Van Alexander (May 2, 1915 – July 19, 2015) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer.

Early years

Van Alexander was born Alexander Van Vliet Feldman in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. His mother was a classical pianist, and she taught him to play the piano. He 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 ...

. Alexander led bands and arranged music beginning in high school.

Career

He landed a job selling arrangements to Chick Webb in the middle of the 1930s.

A-Tisket, A-Tasket "A Tisket A Tasket" is a nursery rhyme first recorded in America in the late nineteenth century. It was used as the basis for a very successful and highly regarded 1938 recording by Ella Fitzgerald, composed by Fitzgerald in conjunction with Al Fe ...

" became a hit for Webb and

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, becoming one of her signature tunes. Alexander arranged other nursery rhymes for jazz, such as " Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?" and "Got a Pebble in My Shoe". In 1938, Alexander formed his own band and played in theaters into the 1940s. When his group disbanded, he and two others from the group joined Larry Clinton's orchestra. George T. Simon, in his book, ''The Big Bands'', quoted Clinton as saying that he had "a package deal from Van Alexander. He had given up his band and joined us, and he brought along Butch Stone and

Irv Cottler Irving Cottler (February 13, 1918 – August 8, 1989), Hollywood, Los Angeles based musician was a first-call Drummer / percussionist and original member of The Wrecking Crew. Cottler credits include LOVE, Impossible, Stardust and Unforgettabl ...

, whose drumming made all the difference in the world." By June 1942, Alexander had formed another band of his own. 200px, left, Van Alexander in 2013 Later in the 1940s, he was hired by

Bob Crosby George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the young ...

to work in Hollywood and worked extensively as a composer, arranger, and conductor for film scores. He wrote a textbook on film arrangement in 1950 called ''First Arrangement'', and

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

studied under him. Alexander's scores included several Mickey Rooney films, such as ''

The Atomic Kid ''The Atomic Kid'' is a 1954 American black-and-white science fiction comedy film directed by Leslie H. Martinson and starring Mickey Rooney and Robert Strauss. It was distributed by Republic Pictures and produced by Maurice Duke and Mickey ...

'' (1954), ''

The Twinkle in God's Eye ''The Twinkle in God's Eye'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by George Blair and written by P.J. Wolfson. The film stars Mickey Rooney, Coleen Gray, Hugh O'Brian, Joey Forman, Don "Red" Barry and Mike Connors. The film was released o ...

'' (1955), ''

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...

'' (1957), ''

The Last Mile The Last Mile may refer to: * The Last Mile (prison rehabilitation program), a program for inmates in the California corrections system * ''The Last Mile'' (play), a 1930 play by John Wexley * ''The Last Mile'' (1932 film), an American adaptatio ...

'' (1959), '' The Big Operator'' (1959) and ''

The Private Lives of Adam and Eve ''The Private Lives of Adam and Eve'' is a 1960 Spectacolor comedy film starring Mickey Rooney (who also co-directed), and Mamie Van Doren. It is an American B-movie in which the plot revolves around a modern couple who dream that they are Adam ...

'' (1960), as well as the scores to '' 13 Frightened Girls'' (1963), '' Strait-Jacket'' (1964), ''

I Saw What You Did ''I Saw What You Did'' is a 1965 American thriller film released by Universal Pictures and starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland. The plot follows two teenage girls who find themselves in serious danger after making a prank phone call to a man ...

'' (1965) and ''

Tarzan and the Valley of Gold ''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its v ...

'' (1966). He provided music for the television shows '' Hazel'', '' The Farmer's Daughter'', ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

'', ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

'', '' Dennis the Menace'' and ''The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters''. He arranged and conducted for variety shows starring

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and '' Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

, Mickey Rooney, and James Stewart. He was involved in recording sessions with Doris Day, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee,

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

Kay Starr Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known professionally as Kay Starr, was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multip ...

Dakota Staton Dakota Staton (June 3, 1930 – April 10, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No. 4 hit "The Late, Late Show". She was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period due to her conversion to ...

, and

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, W ...

. Alexander turned 100 in May 2015. His wife, Beth, died in 2010. He died of heart failure on July 19, 2015, in Los Angeles. He is buried in the Sanctuary of Meditation mausoleum, row 1, space 15a, in Hillside Memorial Park, Los Angeles.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson

Awards and honors

Alexander was nominated twice for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program. His 1972 nomination was for his work on ''

The Golddiggers The Golddiggers was a female singing and dancing troupe created for ''The Dean Martin Show.'' They performed on TV, on live tours and internationally with the USO. The group was formed in 1968, dissolved in 1992, and reorganized in 2007, and has ...

Chevrolet Show'', and his 1973 nomination was for his work on ''The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters''. He received the Henry Mancini Award for lifetime achievement from

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

References

External links

* *
Van Alexander Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1995, 2001) {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Van 1915 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews American centenarians American conductors (music) American film score composers American jazz bandleaders American jazz composers American male conductors (music) American male film score composers American music arrangers American television composers Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Jewish American film score composers Jewish American jazz composers Jewish American television composers Men centenarians