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ELGART, Lawrence (Larry) Joseph
(b. 1922 - d. 2017)
Born in New London, CT

ELGART, Lawrence (Larry) Joseph - Photograph
ELGART, Lawrence (Larry) Joseph

Larry ELGART - Hooked on Swing Album
Larry ELGART - Hooked on Swing Album

"Elgart was born in 1922 in New London, Connecticut, four years younger than his brother, Les. In the mid-1940s, Les and Larry started up their own ensemble, hiring Nelson Riddle, Bill Finegan and Ralph Flanagan to arrange tunes for them. Their ensemble was not successful, and after a few years, they scuttled the band and sold the arrangements they had commissioned to Tommy Dorsey. Both returned to sideman positions in various orchestras.

"In 1953, Larry met Charles Albertine and recorded two of his experimental compositions, "Impressions of Outer Space" and "Music for Barefoot Ballerinas". Released on 10" vinyl, these recordings became collectors' items for fans of avant-garde jazz, but they were not commercially successful. Larry and Albertine put together a more traditional ensemble and began recording them using precise microphone placements, producing what came to be known as the "Elgart Sound". This proved to be very commercially successful, and throughout the 1950s, Larry and Les enjoyed a run of successful albums and singles on the Columbia label. Their initial LP, "Sophisticated Swing," released in late 1953, was credited to The Les Elgart Orchestra, because, according to Larry, Les was more interested than his brother in fronting the band.

"In 1954, the Elgarts left their permanent mark on music history in recording Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie," for the legendary television show originally hosted by Bob Horn, and two years later, by Dick Clark. In 1956, Clark took the show from its local broadcast in Philadelphia, to ABC-TV for national distribution as 'American Bandstand'."  (Read the full article from Wikipedia)


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Other References:

ELGART, Lawrence (Larry) Joseph - Wikipedia Bio