Sammy Nestico obit

Sammy Nestico, prolific composer and arranger for Count Basie, dies at 96

 

He was not on the list.

Sammy Nestico, the composer and arranger best known for his work with the Count Basie Orchestra, has died. He was 96.

Along with being one of the most prolific big band composers and arrangers of his time, Nestico was also a beloved and highly in-demand educator, clinician and guest conductor who mentored and influenced multiple generations of jazz musicians.

Nestico arranged music for the Count Basie Orchestra from 1967 to 1984, and wrote arrangements for the U.S. Air Force Band for 15 years and the U.S. Marine Band for five years.

He is also known for arranging and conducting projects for a long list of artists including Frank Sinatra, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Bing Crosby, Sarah Vaughan and Toni Tennille. He also played trombone for the likes of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa and Charlie Barnet.

The family of Nestico announced his death on Facebook on Jan. 17, with hundreds of tributes pouring in from fans and former colleagues.

“Please honour him through his music by keeping his music alive,” Nestico’s wife Shirley said.

After leaving the military, Nestico became a freelance arranger. He began working as an arranger for Count Basie in 1967, and wrote and arranged all the music for Basie's 1968 LP Basie Straight Ahead. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy Awards. During his career, Nestico composed, arranged, or conducted albums for musicians and singers including Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Toni Tennille, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. In addition, he played trombone, in the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, and Charlie Barnet. He conducted and recorded his arrangements with several leading European Radio Jazz Orchestras, including the BBC Big Band in London, Germany's SWR Big Band and NDR Big Band and the DR Big Band, as well as the Boston Pops Orchestra in America.

Nestico had a long career in the film and television industry. As orchestrator, he worked on nearly seventy television programs, including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, and The Mod Squad. He also worked as an arranger for the 81st Academy Awards, as well as some Grammy Awards. He worked as an orchestrator and arranger for the film The Color Purple. Nestico composed commercial jingles for Anheuser-Busch, Zenith, Ford Motor Company, Mattel Toys, Pittsburgh Paint, the National Guard, Dodge, Remington Bank, and Americard.