Uan Rasey
Encyclopedia
Uan Rasey was an American
musician
, best known for his studio work as a trumpet
player. He was first trumpet of the MGM film studios orchestra from 1949 until the early 1970s, and performed on the soundtracks of many motion pictures. As a teacher, Rasey had a reputation as one of the most exacting and inspiring trumpet teachers of his and subsequent generations.
where his father practiced law and his mother taught piano. Following initial music studies on the violin, he became attracted to the trumpet after listening to early jazz greats including Louis Armstrong
, Cootie Williams
, Roy Eldridge
, and others whom he heard, sometimes weekly, via national radio broadcasts that reached the remote great plains
of Eastern Montana
. At the age of seven, his family purchased a mail-order trumpet for him from the Montgomery Ward
catalog. It came with an instruction booklet, which became his initial guide in learning to play. When he was ten, Rasey contracted polio and spent nearly a year recuperating, but did not let the disease deter him from his passion for music and the trumpet.
He continued with his trumpet studies in his hometown of Glasgow, until his family moved to Los Angeles
in 1937, where he began his professional playing career in the road and show bands of Sonny Dunham
, Bob Crosby
, and other big bands of the swing era as well as working on nationally televised radio shows
. From 1947 onwards, Rasey worked regularly in Hollywood film studios, and was a pioneer in bringing the raucous and sexy sounds of jazz as well as big band styles into the classical tradition of the film studio orchestra
.
In 1949, he became first trumpet with the MGM film studio orchestra, playing on all the major MGM soundtracks from the Golden Age of Hollywood including An American in Paris
, Singin' in the Rain
, Gigi
, West Side Story
(at United Artists), My Fair Lady
(at Warner Bros.), Two For The See Saw, and Bye Bye Birdie
(at Columbia Pictures), along with many others. Perhaps his best known soundtrack performance was for the movie Chinatown (1974), featuring trumpet solos that brought him recognition and praise from the film studio community and the general public, an uncommon event in soundtrack recording at that time.
Rasey was expelled twice from the musician’s union for his outspoken support for the working musician, an issue with which he remained actively involved until his death.
He lived in Southern California
, where he taught privately and continued to pursue his passion for music and the trumpet. His accomplishments were recognized in May 2009 by the International Trumpet Guild
(ITG) with their award of the ITG Honorary Award, the guild's most prestigious award. He performed on nearly every MGM film score from the late 1940s until the early 1970s, along with film scores from many other motion picture studios as he did not work exclusively for MGM. He was highly skilled in all genres of music
, from classical to big band lead playing and nearly everything in-between. He is recorded most of the Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 1950s and 60s.
Rasey worked continuously at Capitol Records
and other audio recording studios in the Southern California area from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. He was featured playing lead on all tracks, together with other well-known trumpet players, including Pete Candoli
, Conrad Gozzo
, Shorty Sherock
, Mannie Klein and Joe Triscari.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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....
, best known for his studio work as a 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...
player. He was first trumpet of the MGM film studios orchestra from 1949 until the early 1970s, and performed on the soundtracks of many motion pictures. As a teacher, Rasey had a reputation as one of the most exacting and inspiring trumpet teachers of his and subsequent generations.
Biography
Uan Rasey was born in Glasgow, MontanaGlasgow, Montana
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,253 at the 2000 census.-History:Glasgow was founded in 1887 as a railroad town by James J. Hill, who was responsible for creating many communities along the Hi-Line. The town was named after...
where his father practiced law and his mother taught piano. Following initial music studies on the violin, he became attracted to the trumpet after listening to early jazz greats including Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Cootie Williams
Cootie Williams
Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Biography:...
, Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
Roy David Eldridge , nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a...
, and others whom he heard, sometimes weekly, via national radio broadcasts that reached the remote great plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of Eastern Montana
Eastern Montana
Eastern Montana is a loosely-defined region of Montana. Some definitions are more or less inclusive than others, ranging from the most inclusive, which would include the entire part of the state east of the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains...
. At the age of seven, his family purchased a mail-order trumpet for him from the Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
catalog. It came with an instruction booklet, which became his initial guide in learning to play. When he was ten, Rasey contracted polio and spent nearly a year recuperating, but did not let the disease deter him from his passion for music and the trumpet.
He continued with his trumpet studies in his hometown of Glasgow, until his family moved to 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...
in 1937, where he began his professional playing career in the road and show bands of Sonny Dunham
Sonny Dunham
Elmer "Sonny" Dunham was an American trumpet player and bandleader.Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, the son of Elmer and Ethel Dunham, he attended local schools and took lessons on the valve trombone at the age of 7. He changed to the slide trombone at age 11, and was playing in local bands by...
, Bob Crosby
Bob Crosby
George Robert "Bob" Crosby was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group the Bob-Cats.-Family:...
, and other big bands of the swing era as well as working on nationally televised radio shows
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
. From 1947 onwards, Rasey worked regularly in Hollywood film studios, and was a pioneer in bringing the raucous and sexy sounds of jazz as well as big band styles into the classical tradition of the film studio orchestra
Studio orchestra
A studio orchestra is an orchestra that exists only in a recording, movie, or television studio. That is, it does not perform in public concerts or for audiences generally. They are typically run by movie and television studios to produce film and television soundtrack recordings. Nearly all...
.
In 1949, he became first trumpet with the MGM film studio orchestra, playing on all the major MGM soundtracks from the Golden Age of Hollywood including An American in Paris
An American in Paris
An American in Paris is a symphonic tone poem by the American composer George Gershwin, written in 1928. Inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris, it evokes the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.Gershwin composed the piece...
, Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
, Gigi
Gigi (1958 film)
Gigi is a 1958 musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette...
, West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
(at United Artists), My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
(at Warner Bros.), Two For The See Saw, and Bye Bye Birdie
Bye Bye Birdie (film)
Bye Bye Birdie is a 1963 musical comedy film from Columbia Pictures. It is a film adaptation of the stage production of the same name. The screenplay was written by Michael Stewart and Irving Brecher, with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams....
(at Columbia Pictures), along with many others. Perhaps his best known soundtrack performance was for the movie Chinatown (1974), featuring trumpet solos that brought him recognition and praise from the film studio community and the general public, an uncommon event in soundtrack recording at that time.
Rasey was expelled twice from the musician’s union for his outspoken support for the working musician, an issue with which he remained actively involved until his death.
He lived in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, where he taught privately and continued to pursue his passion for music and the trumpet. His accomplishments were recognized in May 2009 by the International Trumpet Guild
International Trumpet Guild
The International Trumpet Guild is a group of about 6000 trumpet players from around the world. Four journals are sent out every year to all members along with occasional instructional and practice items . The ITG hosts many competitions and conferences for trumpet players of all levels and...
(ITG) with their award of the ITG Honorary Award, the guild's most prestigious award. He performed on nearly every MGM film score from the late 1940s until the early 1970s, along with film scores from many other motion picture studios as he did not work exclusively for MGM. He was highly skilled in all genres of music
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
, from classical to big band lead playing and nearly everything in-between. He is recorded most of the Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 1950s and 60s.
Rasey worked continuously at 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...
and other audio recording studios in the Southern California area from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. He was featured playing lead on all tracks, together with other well-known trumpet players, including Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli was an American swing and West Coast jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and many others, and worked extensively in the studios of the recording and television industries...
, Conrad Gozzo
Conrad Gozzo
Conrad J. Gozzo was an American trumpet player born in New Britain Connecticut on February 6, 1922. Gozzo was a member of the NBC Hollywood staff orchestra at the time of his death on October 8, 1964...
, Shorty Sherock
Shorty Sherock
Clarence "Shorty" Sherock was a prominent swing jazz trumpeter.Sherock attended the Illinois Military Academy before becoming a soloist with Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra and later with Gene Krupa's Orchestra, together with saxophonist Sam Donahue.He was a featured soloist at the first concert of...
, Mannie Klein and Joe Triscari.