Biography
Milt Raskin, a talented pianist rooted in the swing idiom, elected to devote the bulk of his professional life to studio environments, where he proved an invaluable contributor to multiple big bands of that era. He began on saxophone before shifting to piano at age 11 and pursued formal training at the New England Conservatory during the early 1930s. Following several local radio engagements, Raskin relocated to New York, where he performed briefly with Wingy Manone in 1937 before entering Gene Krupa’s newly formed orchestra, remaining through 1939. Subsequent periods found him alongside Teddy Powell and Alvino Rey, with a return to Krupa and an extended association with Tommy Dorsey from 1942 to 1944. Upon leaving Dorsey, Raskin settled in Los Angeles, establishing himself as a prolific studio musician and musical director. Although he participated in occasional jazz dates during the 1940s and 1950s alongside Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday, Wingy Manone, and Georgie Auld, the pianist remained largely absorbed by the well-compensated anonymity of studio work and never fronted a jazz session under his own name.
Albums
