Johnny Richards

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Johnny Richards was a jazz arranger in the mid-20th century United States. He was a pivotal arranger for some of the more adventurous, boisterous Stan Kenton big band performances on recordings in the 1950s.

He was born, November 2, 1911, in Querétaro, Mexico, as Juan Ricardo Cascales, to a Mexican father and a French mother. He immigrated, along with his family, and his family settled in Schenectady, New York, 1912.

He worked in Los Angeles, California from the late 1930s to 1952. In 1952 he moved to New York City and became the head arranger for Stan Kenton.

He passed away, October 7, 1968, in New York, New York, of a brain tumor. Reviewers have deemed his style as being influenced by Duke Ellington and Pete Rugolo.

Selected Biography

• Under Charlie Barnet:
• The Capitol Big Band Sessions (Capitol, 1948-1950)
• Under Stan Kenton:
• Cuban Fire (Capitol, 1956)
• Back to Balboa (Capitol, 1958)
• West Side Story (Capitol, 1961)

wrote "Young at Heart" (Capitol, 1953)

• As a leader
• ''Something Wild, Something Else (Fresh Sounds, 1956 and 1959)
• Mosaic Select (Mosaic, 2005) compilation

External links

• allmusic biography of Richards
• Answers.com biography of Richards
• Extensive biography of Richards

Notes

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Last updated on Sunday March 02, 2008 at 05:46:38 PST (GMT -0800)
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