Nelson Riddle

Genres:	Action & Adventure • Big Band & Swing • Comedy • Drama • Easy Listening • Jazz • Musicals & The Arts • Sci-Fi / Fantasy • Television • Vocals • Westerns
Descriptive "tags":	lounge • easy listening • jazz • instrumental • ultra-lounge • nelson riddle • orchestra • 60s • space age pop • soundtrack
Decades Active:	1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Links online:	BBC Music • IMDb • Official Homepage • Wikipedia

Biography

Nelson Smock Riddle, 1 June 1921, Oradell, New Jersey, USA, d. 6 October 1985, Los Angeles, California, USA. After studying piano, Riddle took up the trombone when in his early teens, and in the late 30s played in a number of big bands, including those led by Jerry Wald, Charlie Spivak, Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby. After a stint in the army, he settled in California and studied arranging with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and conducting with Victor Bay. In the late 40s Riddle joined NBC, but was lured to Capitol Records and registered immediately with a driving arrangement of ‘Blacksmith Blues’ for Ella Mae Morse. He confirmed his outstanding ability when he began to arrange and conduct for recordings by Nat ‘King’ Cole and Frank Sinatra. Among these were some of Cole’s most engaging and memorable sides, such as ‘Unforgettable’, ‘Somewhere Along The Way’ and ‘Ballerina’, along with a good many of his bestselling...

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