We have THREE birthday boys in the month of May
- three of our ASMAC treasures -
 

 VAN ALEXANDER

 
     Van Alexander is a man of many talents...composer, arranger, conductor, author, and teacher. Van's first arranging job was with Chick Webb at the Savoy Ballroom in New York. He later worked for Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, Les Brown. and many more. In 1938, Van and Ella Fitzgerald co-wrote the nation's No.1 hit, A-Tisket. A-Tasket. Ella was the featured singer with Chick Webb at the time, and soon after Van formed his own orchestra.
   Van wrote "FIRST ARRANGEMENT", a learning method for the novice arranger, which he used with his first two teenage pupils, Johnny Mandel and Ian Bernard. This book has inspired many of today's top arrangers/composers and is still used as a guide.
   Van has scored 22 full length feature films and hundreds of television segments. He received three Emmy nominations -  His credits include composing and conducting for NBC's 50th Anniversary Show, A Closer Look, Dom De Luise specials, the 1969 Emmy Awards, and The Guy Mitchell Show (series). Van served as arranger and assistant conductor for eight years on The Dean Martin Show.  Van has worked with Dinah Shore, Doris Day, Dean Martin, Gordon and Sheila MacRae, Kay Starr, Peggy Lee, Dakota Staton, Patty Andrews, and many more. Van's autobiography "From Harlem to Hollywood" has been awarded a Certificate of Merit from ARSC  - the Association for Recorded Sound Collections.
 

BILL HOLMAN
 

     Bill Holman is an American songwriter, conductor, composer/arranger, and saxophonist working primarily in the jazz idiom. Although he has performed and recorded as a tenor saxophonist, Willis is best known as an arranger. Through his acquaintance with Gene Roland, Holman was auditioned by Stan Kenton and hired as a tenor sax player around 1951.
        Kenton was apparently attracted to Holman's ability to integrate counterpoint and dissonance in subtle yet distinctive ways, and for his knack for making the usually-unswinging Kenton band "swing" in its own particular fashion. Holman became Kenton's chief arranger, and wrote much of Kenton's 1950s repertoire; including one of Kenton's finest albums, Contemporary Concepts. He continued to write for Kenton, on and off, throughout the 1960s and 70s.
        In addition to his work for Kenton, Holman has provided charts for Woody Herman, Doc Severinsen, Buddy Rich, Terry Gibbs, Count Basie, Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band and others. He formed his own California-based band in 1975 and continues to perform with it in the U.S. and worldwide. His 1997 recording Brilliant Corners/The Music of Thelonious Monk won a Grammy award.
        Bill Holman is also credited with brass arrangements on The Fifth Dimension's 1969 album, The Age of Aquarius.

 

DUANE TATRO
 

Duane Tatro is a Van Nuys native and has composed extensively for television and film as well as writing live concert media works for orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, and electronic instruments. In his early career, he worked professionally as an instrumentalist; playing clarinet, saxophone and bassoon.
   Duane's film and television credits include: Hotel, Dynasty, Loveboat, Matt Houston, Glitter, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones, Tales of the Unexpected, Most Wanted, Super Star, Manhunter, Cannon, Streets of San Francisco, Cades County, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, Mannix, Australia, A Timeless Land, and many Movies of the Week.
     He has participated in Meet the Composer programs at both San Diego and New Mexico State Universities, where he lectured on 20th Century music and composing for films.
     His concert works include:
   "Fanfare", (scored for wind ensemble, identical to Handel's original "Fireworks Music" ensemble), commissioned by the International Double Reed Society and premiered at its 1975 conference.
   "Fantasia", for concert band, premiered at the Society of Composers, Inc. Conference, University of Hawaii (1999), Grant Okamura, Director, "Untitled Lament" for Mixed Chorus and Chamber Orchestra (1999).
   and "Capriccio" for flute, viola, harp (2000) (and many more)
   Duane is listed in the International Who's Who in Music (1975), the Encyclopedia of Jazz (1955), and the Dictionary of International Biography (1976).

Several special guests will be on hand to pay tribute including your host ASMAC President Larry Blank, and the one and only Johnny Mandel. 
 

Join us to help blow 
out the candles -- 
and hear a story or two!!!
 

Ira Hearshen has some news about a performance and recording of his music.

A review of 2012 projects by Jorge Calandrelli, very busy ASMAC Board member.

Chris Walden - Arrangements for the albums-

Bassist/arranger John Clayton recent activity.

more.......

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