Reginald Foresythe (28 May 1907 – 28 December 1958) was a British

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist, arranger, composer, and

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

Early life

Foresythe was born and died in London. His father was a West African barrister of

Sierra Leone Creole The Sierra Leone Creole people ( kri, Krio people) are an ethnic group of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Creole people are lineal descendant, descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Sierra Leone Liberated African, Liberated Af ...

descent and his mother was an Englishwoman of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

descent. The Foresythe family descended from Charles Foresythe, a Sierra Leonean colonial official who settled in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, Nigeria, in the 1860s. Charles Foresythe was born in the early nineteenth century to a European army captain and a mother from Tasso Island, Sierra Leone.

Career

He played piano from age eight. He worked in the second half of the 1920s as a pianist and accordionist in dance bands in Paris, Australia, Hawaii, and California. He also wrote music for films by D. W. Griffith and played in Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders. In 1930, Foresythe moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States. In America he wrote arrangements for

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

and music for

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

. Hines made one of his songs, "Deep Forest", a part of his repertory, while

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

Adrian Rollini Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played the bass saxophone, piano, vibraphone, and many other instruments. Rollini is also known for introducing the goofus in jazz music. As ...

, and

Hal Kemp James Hal Kemp (March 27, 1904 – December 21, 1940) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. Biography Hal Kemp was born in Marion, Alabama. He formed his first band in high school, and by the a ...

recorded Foresythe's compositions. He worked in New York City in 1934–35, arranging for Whiteman and recording with

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

, John Kirby, and

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

. In London, Foresythe assembled a studio recording group called "The New Music of Reginald Foresythe". Between 1933 and 1936, he recorded for

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

, usually spotlighting his jazzy tone poems. Among the more well known were "Serenade to a Wealthy Widow", "Garden of Weed", "Dodging a Divorcee", and "Revolt of the Yes-Men". His recordings featured reeds and sax, but no horns. In January 1935, Foresythe assembled a one-off session in New York which featured Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa recording four of his compositions. Foresythe also recorded a number of piano solos and piano duets with Arthur Young (which included at least three medleys and four arrangements of "

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...

", "

Tiger Rag "Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard that was recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions. In 2003, the 1918 recording of "Tiger Rag" was entered into the U.S. Library of Cong ...

", "

Solitude Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without distu ...

" and "

Mood Indigo "Mood Indigo" is a jazz song with music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard and lyrics by Irving Mills. Composition Although Irving Mills—Jack Mills's brother and publishing partner—took credit for the lyrics, Mitchell Parish claimed in ...

" for

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

in 1938). He served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, then accompanied vocalists and played solo piano in London in the 1950s. Foresythe collaborated with songwriters

Andy Razaf Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose". Biography Razaf was born in Washi ...

and

Ted Weems Wilfred Theodore Wemyes, known professionally as Ted Weems (September 26, 1901 – May 6, 1963), was an American bandleader and musician. Weems's work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Biography Born in Pitcair ...

, composing "Be Ready" (with both), "Please Don't Talk About My Man" (with Razaf), and "He's a Son of the South" (with Razaf and

Paul Denniker Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

). Foresythe died, following a fall downstairs, in relative obscurity in 1958.

Personal life

Foresythe was

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, and was known to regularly get into fights in gay clubs and bars. Following the war, Forsyth was diagnosed with "war nerves", what is today known as

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

. A decade on from his heyday, his confidence shot, Foresythe became a full-blown alcoholic and spent the late 1940s and 50s playing clubs in Britain.

Discography

All issues as The New Music of Reginald Foresythe unless otherwise indicated London, 14 October 1933: * "Serenade to a Wealthy Widow" (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D) * "Angry Jungle" (UK Columbia CB-675, US Columbia 2916-D) * " Tea for Two" (rejected) London, 1933 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo: * "Caemembert" (UK Columbia DB-1244, US Columbia 3088-D) * "Chromolithograph" (UK Columbia DB-1244, US no issue) London, 9 February 1934: * "The Duke Insists" (UK Columbia CB-764, US Columbia 3000-D) * "Berceuse for an Unwanted Child" (UK Columbia CB-726, US no issue) * "Garden of Weed" (UK Columbia CB-726, US Columbia 3000-D) * "Bit" (UK Columbia CB-744, US no issue) London, 1934 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: * "St. Louis Blues" (UK Columbia DB-1407, US Columbia 3088-D) * "Because It's Love" (UK Columbia DB-1407, US no issue) London, 6 September 1934 * "Deep Forest" (UK Columbia FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M) * "Lament for Congo" (UK Columbia FB-1643, US Columbia 139-M) * "Volcanic" (Eruption For Orchestra) (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue) * "The Autocrat Before Breakfast" (UK Columbia CB-787, US no issue) New York, 23 January 1935 * "The Melancholy Clown" (UK Columbia FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D) * "Lullaby" (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D) * "The Greener The Grass" (UK Columbia FB-1233, US Columbia 3060-D) * "Dodging a Divorcee" (UK Columbia FB-1031, US Columbia 3012-D) London, 1935 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: * " Sweet Adeline" (intro; "Lonely Feet", "Why Was I Born?", "Here Am I") (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue) * "Sweet Adeline" (cont; "Don't you Ever Leave Me", "We Were so Young") (UK Decca F-5636, US no issue) * "Roberta" (intro; "I Won't Dance", "Lovely to Look At2) (UK Decca F-5637, US no issue) * "Roberta" (intro; "Smoke Gets in your Eyes", "Touch of your Hand", "I Won't Dance") (UK Decca F-5637, US no issue) London 19 August 1935 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra): * "Landscape" (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue) * "Homage to Armstrong" (Chinatown, My Chinatown) (UK Decca F-5660, US no issue) * "Tea for Two" (UK Decca F-5711, US no issue) * "Sweet Georgia Brown" (UK Decca 5711, US no issue) London, 1936? (date unknown) Arthur Young and Reginald Foresythe, piano duo with drums: * ''Anything Goes (Selection A)'' (UK Decca K-770 12", US no issue) * ''Anything Goes (Selection B)'' (UK Decca K-770 12", US no issue) * ''With The "Duke" (Part 1)'' (UK Decca K-778 12", US no issue) * ''With The "Duke" (Part 2)'' (UK Decca K-778 12", US no issue) * ''Hits of 1935 (Part 1)'' (UK Decca K-787 12", US no issue) * ''Hits of 1935 (Part 2)'' (UK Decca K-787 12", US no issue) London, 1936? (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe, piano solo: * "Cheek to Cheek" (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue) * "The Piccolino" (UK Decca F-5758, US no issue) London, 6 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra) * "Swing For Roundabout" (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue) * "Anything You Like" (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue) * "The Revolt of the Yes Men" (UK Decca F-6203, US no issue) London, 27 November 1936 (Reginald Foresythe & his Orchestra): * "Mead and Woa" (UK Decca F-6291, US no issue) * "Mediation in Porcelain" (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue) * "Cross the Criss" (UK Decca F-6481, US no issue) * "Aubade" (UK Decca F-6363, US issue) * "Burlesque" (UK Decca F-6363, US no issue) London, 1938 (date unknown) Reginald Foresythe and Arthur Young, piano duet: * "Solitude" (UK HMV BD-BD-577, US Victor 26224) * "Mood Indigo" (UK HMV BD-577, US Victor 26224) * "Tiger Rag" (UK HMV BD-576, US Victor 26274) * "St. Louis Blues" (UK HMV BD-576, US Victor 26274)

Filmography

* ''

Jimmy Boy ''Jimmy Boy'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Jimmy O'Dea, Guy Middleton and Enid Stamp-Taylor. It was made at Cricklewood Studios Cricklewood Studios, also known as the Stoll Film Studios, were British fi ...

'' (1935) * ''

Calling the Tune ''Calling the Tune'' was a 1936 British musical drama film directed by Reginald Denham and Thorold Dickinson and starring Adele Dixon, Sally Gray and Sam Livesey. It was based on a play written by the Irish MP and novelist, Justin Huntly McCarth ...

'' (1936) * '' The Big Noise'' (1936) * ''

Stars in Your Eyes ''Stars in Your Eyes'' is a 1956 British musical film directed by Maurice Elvey. Plot As the world of vaudeville gradually loses its attraction, more and more entertainers are losing their jobs. In hopes of fixing their financial problems, a gr ...

'' (1956)

References

;Footnotes ;General references *

Eugene Chadbourne Eugene Chadbourne (born January 4, 1954) is an American banjoist, guitarist and music critic. Life and career Chadbourne was born in Mount Vernon, New York, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He started playing guitar when he was eleven or twel ...

Reginald Foresythe Reginald Foresythe (28 May 1907 – 28 December 1958) was a British jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. Early life Foresythe was born and died in London. His father was a West African barrister of Sierra Leone Creole descent and h ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...