Don Raffell
Encyclopedia
Don Raffell was an American saxophonist, woodwind doubler, studio musician and educator. Raffell recorded on hundreds of records, movies, and T.V shows dating from the 1940s all the way through the 1990s. His career as a studio musician was long and stylistically diverse having started in the big band era and playing all the way up through rock n' roll and other modern pop era acts. He had a long time close professional association with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle
.
and then later Stan Getz
.
orchestra in 1940 where he would meet long time friend and professional colleague, trombonist and arranger Nelson Riddle
. During the 1940s and early 1950s Raffell would tour and record extensively with Spivak and then later with the Artie Shaw
Orchestra with whom he recorded on several of the bands famous RCA
recordings. He would move to Los Angeles in the mid 1940s after the Spivak band had made an appearance on the 1944 Betty Grable
movie Pin Up Girl
. Raffell also toured and recorded with numerous other big bands/acts of the time to include Benny Goodman
, Sonny Burke
, Charlie Barnett
, Louis Armstrong
and Mel Torme
. His tenure with the Burke Orchestra was the one of the most positive for him of any of the touring bands from that era. Raffell eventually settled in the city of Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles County near the studio music scene of Burbank
and Hollywood.
Raffell moved away from touring big bands and started to work as both a reed doubler (Multireedist
) and arranger for Skitch Henderson
and Les Brown
in the late 1950's on the Steve Allen Show
after production had moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1956. He eventually became one of the main woodwind doublers on numerous sessions for Nelson Riddle
and is in the reed/saxophone section on many recordings for Capitol Records
with Ella Fitzgerald
, Frank Sinatra
, Dean Martin
, Nat King Cole
, Judy Garland
, Peggy Lee
, Johnny Mathis
, Rosemary Clooney
and Keely Smith
among many others. His close association with Nelson Riddle
also lead him to work on T.V. shows such as the 1960's Batman
T.V. series and the ABC
Lennon Sisters variety hour (1969-1970), among others. Though long time friends with Riddle, Raffell had a falling out with the arranger during studio sessions in the 1960s due to both musicians' strong personalties. Raffell played in the sax section for the Johnny Carson
Tonight Show Band when it moved to NBC
's Burbank
studios in the late 1960's; Raffell held the tenor sax chair for a number of years eventually taken over by reedman Ernie Watts
.
As a jazz saxophonist Raffell's natural style was patterned after Lester Young
and Stan Getz
; his solos on records of Sammy Davis Jr. and Anita O'Day
show this side of his playing. Raffell is also heard on early R&B, pop, rock n' roll records of groups like The Platters
where he achieves sounds more like Earl Bostic
with growls and scoops (barwalking saxophone
) which is a complete switch from Young and Getz. Raffell's versatily as a soloist was impressive and wide ranging. He is probably most well known for his recording for Time-Life Records where he impersonates Stan Getz
. He also recorded and performed with jazz artists Gerald Wilson
, Mel Torme
and Nancy Wilson
through out the 1960s and Singers Unlimited during the 1970s; Raffell is on numerous Grammy nominated, winning recordings.
as one of the main woodwind and jazz artists to study with. The list of students who studied with him is long and are prominent in the music industry. Those names include Roger Ingram
, Saul Miller, Ron Catalano, Colin Mason, Stan Yamaguchi, Jack Cooper
, Don Roberts, Rob Payne, Jim Youngstrom, and numerous others living around the country.
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
.
Early Life
Don Raffell was born and raised in a musical family in Washington D.C. where both he and his brother took up musical instruments. He learned the clarinet and then moved onto the saxophone and flute, he learned to play trumpet and flugelhorn also. Early on his greatest influence on the saxophone was Lester YoungLester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
and then later Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
.
Professional Career
Raffell got his first start with the Charlie SpivakCharlie Spivak
Charlie Spivak was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s.-Biography:...
orchestra in 1940 where he would meet long time friend and professional colleague, trombonist and arranger Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
. During the 1940s and early 1950s Raffell would tour and record extensively with Spivak and then later with the Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky , better known as Artie Shaw, was an American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also the author of both fiction and non-fiction writings....
Orchestra with whom he recorded on several of the bands famous RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
recordings. He would move to Los Angeles in the mid 1940s after the Spivak band had made an appearance on the 1944 Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
movie Pin Up Girl
Pin Up Girl (film)
Pin Up Girl is a 1944 20th Century Fox Technicolor musical romantic comedy motion picture starring Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye, and Joe E. Brown.Directed by H...
. Raffell also toured and recorded with numerous other big bands/acts of the time to include Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
, Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett may refer to:* Charles John Barnett , British Army officer and diplomat* Charles James Barnett , English cricketer* Charlie Barnett , English cricketer...
, Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
and Mel Torme
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
. His tenure with the Burke Orchestra was the one of the most positive for him of any of the touring bands from that era. Raffell eventually settled in the city of Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles County near the studio music scene of Burbank
Burbank
Burbank is both a common placename in English-speaking countries and a common surname . The name Burbank is of English origin and means "lives on the castle's hill".- United States :* Burbank, California...
and Hollywood.
Raffell moved away from touring big bands and started to work as both a reed doubler (Multireedist
Multireedist
Multireedist is a term sometimes used to describe a musician who is a capable performer on more than one reed instrument. Many reed instruments are similar enough that if a musician plays one, they are expected to be able to play the other. Examples of this are the oboe and English horn or the...
) and arranger for Skitch Henderson
Skitch Henderson
Lyle Russell Cedric “Skitch” Henderson was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname reportedly derived from his ability to quickly "re-sketch" a song in a different key.- Biography :...
and Les Brown
Les Brown
Les Brown may refer to:*Les Brown , U.S. Big Band leader, or his son, Les Brown Jr., leader since 2001*Les Brown , American author-See also:*Leslie Brown...
in the late 1950's on the Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
after production had moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1956. He eventually became one of the main woodwind doublers on numerous sessions for Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
and is in the reed/saxophone section on many recordings for Capitol Records
Capitol 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 Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, 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...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, 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...
, Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
, Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
and Keely Smith
Keely Smith
Keely Smith is an American jazz and popular music singer who enjoyed popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. She collaborated with, among others, Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra.-Career:...
among many others. His close association with Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
also lead him to work on T.V. shows such as the 1960's Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
T.V. series and the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Lennon Sisters variety hour (1969-1970), among others. Though long time friends with Riddle, Raffell had a falling out with the arranger during studio sessions in the 1960s due to both musicians' strong personalties. Raffell played in the sax section for the Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
Tonight Show Band when it moved to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Burbank
Burbank
Burbank is both a common placename in English-speaking countries and a common surname . The name Burbank is of English origin and means "lives on the castle's hill".- United States :* Burbank, California...
studios in the late 1960's; Raffell held the tenor sax chair for a number of years eventually taken over by reedman Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts
Ernest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
.
As a jazz saxophonist Raffell's natural style was patterned after Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
and Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
; his solos on records of Sammy Davis Jr. and Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
show this side of his playing. Raffell is also heard on early R&B, pop, rock n' roll records of groups like The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
where he achieves sounds more like Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic was an American jazz and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist, and a pioneer of the post-war American Rhythm and Blues style. He had a number of popular hits such as "Flamingo", "Harlem Nocturne", "Temptation", "Sleep", "Special Delivery Stomp", and "Where or When", which showed off his...
with growls and scoops (barwalking saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) which is a complete switch from Young and Getz. Raffell's versatily as a soloist was impressive and wide ranging. He is probably most well known for his recording for Time-Life Records where he impersonates Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
. He also recorded and performed with jazz artists Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
, Mel Torme
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
and Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson may refer to:* Nancy Wilson , American jazz singer and actress* Nancy Wilson , American singer and guitar player, member of the band Heart...
through out the 1960s and Singers Unlimited during the 1970s; Raffell is on numerous Grammy nominated, winning recordings.
As educator
Throughout Raffell's music career he kept a private music studio at his home in Sherman Oaks; he was well known in Los AngelesLos 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...
as one of the main woodwind and jazz artists to study with. The list of students who studied with him is long and are prominent in the music industry. Those names include Roger Ingram
Roger Ingram
Roger Ingram is a lead trumpet player, educator, and author. He is best known for being the lead trumpet player on the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Harry Connick, Jr., Maynard Ferguson, Ray Charles, and Woody Herman big bands, and his 2008 trumpet textbook, Clinical Notes on Trumpet Playing, and the...
, Saul Miller, Ron Catalano, Colin Mason, Stan Yamaguchi, Jack Cooper
The Chamber Wind Music of Jack Cooper
The Chamber Wind Music of Jack Cooper is the first classical/new music studio recording featuring numerous performing artists recording chamber wind music of the composer on the Centaur Records label.- Music :- Background :...
, Don Roberts, Rob Payne, Jim Youngstrom, and numerous others living around the country.
Discograghy (selected/partial)
- 1942 At Last Charlie Spivak (Okeh Records)
- 1946 I Got The Sun In The Morning Artie Shaw (Bluebird/RCA)
- 1951 Ella Fitzgerald' Ella Fitzgerald (Classics Records)
- 1954 Four Platters and One Lovely Dish The Platters (Bear Family Records)
- 1955 Louis Armstrong with the Sonny Burke Orchestra Louis Armstrong (Decca Records)
- 1956 A Swinging Affair Frank Sinatra (Capitol Records)
- 1957 It's All Over but the Swingin Sammy Davis Jr. (MCA Records)
- 1962 Moment of Truth Gerald Wilson (World Pacific Records)
- 1975 Southern Memoir Bing Crosby (Infinity Records)
- 1980 Feeling Free Singers Unlimited (Universal Records)
- 1984 A Song For You Anita O'Day (Storyville Records)