Dave Cavanaugh
Encyclopedia
David Cavanaugh, also known as Dave Cavanaugh or occasionally Big Dave Cavanaugh, (13 March 1919 – 31 December 1981), was an American composer
, arranger
, musician
and producer
.
, Cavanaugh became a session tenor saxophone
player in California
in his mid-twenties, working with numerous bands, including those of Eddie Miller
, Bobby Sherwood
, Benny Carter
and Woody Herman
.
Amongst the singers whose work he backed in the late 1940s were Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Mae Morse
and, as part of a group called Ten Cats & A Mouse, Peggy Lee
.
As "Big Dave" Cavanaugh, he also released singles such as "Big Dave's Special" / "One Stop" and "The Cat from Coos Bay" / "Loosely with Feeling".
, where, during a stint that would endure to the end of his career, he signed artists such as Dakota Staton
, Nancy Wilson
, Plas Johnson
and Sandler & Young.
He became one of the label's main producers, becoming responsible for the output of top artists such as Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee
, Kay Starr
, Billy May
, Sandler and Young
and Frank Sinatra
and winning a Grammy in 1959 for producing Sinatra's album Come Dance with Me!.
on some sessions, most notably on Nat "King" Cole's 1958 album Welcome To The Club
, on which Cole was backed by the Count Basie
Orchestra, though not, for contractual reasons, by Basie himself.
In a less serious vein, Cavanaugh also arranged Sinatra's spoof doo-wop
single, "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)
", with a Capitol session group called the Nuggets.
, with whom he remained associated until his death on New Year's Eve
1981 at Tarzana Hospital of heart complications following surgery in Tarzana, Los Angeles
, California
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Early career
Born in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Cavanaugh became a session tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
player in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in his mid-twenties, working with numerous bands, including those of Eddie Miller
Eddie Miller (jazz saxophonist)
Edward Raymond Müller was a jazz musician who played tenor saxophone and clarinet born in New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Bobby Sherwood
Bobby Sherwood
Bobby Sherwood was a trumpet player, bandleader, actor and composer. He appeared in three films including Pal Joey in 1957. His sons Billy and Michael are both musicians....
, Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
and Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
.
Amongst the singers whose work he backed in the late 1940s were Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Mae Morse
Ella Mae Morse
Ella Mae Morse , was an American popular singer. Morse blended jazz, country, pop, and R&B.-Career:Morse was born in Mansfield, Texas, United States. She was hired by Jimmy Dorsey when she was 14 years old. Dorsey believed she was 19, and when he was informed by the school board that he was now...
and, as part of a group called Ten Cats & A Mouse, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
.
As "Big Dave" Cavanaugh, he also released singles such as "Big Dave's Special" / "One Stop" and "The Cat from Coos Bay" / "Loosely with Feeling".
Capitol
In the early 1950s, Cavanaugh became a Director of A & R (Artists and Repertoire) for Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, where, during a stint that would endure to the end of his career, he signed artists such as Dakota Staton
Dakota Staton
Dakota Staton , also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period, was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No...
, Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson (singer)
Nancy Wilson is an American singer with more than 70 albums, and three Grammy Awards. She has been labeled a singer of blues, jazz, cabaret and pop; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer." The title she prefers, however, is song stylist...
, Plas Johnson
Plas Johnson
Plas John Johnson Jr. is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most familiar as the lead on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme"....
and Sandler & Young.
He became one of the label's main producers, becoming responsible for the output of top artists such as Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Kay Starr
Kay Starr
Kay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
, Billy May
Billy May
William E. "Billy" May was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music, for The Green Hornet , Batman , and Naked City and collaborated on films, such as Pennies from Heaven , and orchestrated Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return among...
, Sandler and Young
Sandler and Young
Sandler and Young were a popular singing team from the 1960s through the 1980s, composed of Belgian-born Tony Sandler and native New Yorker Ralph Young....
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and winning a Grammy in 1959 for producing Sinatra's album Come Dance with Me!.
As arranger
Cavanaugh even worked as arrangerArranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
on some sessions, most notably on Nat "King" Cole's 1958 album Welcome To The Club
Welcome to the Club
Welcome to the Club is a 1989 Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Cy Coleman. Despite its run of only twelve performances, it was nominated for some Tony Awards and other honors....
, on which Cole was backed by the Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
Orchestra, though not, for contractual reasons, by Basie himself.
In a less serious vein, Cavanaugh also arranged Sinatra's spoof doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
single, "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)
Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)
"Two Hearts, Two Kisses " is a popular song, written by Otis Williams and Henry Stone in 1954.It was recorded by Pat Boone for a major hit. This recording was released by Dot Records as catalog number 15338...
", with a Capitol session group called the Nuggets.
The Top of the Tower
In the 1970s, Cavanaugh became President of Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, with whom he remained associated until his death on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1981 at Tarzana Hospital of heart complications following surgery in Tarzana, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.