Harvey Cohen/Bonnie Janofsky Luncheon – Nov 15, 2006

The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) has a monthly luncheon; two each year are designated as “ASMAC Honors Our Own” luncheons with the purpose of paying special recognition to its most distinguished members. Harvey R. Cohen and Bonnie Janofsky were so honored on November 15, at Hollywood’s Catalina Bar & Grill.

Harvey R. Cohen is active in film, television, recording and live performance. He has received two Emmy Awards for his work on Batman, The Animated Series (Warner Bros.) and Disney’s Aladdin, and was nominated for a second episode of Batman, a Patti LaBelle Special, and two nominations for Casper (Universal), for which he was also nominated for an Association International du Film d’ Animation Award (ASIFA).

Harvey’s television repertoire includes the successful prime-time series Dallas, Knot’s Landing, and Murphy Brown; plus the 69th, 70th, 72nd, 76th and 77th Annual Academy Awards. Harvey scored Santa vs. the Snowman 3D (2002), the first animated feature in the IMAX 3-D process, and Walt Disney’s Belle’s Magical World, a two-million copy direct-to-video success.

One highlight of Harvey’s career was his collaboration with John Williams on the Academy Award-nominated score for Sabrina, which subsequently led to later work with Williams on The Patriot. Recent projects include King Kong (with James Newton Howard), Mission: Impossible III, Scary Movie 4, and Happy N’ Ever After.

In the recording field, Harvey has arranged Kenny G’s Grammy-nominated holiday CD Wishes; Monica Mancini’s Cinema Paradiso; Grammy award-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, Billy Crystal, Bernadette Peters, and Michael Feinstein’s Gershwin CD, Nice Work If You Can Get It. Concert arranging credits include Patti Austin, Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Doc Severinsen, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra to name a few. Harvey’s current CD release is Kenny Ellis’ Hanukkah Swings! His Columbia Suite for Orchestra (2003), a tribute to the astronauts of the US Space Shuttle Columbia, was commissioned and premiered in San Diego. Harvey also leads his own 18-piece big band.

A multi-faceted writer and performer (pianist and drummer), Bonnie Janofsky’s experience covers a broad range of styles and musical idioms with writing credits for many shorts, film, jingles, live shows, vocalists, big bands, and symphony orchestras. Her film scores have been featured in numerous festivals and won Best Music in the Zephyr Theater Shorts and LA 48 Hour Film Festivals. Nominated thrice for the Just Plain Folks Music Award, Bonnie’s jazz waltz, “Olivia’s First Waltz” won Best Instrumental Jazz Song. Composer of four musicals, she is currently writing two more as a member of the Academy for New Musical Theater. She has served for many years on the boards of ASMAC and Local 47.

Bonnie Janofsky studied music at CSULA and participated in the Earle Hagen BMI Film Scoring Workshop. Completing the USC Thornton Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) program, she was awarded a BMI Award.
–Jeannie Pool