Sunday Bandstand 7 February 2021

Sunday Bandstand 7 February 2021

Abraham "Glenn" Osser (August 28, 1914 – April 29, 2014) was an American musician, musical arranger, orchestra leader, and song writer. His birthname was Abraham (Abe), but much of his work was under the name Glenn; he can be found with references under both names. He also worked under a number of other names Arthur Meisel, Bob Marvel, Maurice Pierre, and others.

He was born in Michigan in the US, the child of Russian-Jewish immigrants. He studied piano, violin, saxophone, and clarinet in high school and went on to study music at the  University of Michigan, beginning in music education and switching to music theory. After graduating in 1935 he worked with a college dance band and, on advice from the band leader, moved to New York City, where he met music publisher Charles Warren, who became his mentor.

He soon started arranging and some radio work, hired by  NBC to be a staff arranger. He also played sax and clarinet in some orchestras. He also got to work with Benny Goodman on his radio program, and wrote the arrangement of Martha Tilton's recording of " And the Angels Sing" with the Goodman orchestra. He wrote the melody to Ruth Lowe's number one hit, "I'll Never Smile Again", recorded by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra with the Piped Pipers and Frank Sinatra.

During World War II he served in the U.S. Maritime Service, After his discharge in 1944 he began to arrange for the Paul Whiteman orchestra. It was Whiteman who, disliking the name "Abe Osser," suggested the name "Glenn." He rehearsed and conducted Whiteman's orchestra on the NBC Blue Network, which became the ABC Network, and when Whiteman went on ABC television, Osser joined him.

Whiteman became music director at ABC and put Osser on as staff, where he served from 1947 to 1969, when staff orchestras were eliminated. During his time at ABC, In 1962, the New York Mets entered the National League and were greeted on the field by a recording of "Meet the Mets", arranged and recorded by the Glenn Osser Orchestra. The song is still played at Mets games and on broadcasts to this day.

Osser became an arranger/conductor, first for Mercury Records, where he backed such vocalists including, and later for Columbia Records, where he backed Doris Day, Jerry Vale and Johnny Mathis.

On television he was musical director for the 1949 series Blind Date (also titled Your Big Moment), conductor for the 1953 series The Vaudeville Show, and orchestrator and conductor for the 1957 production of Pinocchio. In 1959 he was the Orchestra leader for the series Music for a Summer Night, which was repeated the following year as Music for a Spring Night. Osser was the conductor and provided the arrangements for the 1963 Sergio Franchi RCA Victor Red Seal album, Broadway, I Love You!.

Osser was the long-time musical director and conductor for the Miss America Pageant. He co-wrote the opening numbers and incidental music with his wife Edna providing lyrics

He died at the age of 99 on April 29, 2014.

On this week’s show we are featuring his Cha Cha for Band played by Desford Colliery Band in 1973. Here is the name of another composer who you may have seen at the top right of your music and wondered who he was. Well, these few notes will give you an insight to a composer and musician who was at the top of his career.

Enjoy the show...

Playlist  7 February 2021

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
Viva Rimmer - John Whittle  BNFL Band MD: Richard Evans - 1996  'Listen to the Band Collection On Parade' - CD - BBC Worldwide Music WMEM 002-2 - 1997
Les Preludes - Symphonic Poem - Liszt  - arr. William Rimmer Black Dyke Mills Band MD: James Watson - 1992  'Slavonic Brass - Black Dyke Mills Band' - Vinyl - Polyphonic Recording QPRL 053D - 1992
The Merry Widow - Franz Lehar arr. Denis Wright  Ibstock Brick Brass MD: Paul Northey - 2002  'By Request' - CD - Boosey and Hawkes Sound Services  CD0478 - 2002
Bless this House - May H.Brahe Cornet Soloist Richard Marshall with the Black Dyke Band MD: Dr Nicholas Childs - 2007  'Emminence' - CD - Doyen Recording DOYCD230 - 2007
Tantalusqualen Overture - Franz von Suppe Grimethorpe Colliery Band MD: Derek Ashmore - 1974  'Brass versus the Classics' - Vinyl - C7292York Records ‎– BYK 714 - 1972
Orient Express - Philip Sparke Breeze Brass Band (Japan) MD: Kazayoshi Vemura - 1995  'Mercury' - CD - Kosei Publishing Japan KOCD-2504 - 1995
Canto Religioso based on the American Folk Song Amazing Grace arr. James Curnow Cornet Soloist Lynda Nicholson with the Desford Colliery Caterpilla Band MD: Jan de Haan - 1992  'Hymns For All Seasons' - CD - DHM Recording DHM3010.3 - 1992
Flourish and Dances - Kevin Norbury International Staff Band of the Salvation Army BM: Stephen  Cobb - 2002  'Jubilee Brass - Highlights of the 2002 National Finals Gala Concert - CD - SPS165
Czardas - Johann Strauss ll - arr. Howard Snell Black Dyke Mills Band MD: David King - 1991  'European Brass Band Championships 1991' - CD - FT Records (4) ‎– FT5001 - 1991
Legacy for Brass Band - Tom Davoren Brighouse & Rastrick Band MD: David Thornton - 2020  'Regionals 2020' - CD - Doyen Recording DOY CD396 - 2020
The Linden Tree - Franz Schubert arr. Rieks van der Velde Brass Band De Wâldsang (The Netherlands) MD: Rieks van der Velde - 2009  'Darkness Visible' - CD - Lake Music Publications LMP 2009.01 - 2009
That's the Spirit - Derick Kane Euphonium Soloist Derick Kane with the International Staff Band BM: Dr. Stephen Cobb - 2018  'Larsson in Brass - The ISB play the Music of John Larsson' - CD - SP&S CD 413 - 2018
Flight - Mario Burki  Leyland Band MD: Russell Gray - 2007  'Pompeji' - CD - MF Records CD11976 - 2007
Demelza - Hugh Nash Soprano Cornet Soloist John  Noall accompanied by pianist Judy Thompson - c2011  'Soprano Cornet Solos played by John Noall' - CD - Private Recording - c2011
Cha Cha for Band - Glenn Osser Desford Colliery Band MD: Ernest Woodhouse - 1973  'The Desford Conquest' - Vinyl -  Pye Golden Guinea Records – GSGL 10501 - 1973
Born Free - arr. Darrol Barry Lindley Band MD: Neil Jowett - 1993  'Yarns in Brass' - CD - DAV CD035 - 1993
A Touch of Gershwin - Gershwin arr. Derek Broadbent  Brighouse & Rastrick Band MD: Derek Broadbent  - 1989  'Occasion' - CD - Triton Recordings TRN 98120A - 1989
East meets West -  Philip Harper Cory Band MD: Philip Harper - 2018  'The Art of Brass' - C D - SP&S DOY CD382 - 2018
Dawn of Freedom - William Rimmer Mirrless Works Band MD: Jack Atherton - 1970  'Mirlees Makes Music ' - Vinyl - Golden Guinea Top Brass Series – Marble Arch Label MALS 1317 - 1970
In The King's Service - Erik Leidzen  Southport Citadel Band of the Salvation Army BM: Brian Johnson - 1999  'The Salvation  rmy Marching Band - Joyful News' - CD - Castle Music  - PPIESD065 - 1999
Rhythm and Blues – Philip Sparke   Closing for weekly show Foden's Band MD: Michael Fowles - 2010​  'Patrons' Choice III' - CD - Egon CD-SFZ154 - 2010

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