Edward Ernest Sauter (December 2, 1914 – April 21, 1981) was a composer and arranger during the swing era.

Biography

Sauter studied music at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

. He began as a drummer and then played trumpet professionally, including with Red Norvo's orchestra. Eventually he became a full-time arranger for Norvo. He arranged and composed for Artie Shaw,

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

, and especially

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 ...

, earning a reputation for intricate work such as "Benny Rides Again," "Moonlight on the Ganges," and "Clarinet a la King". A bout of tuberculosis contracted in 1942, however, forced a stay at Pomona, NY's Summit Park Sanatorium and stalled his musical career for some time. From 1952 to 1958, Sauter was co-leader of the

Sauter-Finegan Orchestra The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra was an American swing jazz band popular in the 1950s. The orchestra was led by Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan, who were both experienced big band arrangers. Sauter played mellophone, trumpet, and drums, and had attende ...

. Between 1957 and 1959, he was Kurt Edelhagen's successor as leader of the SWF orchestra in Baden-Baden, Germany. In 1961, he worked with tenor saxophonist

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

on '' Focus'', a collaboration for which Sauter at Getz's commission wrote a suite of string compositions without primary melodies. This allowed Getz to improvise them in his customary style. Roy Haynes, the jazz drummer, appeared on "I'm Late, I'm Late", the only selection to use a non-string instrument other than Getz. Sauter and Getz collaborated again during Sauter's work composing the score for the film '' Mickey One'' (1965), which starred

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

. His television composing includes the third season theme to Rod Serling's '' Night Gallery''. In 2003 he was inducted into the

Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame is part of a US-based non-profit organization (The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame Foundation) that began operations in 1978 and continues to the present (2022) in San Diego County, California. David Larkin is cur ...

. Although Sauter is best known for jazz, he also orchestrated Broadway musicals such as ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January 1 ...

'', '' The Apple Tree'', and '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman''. Orchestrator

Jonathan Tunick Jonathan Tunick (born April 19, 1938, New York City) is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, and one of seventeen " EGOTs" - people to have won all four major American showbusiness awards: the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, Emmy A ...

said of Sauter's Broadway work, "Eddie did these marvelous things, always theatrical, always effective. And completely unlike anybody else." His composition "World Without Time" is used as the theme music for the public affairs show '' The Open Mind'', originally hosted by Richard Heffner.

Death

Sauter died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York, on April 21, 1981.

Selected discography

As arranger and composer

* Ray McKinley, ''Borderline'' (1955) *

Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentimenta ...

, ''Me and the Blues'' (1957) *

, '' Focus'' (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, 1961) * Stan Getz, ''

Stan Getz Plays Music from the Soundtrack of Mickey One ''Stan Getz Plays Music from the Soundtrack of Mickey One'' is a 1965 studio album by Stan Getz arranged by Eddie Sauter of their music for the soundtrack of the 1965 film ''Mickey One''. The two men had previously collaborated on Getz's album ''F ...

'' (Verve, 1965) *

, ''Benny Goodman Plays Eddie Sauter'' ( Hep, 1997) * Red Norvo, ''Knockin' on Wood'' ( ASV Living Era, 1999) *

, ''Inside the Sound'' (1952) * Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, ''NBC Bandstand Live: 1957'' ( Collectors' Choice, 1997) *

John Carisi John E. Carisi (February 23, 1922 – October 3, 1992) was an American trumpeter and composer. Early life and career Carisi was born in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey on February 22, 1922,Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popula ...

, Eddie Sauter, Christian Wolff,

Stefan Wolpe Stefan Wolpe (25 August 1902, Berlin – 4 April 1972, New York City) was a German-Jewish-American composer. He was associated with interdisciplinary modernism, with affiliations ranging from the Bauhaus, Berlin agitprop theater and the kibbutz mo ...

, ''Counterpoise'' (hatART, 2000)

References

External links

* All Music* *
Jazz a la Sauter: Eddie Sauter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sauter, Eddie 1914 births 1981 deaths American jazz composers American male jazz composers American music arrangers American television composers American jazz bandleaders Musicians from Brooklyn Jazz arrangers 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century American composers Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians Columbia College (New York) alumni