Don Elliott
Encyclopedia
Don Elliott was an American jazz
trumpet
er, vibraphonist
, vocalist, and mellophone
player. His album Calypso Jazz is considered by some jazz enthusiasts to be one of the definitive calypso jazz albums. Elliott recorded over 60 albums and 5,000 advertising
jingle
s throughout his career. Elliott was also a longtime associate of Quincy Jones
, contributing vocal work in particular to many of Jones' film scores.
Elliott played mellophone in his high school band and played trumpet for an army band. After study at the University of Miami
he added vibraphone to the list. He recorded with Terry Gibbs
and Buddy Rich
before forming his own band. From 1953 to 1960 he won the Down Beat
readers poll several times for "miscellaneous instrument-mellophone."
Known as the "Human Instrument", Don Elliott additionally performed jazz as a vocalist, trombonist, flugelhorn
ist and percussionist. He pioneered the art of multitrack recording
, composed countless prize-winning advertising jingles, prepared film score
s, and built a thriving production company
. Elliott scored several Broadway
productions, including James Thurber
's The Beast in Me and A Thurber Carnival
, in the latter of which he performed with the Don Elliott Quartet. He also provided one of the voices for the novelty jazz duo the Nutty Squirrels
.
Elliott lent his vocal talents to such motion picture soundtracks as The Getaway
starring Steve McQueen
, $ (Dollars)
starring Warren Beatty
, The Hot Rock
starring Robert Redford
and The Happy Hooker
starring Lynn Redgrave
.
Elliott owned and operated one of the very first multitrack recording studio
s in New York City
and in Weston, Connecticut, where he died of cancer
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er, vibraphonist
Vibraphonist
Notable players of the vibraphone include:* Peter Appleyard* Roy Ayers* Karl Berger* Jeff Berman* Jack Brokensha* Larry Bunker* Christian Burchard* Rusty Burge* Gary Burton* Joe Chambers* Teddy Charles* Salem Chiles* John Cocuzzi* Monte Croft...
, vocalist, and mellophone
Mellophone
The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps....
player. His album Calypso Jazz is considered by some jazz enthusiasts to be one of the definitive calypso jazz albums. Elliott recorded over 60 albums and 5,000 advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s throughout his career. Elliott was also a longtime associate of Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, contributing vocal work in particular to many of Jones' film scores.
Elliott played mellophone in his high school band and played trumpet for an army band. After study at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
he added vibraphone to the list. He recorded with Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader.He has performed and/or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Mel Tormé, Buddy DeFranco, and others...
and Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
before forming his own band. From 1953 to 1960 he won the Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
readers poll several times for "miscellaneous instrument-mellophone."
Known as the "Human Instrument", Don Elliott additionally performed jazz as a vocalist, trombonist, flugelhorn
Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
ist and percussionist. He pioneered the art of multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
, composed countless prize-winning advertising jingles, prepared film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s, and built a thriving production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
. Elliott scored several Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, including James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
's The Beast in Me and A Thurber Carnival
A Thurber Carnival
A Thurber Carnival is a revue by James Thurber, adapted by the author from his stories, cartoons and casuals , nearly all of which originally appeared in The New Yorker. It was directed by Burgess Meredith...
, in the latter of which he performed with the Don Elliott Quartet. He also provided one of the voices for the novelty jazz duo the Nutty Squirrels
Nutty Squirrels
The Nutty Squirrels were a scat singing virtual band, formed in imitation of The Chipmunks, that had a Top 40 hit in late 1959 with the song "Uh-Oh"...
.
Elliott lent his vocal talents to such motion picture soundtracks as The Getaway
The Getaway (1972 film)
The Getaway is a 1972 American action-crime film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw.The film is based on a novel by Jim Thompson, with the screenplay written by Walter Hill...
starring Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
, $ (Dollars)
$ (film)
$, also known as Dollars and in the UK as The Heist, is a 1971 American caper film starring Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The movie was written and directed by Richard Brooks and produced by M.J. Frankovich. The supporting cast includes Gert Fröbe, Robert...
starring Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, The Hot Rock
The Hot Rock (film)
The Hot Rock is a 1972 comic caper film written by William Goldman and directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Redford, George Segal and Moses Gunn. The film was based upon Donald E...
starring Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
and The Happy Hooker
The Happy Hooker (film)
The Happy Hooker is a 1975 comedy film directed by Nicholas Sgarro. It was based on the novel detailing the true story of Xaviera Hollander.-Plot:A group of prostitutes are brought in to a New York police station...
starring Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Redgrave
Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE was an English actress.A member of the well-known British family of actors, Redgrave trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962...
.
Elliott owned and operated one of the very first multitrack recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
s in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and in Weston, Connecticut, where he died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Discography
A more complete discography can be found at EliottOnElliott.com.As leader
- Vibrations (Savoy RecordsSavoy RecordsSavoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
, 1954) - Doubles in Brass (Vanguard RecordsVanguard RecordsVanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
, 1954) - The Don Elliott Quintet (RCA Victor, 1954)
- Mellophone (Bethlehem RecordsBethlehem RecordsBethlehem Records was a record label based in New York and Hollywood founded by Gus Wildi in 1953. It was bought by King Records in the early 1960s....
, 1955) - Don Elliott Sings (Bethlehem RecordsBethlehem RecordsBethlehem Records was a record label based in New York and Hollywood founded by Gus Wildi in 1953. It was bought by King Records in the early 1960s....
, 1955) - Counterpoint for Six Valves (Riverside RecordsRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, 1955) - New Counterpoint for Six Valves (Riverside RecordsRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, 1956) - The Voice Of Marty Bell - The Quartet Of Don Elliott (Riverside RecordsRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, 1956) - A Musical Offering (ABCABCABC are the first three letters of the Latin alphabet. They may refer to:- Broadcasting media :* American Broadcasting Company, a private US broadcaster* Australian Broadcasting Corporation, national publicly funded broadcaster of Australia...
, 1956) - At the Modern Jazz Room (ABCABCABC are the first three letters of the Latin alphabet. They may refer to:- Broadcasting media :* American Broadcasting Company, a private US broadcaster* Australian Broadcasting Corporation, national publicly funded broadcaster of Australia...
, 1956) - The Voices of Don Elliott (ABCABCABC are the first three letters of the Latin alphabet. They may refer to:- Broadcasting media :* American Broadcasting Company, a private US broadcaster* Australian Broadcasting Corporation, national publicly funded broadcaster of Australia...
, 1957) - Music for the Sensational Sixties (Design Records, 1957)
- Jamaica Jazz (ABC-Paramount, 1958)
- The Mello Sound (Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, 1958) - Mr. Versatile
- Double Trumpet Doings (Jazzland RecordsRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, 1960) - Love is a Necessary Evil (ColumbiaColumbiaColumbia may refer to:-Places:* Columbia , a poetic name for the Americas, and the feminine personification of the United States of America* District of Columbia, the federal district in which the capital of the United States is located...
, 1962) - Rejuvenation (ColumbiaColumbiaColumbia may refer to:-Places:* Columbia , a poetic name for the Americas, and the feminine personification of the United States of America* District of Columbia, the federal district in which the capital of the United States is located...
, 1975)
As sideman
- Phil Bodner & Company: Fine & Dandy (Stash)
- Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
: Quintet with Lee Konitz, Quartet with Jackie McLeanJackie McLeanJohn Lenwood McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in New York City.-Biography:McLean's father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra...
(Fresh Sound Rec., 1948/1952) - Paul Desmond: Quinet/Quartet featuring Don Elliott (OJC, 1956-57)
- Billy TaylorBilly TaylorBilly Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
: My Fair Lady Loves JazzMy Fair Lady Loves JazzMy Fair Lady Loves Jazz is an album by American jazz pianist Billy Taylor featuring performances of show tunes from the musical My Fair Lady recorded in 1957 and originally released on the ABC-Paramount label and rereleased Impulse! label in 1964 following the release of the film.-Reception:The...
(Impulse!, 1957) - Billy Eckstine: Basin Street East (Emercy, 1961)
- Bill Evans & Don Elliott: Tenderly (Milestone, 1956-1957)
- Urbie Green: Newport Jazz Festival 1958 (Phontastic)
- Michel Legrand: Legrand Jazz (Philips, 1958)
- George Shearing: Verve Jazz Masters (Verve, 199-54)
- Marty Bell: With The Don Elliot Quartet (Riverside)
- Bob Corwin: Featuring Don Elliot (Riverside)