|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBLACK, Stanley(b 14 June 1913, London; d 27 November 2002) Pianist, composer, arranger, conductor. He began studying piano at age seven, later studied composition and orchestration; a composition was broadcast by BBC SO when he was 12. He worked in a dixieland band at Margate's Dreamland Ballroom age 16; with Ambrose, Lew Stone etc through '30s, recording/ broadcasting with visiting Americans Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Louis Armstrong. (Quartet and duo tracks with Hawkins made in London '34 were transferred to CD by Robert Parker '90; of 'Lost In A Fog' Al Van Starrex described Hawkins 'irradiating Jimmy McHugh's haunting air like a rainbow over Black's pianistic fog.) Visited South America '38, Black found interest in Latin rhythms. He joined the RAF '39, in charge of entertainment in the Wolverhampton area; upon discharge '44 he was appointed conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra, broadcast an average six times a week for nine years; he composed radio themes including The Goon Show. Work on nearly 200 films included Rhythm Racketeers '36, Mrs Fitzherbert '47, It Always Rains On Sunday '47, Laughter In Paradise '50, The Trollenberg Terror '57, City Under The Sea '65, Crossplot '69; in '58 he became music director for Elstree Studios. He wrote a new signature tune and music library for Pathé News '60; his music for the Cliff Richard movie Summer Holiday '62 won a joint Ivor Novello award for Best Musical Picture Score. Celebrated 25 years as Decca recording artist '70; many LPs included Tropical Moonlight, Gershwin Goes Latin, Broadway Spectacular, Dimensions In Sound, Digital Music '79 (on compact disc '83); Flamingo with Mantovani was reissued on a Bainbridge CD in the USA. Exotic Percussion, Spain, Film Spectacular and Music Of A People (Jewish and Hebrew songs) all charted in Billboard '60s. He conducted all the best orchestras in UK; his recording of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol was a Gramophone magazine Record of the Year '65; he wrote a fanfare for the Royal Film Performance '84. |