Thomas Robert Talbert (August 4, 1924

Crystal Bay, Minnesota Crystal Bay is a unincorporated community in Orono, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. It is a farming community with many of these hobby farms having been owned by the wealthy of Minneapolis. Crystal Bay has its own post office A ...

– July 2, 2005 Los Angeles) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and band leader.

Biography

He was born on August 4, 1924, in

, and grew up listening to big band music on the radio. He got started as a band leader when he was drafted in the Army in 1943, becoming composer for a military band at Fort Ord, California, performing for War Bond drives throughout California. In the late 1940s, he led his own big band on the West Coast, much of his work foreshadowing what became known as West Coast jazz before moving to New York in the early 1950s after being denied a recording contract in LA In 1956, he recorded two records that would become his best known works, ''Wednesday's Child'' and ''Bix Duke Fats'', gaining him fleeting fame. When rock and roll eclipsed jazz in popularity, he moved to his parents' home in Minnesota in 1960, tried his hand at cattle ranching in Wisconsin, before eventually moving back to Los Angeles and a musical career in 1975. In addition to composing for TV and movie studios, he became involved in music education, and set up a foundation to help talented young musicians, with one of the first recipients (in 1996) being Maria Schneider. He died July 2, 2005.Obituary: ''Talbert, Tom; 80; Los Angeles,''

Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

( Minneapolis), July 10, 2005

Co-workers

Talbert has worked together with many other famous musicians. Some include: Los Angeles in the 40s: * Johnny Richards * Lucky Thompson * Dodo Marmarosa * Hal McKusick *

Al Killian Albert Killian (October 15, 1916 – September 5, 1950) was an American jazz trumpeter and occasional bandleader during the big band era. Early life and career Killian was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 15, 1916. Killian got his start ...

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

* Steve White *

Claude Williamson Claude Berkeley Williamson (November 18, 1926 – July 16, 2016) was an American jazz pianist. Williamson was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States. He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music before moving to jazz, influenced m ...

New York in the 50s: * Marian McPartland *

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Ca ...

* Don Elliott * Johnny Smith * Oscar Pettiford * Herb Geller * Joe Wilder * Eddie Bert * Barry Galbraith * Aaron Sachs * Claude Thornhill

Selected discography

As sideman : With the

Boyd Raeburn Boyd Albert Raeburn (October 27, 1913 – August 2, 1966) was an American jazz bandleader and bass saxophonist. Career He was born in Faith, South Dakota, United States. Raeburn attended the University of Chicago, where he led a campus band. H ...

Orchestra :* AFRS Downbeat, Los Angeles, early 1946, ''Memphis in June'' :* Club Morocco,

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, January 1946 :* AFRS Jubilee #169, Hollywood, California, early February 1946 :*

, February 5, 1946 : With Johnny Richards :* probably Los Angeles, ::Note: no details except Tom Talbert, arranger : With Patty McGovern, accompanied by the Tom Talbert Orchestra :* New York, August 1956, ''Wednesday's Child'', Atlantic As leader :* Los Angeles, June 25, 1946 :* Los Angeles, December 31, 1947 :* Los Angeles, August 1949 :* Los Angeles, November 1949 :* New York, August 24, 1956, ''Bix, Duke, Fats'', Atlantic :* New York, September 7, 1956 :* New York, September 14, 1956 :*

, October 3, 4 & 5, 1977, ''Louisiana Suite'' :*

, August 11 & 12, 1987, ''Things As They Are'', The Tom Talbert Septet :* Rendezvous Ballroom,

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

, 30 May 30, 1991 – 3 June 1991, ''Stan Kenton Celebration'', Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra :*

, October 1991, ''Duke's Domain'' :*

, October 10, 1991, ''The Warm Cafe'' :*

, May 18, 1992 :*

June 1992 :*

, June 2, 1992 :* Alhambra, California, May 18 & 19, 1993 :* New York, July 1, 7 & 8, 1997, ''This Is Living!'' :* Clinton Recording Studios, New York City, December 9, 10 & 11, 1999, ''To a lady: discover jazz with the Tom Talbert Orchestra''

External links

* *

References

General references ---- Inline citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Talbert, Tom 1924 births 2005 deaths American jazz musicians 20th-century American musicians United States Army personnel of World War II