Leo Arnaud

Léo Arnaud ( born July 24, 1904 in Couzon -au -Mont- d'Or, Rhône region as Noël Leon Marius Arnaud, † 25 April 1991 in Hamptonville, North Carolina) was a native of France, American jazz musician (trumpet, trombone, saxophone, vibraphone, cello, percussion ), arranger, and film score composer. In France, he worked under the name Léo Vauchant.

Life and work

Arnaud studied composition at the conservatories in Lyon and Paris with Maurice Ravel and Vincent d' Indy. He began his career as a musician under the pseudonyms Léo Vauchant 1917 in the orchestra of the Music Hall of Gaite Rochechouart, which was directed by Fred Melé. The end of 1919, he was employed as a cellist and percussionist in the orchestra of the British Tom Waltham; 1920 participated in jam sessions with American musicians with the tempo club. After another few years in various dance orchestras, he was a member of the 1924 formation Melody Six, which also belonged to the trumpeter Ray Binder and drummer René Gordeon. 1926/27, he led his own orchestra in Bouffes Parisiens.

In 1928, he worked as a trombonist at Lud Gluskin in the Lido. After an engagement at the movies Paramount with pianist Zinky Cohn, he was from 1928 to 1930 worked as an arranger for Jack Hylton in England; still he joined in 1930 with Michel Warlop at the Café de Paris and then as a vibraphone player in Grégor et ses Grégoriens. In 1931 he played at jam sessions with Albert Wynn and Herbert Fleming. In the same year he emigrated to the United States, where he worked under his real name and first as first trombonist Fred Waring and his Pennsyvanians found employment. He also played with Gene Krupa, Joe Sullivan, Babe Russin, Charlie Teagarden, Artie Shaw and Chauncey Morehouse.

Since 1936 he was in Hollywood as a composer, musical director and arranger in the MGM Studios worked until 1966, including two films with the Marx Brothers. He was known primarily for the composition " Bugler's Dream" by 1958, the use was as a signature tune at the Olympic Games in the United States at the stations NBC and ABC. In 1964 he was nominated for the soundtrack of gold miners Molly for the Academy Awards. In 1980, Arnaud withdrew from the music business and sat in Yadkin County, North Carolina to rest.

Filmography (selection)

Lexigraphic entries

• Philippe Carles, André Clergeat, Jean -Louis Comolli: Le nouveau dictionnaire du jazz. R. Laffont: Paris 2011; ISBN 978-2-221-11592-3