December 10, 1937 – April 29, 2023

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Don Sebesky passed away on April 29, 2023 at the age of 85.

He was born on Dec. 10, 1937 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and was originally a trombonist who studied at the Manhattan School Of Music.

Sebesky gained experience working with Kai Winding, the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey, the Maynard Ferguson big band, and Stan Kenton.

He began focusing more on writing music in the early 1960s and started an association with producer Creed Taylor, writing arrangements for Verve and A&M albums including Wes Montgomery’s Bumpin’ and Paul Desmond’s From The Hot Afternoon.

When Taylor formed the CTI label, Sebesky was a major asset in developing the label’s sound; his writing for Freddie Hubbard’s First Light is considered a classic.

Sebesky also contributed arrangements for albums by Hubert Laws, Chet Baker, George Benson (including White Rabbit), Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, Milt Jackson, Randy Weston (Blue Moses), and Stanley Turrentine among others.

While regularly involved in jazz projects (including albums by John Pizzarelli and a series of his own projects), Sebesky also wrote extensively for symphony orchestras, films, Broadway shows, and such singers as Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble and even Britney Spears.

Decades ago, Don Sebesky arranged “Danny Boy” for the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra.

Here is the South Side Big Band at the 2014 Winnipeg Optimist Jazz Festival (with trumpeter Miles Thomsen and tenor-saxophonist Patrick Joyal) playing Sebesky’s thoughtful version of “Danny Boy.”

-Scott Yanow

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