Harry Betts

Harry Betts
Betts in c. 1947
Background information
Born	September 15, 1922 New York
Died	July 13, 2012 (aged 89)
Instruments	Trombone
Associated acts	tan Kenton

Harry Betts (15 September 1922 – 13 July 2012^[1]) was a jazz composer and trombonist.

Background

Born in New York and raised in Fresno, California, he was active as a jazz trombonist and played with Stan Kenton's orchestra^[2] in the 1950s, among others. His trombone can be heard on the 1959 Verve album by Ella Fitzgerald, Get Happy!

Music

He has written and orchestrated soundtracks for several films, including The Big Mouth (1967), A Time for Dying (1969), The Fantastic Plastic Machine (1969), Goodnight, My Love (1972), Black Mama White Mama (1972), Little Cigars (1973) and Nice Dreams (1981). Music from his soundtrack to Black Mama White Mama was used in the 2003 soundtrack for Kill Bill, Volume 1.

Aside from his work in scoring, he is known for his 1962 album, The Jazz Soul of Doctor Kildare. He did numerous arrangements for singer Jack Jones.^[2]

Partial discography

Stan Kenton, Eddie Safranski, Shelly Manne, Chico Alvarez, Ray Wetzel, Harry Betts, Bob Cooper, and Art Pepper, 1947 or 1948

As sideman

With Elmer Bernstein

• The Man with the Golden Arm (Decca, 1956)

With Bobby Darin

• Venice Blue (Capitol)

With Fred Katz

• Folk Songs for Far Out Folk (Warner Bros., 1958)

With Stan Kenton

• Stan Kenton's Milestones (Capitol, 1943-47 [1950])
• Encores (Capitol, 1947)
• A Presentation of Progressive Jazz (Capitol, 1947)
• Innovations in Modern Music (Capitol, 1950)
• Stan Kenton Presents (Capitol, 1950)
• This Modern World (Capitol, 1953)
• The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940-54, [1955])

With Barney Kessel

• Carmen (Contemporary, 1959)

With Shorty Rogers

• Cool and Crazy (RCA Victor, 1953)
• Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (RCA Victor, 1954)

References

1. "Harry Betts Obituary". Los Angeles Times. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
2. Eder, Bruce. "Harry Betts". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-01-03.