Sunday Bandstand 7 June 2020

Sunday Bandstand 7 June 2020

Stanley Black OBE (14 June 1913 – 27 November 2002) was an English bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and pianist. He wrote and arranged many film scores and recorded prolifically for the Decca label (including London and Phase 4). Beginning with jazz collaborations with American musicians such as Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter during the 1930s, he moved into arranging and recording in the Latin American music style and also won awards for his classical conducting.

Black was born as Solomon Schwartz on 14 June 1913 in Whitechapel, England. His parents were Polish and Romanian Jews. He began piano lessons at the age of seven. He was aged only 12 when his first composition was broadcast on BBC Radio and continued his early success by winning a Melody Maker arranging competition aged 15.

In the early 1930s he was employed as a jazz player and composer and had worked with Howard Jacobs, Joe Orlando, Lew Stone, Maurice Winnick and Teddy Joyce by the time he joined Harry Roy in 1936. He had also broadcast and recorded with several American musicians, including jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who had first heard Black on late night radio shows with Lew Stone's band. When the two eventually met in London, the reviewer Edgar Jackson suggested they record together, and a notable collaboration is a duet version of Honeysuckle Rose.

During World War II, Black joined the Royal Air Force, and became involved in managing the entertainment of servicemen based at Wolverhampton. In 1944 he was appointed conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra, and remained in the job for almost nine years, broadcasting as many as six nights a week.

By this time he had also begun recording under his own name for Decca. Now well involved with the film industry, he went on to compose, arrange and direct music for about 200 more films, notably after being appointed music director at Elstree Studios in 1958. He was also principal conductor of the Associated British Picture Corporation Orchestra and musical director composer of that organisation from 1958-1963.

Stanley Black's radio work kept him in contact with a large listening audience through his incidental music for shows such as Much Binding in the Marsh and the first two series of The Goon Show. He later presented his own programmes on radio and television, including Black Magic and The Marvellous World of Stanley Black.

In the early 1950s he regularly topped the Melody Maker lists of the most-heard musicians on radio. He was chosen to be included on Decca's first release of long-playing records in the UK in June 1950. This enabled him to continue his conducting, arranging and performing and resulted in a large number of albums. He was particularly popular in United States, as evidenced by his inclusion in the Billboard best-sellers lists.

During his life, he conducted many of Britain's major orchestras, and until the 1990s he was still directing regular broadcast sessions at the BBC studios, despite the onset of deafness in later life.

(Courtesy of Chandos Records)

Playlist  7 June 2020 

Recording Details 

Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Opening for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010
San Marino March - George Hawkins  Grimethorpe Colliery Band MD: George Thompson - 1970  'Highlights In Brass - Open Champions' - Vinyl - Polydor 583086 - 1970
Symphonic Music - Paul Huber Black Dyke Mills Band MD: Major Peter Parkes - (1979) - 2004  '25 years of the European Brass Band Championships' - Triple CD - CD156 - 2004 
The Mask Of Zorro - James Horner arr. Darrol Barry Brass Band Willebroek (Belgium) MD: Frans Violet - 2008  'Fire Dance' - C D - Bernaert Recording - BR 2008.040 - 2008
People - Stanley Black  Cornet Soloist Richard Marshall with the Black Dyke Band MD: Dr. Nicholas Childs - 2007  'Eminence' - CD - Doyen recording DOY CD230 - 2007
Singing In The Rain - Nacio Herb Brown arr. Alan Catherall Foss Dyke Band MD: Walter Ritchie - 2001  'Fanfare from Foss Dyke' - CD - DeciBel Beverley DBCD010528 - 2001
March of the Mogul Emperors - Edward Elgar arr. Keith Wilkinson Brass Band of the Western Reserve (USA) MD: Dr. Keith Wilkinson - 2007  'Windows of the World ' - CD - BBWR03 - 2007
The Devil's Tongue - Hugo Schmidt and Nate Gay  Euphonium Soloist Mark Glover with the Lion City Brass Band (Singapore) MD: Ignatius Wang - Live Performance - 2016  'Live Performance 2016'
Skyfall - Adele arr. Steve Newcombe Vocalist Chrislyn Hamilton with the Brisbane Excelsior Band (Australia) MD: Howard Taylor - 2017  'Brisbane Excelsior Band 10 Years On Top' - CD -  2017
Chorale and Prelude - Beethoven arr. Alastair Taylor Boscombe Band of the Salvation Army BM: Howard J. Evans - 2015  'Sanctuary Volume 2' - CD -SP&S CD349 - 2015
Sons Of The Brave - Thomas Bidgood  Old Silkstone Band MD: Norman Law - 2004   'The Colliers' - CD - Amadeus Recording  AMSCD076 - 2004
From Stabat Mater - I. Sancta Mater - Karl Jenkins arr. Andrew Wainwright & Robert Childs Hammonds Saltaire Band MD: Morgan Griffiths - 2015  'Pursuing Horizons' - CD - World of sound 065 - 2015
Carnival - Helen Perkin  Black Dyke Mills Band MD: Major George H. Willcocks - 1957  'The final rehearsal of this test piece at the Victoria Hall, Queensbury 1957'
Circus - 1) Rope Walker 2)Pierrot 3) Juggler - Huug Steketee C Trumpet & Piccolo Trumpet Soloist Huug Steketee accompanied by Ilone Kieft playing the Harp (The Netherlands) - 1997  'Memories ' - CD - Private Recording by Maarten Elzinga and Jean-Pierre Gabriel - 1997
Jurassic Park - John Williams  Dalewool Auckland Brass (New Zealand) MD: Nigel Weeks - 2002  'Showtime Hits of Stage and Screen' - CD -  Own Label - 2002
Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin  arr. Derek Ashmore Desford Colliery Band MD: James Watson - 1991  'Your Favourite Classics' - CD - Hallamshire Records HRD5303 - 1991
Fandango - Frank Perkins arr. James Howe Brass Band of Central Florida (USA) MD: Chap Shoopman - 2012  'Omnium Gatherum' - CD - Doyen DOYCD293 - 2012
Ain't She Sweet - Jack Yellen and Milton Ager Redbridge Brass MD: John Clark - 1994  'Close enough for Jazz' - CD - 
A Spin through Moscow - Dmitri Shostakovich arr. Gary Westwood Leyland Band MD: Russell Gray - 2006  'By Arrangement Leyland Band ' - CD - Egon Recording SFZ 135 - 2006 
A Child Is Born - Thad Jones arr. C. Booker  Trumpet Soloist Martin Winter with Eikanger Bjorsvik Band (Norway) MD: Reid Gilje - 2003  'Now that's what I call Brass Vol 1' - CD -  SP&S WOB CD102 - 2003
Marignan March -  Jean Daetwyler Ensemble De Cuivres Valaisan (Switzerland) MD: Christophe Jeanbourquin - 2000  'Emotions' - CD - Pro Music PM789 - 2000
That's A Plenty - Lew Pollack arr. Goff Richards Seindorf Beaumaris Band MD: Gwyn M. Evans - 2000  'Five Blooms in a Welsh Garden' - CD - Doyen Recording DOYT CD116 - 2000
Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Closing for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010​  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010

1 comment

  • Beat Siegenthaler

    Beat Siegenthaler - Wednesday, 10 June 2020

    Ladies and gentlemen
    Congratulations for your super show Sunday Bandstand

    I was inspired by Beethoven's piece "Chorale and Prelude", arr. Alastair Taylor liked it very much and I want to play this piece with my brass band too, unfortunately I don't get the notes in Switzerland. It would be very nice if you could help me where I can get the grades in England.

    For your efforts I thank you in advance and remain with kind greetings,
    Beat Siegenthaler

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