George Handy

George Handy (born George Joseph Hendelman, born January 17, 1920 in New York City; † January 8, 1997 in New York City ) was a jazz arranger, composer and pianist. In memory he stays for his swing and bebop arrangements.

Handy played nice five year piano and studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, also privately with Aaron Copland. He first worked in 1938 as a swing pianist for Michael Loring, but was then drafted in 1940 in the U.S. Army. He arranged afterwards for Raymond Scott Orchestra, Les Brown and Jack Teagarden. In 1943 he led his own band. From 1944 to 1946 he was a member of the Boyd Raeburn Orchestra, where he arranged, composed and played the piano. During this time, many big bands lined up on the Bebop. He left the orchestra to work for Paramount Studios, but soon returned to Raeburn.

During this time, cell phone had its most creative phase when he designed arrangements of old standards in the bebop style. 1946 left the mobile group of Raeburn. This year, he participated also at the receiving Diggin'Diz of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and had the occasion with a big band to contribute his piece "The Bloos " to the compilation The Jazz Scene. Although he arranged on for other groups, was his time at Raeburn 1944-1946 the most successful; then he stepped into the background and forgotten. Of his own recordings is The Bloos (1946 ) the best known. George Handy played later in the 1956 Zoot Sims Quintet at the recording of the album Zoot! with; a rare opportunity to hear the pianist in a small ensemble.

Auswahldiskographie

• Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy and Dial Recordings ( Savoy, 1944-48 )
• Boyd Raeburn: More 1944-1945 (Circle ), Man with the Horn ( Savoy, 1945-46 )
• Zoot Sims: Zoot! ( Riverside / OJC, 1956)