Biography
Ralph Burns received his training at the New England Conservatory of Music, later acknowledging that he had acquired the craft of jazz arranging chiefly by copying material from phonograph records. His first major affiliation was with the Charlie Barnet organization, though by 1944 he had joined Woody Herman’s “second herd” as pianist and lead arranger. Among the lasting instrumental pieces he created for Herman were “Bijou” and “Apple Honey.” He achieved a notable success in 1945 with the three-part extended composition “Summer Sequence,” long regarded as one of the most sophisticated big-band charts of its period. The final section, “Early Autumn,” provided the showcase that first brought saxophonist Stan Getz to widespread attention in 1947. After Johnny Mercer added lyrics, “Early Autumn” entered the repertoire of numerous jazz vocalists and approached the standing of a vocal standard.
Burns repeatedly described his years with Herman as the most satisfying of his career, yet by the difficult year of 1946 both he and Herman foresaw the decline of the large ensembles. He turned instead to supplying arrangements for singers such as Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, and Ray Charles, including the charts for Charles’ well-known recording of “Georgia on My Mind.” Subsequent work with film director Bob Fosse earned him Academy Awards for the scores to Cabaret and All That Jazz. These honors were later augmented by a Tony Award for the 1999 musical Fosse.
Although Ralph Burns’ direct participation in instrumental jazz ensembles ended with the close of the big-band era, he continued to lead small combos and assembled orchestras on roughly a dozen albums issued under his own name between 1951 and 1964. These recordings surface only occasionally on reissues, yet their quality extends from creditable to exceptional.
Burns repeatedly described his years with Herman as the most satisfying of his career, yet by the difficult year of 1946 both he and Herman foresaw the decline of the large ensembles. He turned instead to supplying arrangements for singers such as Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, and Ray Charles, including the charts for Charles’ well-known recording of “Georgia on My Mind.” Subsequent work with film director Bob Fosse earned him Academy Awards for the scores to Cabaret and All That Jazz. These honors were later augmented by a Tony Award for the 1999 musical Fosse.
Although Ralph Burns’ direct participation in instrumental jazz ensembles ended with the close of the big-band era, he continued to lead small combos and assembled orchestras on roughly a dozen albums issued under his own name between 1951 and 1964. These recordings surface only occasionally on reissues, yet their quality extends from creditable to exceptional.
Albums
