell Sings Irving Berlin,Connee Boswell
- 1958Legrand Jazz,Michel Legrand
- 1959Amor!: The Fabulous Guitar of Luiz Bonfa,Luiz Bonfá
- 1959Porgy & Bess,Mundell Lowe
- 1959The Ivory Hunters,Bob Brookmeyer/Bill Evans
- 1961Like Tweet,Joe Puma
- 1963The Boss of the Blues,Charles Brown
- 1964The Many Faces of Art Farmer,Art Farmer
- 1964Golden Boy,Quincy Jones
- 1965Ballads My Way,Charles Brown
- 1967In the Heat of the Night OST,Quincy Jones
- 1972The Hot Rock OST,Quincy Jones
- 1973There Goes Rhymin' Simon,Paul Simon
- 1976I Heard That!,Quincy Jones
- 1977One of a Kind,Dave Grusin
- 1996Verve Jazz Masters 57,George Shearing
- 2001Tenderly: An Informal Session,Bill Evans[7]– recorded 1956 & 1957
References
[edit]- ^Pirtle, Scooter (1994)."Don Elliott: He Was a Gentlemen, too".Middle Horn Leader.Retrieved27 August2017.
- ^"Don Elliott, 57, Jazz Singer, Vibraphonist and Composer".The New York Times.6 July 1984.Retrieved27 August2017.
- ^Wynn, Ron."Don Elliott".AllMusic.Retrieved27 August2017.
- ^"Down Beat Magazine".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-03-11.Retrieved2007-02-12.Down Beat Readers PollsArchivedMarch 11, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Don Elliott".IBDb.Retrieved2008-05-10.
- ^Leonard Feather;Ira Gitler(1 April 2007).The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz.Oxford University Press. p. 450.ISBN978-0-19-988640-1.
- ^"Don Elliott | Credits | AllMusic".AllMusic.Retrieved27 August2017.
- 1926 births
- 1984 deaths
- Musicians from Somerville, New Jersey
- People from Weston, Connecticut
- Singers from New Jersey
- American jazz singers
- American jazz trumpeters
- American male trumpeters
- American jazz vibraphonists
- Cool jazz singers
- Cool jazz trumpeters
- Deaths from cancer in Connecticut
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century trumpeters
- Jazz musicians from Connecticut
- 20th-century American male singers
- American male jazz musicians